rr7 / rr8 riding positions

I'll apologise in advance as it's probably been done to death, but....

What's an rr6/7 like compared to an rr8? I have an rr8, which I've tried to replace with a 690 duke. The duke is great fun, but the rr8 hasn't sold and I'm missing sportsbikes...

The problem with the rr8 is that I got a lot of hip/lower back pain after riding a short distance. According to cycle-ergo.com, the rr7 is a bit of a nicer riding position, but is it really noticeable, or is it just the same?

Any other major differences that might be relevant?

Cheers

 

There's quite a few (well two!) threads on position and comfort.
I can't help with the ergonomics of those models but one thing I would say is to get yourself fit...in terms of muscles. I don't know you from adam and you may well be fit as a butchers dog.
In my opinion being of decent level of fitness makes riding with default settings (no helibars or risers) much more comfortable....I'm not talking about a rippling six pack but doing regular lower back and abdominal exercises will allow you to hold yourself up/steady without having to rest all your weight on wrists and/or crushing the tank with your thighs.

Just my tuppence anyway.
You never see a racer with a dirty big beer belly! lol (the caveat to the above is medical issues obviously!)

 

Cheers, I don't really have any problems supporting myself on the bike as such (no wrist pain etc.), it's the hip angle that gets me. If I spend too long crunched up, it feels like it's going to pop!

 

It just so happens I have both of those bikes as a 2004 and 2011, so am easily able to comment.

I am on record as often saying the RR4 is a more comfortable bike. It is very negligible and I have never taken a tape measure to it. However, I do feel less 'cramped' (failing a better word) on the 04 than on the 11. We might be talking only a half inch from seat to bars and set to pegs, but it's enough to be noticeable. However, if you were test riding both from a dealer, I'm not exactly sure that you would notice it. I do because I frequently ride my 2011 and therefore do notice when 'infrequently' jumping on the 04.

Having 'a couple' of other sportsbikes too, I don't think the Hondas are any less ergonomically friendly than any other bikes. The MV F4 though is a very tight fit. (I'm 5'9"). Hope this helps.

 

I have a fat arse old school 2000 ZX9R which is a great all rounder, comfy, pretty quick and smooth, what it lacks a little of is the excitement of the Blade being lighter and more powerful but still a huge amount of performance for the money.

Pete

 

Cheers @nigelrb that is helpful, it might only need to be a little less cramped and that could be the difference!

Never really considered a zx9, a dealer tried to get me on one when I was looking at 929s a few years ago... I bought the 929!

 

I really hope I can comfortably ride a sports bike when I'm your age @nigelrb ......which will be in about 24 years btw! !

I actually very much doubt it though fair play to you having all them bikes and every single one a sports bike!

 

I have had a 929 and i know i shouldn't say this on a Honda Forum but i preferred the kwaka over the 929, noise of the ram air ect, but less of a following, back to your issue can you not lower the pegs? similar to the below

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Knight-D...h=item28778e9c09:g:t7kAAOSwEppcJEck:rk:1:pf:1

 

My feeling on this is as sports bike riders, we need to be conscious of ground clearance.

I would not choose to reduce mine. Before even considering dropping the pegs, I would slip a 5 - 10mm insert of high density black rubber into the seat padding. Can be easily done by unstapling the rear of the vinyl, sliding in the rubber, and then re-stapling.

 

Cheers guys both good ideas. I’d thought about lower pegs, but for some reason thought it might end up with more pressure on my wrists, not sure why though. I’m a long way off having to worry about ground clearance!

Never considered extra padding on the seat though. That seems like a nice cheap option to try too.

Might be time to get the blade back from the dealer who’s selling it for me!

 

You can give it a trial run by folding up a small towel and slipping it inside your leathers or jeans. Might look like a giant incontinence pad, but hey, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!!

 

Adjustable rear sets made a big difference for me at 6'2

 

I'm thinking a set of adjustable rearsets might be all I need, I've often thought about it, but they're pretty expensive if they make no positive difference!

I booked a test ride on an rr7 at a local dealer in a couple of weeks so we'll see how it compares. To be honest it felt smaller than the rr8, but I haven't even sat on that since October as it's been sitting in a dealer. It's coming home tonight though so I'll be able to compare things a bit more easily.

It's not strange that I'm really excited about it coming home so I can give it a wipe over with gt85 is it?

 

Well, not really. Only strange if you start slapping the GT85 on the paint work!

 

I had the Harris ones on my 2005, which were not too expensive.

 

Those harris ones look pretty nice. They're coming out around 215 ish so not that bad. I'll see what it feels like later.

Gt85 does a good job on the plastics...

 

Why do we regularly face this conundrum I also read of on the MV Agusta forum?

A person buys a sports bike and shortly after expresses difficulty/disappointment with the riding position and then seeks to make changes. Would there not be a better option in the marketplace more suitable for those purchasers? To me it would be like buying, say, a Smart car and then commissioning an engineer to re-set the seat tracks to give more leg room.

This is an observation and not a criticism. I just feel that the rider experience is compromised by choosing an ill-fitting bike.

 

I agree to some extent. I think that's why super-nakeds are so popular. People want crazy fast, but not at the expense of being folded up all day long!

For me though, I don't think it's a question of finding a more suitable bike, it's just that the one size fits all approach that manufacturers have doesn't always work. This is where Suzuki have the advantage I think, in that all their gsxrs have had adjustable pegs as standard for years. They're not as versatile as aftermarket stuff, but for me on my old k8 750, there was plenty of adjustment. Also, KTM did a good job on the RC8 - you can adjust the bars, pegs and subframe to suit. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some level of adjustment as standard.

But... Got the rr8 back last night, was pretty spotless so just put some fresh lube on the chain and pumped the tyres up ready for the ride to work this morning...in the wet. After riding the 690, the blade feels a bit alien and tiny, but a nice ride on wet muddy country lanes was great fun, I'll take the long way home and see how much it hurts!

 

I have Gilles rearsets on the Repsol. I love them. For me, the issue was wanting the rearsets higher and slightly further back. I have a very slim build though and at a towering 5'9" can fold up fairly well on the Repsol.

Adjustable rearsets are a godsend.