If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
General SportbikesThis area is made for sportbikes in general. Posts that dont really belong anywhere else besides here. Questions can be answered and addressed to fully understand certain aspects. If your question is Manufacturer specific please post it there.
Posts: 233
Casino Cash: $1751
Sportbike: R1.. to come.
How important is overall comfort to you?
I've succumb to realize that I am no longer the hooligan I was once was 5 years ago when I began riding. I owned a 01 R6 and at the time it was the most beautiful thing i've ever laid eyes on and road.
Now as i'm growing wiser, I find my attention has been drastically shifted to comfort and fit of the bike over looks (which it should always have been, but not the case for most). I've found alot of people saying 'they all fit pretty well the same', but really, they don't!
How important is comfort, seating position, handlin, etc... when you purchased your bike?
I've had the opportunty to sit of all 07 models for the 600cc class and was quite impressed with the Honda 600RR. I've never thought i'd ever like Honda, because I figured once a Yamaha guy.. always a Yamaha guy, but am more lenient on branching out to other rides. After comparing seat comfort, height (1 inch lower), tightness of my legs on the tank, hunched over riding style, my body appreciated the honda's luxurious RR over the R6, Gsxr, Triumph, or kawasaki.
Moreover, after sitting on each 600, I immediately had to sit on all 1000's just to be sure my body was not lying to me. After sitting on all the 'big boys', my attention was immediately all over the R1. We've heard it over and over again how well built this machine in it's class, but I found the comfort and the fit of this bike far superior than every single bike (including the 600's) second to none. I just melted once I sat on it. Everything about the comfort, leg positioning, handling was simply remarkable.
My judgement yesterday was soley on comfort and less on looks and what's funny is that both the 600RR and the R1 would have been the most appealing of the two if I had my choice. Standing tall a 5'7 1/2 .. lol.. my feelings will obviously be different than one who is 6'.
I'm still young and have lots of learning to do, but I've found it's quite important to weigh the comfort of the bike as the main priorities for a bike - something I find alot of guys (females too), do not do. Each bike, although closely fit, do not fit at all the same. I know this is something which is evident and has been discussed in reviews, I simply wanted to express how strongly I felt comfort has now played in my decision making for a bike.
I thought the GSXR600 was the lowest in that class?
I dont find my bike comfortable. The purpose behind buying my gsxr was more the cost and condition of the bike. I may be looking to resell it sometime this season along with the ninja and upgrade to a 600rr (<3 that bike). Should be able to get 1500-2000$ more than what I paid (bikes are stupidly expensive up here for some reason, but they sell!). I can ride for roughly 3 hours before I want to take a break. Still prefer it over my ninja, the sofa on 2 wheels. I really enjoy the feel while cornering, its more important to me than comfort cruising.
I drove a friends s2000 tonight to a comedy club. While it corners well, it felt like I was driving something as slow as a civic dx. The butt dyno gets all miscalibrated after riding a bike
Yeah comfort is pretty important to me. Maybe I'm just an Olde Fahrt, but I don't see any reason to be needlessly uncomfortable for the sake of performance that I can't use where I ride (public roads) anyway. Comfort = more riding, less fatigue.
I finally bit the bullet on the ultimate concession to comfort: a Russell saddle. Bought a used stock seat on ebay and it's off to Russell now, so in 3 more weeks you'll never be able to get me off my bike.
but I don't see any reason to be needlessly uncomfortable for the sake of performance that I can't use where I ride (public roads) anyway. Comfort = more riding, less fatigue.
Yep, that's pretty much my take on it. I'm not Rossi or Hayden, I don't race or do track days, so a super sport bike is overkill. My bikes may not be the quickest or best handling on the road, but they're comfortable and fit the type of riding I do perfectly.
My GSXR is much better in the comfort department now that I have installed Convertibars. They are available for most bikes. www.convertibars.com
__________________
Joe My Resume
Currently riding a '05 GSXR 1000 ~ Full Tit. Akrapovic, PowerCommander, Schnitz Racing Custom map = 166horse. Suspension by Thermosman Suspension ~ Ohlins internals on forks, Hyperco rear spring
Need a better riding position? Check out www.convertibars.com. They are great!
Past bikes: '82 Yamaha Maxim 750, '89 Kaw. ZX7, '94 Kaw. ZX9R, '01 Yamaha FZ1, 04 Kaw. EX-250 ~ over 12 years & 90,000miles of riding experience.
DISCLAIMER: Any advice I give is backed by careful thought and common sense, NOT experience. Use with caution. Side effects include headaches, nausea, rolling eyes, and occasional uncontrollable laughter. If a bad advice condition persists or worsens, ask a mod for good advice or seek professional help.
I consider my ZX-6R pretty comfortable, but long rides get a little painful on my upper back if I am leaning forward. Also the vibration through the handle bars and foot pegs will make my extremities tingle for a little while after the ride, but I love it. Would I like more comfort, sure, who wouldn't, but imo if I wanted comfort I would just go and get a cruiser for long rides.
To sum it up, comfort is nice and important, but so is just being able to enjoy your bike
I like to ride hard, but I also like to ride far. I've had a ZX-6R and two zx-10R's. I recently got a bmw k1200R naked bike because I like to ride all day without being sore and I got sick of seeing a dozen of my same bike at every hangout. Im faster in the turns with the K1200R than I was with my Ninja's. I ride with a group of kneedraggers on Sundays and there isn't one of them that can get away from me on my upright naked bike. You don't need to get a BMW, but there are many very comfortable bikes out there that exceed your riding skill in performance. clip-on risers on an R1 would probably make a world of difference. Have fun.
We have a '04 FJRa in the garage too (my wife's bike). Damn what a nice machine. She's got a Russell on it, which is what sold me on getting one for my ZZR. My next bike is going to be either an FJR or a new Concours 14; have to wait til I actually see a C14 to make the decision.
Posts: 1,307
Casino Cash: $1590
Sportbike: All sold, another one coming soon.
Comfort is enough of an issue to make me seriously consider a VFR in the future.
Having ridden some of my friends bikes, comfort wise, my body is actually better off on a 600 SS bike. Why? I don't know. Maybe because of my aftermarket bars and rearsets, but an 03 R6 and 03 600rr are both more comfortable for me except for the seat.
I have a feeling that the VFR will be the one for me though...we'll see in a couple years.
Posts: 7,623
Casino Cash: $250
Sportbike: 2005/Honda/CBR 1000rr(now the track bike)K7 GSXR1000 The Sportbike killa!
Comfort to me is semi important......It does not make the difference in owning a bike or not......Handling, speed, and flickability or more the deciding factors for me!!!
__________________
Ride It Like You Stole It!!
Moderator for Stunterz Corner, Questions or Concerns? Feel Free to PM me!!!!!!
AKA-Fearleesta!!! For a man to be afraid of dying, he must first have something to live for...........
One does adapt to a bike. Your body does learn how to "sit' on a bike with time. But as with everything as I get older that learning curve seems to get steeper. Race reps are great to own but for the street they really don't make much sense. My next bike will be a Tuono so I get the best of both street and track worlds.
I've succumb to realize that I am no longer the hooligan I was once was 5 years ago when I began riding. I owned a 01 R6 and at the time it was the most beautiful thing i've ever laid eyes on and road.
Now as i'm growing wiser, I find my attention has been drastically shifted to comfort and fit of the bike over looks (which it should always have been, but not the case for most). I've found alot of people saying 'they all fit pretty well the same', but really, they don't!
How important is comfort, seating position, handlin, etc... when you purchased your bike?
I've had the opportunty to sit of all 07 models for the 600cc class and was quite impressed with the Honda 600RR. I've never thought i'd ever like Honda, because I figured once a Yamaha guy.. always a Yamaha guy, but am more lenient on branching out to other rides. After comparing seat comfort, height (1 inch lower), tightness of my legs on the tank, hunched over riding style, my body appreciated the honda's luxurious RR over the R6, Gsxr, Triumph, or kawasaki.
Moreover, after sitting on each 600, I immediately had to sit on all 1000's just to be sure my body was not lying to me. After sitting on all the 'big boys', my attention was immediately all over the R1. We've heard it over and over again how well built this machine in it's class, but I found the comfort and the fit of this bike far superior than every single bike (including the 600's) second to none. I just melted once I sat on it. Everything about the comfort, leg positioning, handling was simply remarkable.
My judgement yesterday was soley on comfort and less on looks and what's funny is that both the 600RR and the R1 would have been the most appealing of the two if I had my choice. Standing tall a 5'7 1/2 .. lol.. my feelings will obviously be different than one who is 6'.
I'm still young and have lots of learning to do, but I've found it's quite important to weigh the comfort of the bike as the main priorities for a bike - something I find alot of guys (females too), do not do. Each bike, although closely fit, do not fit at all the same. I know this is something which is evident and has been discussed in reviews, I simply wanted to express how strongly I felt comfort has now played in my decision making for a bike.
What do you think?
I don't believe you can't get a real idea of comfort of a bike without really riding for some distance. While initially the bike may seem comfortable, 25 miles up the road that seat may be digging into the wrong areas, back sore, etc.
I have noticed you *can* tell when a bike will be uncomfortable. Sat on a Ducati 749 and that thing would be a torture wrack for me - I'm blessed with short arms and it was quite a stretch to the bars.
Initial comfort is important, but many bikes can be made more comfortable by changing seats, handle-bar risers, etc. I'm willing to accept some discomfort if I know that it can be 'tuned' out with aftermarket parts.
Plus that gives me a reason to buy shit for my bike without my wife giving me 'that look'.
Comfort is important to me, that is why i have the F4i and the XX. The F4i (especially with rearsets) is not comfortable, but it is my <100 mile bike. The XX is my 2-up riding bike, and 100mi>+ bike.
Once in a while i ride the F4i for 200-400 miles/day, but it is few and far between.
For trips where the trailer is not involved, the XX is the hands down choice, with the luggage, throttlemaster and helibars. I'm only 5-11" so the helibars are a nice touch. My reach isn't that far.
Plus, your life is alot easier when the Mrs. is happily tucked away on the back sitting on that nice Corbin seat with grab bars to hold onto.
How important is overall comfort to you?
Linear Mode
