dead hands, burning buns 06 FJR

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Power commander, russell seat, heli triple clamp, bike is smooth as silk. You do have to remember to keep proper position and not start leaning forward again unto the grips. I have 10k on the bike. Good luck and safe riding. Everett

 
So, now you have just about everything you need for comfort. If you are riding in jeans, the seams will be doing a number on you especially once it gets warm out. So remember to wear non-seamed underwear. My preferrence is UnderArmour Heat. Fits snug and wicks perspiration away from your skin. On very long days in the summer I will pack some corn starch or Gold Bond to dust the jewels before I start, and later in the day if needed. Works great!

Be patient, get yourself conditioned to the new posture and enjoy. IF you are still having trouble, then ...gulp .....a Goldwing might be your best bet.

Good luck.

 
I am 58 and have a suggestion if none of these things work.

GIVE ME YOUR BIKE!!!

Thanks. :yahoo:

 
If you've done :

- heli t clamp,

- risers

- seat

- Grip puppies

- throttle body sync

- release middle spring on throttle

- Throttle lock

and you still have a problem......SELL IT!!!!

You gave it a good shot, but your wing bound........

GreyGoose

 
OK, I thought about this post on the way home and will give a serious reply in addition to my silly post earlier. Here's what makes it super comfy, stock, for me (I'm 6'2 with a 32" inseam so I'm kinda all torso):

You don't sit on your butt on this motorcycle, you scoot your butt back and sit more on your haunches--you don't really sit on this motorcycle, you kinda sit init. Let your back flex in the lower lumbar instead of hunching over. Keep your shoulders back, chest up, belly closer to the tank and bend at the hips instead of the waist.

Your elbows should be very nearly in line with your hands--with very little weight on your hands. To check on this, wiggle your elbows side-to-side, if you can't, you have too much weight on your hands.

To keep this position, keep the balls of your feet on the pegs, not the instep and squeeze the tank a bit with your knees.

Once you achieve this position, you just kinda settle down into it--the bike feels more stable, you feel planted and nothing hurts or goes numb. Honestly, it took me about 6 months to figure this out and get comfy, now it is second nature

I disagree with adding aftermarket stuff: I fear that adding risers or a different seat will push me more upright and back onto my tailbone, and that is not comfortable for a long ride.

If you have neck, back or hip problems, all bets are off....

 
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OK, I thought about this post on the way home and will give a serious reply in addition to my silly post earlier. Here's what makes it super comfy, stock, for me (I'm 6'2 with a 32" inseam so I'm kinda all torso):
You don't sit on your butt on this motorcycle, you scoot your butt back and sit more on your haunches--you don't really sit on this motorcycle, you kinda sit init. Let your back flex in the lower lumbar instead of hunching over. Keep your shoulders back, chest up, belly closer to the tank and bend at the hips instead of the waist.

Your elbows should be very nearly in line with your hands--with very little weight on your hands. To check on this, wiggle your elbows side-to-side, if you can't, you have too much weight on your hands.

To keep this position, keep the balls of your feet on the pegs, not the instep and squeeze the tank a bit with your knees.

Once you achieve this position, you just kinda settle down into it--the bike feels more stable, you feel planted and nothing hurts or goes numb. Honestly, it took me about 6 months to figure this out and get comfy, now it is second nature

I disagree with adding aftermarket stuff: I fear that adding risers or a different seat will push me more upright and back onto my tailbone, and that is not comfortable for a long ride.

If you have neck, back or hip problems, all bets are off....
WORD!! Took me a few months to discover the Master Yoda position. Works like a charm and saved me thosands.

 
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HuH.... After going back and carefully reading the posts on this thread, there is some remarkably consistent advice here on riding position.

Must be some experienced attentive riders here who have made friends with this fine bike. :D

Let us know how it goes.

 
But what changed this bike for me was adopting a stretching routine every half-hour or when I get bored. I stand on the pegs with one foot then the other, sit and shake out each leg, then the elbows, shoulders, and some good head rolls in each direction. About this point, the cars behind me have usually backed waaay off.

Bob,

It's not every day that fellow commuters get to see someone on a crotch rocket doing the Hokie-Pokie, but then isn't "that's what it's all about?"

I do much the same thing. Sitting on the back seat and dangling my legs or sitting to one side and dangling a leg. I do stand up at all speeds (under triple digits) and get a lot of strange looks.

Bob

Darn, and I thought they were looking at my nekked arse. :-o

 
I rode my bike to Deadwood from phx (1301 miles) and my right hand was numb. i feel a slight humming from the handle bars. I have bar risers, cruise control, sergeant seat. I tried moving, shifting, cruise etc. Also have throttle meister bar ends. No monkey butt tho.

 
Sell it and buy a wing!! :clapping:

 
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+1 on the MYRP. Picked up my AE on 7/7/06. By 8/2/06 odo read 6089 miles. To WFO 5 and back. No aches or pains. Stock seat (with sheepskin) and windshield with Throttlemeister. I do "exercise" during the ride, move around and stand up. Age 72, 5-10, 175, 31" inseam. Master Yoda Riding Position works for me.

 
A lot of what is bothering you is due to circulation, or more accuratly, a lack of it. The stock seat didn't impress me on any year FJR. (I ride an '04, now with a Russell seat.) The '06 seat is different from earlier seats, but still doesn't cut it for long rides for many. Butt burn is about circulation and moisture. Cotton retains the moisture and will aggravate butt burn. Anything synthetic and wicking next to your skin will be better than cotton. LD Comfort shorts and similar items improve upon the material aspects by also locating seams in good places instead of bad ones.

Hands go numb for various reasons. Vibration can be a part, wrist angle can be a part, grip tightness can be a part, but circulation is the bottom line though. The stock grips are small and hard. Find some gel grips or foam grips, (grip puppies are well regarded by many), or the BMW 'Sport Grips'. PM me if you need the part numbers for the BMW grips. Throttle rocker as many mentioned allows you to avoid tightly gripping the throttle. I have one, along with a VistaCruise throttle lock and BMW grips. Used to have heavy bar ends too. It all helps. I also had numbness in the hands and wrist pain when I got my FJR. For me, the angle changes of the Heli-risers did the trick. Taking the slack out of the throttle cable also helped me. I never did release one of the throttle springs, just got used to it eventually.

Combine some fixes for the grips/tension/angles/vibrations and find what works for you there. The butt, that needs circulation too! Move around, don't just sit there. Stand up, shake a leg out, etc. Highway pegs helped me to move more by giving me more places to put my feet. Custom seats are expensive, but worth it if you know you're keeping the bike. A sheepskin or AirHawk pad will help, but K.I.S.S. first, don't go spending too much money on seat crap only to spring for a custom seat later. What do you have laying about the house or garage? An old camping pad? A scrap of carpet? Sure, it sounds funny, but try different stuff and see what helps. Many find that the stock seat is too soft, not too hard.

Bottom line, if you can't make the bike work for you, don't let it be because you didn't try. Nothing wrong with a Wing or a 1200 GS, just different ergos and different riding feel. You're still up on two wheels and having fun, and that's what counts.

 

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