The best motorcycles for tall riders in this guide are adventure, dual-sport and sport-touring bikes with seats of 33 inches or more. The Honda Africa Twin, Yamaha Ténéré 700 and Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE sit at 34.3 to 34.6 inches, the Ténéré 700 World Raid at 35.0 inches, and the Honda XR650L is tallest here at 37.0 inches.
| Model (year) | Seat height | Maker's weight | Base MSRP |
|---|
| Honda XR650L (2025) | 37.0 in. | 346 lb curb | $6,999 |
| Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid (2026) | 35.0 in. | 485 lb wet | $12,999 |
| Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE (2027) | 34.6 in. | 554 lb curb | $16,649 |
| Yamaha Ténéré 700 (2026) | 34.4 in. | 459 lb wet | $10,999 |
| Honda Africa Twin (2026) | 34.3 in. (33.5 in. low setting) | 510 lb curb | $15,199 |
| Kawasaki KLR650 (2027) | 34.3 in. | 456.2 lb curb | $6,999 |
| Suzuki V-Strom 800DE (2026) | 33.7 in. | 507 lb curb | $11,799 |
| Honda Transalp E-Clutch (2026) | 33.7 in. | 468 lb curb | $10,199 |
| Yamaha Tracer 9 (2026) | 33.3 or 33.9 in. | 483 lb wet | $12,599 |
| Kawasaki Versys 650 LT ABS (2027) | 33.3 in. | 482.9 lb curb | $10,599 |
| Kawasaki Versys 1100 SE LT ABS (2027) | 33.1 in. | 571.1 lb curb | $19,799 |
Base prices are from each maker's US website, read on 28 October 2026, and exclude destination charges, taxes, title and dealer fees. The KLR650 price is for the version without ABS, and its weight is the non-ABS figure. Weights are each maker's own figure and are not measured the same way, as explained below. Browse motorcycles for sale on Searchshop to see which of these bikes dealers have in stock.
These eleven bikes were chosen from the US lineups of Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki as current street-legal models with a listed seat height of 33 inches or more, covering dual-sport, adventure and sport-touring styles. The picks come from published data, not test rides. Every figure was read from the manufacturer's own US website on 28 October 2026, using the newest model year each maker lists there, and dealer asking prices come from Searchshop's own listings on the same day.
- Seat height is the main figure compared, because it is the only fit measurement every maker publishes for these bikes.
- Prices are compared on one basis, base MSRP. Destination charges are given in each section.
- Weights are not directly comparable. Honda's curb weight includes all standard equipment, required fluids and a full tank. Yamaha's wet weight includes all fluids and a full tank. Kawasaki's curb weight includes a tank more than 90 percent full and the tool kit, if supplied. Suzuki lists a curb weight without defining it on these pages.
BMW, KTM, Triumph, Ducati and Harley-Davidson also sell tall adventure and touring bikes in the US. They are left out of this list because their figures were not read for this article.
The Honda XR650L, the two Yamaha Ténéré 700 models and the Kawasaki KLR650 have seats from 34.3 to 37.0 inches, including the tallest seat in this guide on the XR650L. All four run a 21-inch front wheel.
The 2025 Honda XR650L has a 37.0-inch seat, 13.0 inches of ground clearance and suspension travel of 11.6 inches front and 11.0 inches rear. Honda lists a 346-pound curb weight, a 644cc air-cooled single and a 2.8-gallon tank. It costs $6,999 base MSRP plus a $600 destination charge. Choose it if you are very tall and ride more trail than highway.
The 2026 Ténéré 700 has a 34.4-inch seat, a 689cc twin, a 4.2-gallon tank and a 459-pound wet weight. It costs $10,999 base MSRP plus a $675 destination charge. Yamaha says its narrow body, slim tank and flat rally-style seat let the rider grip the tank "whether sitting or standing," and that it has "a tall windscreen."
The 2026 Ténéré 700 World Raid raises the seat to 35.0 inches and carries 6.1 gallons of fuel in twin aluminum tanks. Suspension travel grows to 9.1 inches front and 8.7 inches rear, and wet weight is 485 pounds. It costs $12,999 base MSRP plus a $675 destination charge.
The 2027 Kawasaki KLR650 has a 34.3-inch seat, a 652cc single, a 6.1-gallon tank and an adjustable windscreen. Curb weight is 456.2 pounds without ABS and 460.6 pounds with it. It costs $6,999 without ABS or $7,299 with ABS, plus a $685 destination charge, which ties the XR650L for the lowest base price in this guide.
The Honda Africa Twin, Honda Transalp E-Clutch and the two Suzuki V-Strom DE models suit tall riders who want a bigger adventure bike for long highway days as well as gravel. Their seats run from 33.7 to 34.6 inches.
The 2026 Honda Africa Twin lists two seat heights, 34.3 inches in the standard position and 33.5 inches in the low position. It has a 1084cc twin, 9.1 inches of front and 8.7 inches of rear suspension travel, a 5.0-gallon tank and a 510-pound curb weight. Honda says each Africa Twin model "has been designed with an optimized peg-bar-seat triangle to suit its specific purpose," and that the standard model's seat is "as narrow as possible." It costs $15,199 base MSRP plus a $775 destination charge, or $15,999 with Honda's DCT automatic gearbox.
The 2027 Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE has a 34.6-inch seat, a 1037cc V-twin, a height-adjustable windshield and a 554-pound curb weight. Suzuki says the 1050DE gets its own chassis geometry, with a longer wheelbase, more ground clearance and a wider handlebar grip. It costs $16,649 base MSRP plus a $750 destination charge.
The 2026 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE has a 33.7-inch seat, a 776cc twin, 8.7 inches of ground clearance and a 5.3-gallon tank, with a 507-pound curb weight. Suzuki lists low- and high-profile seats among its accessories for the 800DE, so a tall rider can ask a dealer about a higher seat. It costs $11,799 base MSRP plus a $700 destination charge.
The 2026 Honda Transalp E-Clutch has a 33.7-inch seat, a 755cc twin, a 21-inch front wheel and a 468-pound curb weight. Honda says its E-Clutch lets you shift with your left foot without needing the handlebar-mounted clutch. It costs $10,199 base MSRP plus a $600 destination charge. Honda sells an optional 32.6-inch accessory seat for it, which is lower, not higher, than the standard seat.
Tall riders who mostly ride paved roads can look at the Yamaha Tracer 9 and Kawasaki's Versys 650 LT and Versys 1100 SE LT, with seats from 33.1 to 33.9 inches. All three run on 17-inch wheels front and rear and come with hard saddlebags or side cases.
- Yamaha Tracer 9 (2026): Yamaha lists the seat height as "33.3 in or 33.9 in" without saying how the two heights are set, so ask the dealer. It has an 890cc three-cylinder engine, a 5.0-gallon tank, a 483-pound wet weight and hard side cases as standard. It costs $12,599 base MSRP plus a $700 destination charge.
- Kawasaki Versys 650 LT ABS (2027): a 33.3-inch seat, a 649cc twin, a 5.5-gallon tank and a 482.9-pound curb weight, to which Kawasaki says the saddlebags and hand guards add about 20 pounds, from $10,599. Kawasaki says the windscreen has four positions over about 80mm, adjustable by hand, and that the footpegs are "positioned low and slightly forward of the seat."
- Kawasaki Versys 1100 SE LT ABS (2027): a 33.1-inch seat, a 1,099cc four-cylinder engine, electronic suspension and a 571.1-pound curb weight, to which Kawasaki says the saddlebags add about 20 pounds, from $19,799. Kawasaki describes "a spacious, upright riding position" and fits a 6-way adjustable brake lever and a 5-way adjustable clutch lever.
Kawasaki's base prices exclude destination, and its spec sheets for the Versys models do not give the destination amount.
A tall rider should check legroom, reach to the bars and wind protection as well as seat height, because seat height alone does not show how cramped a bike will feel. None of the four makers publishes seat-to-footpeg or seat-to-handlebar distances on these spec pages, so those can only be judged by sitting on the bike.
- Seat settings: Honda lists standard and low positions for the Africa Twin's seat, and Yamaha lists two seat heights for the Tracer 9. Ask the dealer to show you the higher setting.
- Accessory seats: Suzuki lists high-profile seats for the V-Strom 800DE. Some accessory seats are lower, not taller, such as Honda's 32.6-inch Transalp seat, so ask the dealer which way a seat changes the height.
- Windscreens: the KLR650, Versys 650, Versys 1100 and V-Strom 1050DE have adjustable windscreens. Check how the screen's highest setting sits relative to your helmet before you buy.
- Controls: Kawasaki says the adjustable brake and clutch levers on the Versys 1100 SE LT let you choose the position that suits your hand size.
Wear your riding boots and sit on each bike with your feet on the pegs and hands on the bars. Ask the dealer whether the maker sells taller seats, bar risers or lower footpegs for that model before buying aftermarket parts.
Median asking prices for new units on Searchshop matched the maker's base price for the Ténéré 700, Tracer 9 and XR650L on 28 October 2026. The table shows each model with at least five new listings. Counts are listings whose title matched the model name, and medians include every trim listed under that name.
| Model, all trims (new) | Listings | Model years | Median asking price |
|---|
| Yamaha Ténéré 700 | 28 | 2024 to 2026 | $10,999 |
| Honda Transalp | 12 | 2024 and 2025 | $9,999 |
| Honda Africa Twin | 9 | 2025 and 2026 | $15,999 |
| Honda XR650L | 7 | 2025 | $6,999 |
| Yamaha Tracer 9 | 5 | 2025 and 2026 | $12,599 |
The Transalps listed are 2024 and 2025 models, older than the 2026 Transalp E-Clutch priced in the first table. The Africa Twin median includes DCT and Adventure Sports ES trims, which cost more than the base model. The V-Strom DE models, Ténéré 700 World Raid and both Versys models had too few matching listings to give a median, and the KLR650 is left out because its listing figures could not be confirmed. Asking prices leave out destination, setup and fees, so ask each dealer for a written out-the-door price.
Start with where you ride, then pick the tallest bike in that style that you can comfortably hold up at a stop.
- Very tall and riding trails: the Honda XR650L, with a 37.0-inch seat and 13.0 inches of ground clearance.
- Tall seat on a budget: the Kawasaki KLR650 at 34.3 inches from $6,999, or the Yamaha Ténéré 700 at 34.4 inches from $10,999.
- Long-range adventure riding: the Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid at 35.0 inches with 6.1 gallons, or the Honda Africa Twin with its two-position seat.
- Big adventure tourer: the Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE at 34.6 inches, or the V-Strom 800DE if you want to add a high-profile accessory seat.
- Mostly pavement: the Yamaha Tracer 9 at up to 33.9 inches, or the Kawasaki Versys 650 LT or Versys 1100 SE LT for touring features.
When you have a shortlist, compare motorcycles for sale on Searchshop and sit on each one at a dealer. For more on the trail-focused picks, read our guide to the best dual-sport motorcycles and the Suzuki DR650 vs Kawasaki KLR650 comparison. The adventure motorcycle guide covers more ADV bikes, and riders shopping for a shorter partner can see the best motorcycles for short riders.
These short answers cover the questions tall riders most often ask when choosing a motorcycle.
No single seat height suits every tall rider, because leg length, seat shape and footpeg position all change the fit. The bikes in this guide range from 33.1 inches on the Kawasaki Versys 1100 SE LT to 37.0 inches on the Honda XR650L. Sit on each bike in riding boots and check that your knees are not bent too tightly with your feet on the pegs.
Adventure bikes are a common choice for tall riders because many have seats of 33 inches or more. In this guide, the Yamaha Ténéré 700, Honda Africa Twin and Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE sit at 34.3 to 34.6 inches, and the Ténéré 700 World Raid at 35.0 inches. Check the weight too: these four list 459 to 554 pounds, though Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki measure weight differently.
Yes, on some models, through a seat with more than one position or a taller accessory seat from the maker. Suzuki sells high-profile seats for the V-Strom 800DE. Honda lists a 34.3-inch standard and a 33.5-inch low seat position for the Africa Twin, and Yamaha lists two seat heights for the Tracer 9, 33.3 or 33.9 inches. Ask the dealer what the maker offers for the model you want.
The cheapest bikes in this guide are the 2025 Honda XR650L and the 2027 Kawasaki KLR650 without ABS, both at $6,999 base MSRP before destination charges. The XR650L has a 37.0-inch seat and suits trail riding, while the KLR650 has a 34.3-inch seat, a 6.1-gallon tank and an adjustable windscreen for longer road trips.
Every specification and list price in this guide comes from the pages below, read on 28 October 2026.
