Handle bar settings

[Radical]

As some of you know I had back surgery last November and decided to try to ride my FJR this year. It was disappointing that I could not stay in the saddle longer than 15 min.

I was going to sell my bike and felt if it sold ok but if not then I would attempt some mods. I first put on a Corbin seat and that helped but did not cure the problem of discomfort. I then tried to set up the suspension and that also helped but not totally.

The biggest help was moving the handle bars from the rear positon to the middle. This little bit of change did the trick. I can now ride the bike comfortably. I will find out for how long in the near future however rode today for over an hour without pain. This constant tweaking is what was required to get me back in the saddle.

By pushing the handle bars out I no longer feel pressure on my hands and shoulders and it also moves the position of my back just enough to allow it to relax. I wanted to encourage those who have back problems to keep tweaking and enventually you'll get it right.

Thanks for all the help provided here. Much appreciated.

 

[El Toro]

The biggest help was moving the handle bars from the rear positon to the middle. This little bit of change did the trick. I can now ride the bike comfortably. I will find out for how long in the near future however rode today for over an hour without pain. This constant tweaking is what was required to get me back in the saddle.
By pushing the handle bars out I no longer feel pressure on my hands and shoulders and it also moves the position of my back just enough to allow it to relax. I wanted to encourage those who have back problems to keep tweaking and enventually you'll get it right.

I'm really glad to hear that you were able to find small changes that would help get you comfortable. Its no fun when you're constantly trying to figure out how to get done with your ride.

The other thing here that I think is very important is that the small changes made a difference. Anyone who reads the magazine reviews and comparos ought to think about this, because the bike they like best may be lousy for you. Each person really has to find what works best for them, and the magazine writers don't always take the time to find what would work. They just take their impressions, maybe do a little playing, and move on. This is especially aggravating when you read comparos where they've decided that one bike is better than another based on how quickly their reviewing team was able to dial in something that worked. If you buy a bike, you'll have a lot longer to work on it... and there's no guarantee that the bike they liked is any closer to something that works for you than the bike they panned.

 

[Radical]

One of the main reasons I have always liked the FJR is because of the ability to adjust "creature comforts" to suit one's need. I did not however expect after my surgery to be able to get comfortable again by adjusting the bike setup. Great bike, great features, and best bang for the buck.

 

[Rob]

How were you able to adjust the bars? Are there pre positioned setting to move them to or did you have to measure it all out?

 

[El Toro]

How were you able to adjust the bars? Are there pre positioned setting to move them to or did you have to measure it all out?

There are prepositioned settings. In the owner's manual it doesn't tell you how to do it. Instead it says to take it to your Yamaha dealer to have the adjustment made.

 

[paulie]

Hi, Rad - Glad you are able to keep riding. I have a question though - do you know which setting the bikes come from the factory with? I'm assuming it is the middle position but haven't found anything in the documentation to confirm that. I may want mine back a notch but before I break the nuts loose I thought I would try to find out what I will find in there.

Hi, Rad - Glad you are able to keep riding. I have a question though - do you know which setting the bikes come from the factory with? I'm assuming it is the middle position but haven't found anything in the documentation to confirm that. I may want mine back a notch but before I break the nuts loose I thought I would try to find out what I will find in there.

 

[YukonG]

Yes, the handlebars are in the middle position from the factory.

 

[Radical]

Yes, the handlebars are in the middle position from the factory.

And the torque settings are 17 ft-lb for the handlebar bolt

and 47 ft-lb for the handlebar nut. Tighten the bolts first and then the nuts.

I would suggest placing a towel over your tank just in case of a slipup and remember to loosen both handlebars to move them. This seemed to make it easier.

 

[crankshaft]

Yes, the handlebars are in the middle position from the factory.

And the torque settings are 17 ft-lb for the handlebar bolt

and 47 ft-lb for the handlebar nut. Tighten the bolts first and then the nuts.

I would suggest placing a towel over your tank just in case of a slipup and remember to loosen both handlebars to move them. This seemed to make it easier.

Glad to hear that you're able to ride comfortably again.