| Author | Message | ||
     Howworkclutch |
Hi. I just bought an 1125r. Its my first sportbike. I had asked the forum if this was the bike for me and many replied that it was reasonable. So I picked it up in Atlanta one fine Saturday morning, and broke it in that afternoon. Two days later I had 1300 miles on it. I had the "downloads" done and the herky-jerkys are mostly gone. Power deliver is smooth and I'm grateful because I was not liking the bike at all. Also, the suspension settings were super-hard when I picked up the bike. I set it up according to the manual and nearly trashed the bike... mines on 08... if I use the 09 suspension settings its a lot better. Anyway, today I got to put 30 miles on it in the country-side and I really really really enjoyed the ride. I hated the first 1300 miles because it was all interstate riding. I'm curious about how to ride these machines. I was resting my body on my wrists, but thats cuasing pain. Is it typical to have to hold yourself up using your abdominals? I find myself pinching the bike with my legs. Is this normal? Having no idea about suspension, is there a step-by-step procedure for dialing-in? Any other tips? Like I said, this is my first sport-bike experience and could use pointers. I have a lot of experience on bikes, just never got into these modern jobs till now. Thanks | ||
| Fmaxwell |
You should be trying to hold your weight off of your wrists with your core muscles. Needless to say, this does lead to fatigue. hen sport bikes are raced, the wind will push hard enough to make unweighting your wrists easy. On the street, the lower speeds mean you rely much less on the wind and much more on your muscles, explaining why so many sport bike riders are opting for street fighters and naked bikes (Aprilia Tuono R, Triumph Speed Triple, Ducati Streetfighter, Ducati Hypermotard, Ducati Monster, Yamaha FZ1, etc.) *Most* riders find the more upright posture far superior for street riding. You might look into some options to give you higher bars. I know that some have put tubular bars on the 1125R. Buell's web site has a great suspension setup article -- at least on sag, which is the first step. Congratulations on your purchase! I hope you have many years of fun on it. | ||
| Geforce |
Hey man, I'm glad you are enjoying this bike! Just like FM stated... Your core body muscles are key in riding any performance machine. I am not sure on your physical conditioning but even I get tired after many miles and I am active duty Army and do PT 5 days a week! Do yourself a favor and ride down to Barnes and Nobles... Go back into the motorcycling section and look for a book called "Twist of the Wrist" by Keith Code. There are other spectacular reads out there as well, I offer this one because I have read it. You will learn a boat load in these books and it will give you plenty of time this winter to watch videos, read and think about the mechanics of piloting a performance machine like this. I would then suggest that you grab some track time and instruction this spring and you will REALLY start to transform. Whatever you decided to do, have a good time, enjoy it and be safe! | ||
| Misterrich |
You will develop stronger stomach muscles riding sport bikes. If you want the easy way out there are handle bar risers you can buy. | ||
| Bob_thompson |
I totally agree with all thats been said so far and will add this from an older rider: knowing how to ride a sportbike is one of my attributes that I have acquired over the years from many sources as talked about above but the best thing I have done and still do is a one hour upper body workout at least three times a week, especially in my off season which is just about to begin. I focus on arms, wrists and pecks but do leg exercises also. I'm fairly comfortable on my 1125R to about 400 miles and then start feeling it somewhat. A good nights rest and I'm ready to go again. Good health IS important. Eat, sleep, ride, repeat as needed. Bob | ||
| Vosnick52 |
what downloads did you have performed on your bike? | ||
| Chadhargis |
As others have said, you have to build up your core. Use your abdominal and leg muscles. Keep the balls of your feet on the pegs to allow your legs (strongest muscles in your body) to hold you up. If your wrists are hurting, you are putting too much weight on them. To practice, sit on a sturdy table (that won't tip over), with your feet off the ground and lean forward. You shouldn't fall off the table. Use your stomach muscles to hold you in that position. Also, do some crunches or situps. Hold a 25lb weight behind your head to build those muscles. Also, remember to bend at the waist, not your back. | ||
| Cafefun |
Wow you guys do all this to ride a sport bike! I better get busy. weights and treadmill here I come. I want to lose 20 lbs by spring time. | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
I'm currently reading "sport riding techniques" by Nick Ienatsch. It's a great book. He talks about how to ride street and refers to the track as well. I highly recommend it. I have read several books but this one is great. There are some great pics in it too. One of the ones I really like is on page 36 where he is in a high speed corner with his left hand off the handlebar. Also, if you get a chance, get on the track with some experienced instructors. It's a great place to learn your bike and what you can do with it. I'm planning on doing a private 4 hour lesson in the spring, can't wait. (Message edited by jumpinjewels on November 03, 2009) | ||
| Augustus74 |
If my back aches before my stomach, am I doing something wrong? I fell like I am using those muscles more then my abs?? | ||
| J2blue |
I fell in love with the riding position of my XB9s even though it is a bit short for my 6'-0" frame. The seat is the lower version which made all the difference in getting the weight off my wrists. I now have the CR and am sorting out my position on it to get comfortable. I may lower the pegs slightly since the seat position is about as low as I want it to be. Apart from this, what I can say about the more upright position of the standard and naked model bikes is that they let you ride in a neutral balance like a horse jockey at trot does. The similarities between the cyclist and a horse jockey is amazing. Sport or racing bikes push the riders butt up and lowers the torso towards the front the way a jockey at full speed rides. This high speed position does demand more strength in the middle of the body to reduce weight on the wrists, remember a jockey can't rest his weight on the horses neck. I can't ride like that very long so I prefer the neutral, upright stance more. Look at pictures of Danny Eslick in a tight turn and notice how far forward and to the side of the bike he is. I've seen some pics where it looked like he was sticking the handlebar in his ear! But he isn't putting much weight on his wrists, it is all in balancing his torso over his legs. On a cruiser or similar model that has you sit on the bike as though you are sitting on a chair I always have trouble with my tail bone getting sore. It doesn't permit a balanced range of motion nearly as well as the jockey position does. Your upper torso is literally resting on your butt and not your legs. Such a position also requires you to reach out and grab the handle bars to keep from teetering, especially if you try to stand up much. Me no likey that. Do as others have suggested and learn to love your bike - more! | ||
| Jdugger |
Good advice guys! Sportbikes are definitely an "athletic" thing. | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
Michael, are you arching your back? | ||
| Milleniumx1 |
I've only put 350 miles on mine, but I've tried a few different combinations. Putting your weight on your wrist is not only painful, it also keeps the bike from cornering like it should. My bike got magically better when I loosened my grip and used core muscles to hold myself up. I don't really grip the bike with my legs, but I probably could be accused of spooning that tank/frame area. It fits my legs perfectly too ... Almost like it was made for me. Mike | ||
| Whynot |
Installing the Uly pegs made a huge difference for me to get some weight off the wrists at lower speeds. Negotiating traffic under 45mph or so is a drag, but no problems at higher speeds. (I'm reluctant to raise the bars, I just sold a Ducati Monster S4R with SpeedyMoto bar risers and Rizoma bars -- it was too high once you got rolling.) I might carve a half inch out of the seat foam, sometimes that's all it takes. -Kurt | ||
| Jaimec |
If you drink more beer, your belly can offset the weight on your wrists... Just sayin...  | ||
| Fmaxwell |
Lots of good advice here, but remember that it's important to tailor the riding posture and controls to the kind of riding that you do and to your physique. Bars, pegs, and controls are not a one-size-fits-all affair. What works well for someone racing sport bikes is not likely to work well for someone riding on the street. The bar/seat/peg relationship which gives the best control to a 5'9" rider is not going to give the best control to a 6'3" rider. Riding sport bikes as they are intended to be ridden is definitely a physical thing, but you don't want to add to the physical effort by setting your bike up wrong for the kind of riding that you do. Tired riders are slow (and lousy) riders. It's fine to be a fan of sport bike racing, motorcycle drag racing, hill climbs, motocross, or dirt track, but that doesn't mean that what you ride on the street should be set up like what you ride (or watch) in competition. | ||
| Chessm |
with all the work that goes into just riding the bike, it makes me wonder who's bright idea it was to say that sitting is not a sport | ||
| Augustus74 |
Jumpin' - I guess most of the time I am at least slightly hunched over. To stretch, I can arch my back up with shoulders back but I can't ride like that for long. I'm 6' with a little longer then average legs if that matters? | ||
| Dalton_gang |
I agree with Jaimec. If you got a big gut, use it. There are lots of times I gotta take a break and lay on my belly for a while and relax my wrists. | ||
| Jaimec |
...and if you don't have a big gut, a tank bag makes a fine substitute. By the way, I just ordered a set of Throttlemeisters for my 1125R. It'd be nice to be able to rest my RIGHT hand every now and then. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Why do people keep talking about abs when you're bent over? Muscles work by pulling, your back is doing all the work. The abs are doing diddly until you fight the headwind to tuck down and they're only working at the start. The back erector muscles are controlling the bending. Your abs help in returning from hanging off the seat. Use your back to keep the weight off your wrists. Use the "tank" to help keep the weight off your wrists. Practice riding with your fingers extended loosely. Try to keep a straight line from your arms to your fingertips. Wiggle your fingers frequently. If you're taller, investigate lower pegs to change your riding angle. | ||
| Hack_job |
I was taught that you should be able to do the chicken dance at any given time while riding. Granted that was for spirited rides, but still you should pause and make sure you can at least flap your elbows a bit if you're getting numb wrists/hands just to keep you in check. Tank grips will help add to your endurance because you won't need as much squeeze with the legs to hold you up. | ||
| Fmaxwell |
"Why do people keep talking about abs when you're bent over? Muscles work by pulling, your back is doing all the work." Without abdominals doing work, all that you back muscles will accomplish by pulling is to make your gut bulge out and make you sway-backed. Basically, your abs are what helps to stiffen your body so that you back can lift it like a board rather than a wet noodle. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Without abdominals doing work, all that you back muscles will accomplish by pulling is to make your gut bulge out and make you sway-backed. Basically, your abs are what helps to stiffen your body so that you back can lift it like a board rather than a wet noodle. Nope. Back erector does all the work on lifting. Muscles don't push, they pull. You can tense your abs while lifting, or not, but the lifting is done by the back. } | ||
| Fmaxwell |
@Iamachangel: Yes, muscles pull. We all know that. "You can tense your abs while lifting, or not, but the lifting is done by the back." Abdominals contract to stabilize and stiffen our trunks. Do you want to ride with your entire spine bowed? If so, relax those abs and let your back muscles curve your spine from neck to pelvis. The tank should keep belly from pushing too far forwards. | ||
| Jdugger |
One of the ways you know your are "riding correctly" is when your abs and quads hurt like hell, but your back and writs do not. I have no idea why... but that's what always aches when I set new personal bests at the track. My back and wrists hurt when I'm having a bad day. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Only thing I can really add to the tips here is take some type of advanced riding class, like the Lee Parks Total Control clinic or something. It's also a good book. When you learn his techniques, you'll see why holding yourself up with your arms doesn't work. | ||
| Jumpinjewels |
+1 jdugger. After an intensive track day pushing myself my quads are burning. No back or upper arm discomfort. | ||
| D_adams |
Hehe, I'm a wet noodle.  |
