cruiser / default rider 183 cm
Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom vs Yamaha V Star 650 ergonomics
Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom and Yamaha V Star 650 land within a few ergonomic points for the default rider, so the better choice comes down to posture preference and bike category.
Fit verdict
Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom
92Comfortable
All contacts reached
Yamaha V Star 650
92Comfortable
All contacts reached
The two bikes are close enough that posture preference matters more than the overall score.
Rider fit: reaching the ground
The Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom has a 711 mm seat; the Yamaha V Star 650 sits at 710 mm, within a few millimetres of each other. As a rule of thumb you flat-foot a bike when your inseam roughly matches its seat height: about 71 cm for the Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom and 71 cm for the Yamaha V Star 650.
Geometry snapshot
| Spec | Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom | Yamaha V Star 650 |
|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 711 mm | 710 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,519 mm | 1,610 mm |
| Wet weight | - | 233 kg |
| Displacement | 1,202 cc | 649 cc |
Posture metrics
Knee angle
- Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom
- Open (109.8 deg)
- Yamaha V Star 650
- Open (117.3 deg)
Hip angle
- Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom
- Sport (78.5 deg)
- Yamaha V Star 650
- Sport (79.4 deg)
Elbow angle
- Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom
- Relaxed (143.3 deg)
- Yamaha V Star 650
- Relaxed (143.3 deg)
Torso lean
- Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom
- Neutral (8.2 deg)
- Yamaha V Star 650
- Neutral (9.6 deg)