Looking for advice/opinions on what to do first. Trying to improve the comfort of my 2000 900ss. I have recently returned to motorcycles and purchased my first Ducati. I am very proud of the bike, except for the issue of seat and bar comfort.
I am trying to decide If I should buy a new saddle (sergant) or clip on risers (cycle cat vs Heli bars). I would love some opinions on this. I have read multiple threads, but I cannot get a solid feal. I have learned a great deal from all the input here at Zilla, and this is a pressing issue for me. I have put 2300 miles on the bike since I purchased it in October.
Any comments would help.
Thanks
One of the nicest additions I've made to my bike was a Sargent seat. More comfortable, much more supportive, has additional storage space, and adds a 'monoposto' look if you get the color-matched passenger seat section.
I've also put on a set of LSL clip-ons with a lot less drop than the stock bars, they were a nice change as well. The Cyclecats sound like a nice alternative as well plus they're adjustable, and are wider than the stock ones I believe. The limiting factor with the late model SS's is the clearance at the fairing... there isn't a lot of room for adjustment/rise before you start running your hands or the controls into the fairing & fairing stay.
A set of adjustable rearsets is also something to consider.
__________________
Jesse
1999 900ss ff (the faster red color )
I've added both the CC clip-ons and rearsets as well as the Sargent saddle to my '98 900CR. Each component went a long way towards improving the comfort and fit of the motorcycle to my dimensions. I think if you could provide a bit more detail regarding what specific types of discomfort you are experiencing, it would facilitate prioritizing your mods. I'm sure you'll get loads of input to work with.
Regards,
Jeff
__________________
"Keep your blood clean, your body lean and your mind sharp." ~ROLLINS
i have lsl bar risers on my 02 900, they are higher with a flatter angle that is easier on the wrists. I also have adjustable footpegs that move the pegs lightly back and lower about .75 inches. room in the fairing is at a premium if you try to raise the bars too much.
i do not have an aftermarket seat yet but i am looking for one. I have owned corbin, but not yet sargent. I am looking for a sargent to give them a try.
I've added both the CC clip-ons and rearsets as well as the Sargent saddle to my '98 900CR. Each component went a long way towards improving the comfort and fit of the motorcycle to my dimensions. I think if you could provide a bit more detail regarding what specific types of discomfort you are experiencing, it would facilitate prioritizing your mods. I'm sure you'll get loads of input to work with.
Regards,
Jeff
Ok, good point
I find discomfort in my wrists to be the biggest complaint, followed by discomfort in the seat area. Like many posts I have read I feel pitched forward and down. I have bicycled for many years and I am used to a similar position, but this seems more extreme.
As for track days, well I live in SW Missouri, and that means redneck left turns or quarter mile blasts. Thats all the road racing you will find in this area.
Please keep the advice coming its much appreciated.
Lee
Adding aftermarket bars helped me reduce wrist pain quite a bit. I was able to raise the bars some but also adjust the angle of the bars so that my wrists/hands settled to a natural position. The Cycle Cat bars are completely adjustable in this respect, but you will pay $ for it. I ride the older model SS, so you will not have as much range for height adjustments as I do. As I understand, the newer SS has a longer and lower reach to the bars. Perhaps raising the height of the clip-ons and moving the bars back slightly will also change the angle of your seating position enough to aleviate some of that discomfort as well. I ride bicycles a little bit and am always amazed at how tiny adjustments in position can affect comfort. The CC bars also reduce vibration quite a bit, which is a plus.
When I added the Cycle Cat rearsets, I immediately noticed an improvement in overall comfort with my hips, knees, lower back, etc. Cycle Cat seems to engineer their products so that you can adjust the piece precisely where it fits you best. I'm starting to sound like a commercial...sorry.
A far as the saddle goes, I've only used the Sargent. I really like it, but I think I'm one of the few who didn't like the "dish" shape that comes stock with the seat, so I modified my padding a bit. The nice thing is when you are ordering the seat, you can have the seat area padded to your request.
Hope I've helped a little bit. Take your time making your decision. There are lots of good products available and there are a number of vendors on this board who can give you good advice and sell you good products at a good price.
Regards,
Jeff
__________________
"Keep your blood clean, your body lean and your mind sharp." ~ROLLINS
That really helps. It seems a progressive approach is the way to go. Possibly clip ons first, followed by seat and rearsets as needed.
Cycle cat seem very poopular, and I agree they are expensive. However there seems to be a great deal of engineering in there product, whereas others seem to just weld a bar ob to a clamp and chareg almost as much.
Again thanks for letting me pick the Zilla' collective brain power.
Lee
The most effective thing I found for increasing the bar and seat comfort of my 750SS was to have the suspension set up for me, with progressive front springs (from an ST2, I believe), Racetech gold valves and the cool fork oil. A somewhat more plush rear spring helped as well. I could keep my wrists and arms looser when the bike wasn't trying to buck me off with every bump in the road, and that added up to much more comfort. The Sargent seat was great on the road (and looks great too, with that matched rear panel), but I kept the stocker, with its round edges, around for track days- it's hard to haul yourself out of that bucket and teeter on the edge through the turns. As for bars, I'll vote for the Cycle Cats, most comfortable and best looking; just make sure you've got clearance for your thumbs between the grips and the tank.
__________________
______________________________________________
'04 BMW R1100S- Sedate, proper, and very, very blue. ONWRD
'78 Yamaha SR500- Whock-whock-whock-whock-whock. . .KXTRT
'99 Duc SS750- Stolen, abused, crashed, 2 years in a salvage yard, a track day bike in-the-making!
You can chase comfort issues with parts fixes all day long, but Ducati's are essentially mild versions of race bikes (as are most sport bikes), and you have to ride it like a race bike for it to be comfortable.
Try to sit back in the seat, flex in the middle of your back, not at the waist, to lean over so your arms are bent at the elbows and your forearms are parrallel to the road as you grasp the grips. Your arms should be completely relaxed and not supporting the weight of your body at all. Now raise your weight slightly out of the seat with your legs. This is the proper position for riding. Your arms and butt will not hurt, but its helps to bicycle or do leg presses to strengthen the legs.
Changing out things like bars and seats is just a futile, in my humble opinion, attempt to change your bike into something it was not designed to be.
This is an excellent point regarding maintaining core strength and fitness and how it relates to riding. I still advocate for fine tuning riding position and comfort with controls adjusted specifically to one's physiology. Over the past 8 years that I've owned my 900CR, I've found that adding aftermarket controls has helped compensate for a couple injuries and general joint pain that I've noticed as I'm getting older (not old!)...
Jeff
__________________
"Keep your blood clean, your body lean and your mind sharp." ~ROLLINS
All opinions welcome. I agree with the philosophy that a sport bike is a sport bike and that it was designed with positioning in mind, that however begs the question, why did they change the positions on bikes that followed?
As to core strength etc. I again agree. I consider myself very fit, I have ridden and raced bicycles (on and off road) for many years, and core strength is an integral part of that equation. I am 35, and like many of us I have had my share of misadventure, but I dont see comfort/control issues stemming from that, I see it as a downfall of design and manufacturing issues.
In cycling especially road racing your position on the bike is crucial both for comfort and power.
Therefore I agree that adjustability in ones position is very important, one size does not fit all. Ergonomics can be very subjective.
Please keep the input coming.
Thanks everyone this is a great forum and I enjoy the discussion.
Everyone raves about the Sargent saddle, and I'm sure that itg's a fine seat indeed, but I am in love with my Corbin.. It has a lower scoop to it, thus taking weight off your wrists. Also looks better IMHO..
Try raising your bars up to the triple before anything. If you're looking for a higher position that that, you're on the wrong bike
Good luck!
__________________
1995 900cr rossa/ 29k mi and climbing fast / Pro Italia master cyl / high mount carbon termi slip ons / stage II Dynojet / K&N with 'custom' open airbox / Pilot Powers // 1999 Suzuki TL1000R track bike
What to do first?
except for the issue of seat and bar comfort.
)
Linear Mode
