is the fireblade comfortable to ride?

hi everyone ,

I'm a newbie here and could do with some advice from all you fireblade owners...

I own a 2008 yamaha R1 and to be honest its so uncomfortable to ride i'm thinking of selling it .

I used to own a 1998 fireblade and it was really nice ride position and i can't remember ever having a complaint about it (although its 10 years since i owned it so memory might be fading) i don't remember being in pain in my wrists and back when i was on it.

however my R1 is a different story, i bought it about 10 months ago (haven't had any other bike since 2004)i can't stand more than about 2.5 hrs on it before my wrists feel like they are about to snap and the my back is aching , not to mention the family jewels crushing against the tank from sliding so far forward to take pain away from back and try and ease my wrists.
so i end up just having short rides out and not venturing too far.

so the questions are .
what are the newer blades like for riding position and comfortability?
is it just me being soft and are all sports bikes like this now?
should i ditch the r1 and get a new blade ???????


you could say "why don't i go get a test ride and see for myself" but i think its one of those those things you need to try it of a few rides and several hours of testing and see over time if its bad or not. which is why i thought id see if any of you helpful folk could give me some helpful advice or comments .

 

Try here - it'll give you a rough idea:

Motorcycle Ergonomics

 

i dont own a balde at the moment mate but my last rr 5 was really comfortable for me with no worries at all.
there are a few on here who do big miles in one go accross europe with not a lot of bother

 

Blades have got smaller as time as gone on IMO, and if you are a big lad, then the latest version may be a bit cramped, I do about 15k a year and have been on them for the last 14 years through 5 models, and even on a 14 plate with the latest changes to bars and pegs find no issues, but as comments above, we are all differnt in size, age and injury count, so whats fits one person, will be painful for another.

 

i used to have a 1999 r1 which i sold for exactly the same reason, i tried my mates 2005 fire blade which was the same.
i then tried a 2009 blade for 2 hours from my local dealer and found i had no problems, i regularly ride 300 miles a day on my 2011 blade on mainly crappy b roads with no wrist pain.
if you look at the 2008 onward blades you will see that the clipons have a riser built into them compared to the r1 which has the clip on mounted a couple of inches lower down ,which makes all the difference.

 

For me there was very little difference between the R1 and Blade for comfort, both became uncomfortable after an hours riding but this is what i expect from a bike designed to race. That said i did find the s1000rr (bmw) extremely comfortable, it was a big surprise to me how comfortable it was so my advice would be to test ride one first...

 

I find at 6'4" my 2012 blade is fine to ride long journeys with no problem with my wrists or back.
I used to ride my blade down to work at Lympstone commando which was 387 miles from my house regularly most weekends before I got my posting to 45cdo

I also used to own a 2011 R1 and to be honest I never remember having any issues with that over long distance either although i never went as far as Lympstone on it but I did clock up 8996 mile in 9 months before i traded to the blade

How is your fitness cos that can make a difference as well with back pain ect.

Do you use your legs to grip the tank? cos that will save the balls smashing the tank and something like stomp grips are great I use them to limit my movement on braking and cornering

But in all fairness I could be some sort of freak technically im too big for modern bikes as I get told a lot but at the same time I managed 22k on my 2005 600rr on 10 months with no problem at all

 

The footrests are quite high even in comparison to my Ducati's, bars are not so bad but my aging knees ache a bit.

 

Having had Blades and R1s like Matt said there is no difference.
I am 6 ft about 14 stone and sometimes heavier but I found both to be very good .
Try adjusting the levers a touch this makes a big difference as does trying to relax a little bit more ie loosen the arms a bit and bend the elbows .

 

I've just sold my 03 R1, which I found to be very close in riding position to my 07 blade, in fact the R1 I would say was a 'bit' more comfy but both bikes are 'balls on the tank'.

The 08 R1 looks very similar to the 'big bang' R1 which my mate had (before it was nicked) and which I rode and was stunned at how spacious it was (3 inch gap between tank and balls) compared to the 03 model.

If you find the R1 a squeeze I don't think you'll like the Blade any better.

 

My 2012 made my wrists cry when I drove for 2 hours, ending up in Central London for an hour of that. Could barely pull the clutch in by the end of it.

On the flip side it was fine for a 3 hour blast up to Norfolk.

I've adapted my technique and position for town riding now and it's a lot better, but basically the geometry is cack for slow weaving in and out of traffic with a lot of clutch use.

It's so sweet out of town though that I'm prepared to live with it. If I lived in London I'd be looking at a superduke, s1000r or another upright naked bike though.

 

I'm 5'8 about 13st on a good day 47years and I love how comfy my Blade is although I do think it's how and where you ride it! Motorways are a killer on most bike sat in the same position for hours will cause pain for most people but B roads you could go for ever moving about the bike! But one of the main reasons I got my Blade was comfort! I had 03 CBR600F with lower rearset but it had lower narrower bars so wrist ache was an issue but the Blade higher wider bars and pretty extreme rearsets just seams to work also I find the tank helps with your belly resting on it take spreads weight so no wrist issues! The high rearset had a double edge to it though knees can hurt after a while but your light on the seat because the bend in your legs so no numb arse!
I would definitely test ride one tho as you'll know immediately if it's not gonna be for you but 12+ bikes have a smoother ride than my 2010 due BPF at the front and new Shock!
My first test ride only lasted 10-15 mins but in that short time I knew it was something special and it was the one for me

 

I think its more down to riding style and the amount of times you do it, I 'weave' in and out of Central London traffic 5/6 days a week 47 weeks a year, and yes, its not as flickable as a push bike, but I have never noticed the geo being cack IMO, and don't see many gaps that hinder my progress......back brake is your best friend in traffic situations

 

i have found that if you angle the clutch and brake lever downward slightly it stops your wrists being bent upwards as much, which helps a lot if you are in traffic.

 

Adjustable footrests are a godsend though, I have Gilles VCR and have a comfort and sport setting, this enables me to ride long distance on the motorway in comfort, a simple one bolt adjustment.

 

Correct, I'm amazed how many people don't do this. Every used bike I've ever bought has obviously never been adjusted for this (unless previously owned by an orang-utang)

I've got Gilles VCRs, lovely, however I measured my original footrest positions (RR7) before I fitted the VCRs and even at their most 'roomy' setting they are very slightly higher than the originals. Got the measurements somewhere but it's about 10mm

 

As above, slight adjustment to the angle of the levers and never got (much of) an ache. Ridden over 400 miles in a day (possibly 500) and was just a tired as you'd expect.