Finally Got a VFR, but fearing I made a mistake

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by headshrink, Apr 2, 2018.

  1. Eagle Six

    Eagle Six New Member

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    I don't really have any in addition to the other fine replies you have received, but maybe a recap. I had an 06' and it was very comfy for me. I'm 5'8" and 140#. Although I don't have your specific back problems I do have problems with the lower back. I have an extra vertebrae and have damage from falling off mountains, out of helicopters, falling off rappelling ropes, and improperly lifting heavy objects when there was no alternative! The humped over sport bike position feels better to me than the sit-up position of other larger sport-tourers and adventure bikes (and especially cruisers!). My arms are never stretched out and locked. With my elbows bent, my forearm is nearer to vertical and never have more than a light touch on the bars (other than when stopping or putting both feet down). So, as suggested by others, giving it a while to allow your leg, hip, back, and abdomen muscles to develop, will allow taking pressure off the bars improving the riding comfort and more importantly the riding style and safety.

    My bike did have a Corbin seat, which I prefer to other softer seats as I tend to move around especially in the twisties so sliding the butt is easy. It also had a Helibar riser which I could have done without, but was installed when I purchased and I just left them on. Although the risers may have helped in getting the clearance required for me to adjust the levers down to align with my wrist (very important). My pegs were OEM and although I have a bad right knee that doesn't like being folded for very long, I would rather put up with it rather than lower the pegs. It also had a Puig windscreen which flowed the air stream about mid chest which at about 80-90 mph worked almost like a chest rest! At triple digits I would have to reverse my muscles to keep my forward lean (nice advantage to speed!) and in around 150 needed to tuck in.
     
  2. Zeta

    Zeta New Member

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    Should have mentioned this earlier, my gen 8 has a pretty hard suspension setup, super on the smooth twisty stuff but can remove fillings on rougher ground; however, with my luggage on and packed she rides like a cadillac. At your weight, the suspension can probably be softened up some and give you a little plusher ride, or just throw one of those hot so-cal ladies on the back and give it (them) a twirl.
     
  3. headshrink

    headshrink New Member

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    Existing suspension doesn't bother me. I had just gotten my 500 to close to where I wanted it (New springs, different weight oil, gold valve emulators, GSXR shock for rear), which was way more firm than from Honda. I'll address shocks on the VFR down the road, but they are way more adequate to begin with when compared to my 500.
     
  4. saceur

    saceur New Member

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    I'm going to have to agree. I rode my 2014 (R.I.P. :() all the back to Cali from Marshal Texas (1602 miles). Was it the same as if it was on a Goldwing? Of course not but it also wasn't hell on my 50 year old, 6'3, 248lb body. As the bike was brand new, she was stock except for the bar risers I ordered before the trip. Was my body sore? Fuck yeah. Let's see anybody put that many miles in the saddle in 2 days and NOT have a little pain.
     
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  5. Brian Boyer

    Brian Boyer New Member

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    Is she dead?
     
  6. saceur

    saceur New Member

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    Hell I barely survived

    [​IMG]

     
  7. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    I've seen that video before and I've never understood why the guy just didn't get the hell out
    of the way of the driver. He crossed the yellow line when he pulled into the lot and never moved
    back to the right, and then just stopped and waited for the guy to hit him. But then again, maybe
    the drunk was the bike rider.
     
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  8. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Holy Shit what happened?
     
  9. saceur

    saceur New Member

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    .24 BAC is what happened.

    Broken shoulder, broken tailbone, lacerations to neck and legs, nerve damage to upper torso. And thank god we have the best criminal justice system in the world because for having a BAC 3 times the legal limit, have 3 DUI'S and almost killing someone, the judge threw the book at her and she served 23 hours in jail.

    And before you ask, no, that's it a typo. Took her into custody on a Friday at 11:04 AM and released her the next day at 10:02 AM. I spent more time in the hospital than the bitch spent in jail for her THIRD DUI.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     
  10. saceur

    saceur New Member

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    Well remember as you watched that video you were EXPECTING something to happen. From the time the car turned the corner until the time she hit me, only 4 seconds went by. You cut that time in half for recognizing danger and that gives you 2 seconds to avoid a 2 thousand pound car going upwards of 50mph.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     
  11. jayzonk

    jayzonk New Member

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    Wow, I'm flabbergasted. Makes me want to sell my bike.
    As for your seat, did you like the Sargent seat that was posted? They do some great seat work. I think you need more than bar risers, though.
    As for the risers, there are several different types out there. some of them allow the bar to not only move up, but tilt back, toward the rider, to help shorten the arm-to-bar distance. Since you're on a sportbike, you are a bit limited this way, as the bars bolt directly to the triple tree. ie. it's not the same setup as a cruiser bike. Anyone have any suggestions?

    Uncomfortable wrists and a hunched over seating position were a primary reason for my switch to the VFR1200.
     
  12. saceur

    saceur New Member

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    Oh shut, bars that tilt back a bit would be AWESOME. I've never seen them for the VFR but I'd try em. Definitely will get some for my eventual FJR purchase. As for the seat, a friend said "eff" Sargent and to me to a custom place he got his Harley seat down and I'm going that route for about the same price.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     
  13. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    Very true, but if there was time to stop, there was time to move. Stopping is rarely a good evasion technique.
     
  14. A.M

    A.M Moderator Staff Member

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    ME!

    Teeheehee

    All great advice here. Many things you can do, but I'd caution making many changes at once until you have given your body a chance to develop strength in those parts of the body that not used like this before on this moto. But it also depends on your own personal health conditions. And is this something that you cannot tolerate because of other issues or is it just something that you need to build up the endurance for, or get used to consciously choosing how to posture yourself.

    Like one poster said, I feel better hunched over because of low back issues. But my legs and core are strong so I don't rely on my arms bearing my weight. However, if I am getting tired or lazy I have to make a conscious effort to make sure that I am using the correct posture to avoid any potential issues.

    All that being said, there are just certain motorcycles people cannot tolerate. I rode around on a V-Strom in North Carolina last year for a weekend. I love that machine, but my spine could not take that upright sitting position. And I'm talking like no more than an hour. I beared through it just for the fun of riding, but I was in excruciating pain. And there will be people who would say do this and do that and make sure you have proper posture, but there would never be anything I could do to a V-Strom to make me comfortable and buy one. The setup simply does not work for my back issues... bulging discs putting pressure on my nerve bundle so any upright 90° angle pressure on my back is going to kill me within an hour.

    So, where I can ride a couple thousand miles in a weekend, on my VFR feeling like I'm curled up on the couch with a pillow... I could never do it on just any Moto like a V-Strom.

    If you feel that your VFR is not for you, then it's not for you. And Lint would be more than accommodating taking it off your hands.

    And to address that video... I am very happy that you are alive to tell the tale but I am sad for your injuries. Whenever I am in parking lots like that or really anywhere, I don't trust people. I get the heck out of their way. So hopefully if this happens again to you whether on a bike or in a car, just anticipate that something bad will probably happen mmmmkay...and get the heck away.

    Especially in parking lots where people are driving crazy anyway because they usually are not paying attention. Or when they come out of the drive-thru with their Fatburger and they are too busy opening it up because they are starving and they just keep driving, but they are focusing on eating and not on the white motorcycle... Ask me how I know. I'm just lucky I haven't gone down yet like you have.
     
  15. Brian Boyer

    Brian Boyer New Member

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    Very happy to see you made it through that!,.. i hate to see riders get hurt,.. well stunt riders with no safety gear thats just damn funny but avg Joe's hell no,..

    Glad to see you made it.
     
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  16. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Sue her in civil court!!!! Where you at the hearing? If not though in the hospital you should have had a family member present! I would ask for an appeal on the judgement. What state are you in? In Utah, they used to forgive a DUI every three years back until 2006, Now if you have multiple DUI's or even one, you are put into a system of (One- three months of driving privilege and a $3000, 00 fine and ar15 insurance. Two- $4000 and you are now in the mandatory alcohol treatment program and have a breathalyzer monitoring system installed in your vehicle. Cost $400 and $50 a month for 2 years. Plus the insurance rates for 4 yrs. 4- total loss of your license and being a felony. Jail time mandatory of a year! This year Utah will have the lowest tolerance of alcohol in the system in the U.S and matching the European countries of Sweden and Norway at .05. Instead of .08. I know that .23 is out of bounds but we in Utah are fighting the .05 vs. the.08. I would have to stop anyone within 150lbs of having two drinks or 2 glasses of wine no matter the time they spent in the restaurant. Because .05 is the new "Being Intoxicated by law".
     
  17. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    saceur! I hope that you heal quickly regardless! May you ride again soon!
     
  18. saceur

    saceur New Member

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    Well you always hear about how shitty our legal system is but until you sit through it and see it first hand, you really have no idea. The DA in LA let her get unnecessary continuance after continuance. After two months the first judge told them to either take the plea or roll the die with a trial. They filed a motion to have that judge removed for bias and it was granted. They didn't have to prove it or even give a reason why, just automatically granted. The next judge granted continuance after continuance after continuance. A year and a half later, the DA decided they could not convince 12 people that she committed a vehicular crime and dropped the DUI with GBI in order to get her to take the plea and help his closure rate. To rub salt in the wound, during the restitution hearing, her lawyer rightfully argued that only victims of crimes that someone has been convicted of are entitled to restitution and without the GBI, I'm not party to the crime and not entitled to restitution.

    Civil is pointless. She was 24, working part time at a pizza joint AND got pregnant half way through the proceedings. As much as I hate passing judgment on people, she is a piece of shit and will never amount to anything. Neither she nor the registered owner of the car have responded to the civil complaint so at this point we're just waiting on a default judgment which I can renew every 10 years but she'll never be able to pay the $274k let alone the $750k judgment. My only hope is that she or a preferably a loved is hit and paralyzed by a drunk driver. I know that sounds messed up but FUCK HER. That's what she said when she got behind the wheel of a car for the 3rd time. Fuck the fact that I just picked up my second DUI 58 days ago, Fuck the public's safety and she basically said fuck me and my family so fuck that cunt.


    I actually didn't "stop" but was in the process of slowing down to determine the best course of action. When I realized how fast she was going I was actually trying to bail on the bike but she was going too fast.
     
  19. James Bond

    James Bond Member

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    Just read your other post on the center stand and Pit Bull rear stand as well as the post above. Man, I think you may have made a mistake. VFR's are what they are. What they aren't is a bike made for people not in reasonable physical shape or people with poor balance. Don't know if this is a problem or not but I can adjust my ergo's to how long the day's ride is or the type of roads I'm on as needed. That's called "normal" I would think.
     
  20. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Come on James, You are throwing out some comments in this that could be taken as you being "Arrogant" which I did and am easy going. The site should be helpful not throwing out "physical shape, Normal, unbalanced" as words in response. Probably saying "Man, I think you may have made a mistake." and using the word "I" doesn't show you in a good light either. Really good for you "I". IMO (that is probably a little better than "I") think you should maybe pass by on the urge to comment on a new members post while the rest of us try to help. Rather than you ranting about your adaptability to the bike naturally and being "Normal". The whole site was created to be an asset to the riders of the bike. Not a fricken "dump on people" site. Yes there are few that do, I hope that you don't become one of them. Take Care!
     
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