Voge 300 Rally seat height: the 915 mm figure and lowering options

Not a fault. It is a design decision that allows the motorcycle to work off road, and it is the matter most often raised by owners who did not sit on one before buying.

The figure

The 300 Rally's own manual prints 915 mm in its technical characteristics table. Reviews commonly round it to 920 mm, and MCN's review describes the motorcycle as best suited to riders over roughly 173 cm.

Why it is tall on purpose

The manual lists a 3.00-21 front tyre and a 5.10-18 rear, with a 41 mm inverted fork. A 21-inch front wheel and long-travel suspension are what allow the motorcycle to cross ruts, rocks and steps that a road machine cannot, and both raise the seat. Lowering the motorcycle gives some of that back, which is a fair exchange for a rider who mostly commutes and a poor one for a rider who mostly uses trails.

The options, in order of how much they change the motorcycle

Riding boots. Adventure boots with a thick sole add height at the rider's end and change nothing about how the motorcycle behaves. They are the first measure to try, and the only one with no side effects.

A lower seat or a re-foam of the original. Removing foam lowers the rider without touching the suspension geometry. The cost is comfort over distance, since the foam removed is the foam that was doing the cushioning.

Suspension setting. Neither edition of the manual documents a preload adjustment for the rear monoshock, so this is not an owner adjustment the manufacturer supports. Whether the unit fitted can be set to sit lower under a lighter rider is a question for a suspension specialist, and an earlier version of this page, which suggested a specific gain from preload alone, has been corrected accordingly.

Lowering links. The largest change, and the one with consequences: reduced ground clearance, altered steering geometry, and a motorcycle that leans further on its stand. They are fitted only with a matching approach to the stand, described below.

Why the side stand matters more on this model

Both editions of the manual state that the 300 Rally is equipped with a side stand only. There is no centre stand to fall back on for parking, maintenance or a puncture.

Any change to the rear ride height therefore changes the only parking angle the motorcycle has. Lowered without a correspondingly shorter stand, it leans further and becomes easier to drop, particularly on soft ground or a camber. Where lowering links are fitted, a shorter side stand is fitted with them.

The practical advice

A test sit, in riding boots, before buying. On a motorcycle this tall, the difference between placing a boot flat and reaching with the toes is the difference between confidence and a dropped machine in a car park.

Related pages

Seat heights across the range are compared in Voge seat heights, ground clearance in dimensions, wheelbase and ground clearance, and the remaining specification on the 300 Rally model page.