5" ROX risers anyone ?

[rumberobueno]

OK, I am getting frustrated with the NC ergonomics. I did a few weekend camping trips (~350 miles/day) but afterwards my body hurts for a few days.

I added the ROX 2" risers which improve the situation a bit but after about 30 min the area around my shoulder blades start hurting.

I think that the 5" risers might help. 3.5" risers might help a little but they might still be too low. I had a 2006 Honda Shadow 600 before and I did not have this issue (there were others though).

I just added a Corbin seat and that might or might not be better than stock. We'll see.

I like the bike but if I can't make it to be comfortable for long rides I might have to eventually look for something else.

Please help me so I can keep this bike

Did anyone experiment with adding 5" risers ? If yes, did you have to change the clutch and/or throttle cables ?

 

[670cc]

With 2 inch risers, my clutch cable and electrical wiring are pulled to their limits. I already put on a longer brake hose. I would expect with 5 inchers, all cables, wiring, and brake hose would need to be changed out or extended. It could be done, but would involve modifications.

 

[rumberobueno]

Oh man, you are right. I forgot about the electrical wiring ...

 

[Beemerphile]

I (and others) have made several posts on ergonomics that you might choose to review. But you will have to consider the entirety of your body position and not just one thing. It is not always a case of "if some is good, more is better" either. Lots of people don't appreciate that I ask questions when what they want are answers. You have to get your body to a neutral position with good posture and weight/force distribution to be comfortable for long periods on the bike. What it takes to do that is different for everyone. Even people with the same physical dimensions can have different ergonomic needs because they may have different range of motion or physical injuries or disease that require adaptation or support. The fact that higher bars helped a dozen people is no sign that it will help you. But yes, at over 2 inches rise you will have to modify the cables, hoses, and electrical harnesses.

Without seeing you on the bike, at least in pictures, not even a trained ergonomist could recommend a prescription for best comfort. Rather than not being high enough; the bars could be too wide, narrow, close, far away, or angled wrong. Raising the wrong bar will not likely fix the discomfort. It may not even be the bars at all.

 

[netizen]

I (and others) have made several posts on ergonomics that you might choose to review. But you will have to consider the entirety of your body position and not just one thing. It is not always a case of "if some is good, more is better" either. Lots of people don't appreciate that I ask questions when what they want are answers. You have to get your body to a neutral position with good posture and weight/force distribution to be comfortable for long periods on the bike. What it takes to do that is different for everyone. Even people with the same physical dimensions can have different ergonomic needs because they may have different range of motion or physical injuries or disease that require adaptation or support. The fact that higher bars helped a dozen people is no sign that it will help you. But yes, at over 2 inches rise you will have to modify the cables, hoses, and electrical harnesses.

Without seeing you on the bike, at least in pictures, not even a trained ergonomist could recommend a prescription for best comfort. Rather than not being high enough; the bars could be too wide, narrow, close, far away, or angled wrong. Raising the wrong bar will not likely fix the discomfort. It may not even be the bars at all.

Very good post! I'd also add that exercise could help a great deal.. it did for me. Getting out of shape can cause you to become uncomfortable when you weren't before when you were in better shape physically. Posture was another big thing for me. It helped more than I had expected when I made a mental effort to sit with better posture on long rides.

Beemerphile is an Iron Butt rider (as are several other in this forum), they can give great advice on what they have learned over the years and many thousands of miles riding that worked well for them. Absorb all the knowledge you can from riders like this!!

 

[DirtFlier]

[..I'd also add that exercise could help a great deal.. it did for me...]

Exercise is not a magic cure but it does help in almost everything you do, whether or not you're riding.

 

[rumberobueno]

Beemerphile,

I am actually open to suggestions

Yesterday after reading your post I went and sat on the bike and it looks like my body like a more upright position to the point where I'm not fully reaching the handlebars. I believe bar risers where I can pull them back might help but I don't know for sure.

Soon I'll post pictures with myself on the bike.

Thanks for the replies everyone !

 

[Beemerphile]

Beemerphile,

I am actually open to suggestions

Yesterday after reading your post I went and sat on the bike and it looks like my body like a more upright position to the point where I'm not fully reaching the handlebars. I believe bar risers where I can pull them back might help but I don't know for sure.

Soon I'll post pictures with myself on the bike.

Thanks for the replies everyone !

I would be glad to try to help but some pictures are needed to start. Make sure that the pictures are with your posture as you generally ride. (Feet on the pegs. If you slump when you ride, don't arch your back in the pictures.) If your photographer has a ladder handy, side back and top views would be ideal. If that is not possible, at least a top view over the handlegrips showing how your arms and hands line up with the controls.

 

[670cc]

Yesterday after reading your post I went and sat on the bike and it looks like my body like a more upright position to the point where I'm not fully reaching the handlebars. I believe bar risers where I can pull them back might help but I don't know for sure.

I know where you're coming from. I'm 5' 8" and my arms are proportional, but if I sit back squarely on the NC700X seat, the bars feel too far away. And I have 2 inch Rox risers. By comparison, the GL1800 bars are right there at an easy reach. This is also why I liked the ergos of the CB500X, since the bars seemed more where they should be.

I have to wonder if some of the seat complaints are brought on by how the bars alter your riding position.

 

[Ed Up]

I have the same concern. I feel as if I am really reaching, but I think the bars may be a little wide as well. I'm 5'8" and small frame. My previous 5 bikes were Gold Wings, and on long trips I would set the cruise and rest my hands on the brake fluid reservoirs. Rather than more risers, I was considering different bars. This way I could bring them closer and higher. Don't seem to be much difference in the price of bars and risers. I just wonder would the narrower bars compensate in the cable and wiring short comings. I just hate the trial and error method.

 

[rumberobueno]

I am 6'0" with a 29" inseam.

I played a bit on cycle-ergo and without the 2" risers it says the forward lean is 7 degrees.

With the 2" risers (1.25" pullback and rise) the forward lean is about 2 degrees.

With the 3.5" risers (2.5" pullback and rise) the lean would be 0 degrees with some room to bend the elbows a bit more.


To earlier poster's points, a Gold Wing's lean angle would be 0 degrees with my dimensions.

Anyway, I'll post some pictures soon.

 

[Beemerphile]

In an earlier post I made a case for why bolt upright is not the ultimate choice and a mild to moderate forward lean is preferable. You may have to train to it, but it is worth it. So many people go for the cruiser posture (laid back, arms up, feet forward) thinking that because it is boulevard comfortable that it is long-distance comfortable. So, how many hard-core distance riders have bikes set up that way?

 

[DirtFlier]

[So, how many hard-core distance riders have bikes set up that way?]

Bikes with cruiser ergos are rare to non-existent at Iron Butt events!

 

[670cc]

[So, how many hard-core distance riders have bikes set up that way?]

Bikes with cruiser ergos are rare to non-existent at Iron Butt events!

They're over at the Iron Back event.

 

[davidc83]

I have ridden many 800 mile in 13 hours trips on my C50 Boulevard, with the stock bars in the stock position, but I do have a Mustang seat and I am tired at the end of those days but not hurting (the Boulevard is 2007, bought new, now has 74,000+ miles on it). On the Boulevard, my seating position to the bars is approx. 0 degree.

On the NC700x, I do lean forward a little, maybe 2 degree; I have 1" risers, stock seat with an Air Hawk air pad. I am 5'10" with a 32" inseam with proportional arms.

The Boulevard has floorboards and I can move my feet in different positions; in front of the boards, in the middle, and even off the back as using foot pegs on these long rides. Even slightly different foot positions mean slightly different butt positions which will do wonders for long rides.

When I had the 2009 BMW G650gs, I had crash bars and I put foot pegs high on the bars and actually laid my ankles across them when out on long rides (33,000+ miles in less than 4 years on it) and gave me another laid back riding position when the butt started to hurt. When the butt hurts, everything else starts to hurt.

With the 5" risers, I agree with the other posters, wiring cables, etc will need to be changed-probably also with 3.5" risers. With the 2" risers, adjust the bars back toward you until you feel the most comfortable, different foot pegs or added foot pegs for another riding position should help.

 

[rumberobueno]

In an earlier post I made a case for why bolt upright is not the ultimate choice and a mild to moderate forward lean is preferable.

Then why does the Goldwing have a 0 degree lean ? Goldwings are known to be very comfortable.

Or is it that 0 degree works for some people and forward lean works for others ?

BTW, I recently had to pass on a good deal on a VFR 800 because the forward lean lead to quite a bit of neck strain in the 30 min I did the test ride.

 

[rumberobueno]

OK, after a bit of more experimentation I am aware of two pain points:

1. Shoulder blades start to hurt after 30 minutes of riding. My guess is because the handlebars are too far out.

2. The seating position causes quite a bit of pressure on the perineum area. Moving my feet on the engine guards seems to release most of that pressure. That can obviously be done only on open road stretches.

Both of these will have to be resolved one way or another if I am going to do any long distance trips with this bike.



Moving my feet on top of the engine guards seems to completely release that pressure. I doubt that could be comfortable for long stretches though



It looks like I might need to switch to a CTX

I also have pictures for #1 as requested by beemerphile. I'll do this in three separate posts.

 

[rumberobueno]

Corbin saddle

Just installed the past weekend. The bucket shape feels good. Still significant perineum pressure. Maybe because of the firmer foam (compared to the stock seat).

I think I drove the Corbin wizard nuts since any change that he made didn't seem to help.

 

[rumberobueno]

Pictures with the more comfortable upright body position

Note that in these pictures I do not fully reach the controls. This position feels comfortable and the arms are relaxed.

 

[rumberobueno]

Pictures in the riding position

In this position after about half an hour of riding my shoulder blades start hurting.