ornery Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 One of the reasons I opted for the FZ-07 was the upright riding position. I now find myself riding 90% of the time with my left hand in my lap and... slouching! When I catch myself slouching, I straighten up for about a minute, then unconsciously begin to slouch again. Terrible habit! I don't think I'll be able to break it. I slouch at my desk at work, too. The way I ride makes me think I ought to just move on to a cruiser. I do appreciate the nimbleness of this "standard" bike, and if I'm seated correctly, there's no doubt I'd be better prepared for, and able to execute an evasive maneuver. But, I rarely sit right, so why fight it? I wonder if I can bring the bars a little closer, and if that would even help my situation? “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member yamahappy74 Posted June 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 16, 2015 Stop riding one handed. I mean, for posture reasons. I do the same thing and notice that I slouch as well, but honestly, I bought a naked over a rocket because I don't think my back and wrists can handle that aggressive posture for long periods anymore. Saying that made me feel really old... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member n2shotokai Posted June 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 16, 2015 Ditto, looking for some bar risers that will bring the bars closer to me. Rode about 400 miles last weekend and by the end I sitting sideways, one hand on the bars to get my back straight up and down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member n2shotokai Posted June 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 16, 2015 Has anyone tried the Rox risers?Rox 2" riser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member hobbs Posted June 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 16, 2015 I keep a slight arch in my lower back. If I keep my spine totally straight I find the ride to be pretty jarring and fatigue sets on quick. A slight arch absorbs a lot of the impact, but I do kind of wish the bars were higher and more towards me. I think things would start to look weird then though. Everything went braap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magsz18 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 More core strength. A forward lean is different than a slouch. A slouch generally means you arent engaging your core muscles to hold your torso upright. A sport bike is more accommodating of a slouch than an upright bike. I find myself slouching too unless i consciously engage my core. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornery Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Has anyone tried the Rox risers?Rox 2" riser I may be the first. That price seems reasonable, thanks! “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamahaha Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I'm terrible for slouching. My posture has been bad for years and a neck injury did not help. The key is exercise and stretching. I'm slowly straightening out. Poor posture catches up with you when you age so beware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connellyt Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 There several ways to raise the handlebars, but most require you to re- position the instrument panel. I have for sale a set of risers that accept the instrument panel and the bars will be raised about 1 inch. Drop me a line at connellyt@sisqtel.neet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connellyt Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 that should read connellyt@sisqtel.net Also for sale PUIG tinted wind screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamalv Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Back protector. Getting a decent back protector will stiffen up your whole spinal column, so that your posture might be okay even while not engaging core muscles as you should lol. While I do a bit of forward lean, not sure if I was really slouching before. But my rides are only an hour. Also, I stretch in the mornings specifically to limber out the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member so1102 Posted June 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 16, 2015 I just slide forward in the seat and grip the tank with my legs and that allows me to sit more upright, straighten my back, and really loosens my hands up too. (Tecspec grip pads FTW) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member n2shotokai Posted June 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 16, 2015 Has anyone tried the Rox risers?Rox 2" riser I may be the first. That price seems reasonable, thanks! I am wondering if the cables are long enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornery Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 [em]I am wondering if the cables are long enough?[/em][em] [/em]Yeah, me too, and now connellyt brings up re-positioning the instrument panel. It just can't be easy, can it? I'll unbolt it and see how much slack is in the cables. The instrument panel is another matter... Sheesh. “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member n2shotokai Posted June 16, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 16, 2015 [em]I am wondering if the cables are long enough?[/em][em] [/em]Yeah, me too, and now connellyt brings up re-positioning the instrument panel. It just can't be easy, can it? I'll unbolt it and see how much slack is in the cables. The instrument panel is another matter... Sheesh. There are the extenders for the panel, but I was thinking of just making something simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 It's not the worst thing to take your hand off for a few to rest it/shake it out as long as no one is close to you and the road is free of debris/potholes, etc. About that slouching ... You're not riding to have good back posture and riding rigid/straight up is not good when you hit a good sized bump or pothole. You're less liked to get bounced off the seat if you stay limber (slouched a bit). Your body will act like a spring that way instead of a pogo stick. Human pogo no good. Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomascrown Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 My hamstrings are too tight, they rotate my pelvis, and make my lower back work extra hard to maintain an arch. The idea is to slap some rearsets on that compress my hams to a point where they don't affect my pelvis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member n2shotokai Posted June 17, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 17, 2015 I looked at the cables last night to see if there was enough room for a 2"riser. The brake cable looks like you might be able to get some slack pull up from the two anchor points near the lower triple. The clutch cable however looks like it would be a major problem. Who will try it first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornery Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 I also looked at it and threw my hands up. Way too much trouble for a bike I may not be keeping. Actually looking at the Indian Scout among others. Anyway, this morning I was still riding with my left hand in my lap, but inched up closer to the bars. That had me sitting straighter, and wasn't uncomfortable at all. Might be the only adjustment I have to make, and a habit I can continue easy enough. Keeping that left hand on the bar is another story... “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member n2shotokai Posted June 18, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted June 18, 2015 I also looked at it and threw my hands up. Way too much trouble for a bike I may not be keeping. Actually looking at the Indian Scout among others. Anyway, this morning I was still riding with my left hand in my lap, but inched up closer to the bars. That had me sitting straighter, and wasn't uncomfortable at all. Might be the only adjustment I have to make, and a habit I can continue easy enough. Keeping that left hand on the bar is another story... Ditto, I truly like this bike but I am debating on upgrading to the FJ-09. Better position, more potential for wind protection ... what I need for longer highway rides. Upgrade or make these changes to the 07 ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornery Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 I was going to add this to the "FZ-07 News and Announcements" Forum, but thought I better just add it here first. News Flash: I find myself riding without slouching quite frequently! Yes, mark your calendars, Ornery is developing some backbone. And, it feels pretty good! For a while, after riding, I was noticing stiffness in my lower back, and even more so near my hips. Couldn't remember lifting anything, so I figured it was from using particular muscles while riding. Well, I guess they're toned up a bit now, because I no longer get those aches, AND I'm not slouching (as much anyway.) I have a question for anyone who cares to answer. Can you ride a skateboard? I was talking to a fellow here at work, who is my age. He gave up riding, never really started, because he was unable to do it safely. Poor coordination is basically what he said. Yet, he told me yesterday, he rode a skateboard as a kid, all the time! Now me, no way. Never able to get the hang of it, though I never tried too hard. Never owned one, but I could ice skate, or roller skate to some degree. Lived on my bicycle, though never mastered riding a wheelie. Only owned 26" bikes, but I know they can be wheelied. Anyway, just wondering if being able to ride a skateboard correlates with proficient motorcycle riding? At least the balance/ wheelie/ drifting skills. “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Jane Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 My posture has been slowly improving over the last month, but it's been a conscious effort. I've caught myself slouching and then I force myself to sit up straight. But I always find that I like it better with good posture anyway. Gives me a more "commanding" and in-control feeling. And slowly I've felt my core muscles getting more comfortable with the position, on the bike and at my desk at work. Edited out the rest of my post because I saw this post was old news... Glad to hear you're getting more comfortable upright! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavedog Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 It's not the worst thing to take your hand off for a few to rest it/shake it out as long as no one is close to you and the road is free of debris/potholes, etc. About that slouching ... You're not riding to have good back posture and riding rigid/straight up is not good when you hit a good sized bump or pothole. You're less liked to get bounced off the seat if you stay limber (slouched a bit). Your body will act like a spring that way instead of a pogo stick. Human pogo no good.Technically you're supposed to lift yourself off the seat slightly for large bumps or potholes. I do, and it helps quite a bit... I'm not saying stand up and straighten your legs, just give yourself 2-3" off the seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemer Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 It's not the worst thing to take your hand off for a few to rest it/shake it out as long as no one is close to you and the road is free of debris/potholes, etc. About that slouching ... You're not riding to have good back posture and riding rigid/straight up is not good when you hit a good sized bump or pothole. You're less liked to get bounced off the seat if you stay limber (slouched a bit). Your body will act like a spring that way instead of a pogo stick. Human pogo no good.Technically you're supposed to lift yourself off the seat slightly for large bumps or potholes. I do, and it helps quite a bit... I'm not saying stand up and straighten your legs, just give yourself 2-3" off the seat. I gave the wrong impression, I just meant it's best to have a limber posture in case you hit a bump/pothole when you're looking around or don't see it for one reason or another, may be dark, rainy, foggy, etc. Agreed, I always come up off the seat just before railroad tracks, potholes etc. 'when I see them'. Bumps ... depends on the size whether I come off the seat or not. Potholes, I always crack the throttle/weight back so that the front tire glides over the hole. Learned all this the old school way in the dirt. Beemer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornery Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 My posture has been slowly improving over the last month, but it's been a conscious effort. I've caught myself slouching and then I force myself to sit up straight. But I always find that I like it better with good posture anyway. Gives me a more "commanding" and in-control feeling. And slowly I've felt my core muscles getting more comfortable with the position, on the bike and at my desk at work. Edited out the rest of my post because I saw this post was old news... Glad to hear you're getting more comfortable upright! Still slouching at work. I'm not going out of my way to change that. I just happened to notice myself sitting up better on the bike the other day without forcing myself to do it, and it didn't feel abnormal or uncomfortable. Don't know how long I've been riding that way, but it coincides with my hips not being sore. I think it has to do with balance, that's why I brought up the skate boarding. Just wondered if the best riders were also skaters? “The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself.” — Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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