RE: Sport tourer - how?
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RE: Sport tourer - how? - 7/10/2006 4:00:34 PM
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TimBucTwo
Posts: 615
Joined: 6/13/2006
From: Upstate NY, USA
Status: offline
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In 1979 I was working for a Honda dealership. I uncreated a CB750F and fell in love with it. After breaking it in I rode it from Albany, Ny to Daytona, Fa and back in three days.
The next year I did the same with a friend on a CB750F.
We were younger then.
For years ago I bought my '94 CBR100F. When I first got on it it was killing my thighs and back. It took about two weeks to streach my 51 year old body and now I just love this bike. Each year during bike week in Hew Hampshire I do the Mt. Washington ride from home. From my house to the top is 300 miles one way. I just got a corbin seat the day before the ride and the Corbin paperwork said that I should allow 1,200 miles to break the seat in. I put the seat on and rode 650 miles that day and when I got back home I showered up and went back out for a 50 mile ride.
I would like to ride it cross country some time. It will do the trip just fine.
I am 6'1" 185 lb's.
Give your body some time to adjust to its new home. If you do feel some aches and pains, look over at the people in the boxes on wheels and a smile will follow shortly.
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RE: Sport tourer - how? - 7/10/2006 4:26:32 PM
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Abacus
Posts: 103
Joined: 4/21/2006
From: Liverpool UK
Status: offline
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I bought my CBR while recovering from a back injury a couple of years ago, and find it the most comfortable bike I ever rode.
I have gone 10 hours with just the fuel stops, and 'P' breaks that seem necessary to the over 45's with no problems
And she will cruise all day at 110mph.
I'm a big guy and need a big bike. 6'1" 260 lbs
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RE: Sport tourer - how? - 7/10/2006 4:36:01 PM
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hmm
Posts: 67
Joined: 6/23/2006
From: Surbiton, Surrey, UK
Status: offline
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Back in 1987 I rode my CBR1000F from London to the South of France in one day. About 700 miles I think. Got off and felt fine. Had a week of touring - Monte Carlo, the Corniches, the Gorges du Verdon, the Mont Ventoux, Val d'Enfer, Pont du Gard etc (what a great place france is) - all in high temperatures - then back to England in one day of torrential rain that slowed the FZRs and GSXRs coming back from the Bol d'Or to about 30mph. I slowed to about 70. But after all that I felt fine. Atestament to the bike.
Ah, a testament to my age and fitmess too, I'm afraid, as that was almost 20 years ago. My body has changed somewhat since then - height unchanged at an impressive 5' 4" (1.60m) but girth a lot more than it used to be. I'd love to repeat that trip now, but all the exercising and medication in the world wouldn't allow me to now, not comfortably!
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RE: Sport tourer - how? - 7/10/2006 4:39:44 PM
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dad
Posts: 298
Joined: 11/6/2005
From: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
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quote:
ORIGINAL: chesthing
Great info, thanks everyone. So the primary position is balls of feet on pegs with your legs taking the weight off my hands - no wonder this last week was difficult, I just let my hands and arms do all the work! I actually just went for a hundred mile ride this morning, and took some advice - from the start of the ride I altered the weight between my arms and lower back, and it helped a lot - next ride I will try to let my legs take the weight for most of the time - thanks again, I feel I'm going to make it work without having to get the LSL bars.
That's the right approach! Give it a chance.
Also, sitting the bike like this is a BIG key to getting the handling out of them. You may have a whole bunch of newfound fun ahead of you! Good luck!
< Message edited by dad -- 7/10/2006 4:40:39 PM >
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RE: Sport tourer - how? - 7/10/2006 9:44:30 PM
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chesthing
Posts: 208
Joined: 7/3/2006
From: castle rock, co
Status: offline
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Wow, I ask for a little advice and I get 19 hits of excellent feedback, I think I'm gonna like this website!
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RE: Sport tourer - how? - 7/11/2006 10:37:38 AM
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TimBucTwo
Posts: 615
Joined: 6/13/2006
From: Upstate NY, USA
Status: offline
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I agree with Steve_Cardiff. I have big hands and they cramp up after 100 miles of clutching and breaking. I often place them straight out over the levers as he pointed out. I think the fix for me is larger grips.
The CBR100F's have a forward lean that is just enough to put a little pressure on my arms and hands. I do get a little numbness in my hands. If I know that I will be riding more the 100 miles I wear riding gloves with jell-pad palms. This helps a great deal with any tingles and does away with a lot of my cramping of the hands.
My best friend and riding partner also uses jell-pad gloves for longer rides on his ST1100.
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RE: Sport tourer - how? - 7/11/2006 11:11:26 AM
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dad
Posts: 298
Joined: 11/6/2005
From: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TimBucTwo
The CBR100F's have a forward lean that is just enough to put a little pressure on my arms and hands. I do get a little numbness in my hands.
This may seem picky but..... get the balls of your feet up on the pegs and load your legs slightly, such that you are carrying no weight on your arms. This is hard to do with your heels hooked on the pegs but is easy when you get your feet up and back. It will help with this immediate problem but even better, it helps the cornering more than logic might say is reasonable.
A key to riding sportbikes fast in the twisties is being light on the bars. Countersteer input to initiate the turn/lean angle, then relax the bar input using body position towards the inside as much as is required to keep the bar inputs light. You should be able to virtually let go of the bars in a corner, once the lean/line is set.
If you're sitting straight up you will find it takes a small effort on the inside bar to maintain your line. Leaning your body to the inside will reduce that effort to zero. The faster you are going, the more lean. The more lean, the further inside you must lean your body, to the point where you have to start moving your butt over just like the racers. This will suddenly make the bike feel nimble and you'll feel a confidence that you'll never feel weighting the bars.
One simple thing to recognize is that when you have an arm stiffened to hold the line, every bump bounces your body as well and the stiffened arm makes a small bar input even though that was never your intent. That unintended bar input causes a small wiggle, unintended, and because the bike just did something that you didn't knowingly tell it to do, it raises your apprehension, which causes you to go tighter, which starts a downward comfort spiral that results in everything going to shit. Light on the bars allows the bike to do what it does well and gives the rider all of the right feedback. Cornering comfort will improve dramatically for just that one detail. Plus, it's easier on your upper body, the original conversation here. Consider it a "two for one"!
< Message edited by dad -- 7/11/2006 11:16:46 AM >
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Printable Version
And covering the clutch.... two toes or one?
