Riding motorcycles isn’t always the most comfortable thing for tall riders. I’m 6’5, and most motorcycles are too short for me. I recently rode the 2022 Honda Africa Twin, and I was blown away by how different it felt right off the bat. After 10-15 mins on the bike, I realized it wasn’t hunched over. It was a miracle. The Honda Africa Twin might be the best motorcycle for tall riders. 

Is the Honda Africa Twin the best motorcycle for tall riders? 

The 2022 Honda Africa Twin is a tall motorcycle but not too heavy. According to Cycle World, the dry weight clocks in at 498 pounds for the manual transmission version, with the DCT bike weighing 22 pounds more. 

Although the seat at its lowest setting is 32.5 inches, it can stretch to a stilted 34.3 inches at its max setting. If the seat height doesn’t set you up high enough, the massive ground clearance should. 

Thanks to the rugged history of the Africa Twin, this newest version boasts a ground clearance of 9.8 inches. While the 21-in front wheel doesn’t make road-going any easier, it provides plenty of lift to get the bike over a mess of obstacles. 

Overall, the size of Africa Twin might be my favorite aspect of its design. I could comfortably place both feet flat with a little bend left in my knees. While riding, the pegs were stretched below me far enough to feel the need for a stretch rarely. Over a five hours ride, we only stopped a few times to take in the scenes and snap photos. I never felt the need to stretch, which is not the case for me on most bikes. 

What are other good bikes for tall riders? 

Motorcyclist made a list of bikes that are good for tall riders. The list covers a wide variety of bikes, from urban cafe bikes to dirt bikes. 

As you might have guessed, adventure bikes cover the list like a tall person on a Honda Rebel. The BMW F 900 XR and the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure kick the list off. If you have ever looked at either of these bikes going down the road, they look tall. You can see it. But less-expected bikes like the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE also made the list. 

This list is a fun mix of dirt, road, and sport bikes. The seat heights range from 30-33 inches or so. However, the Honda Africa Twin still sits taller and clears more ground. All that being said, Remember, picking a bike is a personal choice. Whether short or tall, you must pick the bike that gives you the most confidence and comfort. 

Riding the Honda Africa Twin was a treat

The 2022 Honda Africa Twin I was lucky enough to spend the day with drew plenty of power from its deep wells of horsepower and torque, 101 and 77 lb-ft, respectively. 

All this power comes from a positively lovely 1084cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin. The torque keeps each gear willing to pull, making back-and-forth shifting less frequent. Although the twisty roads of upstate New York tried their best to slow the Twin down, it chewed through the mountain roads with ease. However, knowing all that dune-jumping power was right on the other side of a quick flick of the wrist had me jonesing to pull on the throttle more than I probably should have. 

I have many more thoughts about this bike to come. But it was hard to tear my mind away from how nice it was to finally ride a bike made for long riders. It makes a world of difference.