I've owned my 2006 XL1000V for about 18 months now, and I love it :-D
However, when I'm going long distance, after about 100 miles on the bike, my knees get pretty stiff and sore. It's worse when motorway driving (probably because I'm even more stationery then).
Other than stopping pretty frequently or swinging my legs around (and they just drag on the ground unless I hold them up), does anyone have any ideas what I can do to make long distance riding more comfortable?
I have engine bars fitted to protect the radiators (They're by Givi, I think, and they've already served once last winter!), so I might be able to attach some fold-out pegs to them or something to rest my feet forwards when cruising on the motorway.
I get it as well, I reckon its the shape of the tank pushing the knees apart and twisting the feet in to use the pedals.
I have fitted bar displacers that allow me to sit a bit further back and change position with my feet as much as possible. I dont ride much in the winter so I notice it on the first couple of rides more. By summer the knee tendons have stretched enough but the first ride is normally a killer
Have a little stand up-an-ride only takes a second to put your old bones back to their original positions:thumbup:
Failing that someone on here has fitted cycle handle bar horny type bars onto their crash bars as foot rests
I think they were a bits of tubing specially bent and welded on, but might well have been cow horns, by the look of them, fresh from his wife Jackie's scrumptious Cow Pie.:thumb:
I reckon most riders would be ready to get off and have a stretch after 100 miles. Even though the Vara is a comfortable bike to ride and capable of long distance touring I can usually find a good reeason to stop, relax and stretch when I'm doing long hauls.
You could try adding foam/gel pad to seat or lowering pegs a bit.
When I've really got to keep going I stand up, sit further back on the seat, stretch one leg at a time or slide off the side of the seat. But not all at the same time After an hour and a half my ass is killing
Better to stop for a cuppa:thumbup:
Ah that must be the problem you need surgery!Or find yourself a little cafe for a cuppa sorry endurance riding has never interested me only ever ridden motorcycles for pleasure.
i stand up occasionally but only for my bum, not my knees. im 6'2" but we're all different shapes, im mostly body so my legs arent as cramped as yours.
feet will rest on top of givi bars, but you could try an accessory catalogue for customs you can definately get fold down pillion footpegs with mountings to go on frame bars so they should fit on givis
DrWatson see my earlier post just click on the photo, they're not cheap but have gone through very stringent testing for a TÜV approval
With fitting I had to losen the brake hoses and slide them up a bit, throttle and clutch were no problem.
With my tank bag fitted on full lock I depress the starter / fullbeam switches only thing against the setup
On long trips I used to sometimes (especially on lightly trafficked roads) ride along for a bit with my feet back on the pillion footrests . Not an especially comfy position (and back brake not to, er, hand, I mean foot) but used a different set of muscles and tendons, etc. to normal for a bit - somewhat 'a change is as good as a rest' thinking, and meant I could carry on if I didn't want to stop. (This was not on a Vara, so don't know how feasible it would be for you.)
For what it's worth (and I'm 6'3") the problem is that you are not sitting high enough ie yer bum is too close to your feet! I use airhawk seat pads so my legs aren't quite so cramped - works for me!
Dave
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Honda XRV Forum
681.1K posts
23.4K members
Since 1970
A forum community dedicated to Honda XRV Trail Bike owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Open to all Honda models including Transalp, XR, Varadero, Blackbird, NX400 and more.