If a person is of a height lower than the average, it does not mean that he cannot ride a motorcycle properly. Not all riders that you see out there are tall. Yes, there can be a few challenges if a rider is short. But with some easy to learn techniques and proper practice, a short person can be as good a rider as any. Here are the top 6 riding tips for short riders:

Practice and become proficient on a small bike

Start out on a small, light bike. Practice accelerating quickly from a stop, starting out on a hill, quick stops & swerves. Practice backing up out of a parking space by walking the bike while standing next to it. Practice stopping by placing only your left foot on the ground. Ride a lot and experience all kinds of different scenarios on a bike that you can handle easily. Once you have enough practice and are confident enough, then only move on to a bigger bike. Practicing on a smaller bike will give you the skills to eliminate the need of putting both your feet on the ground to balance the bike.

Have a plan before you put your feet down

Scope out the parking situation by scouting if it is paved, if it has any grading or slopes, if there’s enough room to make a U-turn if needed. See if there is a spot where you can pull through so that you’re facing forward when you need to leave. Make sure to park the motorcycle such that it won’t roll when parked, but will be easy to get out once you’re ready to leave. Be sure to always park the bike in gear so that it doesn’t roll.

Walk the bike

If both your feet can’t touch the ground when seated on the bike and you need to back out of (or get into) a parking spot, walk the motorcycle by standing next to it. Grasp both the grips from the left side of the bike and upright it from the sidestand. Use your body as leverage & lean the bike against your right hip, while backing it up in neutral or with the clutch pressed. Practice this slowly while keeping the front brake covered at all times. Ideally, practice this on a smaller bike first.

Lean left when coming to a stop

Get used to leaning slightly to the left when you come to a stop. That way, you’re still able to use the rear brake to make a complete stop as you put your left foot down first. Make sure all your luggage is properly tied and evenly balanced on both sides. If your toes can reach the ground, then you can keep the front brake applied while you put both your feet down. Also, always remember to keep the handlebar straight while stopping or else the bike will lean in the direction the handlebar is turned, resulting in more weight on that side which may lead to a fall.

Watch where you stop

Watch out for the dips in the pavement when coming to a stop. If you need to come to a stop and the ground is sloped, make sure you put a foot down on the “shorter” side of the bike. If the ground slopes down to the left, lean it right so that you can get your right foot down to steady the bike when stopping. This is an exception to the above tip.

Confidence & belief

Once the bike gets moving, its not about your height but about your balance & skill. Be confident about your riding skills. If you believe that you can do it, you’ll surely be able to. Always remember, no bike is too tall nor rider too short!