mjames
Parking Attendant
Posts: 4
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posted November 18, 2002 08:22 PM
Passenger Comfort ?
Test rode a zx12r the other day and it left a big smile on my face. The question I have is how comfortable is for passengers -- say one to two hour trips, mostly highway.
  
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beansbaxter
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posted November 18, 2002 08:48 PM
The taller people say their knees are sore after being bent so tightly....the passenger footpegs sit very high, perched up way above the driver.
Average girls (5-8 and below) never complain, and I had one girl on the back with me for about 120 miles, no complaints.
I've been 155mph with someone on the back, still no complaints.
They let you test drive a 12? Was it brand new?
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mjames
Parking Attendant
Posts: 4
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posted November 18, 2002 08:56 PM
 Edited By: mjames on 18 Nov 2002 20:57
Re: They let you test drive a 12? Was it brand new?
Had some miles on it...not sure how many. I had just ridden a Hayabusa for comparison. Both great bikes but the 12r had a lighter, sportier and more rider friendly feel to it. Felt at home on it right away. Only hesitation is the passenger thing, but it looks like I'll just have to date small little things like my EX, except she wouldn't ride anyway.
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beansbaxter
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posted November 18, 2002 08:59 PM
It's really not too bad, I was concerned after I bought my 12. Nothing to steer you away from giving passengers rides. Some friends and I sit in front of the local college tanning salon, give girls rides all day long.
Besides, on any extended highway trip with someone, every 2 hours you should rest, at least for their sake.
Hope you get the 12 and welcome to the board.
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ZHooligan
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posted November 18, 2002 10:17 PM
No passengers on mine.
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frEEk
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ummm... yeah
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posted November 19, 2002 01:28 AM
i'v had no complaints from pillions. One recent trip saw my pillion ride with me most of a 6 hour ride with no major complaints. Spent a good quarter or third of the trip sleeping actually (she's odd like that). It was reportedly a HUGE improvement over the comfort level of the pillion seat on the rc51 she rode the rest of the time.
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Hells Dark Lord
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posted November 19, 2002 02:48 AM
the only complaint came from a friend of mine that went for a ride with me one time, she had a problem with the bend in the legs, she was fairly tall, 5'8 and had had knee surgery not too long before so it came as no suprise. All others love it. But warning it is sometimes difficult to keep the front wheel on the ground with a passanger.....heheheheheh
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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VincentHill
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posted November 19, 2002 05:42 AM
DO WHAT I DID! I ride more with my wife than by myself! She has a Bad Back! I made some 8" Bars 1 x 1.5 x 8" Drilled then to mount where the foot pegs mount! Then Drilled and tapped then to remount the Foot Pegs! This moved her feet 4 inches Forward and 2 inches down! Second, I sent the Rear Seat! (Bought another one) to Corbin with a drawing showing that I wanted it padded about 2 inches High with soft foam! Dave in Daytona had a Picture of people (A Guy about 6 foot) sitting on my bike feet up and very comfortable! Last, I bought a Renntech Grab Rail from HPS In the UK to hold on and then welded a Square Nub on the back of it! That is where I mounted the Small square Corbin Back Rest! The way I have it mounted when not in use, it folds flat on top of the seat!
For even more comfort and control when going fast, I have an Ohlins Shock with the Hydraulic control for the Spring Stiffness! If you spend a little time, she will never be happier! When you wife or Girl Friend is Happy and has more comfort than you do, somehow you never hear any complaints!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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beansbaxter
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posted November 19, 2002 08:17 AM
VH:
I'd like to see a pic of that setup you got, if you have any.
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Hells Dark Lord
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posted November 19, 2002 10:38 AM
yeah VH can ya post a pic I woul dlike to see that setup
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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VincentHill
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posted November 19, 2002 02:23 PM
Edited By: VincentHill on 19 Nov 2002 14:27
This should give you an idea! I used a Band Saw to cut the end of the Foot peg off for the Muffler mount and removed the rubber and sliced it a little off center, then sliced the other side the same thickness fo I could use the 1/4" strap Aluminum for the Muffler mount and still stop vibration! I also used the Pegs from her 250 Ninja which I had replaced with ZRX1100 pegs! Flat Pegs deliver the least amount of stress on the feet and legs!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
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posted November 19, 2002 06:20 PM
beautiful setup vincent!
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princesskiwi
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posted November 19, 2002 10:09 PM
I think the 12 is not a two up bike.
I have been on the back, and unless you are driving it like a Goldwing, and not riding like the torqued out machine it was over-engineered to be, then your passenger will be fine.
I have been riding on the back of Fish_Antlers bikes for almost 10 years.
I found the ZX12-R to be hard to predict.
I have never held on as tight, as on the back of the 12.
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VincentHill
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posted November 20, 2002 06:28 AM
That is why I made this many changes! My wife lives to ride and ride very fast! She also has a very tender Back! Leaning forward makes this worse! SO I did the following to correct the Problems!
#1, Raised the Handle Bars 1.75 inches (First using two top clamps with a spacer Bolted in the Middle and now a Spencer Cycle Billet top clamp up 1.5 inches. (That stopped the lean forward which hurt her backl the most!
#2, The ride is very Harsh! I have an Ohlins Hydraulic adjustable (Spring rate) shock! Now she does not need to raise up for the Bumps when set for a trip!
#3, The rear seat is WAAAAY to hard! Sent another base to Corbin 3 times until they got it right and they made the seat you see! Sculped so it will not dig into her thighs and soft because she does not weigh a lot and sloped forward slightly to stop the feeling of sliding off the Bike!
#4, The Foot Peg "BARS" I made! They move her feet 4 inches forward and 2 inches down! Now she is no longer a Jockey!
#5, A Renntech Grab Rail from HPS in the UK! You just need to hold on something other than the rider!
#6 (Last) She was still getting tired on a ride for more than 1 hour! So I took the small back rest Made by corbin and cut the square stalk and welded it to the Renntech Grab Rail! This way she can relex a lot more and it takes that tension of going off the back of the Bike away also! She like me, hate the "LOOK" of a Back Rest on a sport bike! So I set it up to Fold down when not in use!
Still no "Gold Wing", But as comfortable as a Kawasaki Concourse!! (Incase you have not guessed it! My Wife loves to ride! I love my wife! We enjoy more together than by ourselves! Everything I did was a Must! Now, she has it "Better" on the Back than I do up front! As it should be! 
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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Hells Dark Lord
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posted November 20, 2002 07:41 AM
that is one helluva a piece of yankee engineering......beautiful setup and the best part ya did it yerself and now momma can go with ya....kudos to you.....
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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VincentHill
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posted November 20, 2002 07:48 AM
When you wife is Happy, you are "ESTATIC"!! She is still pissed about one thing! The ECTA Does not say anything against it in the rule books, but they will not let her ride with my when doing a run! She would sign any waiver but they said no!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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frEEk
Administrator
ummm... yeah
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posted November 20, 2002 01:42 PM
regarding leaving forward to hold onto you, one of those buddy belts may be the answer (assuming she doesnt just use the grabrail all the time now. that way she just has to reach as far as your wait, and not wrap her arms around you. not sure where u get the belt, but i think it's pretty common.
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VincentHill
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posted November 20, 2002 02:35 PM
I understand what you are talking about, but it was a different problem! Because of the very low bars, I had to lean forward and she was sitting alone straight up in the air by herself! It did not look right and it did not feel right either! When I raised the Handle Bars 1.75 inches, then I was more upright which allowed her to lean against me and be out of the wind! It was sort of like (and she said this a few times) she was on the bike by herself she even felt like she was the operator! Trust me when I say, everything is perfect now! Even better than my ZX11 where I had the shack apart revalving it 11 times to get the High and slow speed dampening correct!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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jason370
Zone Head
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posted November 20, 2002 03:26 PM
sweet setup, i need something similar to that vince. now that it has been made, can you see any ways to improve upon your design?
also i still do not get how you moved the passenger pegs forward and down. what did you mount them to?
do you have this design on paper, so that i can duplicate it easily?
jason
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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VincentHill
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posted November 20, 2002 04:04 PM
Easy Part the Foot rest! and I have it on paper I can fax to you! Take 2 bars of aluminum 8 inches long, 1 inch thick and and 1.5 inches wide! Drill 4 holes! Thread 2 of them 10 mm x 1.25 pitch and 2 of them large enough for the bolts to go through! These you countersink 1/4 to 3/8 inch!! When you mount this in the "Exact" same place your foot rest were mounted, the downward angle and mount your foot rest brackets using the exact same bolts! The fact that the Pegs are now centered 4 inches forward, also are now down 2 inches. It also requires you to buy 4 more of the mount bolts! This way, it retains the stock look when you paint the bracket with high content Wheel paint from East wood!
Jason, If I could think of "Anything" to change, I would have already done it! Also if you could understand how my mind works, I am always thinking about how to improve "Anything I have made or done"!
I plan to "lower" The front Pegs for long trips between 1/2 to 1 inch! Take the mount they use to raise them that amount and reverse them!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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beansbaxter
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posted November 20, 2002 09:59 PM
VH....real nice lookin' setup!!
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jason370
Zone Head
Posts: 589
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posted November 21, 2002 12:02 AM
k vincent,
soon as i fix my fax machine, im gonna ask u to send me the specs so that ill have something else to do this winter other than install my new HINDLE exhaust system (havent bought it yet, but deep in my heart i know its what i want)
jason
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'02 ZX12 black/gold
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Hells Dark Lord
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posted November 21, 2002 01:25 AM
you know how I fixed the passenger accomidations on my bike....... i make her ride the 6R...... 
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When in doubt, lean farther and go faster....
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VincentHill
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posted November 21, 2002 05:35 AM
Edited By: VincentHill on 21 Nov 2002 07:37
WHen I was walking on Crutches for THREE YEARS!, Peggy got tired of waiting for a ride and bought a 250 Ninja! We even fixed a few things on it also! Pierre (Bear) and his wife used it to ride between Titusville and Daytona for a few days! They ran 75 80 MPH No Problem! SHE STILL PREFERRS TO RIDE WITH ME! Understand that I ride the same way with her as I do by myself! She cannot ride that well yet!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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princesskiwi
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posted November 21, 2002 02:17 PM
Edited By: princesskiwi on 21 Nov 2002 14:18
I cringe everytime I see a guy on an R1 with a girl on the back.
My opinion is that some bikes are too fast to safely ride with a passenger.
They should only be sold WITH solo seats.
And a ZX12-R is a fast bike.
Doesn't help that the girl is usually not in gear.
And the Guy who's riding the R1 let her get on without gear it.
Needing a 'Buddybelt' is the first sign that the bike is too fast to be on the back of.
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