how can you tell if a motorcycle fits the rider?

As da Fonz used to say, "Sit on it!"...if you're comfy in the drivers' seat, and can plant both feet flat on the ground with both hands on the bars, then it's a fit. Good posture, to me means sitting with back fairly straight, feet firmly on the pegs when moving and on the ground when stopped. I'm 60+, a guy, been riding for 45+ years, so take that for what it's worth.

btw, I think you should be able to put one foot down and hold the bike at about a 45 degree angle ... I have occationally rolled up to a stop and put my foot out right on top of a little round twig or a little pebble that made my foot move 4-5" further out than I had planned...oops! would have lost the bike if I had not been able to hold it up.

My wife is 5'0 and is fine on her Suzuki Marauder 800 but that's not a beginner's bike. You should be taking the begining rider's class from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. You'll learn on 125 and 250cc bikes. After you practice a bit on them you might want something a bit bigger. After the class visit some dealers and try some on for size. If you have to stretch to reach anything or if you can't put both feet flat on the ground the bike is too big for you. I wouldn't go any bigger than 450 for a first bike. After a year or two you'll probably want to move up a bit so don't waste your money on anything new. Don't buy any bike without riding it first. you can measure for proper fit in the showroom but you can never know how it will handle or how comfortable it will ride until you try it out.

Sport bikes have a weird feel to them if your not used to it. You want to be able to put both feet or toes on the ground comfortably. Try getting someone to hold the bike upright for you while your on it, so you can put both your feet on the pegs and get a true feel for it. If this is your first bike ever you might want to consider some thing smaller like a 250 or 500. In my opinion a full out sport bike (cbr/r/gsxr/zx 600's) will have to much power.

You should look at cruiser bikes they are lower to the ground and easier to learn on. Sport bikes are not really a learner try looking at Kymco and Hyosung they both make reliable motorcycles and are good companies. Hyosung makes three styles and one is a 250 sport that will run with a ninja. Make sure you take a safety course. You will probably ride rebel 250's there that is the only thing they are good for.

ok well if your 5 foot 3 i would suggest a smaller bike like the one this guy suggested..the ninja 250 or something small..a suzuki 600 might be ok but be sure your ready to lean on most sports bikes. they arent made for comfort but look and speed...and by the sound of it your into sports bikes so the ninja 250 sounds good..they arent the fastest bikes in the world but they are very good with gas..they give you the thrill of a bike and it sounds like a very well suited bike for you, when you read about bikes being adjusted it was most likely referring to the suspension, this is mostly the case with motocross and enduro bikes like off road ones. not sport bikes, but they do have some play as far as suspension goes

hope this helped you out, and good luck with your first bike!!

The cruisers are going to have a lower center of gravity and in my opinion would be easier to learn on... after you get comfortable get whatever you want! I am 5' 2" and learned on a VStar 650 (had it lowered and it fit just fine). It's an extremely comfortable bike - great for starting out. It's got a nice weight to it but not so much that it's intimidating. Also, it has enough power to keep up with the larger cruisers, but not so much that it will get out from under you.

Your posture should be different on a sportbike if you are riding correctly. The balls of your feet should be on the footrests, and your knees should be against the tank. The bulk of your weight will be held up with your legs and torso. If you have your weight on your hands, a pothole could make you goose the throttle and you'll find yourself on your back. If you are having trouble touching the ground with both feet I would say go with a smaller cc bike. Cruisers sit lower to the ground so you may want to try that route also.

You should be able to place both feet flat on the ground..and be able to lift it upright after laying it down. You should also be able to push it while sitting on it for a ~200 feet with engine shut...otherwise you'll probably regret it. And sportsbikes are designed so that you are forced to lean forward.. and adjusting seat ht can cost a lot. You can't get used to a bike by just sitting on it.

All of the answers above point to one thing: the inseam measurement. Your feet should be flat on the ground when you sit upright on it.

After that, it all about how much the bike weighs and how much muscle you need to move it around at low speeds.

Once you get comfortable with whatver you choose, you won't even think about it agian.

Happy and safe riding.

You DO NOT want to be where you have to lean the bike to either side in order to get one foot on the ground for support.

You want to at least be where you can support the bike in a straight, upright position.