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Comfortable sport bikes

6K views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  Unkle Krusty 
#1 ·
Are there sport bikes that are comfortable for (6-hour) long rides and can be used in the city?
P.S. i am a beginner and i am new to this forum
 
#3 ·
No matter the bike it is about your gear and your seat. I have had 4 EX500's ran each with stock seat with and with out gear the most comfortable ride was fully geared, with a Corbin seat. The most uncomfortable ride was doing just a lid and t-Shirt even in the 70's between the sun and wind I was exhausted and then the seat let me tell you what I was screaming to get off of it by the end of 200 miles.

I also owned 2 blackbirds (CBR1100XX) a 1997 and a 2000 one was stock the other I had a Corbin seat on both I always rode geared if further than my neighborhood, again after about 100 miles on the stock seat I was ready to get off of it right now. The Corbin seat I could ride from tank to tank and only stop to enjoy the views or attractions.

I owned sever other bikes too all stock seat because I am a cheapskate and every 100 miles or so had to stop and always used that to get gas. In addition to above the buzzier 2 cylinder engines and the thumper did wear on me more than to inline and opposing 4 engines. I have no experience on 3 cylinder types. Hope this helps.

All bikes I used for long long trip of Iron butt level riding; like from Central Indiana to Daytona Florida or Central Indiana to Denver Colorado or Central Indiana to Saint Louis Missouri. Which I really need to do again soon, but this year is really jacked those plans up. o_O

Also have not looked since you originally posted, do go to the intro section and tell what you like to do, your age, other hobbies etc, blah blah whatever. It helps people know who you are, and like. See my Signature for a quick link to that area.
 
#4 ·
The answer to your question has to be more about the rider than the bike. Some folks find a sport bike and its riding position to be very comfortable; others, like me, love the thought of a sport bike, love the looks of a sport bike, love the handling of a sport bike, but are pretty much crippled after 30 minutes in the saddle. Only you can answer whether a sport bike is comfortable for you.
 
#7 ·
My first thought is...there isn't really a good sport bike that is tame enough for a new rider that fits the bill. The big sport tourers are comfy but you're talking about a machine with 100+ horses.

I had an SV650 that was a great starter sport bike but after about an hour on it, no matter how I adjusted my riding position, SOMETHING always hurt...neck, shoulders, knees, hips. As I suggested in your other thread, a bike like a 650 V Strom might be a great first choice. It's sporty enough but has a more upright position. I love mine. It's easy to ride, carves corners well, is sneaky fast but very forgiving. The Kawasaki Versys is similar, and I think Yamaha makes something along those lines as well. While they are labeled an "Adventure" bike, I have found mine to be much more street than dirt.
 
#8 ·
Very, very few bikes are comfortable for 6-hours right out of the box -- let alone a sport bike that gereally is designed for an antirely diffrent audiance... they can be tweaked to the rider's build (wieght/height/etc...), but unless you happen to be of the "universal" rider stats (few are), you'll find that at a minimum you'll work on bar-placement, perhaps foot-peg, and often seat... the real question is, how much 6-hour riding are your planning on (I note elsewhere that you've ridden for about 3-years, so you aren't a rank beginner). If 6-hour rides once or twice a week are going to be your norm, a pure sport bike probably isn't going to satisfy you -- and bikes and riders that aren't a reasonably comfortable fit, begin avoiding each other.

Elsewhere it was suggest that you consider a V-Strom or similar -- probably a decent option, good perfromance, reasonable handling in lots of areas and (from what I read) generally comfortable for the average rider... but once you start planning rides that will consume 2-3 or more tanks of gas, you generally aren't in sport-bike territory anymore... on the other hand if you plan to generally ride locally (twisties, country rioads, etc) with only an ocassional longer trek, then sportbikes might be okay -- and you'll justg have to manage your comfort with intermittant stops, rest and (perhaps) minor ergo tweaks.
 
#9 ·
Maybe one of the moderators could take the 10-20 post on 'is this bike comfortable' by the OP could be combined in one thread? Just asking..........................
 
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#10 ·
a ninja 650, gxs-s line are fully faired sport bikes that have a more upright seating position. you could also look at a sv-650, any of the honda CB line, the yamaha MT series and the kawasaki z line. those are naked sport bikes.
i think what most people are thinking about above are technically "super sport" bikes i.e. gsx-r, r6/r1, cbr, zx6r/zx10r. those have a more aggressive seating position which may not be as comfortable for long rides.
if you're looking at older bikes, the honda vfr800 has a nice seating position and is more upright than a supersport but not as upright as a nina 650. the gsx-f line is also reasonable.
 
#11 ·
I am used to riding bikes with clippons. But as time goes by, a lot of it, my thinking is a bike with a more upright position and a decent fairing. Noddy my Triumph Trophy has this. Meanwhile I have raised the bars on Bluzu my SV1000S, and I will be raising them again. This time I will need longer brake lines. Everyone that has owned a Suzuki 650 V twin has good things to say about them. And that includes me. As the tanks I own get heavier, the 650 Suzuki would be a good choice. There is probably a lot more stuff available for them than the Kawasaki and Yamaha.
As an aside. I went right past a Honda inline 6 going up a long uphill over the Cascade mountains. They make more horsepower under 9000 revs, than the hot rod 4 cylinder 600 bikes, which are a pain to ride IMO. 70hp and 400 pounds is quite reasonable, and that handle well and have good brakes. Better suspension is available but not needed, again IMO. UK
 
#12 ·
Are there sport bikes that are comfortable
Yes, the most radical race / sport bikes are very comfortable when ridden as intended.
^ (Tucked in at 150 MPH)

S F
 
#14 ·
Ergonomics wise it really depends on how your body is built cause every bike will fit everyone slightly differently. Seat wise, all sport bike seats are the equivalent to sitting on a piece of folded cardboard. You can get aftermarket seats which is usually your best bet. My coworker has an 01 R1 with a super soft seat, though I think it's aftermarket. Older sport bikes will usually have more comfortable seats anyways, unless the foam hardened up.
 
#15 ·
I have an aftermarket more comfortable seat for my Suzuki. Problem is, it is taller than stock, and too tall for me. Rubber was always more comfortable than foam, but it is not used anymore. There are now many varieties of foam.
On my boat I scrapped the 4 inch cushions, and replaced them with 2 inch high density foam. Shorter folks will find problems with many of the newer, too tall bikes. UK
 
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