no riser's rider?

[ehc0720]

I'm seeing a pattern where those of us that are in the neighborhood of 5'11"ish and 185ish lbs feel Very Comfortable with the Stock Handle Bars. Interesting!

Yamaha must have been thinking of US when they calculated for a Perfect Fit! I Love It!

5' 11" @ 175 lbs. Rode almost a year with stock risers and could never get comfortable, now have the risers with a pull back and it feels good finally. The angle of the grips seemed to be the biggest pain to me, not the height, these risers spread the bars out a few degrees.

 

[not2shabby]

I'm seeing a pattern where those of us that are in the neighborhood of 5'11"ish and 185ish lbs feel Very Comfortable with the Stock Handle Bars. Interesting!

Yamaha must have been thinking of US when they calculated for a Perfect Fit! I Love It!

5' 11" @ 175 lbs. Rode almost a year with stock risers and could never get comfortable, now have the risers with a pull back and it feels good finally. The angle of the grips seemed to be the biggest pain to me, not the height, these risers spread the bars out a few degrees.

Exactly! I'm about 6-1 and before the riser/triple clamp swap, I'd get an awful pain between the shoulder blades with the stock setup after about 200 miles. The change in angle puts the grips close to where they were(forwards), it just allows a more natural(to me anyway)placement of the hands. The stock setup forced me to rotate my wrists outward or keep my elbows close to my sides. I've got a long torso/short leg type of body too. 32 inch inseam; don't know if that matters or not.

 

[cruppelt]

I'm seeing a pattern where those of us that are in the neighborhood of 5'11"ish and 185ish lbs feel Very Comfortable with the Stock Handle Bars. Interesting!

Yamaha must have been thinking of US when they calculated for a Perfect Fit! I Love It!

I think you nailed it! I am yet another 5'11" guy that weighs 185lbs, also very happy with stock handle bar location and stock seat on low. I needed to learn the proper Master Yoda position though before it worked, took a good couple of months of riding before I was convinced.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

I went for around 3 years with the stock set up, and was very happy with it, then added the HeliBar triple clamp for the LOE 1000 and am amazed at how much more comfortable is was afterward, and I feel is gives me more leverage in the turns and I'm alot more agressive then before.

 

[Ally House]

We're in the middle of mods...the 5'3" primary rider is going with a loweing kit plus the handlebar risers. We've taken the rubber thingies off the seat, but it is a custom seat, so I really have no clue as to how it compares to the stock seat. I am really interested to see if the 10 degree change in handlebar angle makes the difference that I suspect it will. Now, if I were the primary rider...I'd still have to lower it about an inch, somehow. 5'7" with stumpy legs.

 

[carlson_mn]

I did not like risers on my Gen1. The ability to shift more weight to my hands really made me more comfy, not to mention better feel and handling from the front wheel. I'm 6'2. I did get a little sore reaching to the bars after a few hours, but the ability to move the bars a little closer on my Gen2 has helped with that.

 

[dbx]

When I bought my new-to-me 2005 in 2006 it came with Heli risers. I rode it that way for about 14K miles, but then I got curious and took them off for about 3K miles. The difference was subtle, after all it's only about an inch, but I like the riding position better with the risers so I reinstalled them.

Now I have a 2007 without risers and I miss them.

There is no single answer that fits everyone. We're all different.

 

[winewhisperer]

I have an '07 and use the stock handlebars and seat. I have done lots of 7-9 hundred mile days, and rode straight home from Tennessee a couple years ago. 1410 miles in one shot.

When I transitioned from my VTX to my FJR, I was a little sore the first few times, but like most things, I adjusted quickly and gained new muscle memory.

LOTS of people on this board are way too sensitive to let their body adjust to anything, so they freak out when their first ride feels even slightly different from what they rode before...If they even rode.

Then we have the group that will find anything there is to complain about and complain. If I had never come to this site, I would think I have the perfect bike; however, after hanging out a few years, I have realized the problems lurking.

Let's see: The seat sucks, the windshield sucks, the bars suck, the kickstand sucks, the headlights suck, the shocks suck, the vibes suck, the alternator sucks, the battery placement sucks, the clutch sucks, the 5 speed transmission sucks, the low power output sucks, the mirrors suck, the brakes suck, the heat sucks, the weight sucks, the horns suck, the blinkers suck, the ignition switch sucks, the electrical system sucks, the cam chain tensioner sucks, and if you listen to a rogue contingency that plagues this board, the motorcycle tire on the rear sucks.

Did I forget anything? Ride your bike the way you want it, and don't fall for the "Oh, now I need one of these" crowd.

In seven years of lurking on this forum, that may have been one of the most honest and "telling it like it is" posts I have read on this forum. Good on you hotrod!!

 

[kman09]

09 with stock bars aft and seat low without adjuster thingy - 5'10" & 210lbs. 13k odo.

 

[allrider]

My 03 came with risers and after 6 months i took em off and preferred them off.

Now i have an 07, adjusted the bars back after a cross country ride and have been happy, up until lately. Now I'm thinking i would like to try risers. There is a sweet spot of smooth air just back an inch or so that i don't reach with the bars where they are.

Anyone have Gen II risers they want to get rid of?

 

[Candyman]

My 2005 has never had risers, I like it like it is. I have made several mulpi states trips adn my IBA certification ride on it with no issues.

 

[BigPaz]

I have an '07 and use the stock handlebars and seat. I have done lots of 7-9 hundred mile days, and rode straight home from Tennessee a couple years ago. 1410 miles in one shot.

When I transitioned from my VTX to my FJR, I was a little sore the first few times, but like most things, I adjusted quickly and gained new muscle memory.

LOTS of people on this board are way too sensitive to let their body adjust to anything, so they freak out when their first ride feels even slightly different from what they rode before...If they even rode.

Then we have the group that will find anything there is to complain about and complain. If I had never come to this site, I would think I have the perfect bike; however, after hanging out a few years, I have realized the problems lurking.

Let's see: The seat sucks, the windshield sucks, the bars suck, the kickstand sucks, the headlights suck, the shocks suck, the vibes suck, the alternator sucks, the battery placement sucks, the clutch sucks, the 5 speed transmission sucks, the low power output sucks, the mirrors suck, the brakes suck, the heat sucks, the weight sucks, the horns suck, the blinkers suck, the ignition switch sucks, the electrical system sucks, the cam chain tensioner sucks, and if you listen to a rogue contingency that plagues this board, the motorcycle tire on the rear sucks.

Did I forget anything? Ride your bike the way you want it, and don't fall for the "Oh, now I need one of these" crowd.

In seven years of lurking on this forum, that may have been one of the most honest and "telling it like it is" posts I have read on this forum. Good on you hotrod!!

i spent 4 years on the Stromtrooper forum. you thought these guys are bad... the V-strom doesn't come with side cases, a center stand, or a usable windshield. so, other than the ignition, we had all of those problems plus my aforemenioned items. plus there are two different models of V-strom. 1000 and 650. so there was also sibling rivalry.... ugh.

 

[Mooseonagoose]

At a touch over 6'2" and a 32" inseam I've never felt inclined to alter the stock ergos on my '08, like it fine just "as is".

 

[DennisJ]

2009, stock seat set in low position, no risers. 5'11, 165#. No problems and find the setup very comfortable.

Dennis

 

[wheatonFJR]

LOTS of people on this board are way too sensitive...

Ain't that the truth... :lol:

Seriously though, good post AJ.

 

[Geno]

I'm also 5-11, 190 lbs. Coming from much more primitive bikes, the FJR is like a Rolls limousine. I did add a Cal Sci windshield and may go for a Russell seat later, but for the most part I love the bike just the way God made it!

 

[GPRIDER]

When I bought my new-to-me 2005 in 2006 it came with Heli risers. I rode it that way for about 14K miles, but then I got curious and took them off for about 3K miles. The difference was subtle, after all it's only about an inch, but I like the riding position better with the risers so I reinstalled them.

Now I have a 2007 without risers and I miss them.

There is no single answer that fits everyone. We're all different.

This is the best post I've seen so far. People are different and continue to change as they age. I rode my first FJR (04) long enough to know I wanted to try the risers and was glad I got them. Now I have them on my 08 also with the bars adjusted all the way to the rear. I came from a Venture so I was used to the upright riding position. Works for me. I'm 5'7" 155 lbs and the long rides hurt a little more each year. I guess if I see something that someone suggests for comfort, that will extend my riding, I may just try it out. I want to ride as long as possible.

GP

 

[beachy]

I am 6-2 185 34inseam happy with stock but like has already been said its whatever floats your boat.I am fine with mine stock(gen 1)

 

[BanjoBoy]

No risers here, got my bars moved all the way forward. 6' (In stilettos) 188 lbs. Most comfy bike I dun ever owned! :rockwoot:

 

[willboe]

Re: Stock Riser

I have wondered the same thing. I recently bought my 2006 AE, and it included an MCL billet triple clamp/setback/riser. It is nice & rigid, but this is the only FJR I have ridden. I can go MANY more miles comfortably than I could with my last bike; a 1996 Yamaha Virago 1100 < pretty good bike, but I have had to learn to adjust my posture to preserve my back, and to un-weight my hands & arms while cruising (I am 6', 230 lbs, 64 years). It SEEMS to me that if I had no riser/setback, I would have a harder time un-weighting my hands/arms. This would be a bad thing. What about you, do you carry weight on your arms with the standard triple clamp?