4 Of The Best Harley-Davidsons For Tall Riders (According To Owners)

The tricky thing about motorcycles versus other kinds of vehicles is that your comfort in driving them is heavily reliant upon the shape of the motorcycle itself. Unlike a car, for instance, where seating can be freely adjusted, a motorcycle's stock body determines how high you're sitting off the ground, how high the handlebars are, and so on. Some of this can be tailored with aftermarket seats, but it'd definitely be ideal if you didn't have to bother with that.

For those of a taller stature looking for an equally high ride, Harley-Davidson motorcycles are generally a good choice. The brand's beefy touring bikes are a natural fit for taller riders. Frankly, it's harder to find a good Harley bike if you're of a shorter stature. Even so, there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all motorcycle, even if Harley deals primarily in beefy rides. The best way to find a motorcycle for you is to visit your local dealership and take a seat on a few models. If you're looking for a place to start, other Harley riders posting on platforms like Reddit always have some friendly advice to offer.

For more information on how we found these motorcycles, check out our methodology at the bottom of the page.

Harley-Davidson's touring motorcycles are some of the biggest rides that the brand offers. You need that much bulk to fit all that muscle and storage capacity, after all. Naturally, a hefty touring bike is perfect for a larger rider — the ride fits your size better, and you get more muscle in the bargain. As one Reddit user points out, any bike built from Harley's established touring frame should serve nicely, including the Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited.

The Ultra Limited is built for those who want to get the most possible space out of a two-wheeled vehicle. Not only is it naturally large, with a laden seat height of 27.5 inches, but it also comes with a rear passenger seat built in. You've got space under your legs and space behind your back; no matter how physically large or tall you are, the Ultra Limited should be able to seat you comfortably. It's also got a good 5.3 inches of ground clearance from the bottom, so if you need a little extra space to rest your feet on a long ride, you won't have to worry about them dragging along the ground and wearing out your riding boots.

Sometimes, merely looking at a certain motorcycle brings the word "big" to mind. Just about all Harley-Davidson bikes inspire feelings of bigness to a varying extent, but if there's one bike that really has the big spirit, it's the Road Glide. One look at that signature sharknose fairing, and you immediately imagine a massive, oceanic predator cutting through the waves. You want to ride on a giant shark, don't you?

The Harley Road Glide doesn't just have a big profile, it's also accommodating for larger riders. It has a laden seat height of 26.6 inches with 5.7 inches of ground clearance, more than enough to keep the shark swimming rather than sliding. Being tall yourself is borderline required for this motorcycle, as it's the only way you'll be able to see over that fairing. One Reddit user says that they originally rode on a Harley Heritage Softail, but it didn't fit their 6'1" frame very well. That's why they decided to switch over to a Road Glide, and have been much more comfortable on the road since.

Finding a good Harley-Davidson motorcycle for a taller rider isn't just about picking the largest bike you can find. It's about striking a balance, finding a ride that will fit you comfortably without giving you more bike than you can reasonably handle. According to one Reddit user, this is where the variety of touring bikes comes in handy, as their varied body sizes and lengths can fit just about any higher rider. In particular, their Road King meets their preferred balance, smaller in profile than other Harley bikes while still comfortably fitting their 6'4" frame.

The Harley Road King Special isn't quite as tall as some other Harley touring bikes, with a laden seat height of 26.4 inches and ground clearance of 4.9 inches. However, it makes up for its lower verticality with greater horizontality. The Road King Special measures in at 95.3 inches in length, more than long enough to handle some classic comfort cruising with a taller rider. Its high-sitting mini-ape handlebars ensure that the rider is kept in an upright position, and with built-in adjustability options, you won't have to worry about slouching over for an entire ride and messing up your back.

It's rather understandable if the whole reason you're looking for a Harley-Davidson bike in the first place is because you want to evoke that classic, muscular Harley silhouette. Muscle is the brand's bread and butter, after all. The Fat Boy is the frequent choice if you're looking to roll up like Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, but if you find the Fat Boy to be just a bit lacking for your frame, the next step up would be the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob.

When a 6'3" rider on Reddit asked for Harley recommendations, another user suggested the Fat Bob to provide the necessary seat height. That seat height, specifically, is a mighty 27.7 inches laden, plus about 4.7 inches of ground clearance. If this motorcycle can't keep you firmly off the ground, then you must have some exceptionally long legs. The Fat Bob has a racing-style fork suspension, designed to keep you upright and generally be more responsive to handlebar input, so if you're a little top-heavy, this motorcycle will keep you firmly planted on the road. Combine that with a Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, and you've got a beastly ride that everyone will hear you cruising by on.

As we said, if you're a tall rider looking for the perfect Harley-Davidson motorcycle, nothing is going to beat trying out models yourself. User feedback does provide a good jumping-off point so you're not wasting an entire day sitting on bikes, though.

To pick out motorcycles for this list, we sought out recommendations from users on the Harley-Davidson subreddit, specifically commenting on the subject of tall riders. For an extra qualification, we stuck exclusively to bikes with a laden seat height of at least 26 inches, just for that extra bit of leg clearance.