2003 ST1300 Safety Check

When I purchased the ST1300 from the previous owner last week, I asked him about the seat height adjustment settings. He looked perplexed and said there were none. So, I drive the bike 400 miles home with aching knees, butt and wrists. My first thoughts were that the ST1300's ergonomics were not for my size. Yesterday, thanks to the fine answers here, I was able to lift the seat and discovered that it was on the lowest setting. The PO was a lot shorter than me and that explained that. SO, I raised the front to the top setting and the rear to the middle setting. It made a world of difference on the knees and not sliding forward.

Now, I want to explore other comfort options too. Can someone tell me what a MCL seat riser is? And what are Helibars? Does raising the handlebars really relieve wrist pain? I also read on the forum that some have attached blades for stretching out legs. Does anyone have experience or advice on that? Also, What are opinions about the aftermarket Sargent seat? Do any of the aftermarket seats add height or does it stay the same?

Jay51 said:

And what are Helibars? Does raising the handlebars really relieve wrist pain?

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The Heibar is a riser that replace a bit of the factory handlebar assembly raising the handlebars. The current model (I believe) is the Gen 3.2 which raises the bars 2" and moves them closer to you by 2". This riser has made a world of difference to my riding. It allows me to sit upright which is my presence and so takes the weight off my wrists and reduces the strain on my lower back and shoulders. A must have for me.

Helibars is a set of very adaptable (and pricey) handlebars that allow for much greater adjustability. I don't care for the look or design and they're more adjustment than I need.

https://www.helibars.com

Jay51 said:

I also read on the forum that some have attached blades for stretching out legs. Does anyone have experience or advice on that?

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I have a pair of Gen I MCL Highway Blades that mount on the engine/fairing guards. There is currently only the Gen II set which I think are for those with long legs.

These are pricey new. But they relieved the cramping in my hips. Previously I had to either stand on the pegs and stretch or pull over and walk. If you get hip or knee pain much you might consider this. There may be other options that aren't as pricey. This aren't all that noticeable until deployed and I like that. Pull off the engine guard covers and bolt on a cheap set of folding footpegs to see if highway pegs are your deal.

Jay51 said:

Now, I want to explore other comfort options too.

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All I know about the MCL seat riser is that it raises the seat about 2". I don't know if the site as more info.

But something else I did also helps with the knee and hip cramping I felt. I replaced my factory ST footpads with those from a GoldWing 1800. I don't think it's a year-specific thing. These are a strictly bolt-on mod. Pull a cotter pin slide out the pivot and spring put the 'Wing peg in place attach the spring slide the pivot back in and secure with the cotter pin. The longest part of the procedure was removing and replacing the cotter pin. New pins would have cut a lot of time off.

I measured the height from the top of both sets of pegs to the floor and the Wing's were 1" lower. This small change made a big 'felt' difference in comfort for my hips and knees. MCL footage lowering brackets had been on the list but I don't think they're needed. They might drastically affect cornering when combined with the GW pegs. I'm not a hard rider so 1" lower shouldn't affect me. 2" might have the pegs hitting the deck at an inconvenient moment.

The foot peg mod means the gearshift lever is now a little higher than I'd like. I've adapted and may get around to adjusting the lever. At least I should. I won't bother with the brake lever. That's hardly noticeable.

Thanks ST Gui - Great answers!