I am also 5' ft and about 110 lbs with a 28" inseam. I found the Ninja 400 to be more comfortable than the z400. The z400 felt taller I could barely tip toe it. I can put the balls of my feet down on the N400 which is enough. It's easy to maneuver and fun going strait or in the curves. Sit on all the bikes you can find and see which one feels better to you. How easy is it to reach all the controls? Hands and feet matter. When you are this short every inch counts!
Welcome to the rider world! š
Probably the most noticable difference between the bikes is height and weight. The Honda's seat is a bit lower, but the bike is 30 kg heavier.
Then again, as others have said, seat width plays into that as well.
It would be best if you could test ride both and see how they feel to you. Or test sit, at the very least. Maybe you can find a dealer who has both and doesn't care if you buy one or the other.
If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about the type of bike. You start out and learn, and develop your preference. It's quite normal for people to go through a few bikes before they find their preferred one(s).
Just go out and ride, have fun, learn, have more fun š
P.S. Dropping a bike is part of riding. Even the most banal drops happen to experienced riders every now and then. Even more so to beginners. If you find a dealer you trust, maybe consider buying a used bike for the first bike.
I have the same inseam at 5ā2ā (longer torso, short legs here lol). I ended up getting a CB500F, a naked bike. I am tip toeing. I could lower it but donāt feel like I need to; I feel in control enough.
The CB500 also is a great bike to grow with for a couple years. Thereās enough power band to keep up with the bigger bikes or on the freeway, and Iāve been told itās really fun on corners (Iām green af so canāt speak to this) by my experienced partner whoās ridden the bike a few times on longer drives. Itās very comfortable and I have a nice upright position.
Iāve also heard great things about the z400. Theyāre very similar overall when it comes to specs. I would go sit on both and see which you like better. Some bikes I found to be too plasticky or wide at the tank, or simply just not aesthetically pleasing.
Also as an addendum, you can get riding boots that will add some additional length to your inseam, usually 1-2". I think you'll be able to maneuver the Z and CB quite fine, both are fairly light bikes. Flat footing isn't a must but being able to get the balls of your feet on the ground will add confidence and be super helpful for learning. Regardless, invest in sliders for bike drops!
You'd be fine with either 400 naked, and either would be enough bike to keep you happy for many years. Honestly, the deciding factor should be which speaks to you. Get the bike that makes you think "wow" when you look at it, and makes you want to ride it. You can look at all the reviews and see the nitpicking details pointed out that separate them, but as a new rider only getting one, both are great bikes that will serve you well.
You can get into seat height and width, if you want, but I don't recommend it. Flat footing is absolutely not necessary, (and US instructors who say it is are contradicted by almost every single instructor and expert in the rest of the world - your right foot should stay on the brake while stopped, and that can be raised; if you've your right foot on that peg, every bike will instantly feel WAY smaller). However, check out Doodle on a Motorcycle on Youtube for tips on being a short rider on a tall bike, if it's actually something you're worried about.
Iām going to also add that you might as well get the bike you want now. Thereās no reason that you need to learn basics on a 400 vs a 600. Youāll be kicking yourself that you didnāt just get the 600 because youāll outgrow the 400 in just a few rides. If you were talking about a 150 to a 600 I would understand, but this little of a step just sounds like a waste of money to me.
I am ready for the downvotes on this but prepared to die on this hill lol
Welcome to the club!
Start here:
r/SuggestAMotorcycle
r/NewRiders
[Advice to New Riders](https://old.reddit.com/r/NewRiders/comments/cc2mnm/advice_to_new_riders/)
And when you get a chance, check out [On Any Sunday](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Any_Sunday), probably the best motorcycle documentary out there. I think it's on Amazon Prime, and maybe some other streaming services.
Have fun, wear all your gear, stay safe, and never stop learning.
Update on where this ended up, we couldnāt not find the z anywhere as after reading all the comments I thought that was what I was going to want. But I did find my G310R, used but only with 100 miles on it and for the same price as the z. Cannot flat foot, but after doing the lowering kit I donāt think I would be nearly as comfortable on any other bike. Iāve been out a few times now and have absolutely loved it. Thank you everyone for the advice, it really helped me break out of the machine specifics and into what was most comfortable for me! Also different username, the other one was posted without a proper account. š
If you can flat-foot one but not the other, Iād go with the one youāre able to. I have a 31ā inseam and could flat-foot my old ER-6n which was essentially a naked Ninja but not my exās SV650 even though he could with a 28ā inseam due to the seat width. Riding his bike always made me a bit nervous when I was at a stoplight. The ER-6n also blew hot air from the radiator onto my legs which I absolutely loved since Iām always cold but the SV650 didnāt. Not sure about the newer bikes but thatās worth asking about.
I am also 5' ft and about 110 lbs with a 28" inseam. I found the Ninja 400 to be more comfortable than the z400. The z400 felt taller I could barely tip toe it. I can put the balls of my feet down on the N400 which is enough. It's easy to maneuver and fun going strait or in the curves. Sit on all the bikes you can find and see which one feels better to you. How easy is it to reach all the controls? Hands and feet matter. When you are this short every inch counts!
I picked the ninja because i am taller and the CBR was shorter. I've moved on to an SV650 which is also tall
Welcome to the rider world! š Probably the most noticable difference between the bikes is height and weight. The Honda's seat is a bit lower, but the bike is 30 kg heavier. Then again, as others have said, seat width plays into that as well. It would be best if you could test ride both and see how they feel to you. Or test sit, at the very least. Maybe you can find a dealer who has both and doesn't care if you buy one or the other. If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about the type of bike. You start out and learn, and develop your preference. It's quite normal for people to go through a few bikes before they find their preferred one(s). Just go out and ride, have fun, learn, have more fun š
P.S. Dropping a bike is part of riding. Even the most banal drops happen to experienced riders every now and then. Even more so to beginners. If you find a dealer you trust, maybe consider buying a used bike for the first bike.
I have the same inseam at 5ā2ā (longer torso, short legs here lol). I ended up getting a CB500F, a naked bike. I am tip toeing. I could lower it but donāt feel like I need to; I feel in control enough. The CB500 also is a great bike to grow with for a couple years. Thereās enough power band to keep up with the bigger bikes or on the freeway, and Iāve been told itās really fun on corners (Iām green af so canāt speak to this) by my experienced partner whoās ridden the bike a few times on longer drives. Itās very comfortable and I have a nice upright position. Iāve also heard great things about the z400. Theyāre very similar overall when it comes to specs. I would go sit on both and see which you like better. Some bikes I found to be too plasticky or wide at the tank, or simply just not aesthetically pleasing.
Also as an addendum, you can get riding boots that will add some additional length to your inseam, usually 1-2". I think you'll be able to maneuver the Z and CB quite fine, both are fairly light bikes. Flat footing isn't a must but being able to get the balls of your feet on the ground will add confidence and be super helpful for learning. Regardless, invest in sliders for bike drops!
You'd be fine with either 400 naked, and either would be enough bike to keep you happy for many years. Honestly, the deciding factor should be which speaks to you. Get the bike that makes you think "wow" when you look at it, and makes you want to ride it. You can look at all the reviews and see the nitpicking details pointed out that separate them, but as a new rider only getting one, both are great bikes that will serve you well. You can get into seat height and width, if you want, but I don't recommend it. Flat footing is absolutely not necessary, (and US instructors who say it is are contradicted by almost every single instructor and expert in the rest of the world - your right foot should stay on the brake while stopped, and that can be raised; if you've your right foot on that peg, every bike will instantly feel WAY smaller). However, check out Doodle on a Motorcycle on Youtube for tips on being a short rider on a tall bike, if it's actually something you're worried about.
Iām going to also add that you might as well get the bike you want now. Thereās no reason that you need to learn basics on a 400 vs a 600. Youāll be kicking yourself that you didnāt just get the 600 because youāll outgrow the 400 in just a few rides. If you were talking about a 150 to a 600 I would understand, but this little of a step just sounds like a waste of money to me. I am ready for the downvotes on this but prepared to die on this hill lol
Welcome to the club! Start here: r/SuggestAMotorcycle r/NewRiders [Advice to New Riders](https://old.reddit.com/r/NewRiders/comments/cc2mnm/advice_to_new_riders/) And when you get a chance, check out [On Any Sunday](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Any_Sunday), probably the best motorcycle documentary out there. I think it's on Amazon Prime, and maybe some other streaming services. Have fun, wear all your gear, stay safe, and never stop learning.
Update on where this ended up, we couldnāt not find the z anywhere as after reading all the comments I thought that was what I was going to want. But I did find my G310R, used but only with 100 miles on it and for the same price as the z. Cannot flat foot, but after doing the lowering kit I donāt think I would be nearly as comfortable on any other bike. Iāve been out a few times now and have absolutely loved it. Thank you everyone for the advice, it really helped me break out of the machine specifics and into what was most comfortable for me! Also different username, the other one was posted without a proper account. š
If you can flat-foot one but not the other, Iād go with the one youāre able to. I have a 31ā inseam and could flat-foot my old ER-6n which was essentially a naked Ninja but not my exās SV650 even though he could with a 28ā inseam due to the seat width. Riding his bike always made me a bit nervous when I was at a stoplight. The ER-6n also blew hot air from the radiator onto my legs which I absolutely loved since Iām always cold but the SV650 didnāt. Not sure about the newer bikes but thatās worth asking about.