Converting the 6th Gen from a SPORT-Tourer to a Sport-TOURER

Agreed. I'm now getting about 5 MPG less than before, but it's worth it as the bike is now running the way it should have been. Also, they can be found for less than retail. I think I paid about $280 for mine.

 

Stewart: Thanks for the link from my intro thread. Once I started reading this one, I realized that I had been here before when searching for the touring capabilities of the VFR. It is funny that you started out the thread wondering if you should go from the VFR to more of a "touring" type bike like the ST as I just recently was on the other side of the fence wondering if I should get away from my FJR into something more SPORT touring oriented. A few years ago (when I was between bikes), I was looking at the VFR as a sport touring bike and also contemplating the ST or FJR. My main concern was two-up riding for my wife and I and her comfort level as I would never get her out for a week long trip unless the bike was comfy for her. As luck would have it, I ended up getting a sweet deal on an FJR and racked up thousands of miles on it. That size bike was absolutely perfect for both of us, but I always felt it was a bit overkill for solo trips. Over the course of the last few years, I was taking more solo trips and ended up listing the FJR on Craigslist about a month ago. The VFR was at the top of my list for a solo sport touring bike and as soon as the FJR sold, I made the move and got the VFR.

I have only took it for a short ride, but I have setup several different bikes for long distance travel and pretty much know what I need to make the VFR comfortable for me. On the short list are the helibars, a different windscreen (probably going to try out the Givi) and a different seat. My Ducati has a Sargent and it was a huge improvement over stock. Have you done any long trips on the Sargent? The trips I take usually end up at around 2000-2500 miles over the course of 7-8 days, so I need a seat that will keep me going. The FJR had a Russell Day-Long and it was the best seat I have ever owned. This will probably be the route I take as it has already been "butt-tested". It seems this is a pretty uncommon seat among VFR owners? The Sargent has kept me comfy on a single day 400 mile trip, which is perfect for that bike as it is not built with touring in mind. The VFR to me will end up being a lighter, faster version of the FJR and I am looking forward to that first long trip this summer! If only that pesky thing called work would get out of my way!

Josh

 

No, I have not done any long trips yet. We had an early spring in March, but April hasn't been as good. I've only got about 300 miles on the bike so far this year, but in that short amount of time, I can say the seat is way better thank stock.

I too finally decided to update the 800 because I knew it would be lighter and more agile than the ST or VFR1200. It was a good decision for me as well.

 

Stewart,

I am looking to get the Sargent seat as well. The stocker is really painful for me on a long trip (more than 45 minutes). The main complaint I have about the stock seat is that it slanted forward. Is the Sargent more level than the stocker? I looked at your pics posted earlier and it doesn't seem to be leveled out too much compared to the stocker. Pls advise since the Sargent seems like the only choice I have, but I don't want to pul the trigger due to its cost.

Black Heli bars look great, btw.

Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

I'm not convinced your problem is the seat angle itself, but yes, the sargent seat is still tilted forward with the seat pan, if slightly less so. Much firmer and the little backrest area is nice, along with little scalloped areas for your legs on the sides. Much more comfortable overall. If the seat angle is bothering you though I would suggest lowering the pegs (relaxing knee and hip angle) and raising the bars (wrist, elbow and back angle) to relieve the stress. A completely flat, level seat on this bike would end up being too high due to the way the seat pan is set up.

 

I have the Sargent seat and ended up modifying it to reduce the angle and it helped quite a bit. I logged a few thousand miles on the highway after I made some changes and I was pleasantly surprised by how well the bike did for me. Along with the Sargent seat, I have a set of lowering pegs (I am 6'1", 32" inseam) as well as the Helibars.

What I did was pull the seat cover off and took my orbital sander with some fine grit sandpaper and sanded down the foam to level things out a bit. The only other option for an all out touring seat is a Russell Day-Long and they will make that to your specs. Honestly, to get a Day-Long isn't much more expensive than the Sargent. Mine was priced out at about $450 for the Day-Long and a new Sargent is a touch over $400 anyway... I had one on my FJR and it was the best money I ever spent on upgrading the comfort level of a bike. I am still considering sending my stock VFR seat to them and having the Sargent for daily use and the Russell for my touring seat.

Josh

 

I have the triboseat passenger cover (with a stock seat) and I can vouch it makes a world of difference.
Both me and the wife were happy with her not sliding forward.

 

Don't know how I missed this thread but finally took the time to read through it. Thank you stewartj239. I've been considering a PC for a while now. Your comments about "Stop and go traffic at 30 - 35 MPH is now enjoyable" may just have me sold on a PC. What are you getting for total mileage from a tank now?

A recommendation if you haven't already: One way to counter the added weight of the hard-bags is add an aftermarket exhaust. I'm using Leo Vince and absolutely love the sound. Even with baffles removed they're not obnoxious by any means. Come with quiet inserts if you want to make the bike whisper silent.

 

I agree with what the others are saying that the Sargent is no less slanted than the stock seat, but the main reason I bought mine was because with the stock seat, the passenger is constantly sliding forward into you. The Sargent seat corrects that problem and it is way more comfortable too. It is expensive, but worth the money.

 

I went down from 42 MPG to about 37 MPG, so I lost about 5. The way I look at it though is that the bike should have been mapped like this from the factory to run right, so I figure that 37 is what I should be getting.

 

So even w/ a PC 200 +/- miles to a tank is still possible. Kool, thanks again.

 

Street price on the Sargent is $350, and I picked mine up on end of season clearance for $280 last year. Just sayin'.

 

Yes. Mine starts flashing at around the 175 mile mark and at that point, there is supposed to be .93 gallons left for the reserve, so 200 should still be attainable.