[indytux]

I am 6ft and older than you, Indy. While the Ninja is a great bike and I owned mine for over five years, I could never find the right riding position on the bike. For me, the rider triangle and ergonomics just aren’t right. The foot pegs are set up too high for a sport tourer. With that degree of bend in the knee, the pegs really needed to be further rear-set. The reach to the bars again isn’t quite right as you’re neither sitting straight nor are you leaning forward. Upon RC’s suggestion I tried riding with the bars pushed/rotated forward but combined with the awkward position of the foot pegs I was still uncomfortable. I tried moving forward and back on the seat but it did not help. Like a lot of us here, I carry injuries from past crashes and would end up knackered after a long ride.

You could try changing your hand grip on the bars by holding the grips like an ice cream cone. There are plenty of videos on YouTube on this. Coming off sport bikes you probably use this grip any way.

Yeah I already do that. You basically just described exactly why I started this thread.

I was just telling my buddy that I need to change the pegs to something lower, and back further because as you just said, they're too high, and too forward in my opinion for the position you already sit with the bars, and being more upright.

Don't get me wrong, it's way more comfy than my 6r, 10r, or gsxr as those all are pretty aggressive, but for some reason this bikes positioning of the pegs gives you too tight a triangle between the hip, knee, and toe.

I've already adjusted as low as I can go, which is why I had the highway pegs idea. I found some folding round pegs with a u bolt clamp that could work, and fold up when not needed but haven't bought them yet.

I find myself shifting cheeks after about an hour of riding, or doing the knee out in the wind shifting to offset some pressure.

Bout the only think I've not considered is eating more burgers and fattening my *** up 😂

 

[indytux]

3" rise on the bars, and a 1"peg drop looks like so

 

[bbikerguy]

I'm 66 and have bewn riding zx-10r, and gsxr1000s for the past 22 years. The stock bars on my 2020 1000sx were very foreign to me, so I completely changed the bars to something that feels like my 2017 zx-10r. Downward, and more angle back. It was strictly a personal choice.

 

[Bikram]

3" rise on the bars, and a 1"peg drop looks like so

View attachment 34886

This should do it, I think. Looks way more natural than with the stock setup. Peg scraping when gunning the bike through twisties may be the trade-off though I don’t think the Ninja need be ridden like that in the first place.

That’s a neat software there!

 

[indytux]

This should do it, I think. Looks way more natural than with the stock setup. Peg scraping when gunning the bike through twisties may be the trade-off though I don’t think the Ninja need be ridden like that in the first place.

That’s a neat software there!

Yeah comes in handy, check it out Here

 

[rcannon409]

The peg position never felt right. A few things bothered me .

I didn't like them moving around. He rubber mounted rearset didn't feel secure. It also gave the shift lever a disconnected feel.

The rubber mounting also moved the pegs more far apart than normal. It made the bike feel thick. I switched to the z1000 rearset I bought used, from eBay. That was a nice improvement. A longer rear shock helped, too. That sort of rotated the river position forward and felt like it lowered the bars.

Years later, I bought a set of fake Rizoma rearset. This set. You have to buy a better threaded link, but if you do that, they work really well. The finish isnt awesome, but pegs get scratched up, anyway, so no big deal.

In the lowest position you get an extra 15mm lower, and rear by 15 as well.. That plus the fact the replacement pegs not having a thick rubber top helps a lot.

I would recommend this rearset as long as you are willing to order the new threaded link. This fake also uses the stock brake light system. That works better than the pressure switch many expensive rearset use.

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/3256802898832808.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.3507FIpzFIpzbU&browser_id=1d233bdc237346d380c2fb3d31ea7836&aff_trace_key=bce3f28acf9c441b98805496cd05ec4a-1660828645003-08218-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=llwugmuwi4cawtgg182b119e1cb10d983dad1b4f30&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxveXBhDDARIsAI0Q0x2n0asI5DeTx-PgcKmmfLWBMKwhabi6mm6wwyoZu0rHdzs6qAOnVXwaAqtWEALw_wcB&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21180.86%21148.31%21%21%21%21%21%402103255a16608286603616113ef7d9%2112000023989358302%21sea&curPageLogUid=r64okyj3HlJF

 

[Eagle Six]

Sounds like maybe a Versys 1000 would fit you better or other adventure type bike. Did you get a test ride on the N1K before buying? Or, at least sit on it? I understand the stiff elbow after riding for a while would not show up during a sit or test ride, but the reach, bar height and peg position should have. If you are active at martial arts, is it possible that a coincident of an injury to your elbow is causing the stiffness? usually I know when I have injured a joint, but over the years I have incurred injuries unknowing at the time, just a thought. You seem pretty good at thinking things out and have probably thought of it.

 

[Oramac]

Best explanation ever 🤣
It's addicting after a while.

People just don't understand how easy it is for someone 5ft 7 to put a 6ft 250lb gorilla on his *** and choke the life outta him ...... It's like magic 😂

Indeed it is! Though at 6'4", 220 pounds myself, I usually am that gorilla getting my *** choked!

Could be the clutch. I hate it on the Ninja 1000. It feels terrible when you're shifting high up in the revs. So I shift early

Oddly, I like the clutch. I get the odd false neutral here and there, but otherwise it's good. Perhaps it's my riding style. If I'm pushing hard up high in the rev range, I only pull it in enough to make the shift, which is rarely 100% disengaged.

 

[indytux]

Sounds like maybe a Versys 1000 would fit you better or other adventure type bike. Did you get a test ride on the N1K before buying? Or, at least sit on it? I understand the stiff elbow after riding for a while would not show up during a sit or test ride, but the reach, bar height and peg position should have. If you are active at martial arts, is it possible that a coincident of an injury to your elbow is causing the stiffness? usually I know when I have injured a joint, but over the years I have incurred injuries unknowing at the time, just a thought. You seem pretty good at thinking things out and have probably thought of it.

Yeah I've actually ridden the N1K previously, but was only for a couple hundred miles and I never noticed it, which is why I think it's a bar or posture issue.

I prefer a sport touring bike, not big on the looks of a versys

 

[Eagle Six]

I prefer a sport touring bike, not big on the looks of a versys

I do as well, and the N1K is a good transition for me coming from the ZX14 and several smaller sportbikes. My lower spin last about 20 minutes on a cruiser/tourer because of the situp position pressure on my lower spin. I have an extra fused vertebrae between L2 and L3, which I think causes that So, before I would consider the Versys or a BMW GS type I would need to rent for a day to test it out against me. I did have a Vstrom many years ago but didn't ride it much. I often find myself leaning forward into a more jockey position and I like the peg position, high enough I can get a better body position when in the lean, but relaxed enough for my weak and injured knees. Actually I have weak and injured everything from ankles, to knees, to hips, shoulders, elbows and wrist! But riding is therapeutic, and I feel better after a spirited ride, which is much better than folding myself up to get in and out of my MX5.

 

[Oramac]

which is much better than folding myself up to get in and out of my MX5.

You are aware they make larger vehicles, right?

 

[Eagle Six]

You are aware they make larger vehicles, right?

That's funny thanks for making me laugh! That is what I get for buying a girls sports car, it's actually my wife, that I drive all the time

 

[arthury]

Pain will increase all over as you age, as @Eagle Six as alluded to.

Here are 3 suggestions:

1. Positional correction: Move your position while riding more frequently than you have been doing. Your original position may be inadvertently cutting off (slowing down) some blood-flow somewhere.
2. Biological correction: Joints may be having less lubricants as we age. Bones rubbing against ligaments cause pain and inflammation. Start taking a Glucosamine everyday. Boosting electrolyte intake when on longer rides also provide a more overall bodily comfort, not forgetting cramps prevention. You can also take some Turmeric tablets (a natural spice used in curry) to naturally lower internal inflammation. And, try to eat foods with lower salt contents during long trips as high sodium displaces potassium, which is needed for healthy muscular function (including the heart). Honestly, we eat too much salt in this country and insufficient potassium rich foods to counteract the high sodium, which is making the population sick.
3. Rest frequency correction: As you age, try to increase the number of breaks you take. Most recommended rest stop frequency is once every 1.5 - 2 hours. It's safer and more comfortable in the long run. I know it takes discipline and I struggle with this myself; especially, on the return home trip. I ask myself this frequently: "Why turn a pleasurable trip into a chore?"

Hope this helps.
I have done 6 decades on my tour of duty on this earth.

 

[rcannon409]

Pain does not have to increase as you get older. That's what Opiates are for. If you take enough, you dont really care where your footpegs are.

Have you guys noticed that Kenors rarely complains about anything as related to comfort? I think there is a lesson there. His bike is no different than ours, but he covers a lot of miles and his body gets used to riding. Like riding a horse. The first day it feels like you have been beaten with a baseball bat. After a few days, it's no big deal.

I'm not sure it's possible to set up any motorcycle to where you do huge miles, one day a week, and are able to do that in complete comfort. That one day a week ride does get worse , for me, as I age.

 

[indytux]

Pain will increase all over as you age, as @Eagle Six as alluded to.

Here are 3 suggestions:

1. Positional correction: Move your position while riding more frequently than you have been doing. Your original position may be inadvertently cutting off (slowing down) some blood-flow somewhere.
2. Biological correction: Joints may be having less lubricants as we age. Bones rubbing against ligaments cause pain and inflammation. Start taking a Glucosamine everyday. Boosting electrolyte intake when on longer rides also provide a more overall bodily comfort, not forgetting cramps prevention. You can also take some Turmeric tablets (a natural spice used in curry) to naturally lower internal inflammation. And, try to eat foods with lower salt contents during long trips as high sodium displaces potassium, which is needed for healthy muscular function (including the heart). Honestly, we eat too much salt in this country and insufficient potassium rich foods to counteract the high sodium, which is making the population sick.
3. Rest frequency correction: As you age, try to increase the number of breaks you take. Most recommended rest stop frequency is once every 1.5 - 2 hours. It's safer and more comfortable in the long run. I know it takes discipline and I struggle with this myself; especially, on the return home trip. I ask myself this frequently: "Why turn a pleasurable trip into a chore?"

Hope this helps.
I have done 6 decades on my tour of duty on this earth.

Yes, I was going to be a paramedic once upon a time, and use to lift a lot of weights ..... Went in the army 131lbs, bulked to 225lbs @12% BF, roughly 5-7K calories a day.

Not anymore, too much work for maintenance, too much time prepping food ..... I'm comfortable at 195lbs now.

People underestimate the importance of electrolytes, I always throw a couple of these down the hatch, if you haven't tried them you should, I call it adult Pedialyte 😆

I believe I have found the culprit causing my elbow to get stiff, and it's so silly, but so important to check .....
At first glance, I never noticed it, and the only real way to tell, is to get a degree percentage based on angle for the bars.

The left one is slightly more of a degree than the right bar, but enough to cause me to lock out my elbow on the left side to feel "balanced" behind the tank and centered on the seat .....

Will adjust them later, that should fix my issue hopefully 🤞

 

[N1KLife]

I am 5'7 and 54 and not the most active and i don't get any noticeable pain in the elbows/shoulders arms, with or without Murphs risers fitted. My right knee does cramp up a little occasionally so usually stretch that out every now and then while on the move. My only suggestion that has yet to be mentioned is you could try wearing a quality elbow compression sleeve while riding.
Can get them cheap enough so no great loss if it doesn't improve the soreness you are experiencing.
A quick search should lead you to a page that compares the pro's and cons of various types.
Just a thought.

 

[indytux]

The soreness is from locking out my elbow, if I don't lock it out, I have no issues, but I think I found the issue, thanks for everyone's input.

 

[kenors]

Pain does not have to increase as you get older. That's what Opiates are for. If you take enough, you dont really care where your footpegs are.

Have you guys noticed that Kenors rarely complains about anything as related to comfort? I think there is a lesson there. His bike is no different than ours, but he covers a lot of miles and his body gets used to riding. Like riding a horse. The first day it feels like you have been beaten with a baseball bat. After a few days, it's no big deal.

I'm not sure it's possible to set up any motorcycle to where you do huge miles, one day a week, and are able to do that in complete comfort. That one day a week ride does get worse , for me, as I age.

No opiates but occasional Ibuprofen.

There's a lot to be said for riding every day. @jjscsix doesn't complain either and he rides nearly every day. In truth, every spring before big trips we do several shorter "warm up" rides to get re-acclimated to long riding days. After retiring, some winters we traveled a lot and I didn't get in any riding for a few months. There were some sore muscles getting back in the swing of things. I do what it takes to keep riding in comfort. Sometimes it's a bike mod, sometimes it's a body mod. After daily riding of my VFRs for 25+ years my riding buddies laughed my body had grown around their ergonomics and I'd never be able to ride another bike.

Body mods: Exercise and stretching to keep the joints limber and the core strong. Not a fan of "pure" exercise but use racket ball and volleyball 3-5 days a week. I also know that if I don't warm up and stretch before playing I will hurt myself so I do that every time. @arthury made a great point about salt intake and high sugar intake isn't good either. I figure everybody knows about good hydration but that's very important. I know from long sport tournaments bananas are a great source of potassium and will keep you from cramping up. I also keep a small bottle of ibuprofen in the tank bag if things get out painful. And I can't stress enough the frequent breaks to keep your body limber. And I would stress, it helps a lot to break BEFORE your hurt. Working out a sore spot or cramp is so much harder than avoiding it in the first place. Plenty of experience with this myself!

Bike mods: Gel grips to quell some of the vibrations. Lowered footpegs to ease the knees. A Sargent seat to ease the a$$. That's about it. A higher windshield to help with the wind blast. At 5'8" and 170# everything else fits me fine.

 

[rcannon409]

Ken, I can remember when I was younger and feeling lucky just to have the motorcycle. Amazing how comfortable it was when I didn't have money to change the seat, pegs or ???

 

[jjscsix]

No opiates but occasional Ibuprofen.

There's a lot to be said for riding every day. @jjscsix doesn't complain either and he rides nearly every day. In truth, every spring before big trips we do several shorter "warm up" rides to get re-acclimated to long riding days. After retiring, some winters we traveled a lot and I didn't get in any riding for a few months. There were some sore muscles getting back in the swing of things. I do what it takes to keep riding in comfort. Sometimes it's a bike mod, sometimes it's a body mod. After daily riding of my VFRs for 25+ years my riding buddies laughed my body had grown around their ergonomics and I'd never be able to ride another bike.

Body mods: Exercise and stretching to keep the joints limber and the core strong. Not a fan of "pure" exercise but use racket ball and volleyball 3-5 days a week. I also know that if I don't warm up and stretch before playing I will hurt myself so I do that every time. @arthury made a great point about salt intake and high sugar intake isn't good either. I figure everybody knows about good hydration but that's very important. I know from long sport tournaments bananas are a great source of potassium and will keep you from cramping up. I also keep a small bottle of ibuprofen in the tank bag if things get out painful. And I can't stress enough the frequent breaks to keep your body limber. And I would stress, it helps a lot to break BEFORE your hurt. Working out a sore spot or cramp is so much harder than avoiding it in the first place. Plenty of experience with this myself!

Bike mods: Gel grips to quell some of the vibrations. Lowered footpegs to ease the knees. A Sargent seat to ease the a$$. That's about it. A higher windshield to help with the wind blast. At 5'8" and 170# everything else fits me fine.

It’s incredibly rare that I get any aches from riding or while riding. But working on my bike, including just cleaning them, leaves me aching from leaning over. And I clean them after every ride. Fortunately the aches go away quickly when I start moving around. Ibuprofen is my go to as well, but I try to avoid taking it unless the aches are really bad.