So I have had my K6 GSXR600 for a while now and love it lots. Although the most I can go without the wrist and back aches is about one hour or so. I want to do some longer trips and over nighters this summer. Thought I would have a look and see what bikes are out there at the same sort of price ie £5000 give or take 500. The trouble is a love the look and ride of sport bikes and as a little feller the gsxr fits me well. What do we think about the Sprint ST as a sort of compromise? Maybe a litre bike? I dunno, so confused, Maybe a nekkid?
Ahh help, maybe just keep the 600 and suck up the aches and enjoy the fun,
If you really love the bike then building up and using your torso muscles will help support you upper body and stop you putting so much weight through your wrists. …or you could get a different bike.
I thought the GSX-R600 was a pretty comfortable ride for a Sports Bike?
If you are looking second-hand then the CBR600F has to be one of the most comfy both for riding position and buttock comfort. (I’m not sure if there are any new ones left).
In my experience if you ever ride with a back-pack it may be an idea not to go for any sit-up-and-beg style bikes thinking they will be more comfy. They are not. The weight of the pack can pull down and rearwards on your back whereas in a sports bike riding position the weight is easier to bear across your back.
The advice about gripping with your legs does relieve wrists, arms and shoulders considerably. Also try moving your hands so that you cannot put your upper body weight directly onto the lower palm, even if just for part of the journey it can relieve aches and pains.
I remember Frogga having a similar post when he did his arm in.One solution is to fit a renthal bar conversion kits which allows you to keep the fairing and have a more upright riding position.
also your spine is designed to curve in at the small of your back then back out. if you hunch over it puts it in an unnatural position and can give backache/problems (same issue as when you’re sat in office chairs etc but you cant get a lumbar support on a motorbike!)
imagine there is a small puddle of water on the small of your back and you’re trying to keep it there (given how wet last year was, you may not have to imagine too hard)
Everyone’s always telling me my old skool ZX9 is a boat… that said she can stomp most of their dappy little grins into the ground AND I have never had one moments discomfort on her…
There were rumours going round the PB and 2 Wheels mags that the old ZX9’s weren’t Super sports, more like Super Tourers… but considering her grunt and her UTTER UTTER comfort, I don’t give a monkeys. 2 mates and I rode to Assen and back, them on Dukes me on my 9…guess who was whinging all the way there and all the way back…?
So, I have tried a Sprint St. I was good fun but didn’t really do it for me. Bizarely I have also tried out an 05 GSXR1000! I know, I know but it looked fun. Well Wow. What a bike. Very similar to my o6 gsxr600 apart from the stomp obviously. Seat height was closer to the ground as well which was nice for a short arse like me.
Now I’m torn. I know that I am gonna stay with the sports bikes but not sure whether it’s worth moving up to the thou or not? Any thoughts?
I’ve got a couple of mates who use their thou’s for long distance European trips. Both stock although I’ve read about higher bars being fitted as well.
GSXR1000K5 is a great touring tool. I can’t understand the discomfort you’re getting on a K6 600 though, it may be as JB said in an earlier post that your riding position is a bit SNAFU. I have a K7 750, am 6’4" and can go all day without pain…
How about the Suzuki 750? If the ergonomics are good, you could move right up, without much adjustment. I remember when 750s and the like were big bikes. Of course Suzuki had to make their’s just a little bit larger, so they made an 850, to counter Honda and Yamaha’s 750.
The reason Suzuki made the GS850 was due to its shaft drive sapping so much power they had to raise the capacity to keep up. The 850 shaftie was never in competition with the sportier bikes.
wont happen the more you ride the more painful it gets…I find by the end of the summer my wrists just have to look at the bike and they start hurting…when riding keep taking your hands off the bars (when stopped preferably) and just moving your wrists a bit to keep the blood flowing, i find it works…and try to keep off your wrists by adjusting your grip and seating position from time to time, and riding at above 120 seems to take the weight off your wrists…never found much help there as I ride so slowly:Whistling:
Cheers. The discomfort isn’t bad at all. Without getting of track, Do you guys think I am mad if I changed from the 06 gsxr600 for th 06 gsxr1000. Really tempted.
Chunky Monkey (26/02/2008)
How about the Suzuki 750? If the ergonomics are good, you could move right up, without much adjustment. I remember when 750s and the like were big bikes. Of course Suzuki had to make their’s just a little bit larger, so they made an 850, to counter Honda and Yamaha’s 750.
The reason Suzuki made the GS850 was due to its shaft drive sapping so much power they had to raise the capacity to keep up. The 850 shaftie was never in competition with the sportier bikes.
I used to own a Yamaha XS750, and it too, had shaft drive, so why didn’t Yamaha feel the loss, lose sales to Suzuki? Unless you are saying it was a peculiarity of Suzuki’s shaft drive? I never noticed that my XS750 triple felt underpowered, used to run rings around the Hondas, but if you say it didn’t have the horsepower, I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.
