jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
|
posted July 04, 2002 07:42 AM
forward lean problems (zx12)
i've had a zx11 since '95, just bought an '02 zx12 and i'm noticing quite a difference on the seating position. the seat forces me forward to the point of not having balance. most if not all of my weight is on my wrists, arms, and
shoulders. not to mention that when i have a passenger the problem is compounded for me and they too have a difficult time staying put without slamming into me on every stop or squeezing the lifes blood out of my hips. sweet lord i could use some words of wisdom.
____________
'02 ZX12 black/gold
   
|
jse20
Expert Class
Posts: 119
|
posted July 04, 2002 07:46 AM
Might not like it but...
Start doing situps and crunches. Keep your elbows loose and not locked. Use your legs to squeeze the tank when braking. Do not use your arms to brace your body when braking. Tell your passengers the same thing, use their legs and feet to keep em off your back. Or you can do like I did,
Put the seat cowl on and remove the rear pegs 
 
|
jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
|
posted July 04, 2002 07:49 AM
well i have noticed that sitting way up front in the seat balances me out decently, but if i move back at all im back in that unbalanced position. do most of you out there sit up against the tank or is it just me and my 6'5 problems trying to squeeze onto a sweet bike as best i can?
____________
'02 ZX12 black/gold
|
entropy
Moderator
Posts: 8671
|
posted July 04, 2002 07:53 AM
1. heli bars for you
2. like jse20 said, forget the pillion. Of all the bikes I have had, the 12 is 100% the worst for the passenger. I have only had 10-12 bikes, and the only one which was remotely as bad was a 1964 XLCH which had a passenger "seat" shaped and sized approximately like a kotex pad but less comfortable...
____________
This moderator uses moderation in moderation
|
jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
|
posted July 04, 2002 07:56 AM
ok i figured as much for the helibars but teh angle of the seat (unless i sit pressed against the tank) forces my body forward. is there a way to lessen the seat angle a few degrees? does corbin make a seat for the passenger on this bike? AND FOR GODS SAKE WILL SOMEONE PLEASE PLEASE RESPOND TO MY "FIRST SERVICING" POST???
____________
'02 ZX12 black/gold
|
jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
|
posted July 04, 2002 08:02 AM
listen, i need some help here and i am going to have to keep replying so that i stay atop the list in some hopes that someone might take pity on me and actually help me
____________
'02 ZX12 black/gold
|
Wildman
Expert Class
I only look confused
Posts: 318
|
posted July 04, 2002 08:31 AM
As far as I know, Corbin doesn't make anything for the passenger on this bike. Their driver seat was a great investment for me. (Not everone likes it) It is wider than the stocker which makes it a little harder for short people to touch the ground, sounds like a non-issue for you. I had them keep the stock height instead of lowering it like they usually do... I'm very happy with it. Unanticipated benefit, it's softer than a lot of the "soft foam" seats I've seen.
Bottom line, this bike sucks for passengers. Small, light, flexible girls usually aren't bad though.
____________
If you build something Idiot Proof, The world will build a better Idiot.
|
phil
Expert Class
Posts: 420
|
posted July 04, 2002 09:15 AM
I liked to sit up near the tank cover but I found that for me the corbin actually forced me to sit farther back increasing the lean angle. If you can find someone that has one and try it out before you buy one.
|
krexken
Zone Head
Posts: 732
|
posted July 04, 2002 09:29 AM
Lowering the rear of the bike some should help keep some of the weight off your wrists and help the seat slope problem. You can also shave or grind some of the foam out of the stock seat to lessen the forward sloping shape of it. It's really not that hard to do. Just remove the staples and pull the cover back as far as you need to. Reshape the foam and then use a good staplegun to reattach the cover. It helped mine but the seat was still much too uncomfortable. I have the Corbin and love it. I can still sit pretty close to the tank which is where I sit most of the time. I'd bet you can send the rear seat to Corbin or Sergeant to get re-foamed with something better.
|
entropy
Moderator
Posts: 8671
|
posted July 04, 2002 09:33 AM
quote:
As far as I know... Small, light, flexible girls usually aren't bad though.
THAT's a big 10-4: we call them "spinners"!!!
____________
This moderator uses moderation in moderation
|
Wildman
Expert Class
I only look confused
Posts: 318
|
posted July 04, 2002 10:54 AM
quote:
I liked to sit up near the tank cover but I found that for me the corbin actually forced me to sit farther back increasing the lean angle. If you can find someone that has one and try it out before you buy one.
One of the really nice things about Corbin is that they'll make the seat however you want it and not charge extra. I asked for one that had stock height and was not built up in the front. I can sit anywhere on it I want, it does not force me to the rear.
Call them and talk to them, they can probably help.
I also have the Heli-Bars. They are nice, but pretty expensive.
Another thing I find useful is the Throttlemeister. It makes long rides a lot nicer, especially on the highway.
____________
If you build something Idiot Proof, The world will build a better Idiot.
|
frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660
|
posted July 04, 2002 12:05 PM
at 6'3" i still find it more comfy by far to sit right up against the tank. if i move back i get that unbalanced feeling like u. i can take all my weight off the bars by just squeezin the tank with knees a bit.
|
TReMor
Expert Class
Dazed and Confused
Posts: 115
|
posted July 04, 2002 04:51 PM
One thing I would say to you as a fellow new 12 owner is "give it time." When I first bought the bike, I felt the same way you did...I started looking into different seats and Helibars almost immediately.
However, after a couple of weeks, I actually found myself liking the seating position more and more. I actually scoot back on the seat now, rather than being more comfortable sitting closer to the tank. I'm sure part of it is just getting used to a new seating position and part of it is having my wrists/arms/shoulders/stomach/back/etc. get more accustomed to the different loads.
Now that I am used to it, I wouldn't want a more upright position. The extra lean helps keep the front tire down and also helps communicate what the front wheel is doing, both of which are very beneficial at the kinds of speeds and turns the 12 is capable of dishing out.
BTW, I'm 6'5", and around 220 with gear on. I got my bike on May 5th, and it already has over 2000 miles on it.
Tim
|
Zhooligan
Moderator
Post Whore Extraordinaire!
Posts: 3829
|
posted July 04, 2002 05:01 PM
The stock seat makes you set forward. I pitched it installed a corbin. Far more comfortable. As far as leaning forward, It is a matter of getting used to it. Specifically, relax, let your elbows bend and let yourself litterally fall or lean forward. It usually takes a some time to get used to this position.
I can ride farther in a day on my 12 than my Goldwing. But it requires that I stop trying to bench press myself and relax. You should be able to wiggle your elbows, wrist ect. at any time. And you don't need to really support yourself all that much with your abbs etc. The wind will take care of you. Of course under breaking you will need to use your abbs and upper ody, but that is the only time. Try it, it works.
____________
To those who do not count their life in years, but in how life
has touched them in the past and how much it can hold in the
future; -- Youth is forever.
|
|
|
HOME
NEW TOPIC