nihilist Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Hello! I've been riding my FJ-09 around Ontario for the last week after being a cruiser rider for 6 years. My lower back arthritis (I'm only 32!!) has finally made the cruiser seating position untenable, and I decided to switch to a more neutral and upright position. The FJ-09 is just unbelievable, it's a whole new world and I'm excited about motorcycling again for the first time in years. I can also finally ride long distances which opens up so many possibilities. Anyway, that's my intro. Glad to be aboard. Best regards, nihilist //QED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member ULEWZ Posted August 14, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 14, 2015 Hello! I've been riding my FJ-09 around Ontario for the last week after being a cruiser rider for 6 years. My lower back arthritis (I'm only 32!!) has finally made the cruiser seating position untenable, and I decided to switch to a more neutral and upright position. The FJ-09 is just unbelievable, it's a whole new world and I'm excited about motorcycling again for the first time in years. I can also finally ride long distances which opens up so many possibilities. Anyway, that's my intro. Glad to be aboard. Best regards, nihilist Welcome. Hope you back allows for riding very long distances now. A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Bikes: 2015 FJ-09, Seat Concepts seat cover and foam, Cal Sci medium screen, rim stripes, factory heated grips, Cortech Dryver tank bag ring, Modified stock exhaust, FlashTune with Graves fuel map, Cree driving lights, Aux power socket. 2012 Street Triple type R (Wifes) 2007 FJR1300 (Sold!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Welcome aboard. Everyone I've talked to that rides a cruiser said they would never consider something like the FJ because they want a "comfortable" bike. I tell them the biggest reason I didn't get a cruiser is I wanted a comfortable bike. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member keithu Posted August 14, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 14, 2015 Comfort is highly subjective, but the typical cruiser riding position is well known for being bad for lower-back issues. All the weight is on your spine, and road shocks are transmitted directly up your back. A slightly forward riding position equalizes some weight onto the hands, feet, and wind. Of course, too much weight on the hands causes problems too. But carpal tunnel isn't quite as immobilizing as back injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
root Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Comfort is highly subjective, but the typical cruiser riding position is well known for being bad for lower-back issues. All the weight is on your spine, and road shocks are transmitted directly up your back. A slightly forward riding position equalizes some weight onto the hands, feet, and wind. Of course, too much weight on the hands causes problems too. But carpal tunnel isn't quite as immobilizing as back injury. For me it is much less about putting weight on my hands or feet. I put very little weight on my hands on the FJ. If you are putting weight on your hands on any bike you are doing it wrong, IMHO. It's about putting my back in a neutral position that allows it to absorb shock naturally and sitting on my sit bones instead of my tailbone. It puts a nice "S" curve in the back instead of arching the lower back. Also, with me being taller, a feet forward position folds me in half at the hips. After a very short ride on a cruiser, my hips and my lower back are just screaming. Also, with the foot pegs directly below you it makes it extremely easy to stand up. This helps me on long rides to stretch without stopping. Also, helps with control (and comfort) when going over obstacles or large bumps in the road to lift your bum about 1/2 - 1 inch off the seat. That makes most of the shock go into your legs instead of your back. On a cruiser all that energy would go directly into your lower back. This is actually taught in the MSF classes, it is just much more akward and harder to do on a cruiser because your feet are so far forward. I will say the FJ does not fit everyone. cycle-ergo.com was a big help to me to figure out what fits me best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member alejandro Posted August 15, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 15, 2015 I like that the FJ-09 seat is so spacious. I can move forwards to the tank and backwards, sometimes even move up onto the passenger seat, stand up (as @root mentions) and just generally not feel stuck or trapped. My previous bike, Triumph Street Triple, had a fundamentally good seating position for me, but with the stock seat at least, moving around was not really an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nihilist Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 For me it is much less about putting weight on my hands or feet. I put very little weight on my hands on the FJ. If you are putting weight on your hands on any bike you are doing it wrong, IMHO. It's about putting my back in a neutral position that allows it to absorb shock naturally and sitting on my sit bones instead of my tailbone. It puts a nice "S" curve in the back instead of arching the lower back. Also, with me being taller, a feet forward position folds me in half at the hips. After a very short ride on a cruiser, my hips and my lower back are just screaming. Also, with the foot pegs directly below you it makes it extremely easy to stand up. This helps me on long rides to stretch without stopping. Also, helps with control (and comfort) when going over obstacles or large bumps in the road to lift your bum about 1/2 - 1 inch off the seat. That makes most of the shock go into your legs instead of your back. On a cruiser all that energy would go directly into your lower back. This is actually taught in the MSF classes, it is just much more akward and harder to do on a cruiser because your feet are so far forward. I will say the FJ does not fit everyone. cycle-ergo.com was a big help to me to figure out what fits me best. The ability to use the pegs to adjust, and to roll my hips forward or backward periodically has done wonders. I did about 200km the other day unbroken, which is probably a record, and I did it with zero pain (except my butt because the seat isn't broken in). The last time I rode that far on my cruiser, my back felt like broken glass. Very pleased so far. On a side note, on my 200km trip I also took my wife on the bike for the first time. Shockingly, the FJ-09 which is far taller and lighter and with a higher centre of gravity than the v-star is actually dramatically easier to manoeuvre at low speeds 2-up and feels incredibly planted and balanced. I was always fighting the v-star at low speeds with a passenger on board. It's funny you mention cycle-ergo.com, because that was the site that convinced me to trade up to the FJ. I looked through tons of bikes that I have drooled over for ages, like the Triumph Rocket III and the Suzuki M109, but also other randoms out of curiosity. I then started to realize that the seating position on almost all cruisers is an ergonomic nightmare. Seeing all those comparisons side by side, it dawned on me that hip angle is the biggest factor causing me pain. After much reading and comparison, I settled on the FJ. Great decision. Incredibly good value, too, particularly considering there's essentially no markup in Canada versus the USD price. Now I just need to figure out what to do about this noisy freaking windshield, and all will be right with the world! //QED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member peporter Posted August 18, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 18, 2015 For me it is much less about putting weight on my hands or feet. I put very little weight on my hands on the FJ. If you are putting weight on your hands on any bike you are doing it wrong, IMHO. It's about putting my back in a neutral position that allows it to absorb shock naturally and sitting on my sit bones instead of my tailbone. It puts a nice "S" curve in the back instead of arching the lower back. Also, with me being taller, a feet forward position folds me in half at the hips. After a very short ride on a cruiser, my hips and my lower back are just screaming. Also, with the foot pegs directly below you it makes it extremely easy to stand up. This helps me on long rides to stretch without stopping. Also, helps with control (and comfort) when going over obstacles or large bumps in the road to lift your bum about 1/2 - 1 inch off the seat. That makes most of the shock go into your legs instead of your back. On a cruiser all that energy would go directly into your lower back. This is actually taught in the MSF classes, it is just much more akward and harder to do on a cruiser because your feet are so far forward. I will say the FJ does not fit everyone. cycle-ergo.com was a big help to me to figure out what fits me best. The ability to use the pegs to adjust, and to roll my hips forward or backward periodically has done wonders. I did about 200km the other day unbroken, which is probably a record, and I did it with zero pain (except my butt because the seat isn't broken in). The last time I rode that far on my cruiser, my back felt like broken glass. Very pleased so far. On a side note, on my 200km trip I also took my wife on the bike for the first time. Shockingly, the FJ-09 which is far taller and lighter and with a higher centre of gravity than the v-star is actually dramatically easier to manoeuvre at low speeds 2-up and feels incredibly planted and balanced. I was always fighting the v-star at low speeds with a passenger on board. It's funny you mention cycle-ergo.com, because that was the site that convinced me to trade up to the FJ. I looked through tons of bikes that I have drooled over for ages, like the Triumph Rocket III and the Suzuki M109, but also other randoms out of curiosity. I then started to realize that the seating position on almost all cruisers is an ergonomic nightmare. Seeing all those comparisons side by side, it dawned on me that hip angle is the biggest factor causing me pain. After much reading and comparison, I settled on the FJ. Great decision. Incredibly good value, too, particularly considering there's essentially no markup in Canada versus the USD price. Now I just need to figure out what to do about this noisy freaking windshield, and all will be right with the world! Madstad is yer friend!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member alejandro Posted August 19, 2015 Premium Member Share Posted August 19, 2015 If you're looking at Madstad, you may be interested in this: http://fj-09.org/thread/2137/madstad-windscreen-experience Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nihilist Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 I ended up pulling the trigger on a Puig touring screen in dark smoke. Now to find the matching hand protectors, which look great matched up to the shield. //QED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockwoodroo Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Did you find the Puig screen in Ontario or did you have to order it in. I am in Guelph and heard good things about that windscreen. I am converting over from a cruiser to the Fj-09 as well and one of the things I think I will miss is the wind protection so I am already starting to look into possible solutions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixlox Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Did you find the Puig screen in Ontario or did you have to order it in. I am in Guelph and heard good things about that windscreen. I am converting over from a cruiser to the Fj-09 as well and one of the things I think I will miss is the wind protection so I am already starting to look into possible solutions. Hey Ex-cruiser rider: I switched from a C109RT Suzuki touring bike to my new FJ-09. I went with a larger screen on the new bike but I don't really think anything will match the windscreens cruisers/touring bike come with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nihilist Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Did you find the Puig screen in Ontario or did you have to order it in. I am in Guelph and heard good things about that windscreen. I am converting over from a cruiser to the Fj-09 as well and one of the things I think I will miss is the wind protection so I am already starting to look into possible solutions. I was directed to BS Motoparts by @wessie No complaints at this point. //QED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixlox Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Hi, I'm also from Ontario and just finished a long weekend in Pennsylvania where I rode 1,100 miles in three days. Bike rode like a dream and the twisties in the state park were much more fun than my cruiser days. I will be replacing the seat though because it was the only thing that was uncomfortable throughout my trip. I think I can count on Santa Me bringing me a new Corbin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nihilist Posted September 4, 2015 Author Share Posted September 4, 2015 I'm waiting for a seat I like the look of...the Corbin ruins the look of the bike, IMO. But that's just me. //QED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.