Impression of first ride

Well the weather finally cooperated and I was able to pick up my new 2012 ST yesterday. I rode it about 80 km (50mi) from dealership and around yesterday. So far I am impressed as I thought I would be. The only thing now is to determine the right seat height and suspension setting. The only thing I did notice was that my weight leaning forward on the handlebars was putting a lot of stress on my hands. Is this why there are pullbacks available for this model? I am 5'10'' tall with long arms but still it feels like the bars should be about an inch towards me to be comfortable. Any comments would be appreciated. So far I am a happy rider

Strommer said:

The only thing I did notice was that my weight leaning forward on the handlebars was putting a lot of stress on my hands. Is this why there are pullbacks available for this model?

Click to expand...

That's a common new-owner problem. Train yourself to support your torso with your back muscles and that problem will go away before you know it.

Enjoy your new scooter.

--Mark

Congrats. 5'10" you want the seat on the on the lowest setting. Yes there are risers that bring the handles back to you.
Ron

I will let you know how it goes after a few more km's are put on to get used to the bike. Thanks for the tips.

Helibar Gen III with ramball mount----you won't regret the money spent !

jonjonboo said:

Helibar Gen III with ramball mount----you won't regret the money spent !

Click to expand...

Agreed, risers make all the difference on my ST.

Here is the products, Ron
https://www.helibars.com/product/match/603

I am about the same height as you and I do fine with risers, without the Gen III. But they do look nice if you have the $. There was recently a posting about sliding your butt to the side at lights if you have a short inseam. One member told me always keep your left foot flat on the ground when you stop, even tilting if you must, and your right foot on the brake. It's worked well.
Ron

Before going to risers give this a try. A lot of people feel like the seat has you sliding into the tank, especially when stopping, and this will cause you to feel more pressure on your wrists pushing back the upper body. Adjust the seat so it is higher in the front than in the rear. With three height settings this means middle on the front and top on the rear or top on the front and middle in the rear. With the seat adjusted in this manner it will prevent you from feeling like you are constantly sliding into the tank and may bring relief to your wrists.

I would also advise to get some more miles on the bike before you buy risers.

I am 5'-10" , of average build & do not have a problem.

New bike may need getting used to before changing things. I find the stock ergos good but I am shorter than you.

I have owned my St1300 for 6 days and logged 1500 miles so far. 800 miles on Tuesday and My only problem is the seat. That thing is torture. Overall I am happy with the bike but dang that saddle!

Strommer

I am dealing with the same issue and just got my bike last week. I am trying to tweak a few things and "learn" to ride it properly before I spend the $$$ on the risers.

I raised my seat to the top and that helped (not perfect but helped). I did not realize you could raise it higher in the front and lower in the back. I might play with that feature.

Good luck. I hope you find the sweet spot.

Along with seat adjustments, and posture, if you ride with the windscreen all the way up, you may also need to lower the wind screen so your looking over the top of it, it decreases the amount of low pressure behind the windscreen and reduces the feeling of being pushed from behind. Good luck and enjoy your ride

Gary

There are a number of threads on seats. It's all been discussed. Type in the search engine Russell, and Day Long and custom seats.
Ron

The stock seating position tends to slide you forward towards the tank with a slight tilt towards the bars. As I did not care much for that, it was the first thing I changed. Playing with the seat adjustments helped but what really did it for me was the addition of the MCL (motorcycle larry) riser block, 'best $60 I ever spent as it saved me $300++ on a new seat:



Beyond that, I found bringing the bars back and up a couple of inches made the seating completely neutral for me. I use MCL's there as well but there are a number of good options for that should you choose to go there:

I've done three things that have helped tremendously... Spencer seat mod- $75.00 for the LD mod, with a very fast turnaround. The second thing, was to adjust the seat higher in the front. The third thing was to remove the two rubber bumpers on the bottom of the seat towards the rear. That let the rear of the seat go down a little further. I am 6' and the bars are in stock location. I made a 2000 mile trip with the stock seat...plenty of ibuprophen. After seat mod rode to Birmingham (8hr. ride) and it was so much better. While in Bir. I took out the rubber stoppers and it let the seat lower in the rear a little more. Nailed it! When I ride, the seat is no longer an issue for me. YRMV. Testing is the fun part...you get to ride to really find out. Enjoy the ride.

mean13 said:

I've done three things that have helped tremendously... Spencer seat mod- $75.00 for the LD mod, with a very fast turnaround. The second thing, was to adjust the seat higher in the front. The third thing was to remove the two rubber bumpers on the bottom of the seat towards the rear. That let the rear of the seat go down a little further. I am 6' and the bars are in stock location. I made a 2000 mile trip with the stock seat...plenty of ibuprophen. After seat mod rode to Birmingham (8hr. ride) and it was so much better. While in Bir. I took out the rubber stoppers and it let the seat lower in the rear a little more. Nailed it! When I ride, the seat is no longer an issue for me. YRMV. Testing is the fun part...you get to ride to really find out. Enjoy the ride.

Click to expand...

Good idea!

Rider33. Thanks for pics. I have the 1" Heli Riser but not enough pullback. So I just ordered the taller Gen III Heli. These things are spendy. No money left for gas:biker:

Congratulations on a beautitul ride. The more miles, the better the bike. I recommend using Eagle Nanowax to keep the fairing looking brand new. To the topic: Heli Gen III and a Corbin seat solved all my ergo problems ...except for a stiff elbow, but that not the bike's fault.

Congrats. Enjoy your ride. I agree with everyones comments. Ride for a while with the seat adjustments mentioned and let your body adjust a little. Consider riding with better posture a core workout that makes you deserve the pie that you stop for later. Then if you still think you need a little extra help, get some bar risers. I feel like the seat took a while to break in and feel better to me or maybe my behind got tougher, but others never seem to like it. So, I suggest changing the seat last if you need to.

playinatwork said:

I have owned my St1300 for 6 days and logged 1500 miles so far. 800 miles on Tuesday and My only problem is the seat. That thing is torture. Overall I am happy with the bike but dang that saddle!

Click to expand...

Oh, boy I can understand that one. Bought my '07 used and it came with a Corbin, which I liked for about a year (Corbin is still better than stock). However, it started to give me fits after that. Went out on a limb and did the Russell Day Long purchase last fall. Only recently got out on the bike (weather in the NW doesn't allow for much winter riding) and have put about 500 miles on the seat. I must say that I have yet to feel any butt pain or discomfort. My passenger feels the same way with the new seat. If I had a new bike, it would be my first upgrade.

There are some much less expensive alternatives out there, but they don't perform as well as a custom seat. I know, I've tried them. Ultimately, you'll be glad if you only spend the money one time instead of trial and error.