How can I fit my 82 GS100E? (Any tall riders here?)

[away_man]

After finally getting my 1100EZ running the way it should, putting soft saddlebags on it, and getting some warm weather, I find myself spending a lot more time on it.

I also find myself with sore shoulders & upper back, and getting squirmy in my seat after an hour or two on it. I don't think the stock seat is really the issue; I think it's more my position on the bike.

I'm about 6'4" 180lbs, inseam about 34." My legs/knees haven't really gotten sore yet, but I actually feel a bit more comfortable sometimes on the highway with my feet on the rear pegs, leaning forward (lets me keep my back straight, even though I'm putting more pressure on my arms/wrists).

It seems a little backwards for someone with long arms, but I think if the handlebars were a little closer (and higher up), it would allow me to sit up more straight and not roll my shoulders forward when I ride.

Anyone else here that's over 6' with an 82 or 83 1100E? Have you done a handlebar swap, and if so, which one?

I have a Corbin seat for the 82/82 1100E that I got off Ebay, but somehow it doesn't quite fit my bike. I think if I (or an upholstery shop) moved all the Corbin goodness to a stock seat pan, it would fit. It looks like it might ride a little lower than the stock seat, which would put the handlebars more in front of me, instead of below me.

I like the bike (got it last summer), but a buddy of mine at work is trying to talk me into changing to a newer cruiser. With low payments, forward foot controls, comfy reach to the handlebars, and a brand new bike with a warranty, his arguments are starting to sound pretty good. I haven't test ridden anything new yet, though; I'm afraid I'll want to sell my classic if I do. 8-[

What do you all think? Different handlebars, seat swap, other mods? I don't want to spend another couple hundred dollars and then decide it still isn't all that comfortable, and sell it.

One more thing- would installing taller handlebars require new cables or extensions for the controls?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[away_man]

And before any of you jokers tell me what the *real* right answer is, there is NO WAY I can justify owning two bikes and a car, when I'm still renting an apartment....

:-D

-update-
Okay...I should have read a little more in the forums and done some research before I posted (how many times have people lectured on this)? Looks like handlebars are way cheaper than I was expecting, but I don't know which way to go. Some of the taller riders are wanting bars that are lower & forward from stock, so they can lean forward on the bike. I *think* I want bars that are back & up, so I can sit straight up in the seat, cruiser-style, for longer rides. Actually, I'm pretty sure that's what I want, but I've never ridden any other setup than my bike, so I don't know.

Any advice?

[semerm]

Well, I am 6 ft 4 and well over 180 pounds and have a 1981 gs 850g. ( I think I was told the frame is similiar to the 1100's but I am not positive of this.) I have the shocks as high up as they can go as well.

I bought it with Hiway bars and I am comfortable all the time I ride for as long as i ride. However, I have not yet went over 1 hour at a time. I find my ride position comfortable and aside from needing to stretch my legs I cannot see where I will not be uncomfortable longer.

You may be able to see from my avitar the type of bars I have. If you need a picture at a different angle, PM me and I will send it to you. (All my pictures, the forum responds are too big and I have no way of making them smaller.) Please send your email address if you want this as it will be the only way I can send it to you.

Good luck

[Cassius086]

Look at some bar risers (gen mar makes good ones)and different bars. Don't sell the ole girl!!

It is paid for, right? Use the money you would spend on extra insurance and the monthly payment for a new bike on a few comfort/suspension upgrades.:-D

[crag antler]

Try these:arrow:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-HandleBar-Risers-Suzuki-Bandit-GSF600-GSF1200-K_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35580QQitemZ4637793057QQrdZ1

I put them on my 1983 GS1100E and they made a world of difference
I am 6'4" and 175lbs and have tried different bars but with the stock bars these are the best.

[hungryman]

I'm 6'3" 225 with a 34" inseam. I have an '80 GS1100E (virtually the same bike, different plastic).

I bought superbike bars for it. They helped a lot over the stock ones. On the highway, when I get uncomfprtable I stand up, I sit with my feet on the rear pegs, and I lay on the tank with one hand on the throttle and my elbow supporting me. In other words I move around.

I also have a ZRX1200 and I do the same on that.

The most I've put on any bike in one day is 800 miles and o trips I get 500+ a day regularly. If I had a Goldwing I would be more comfortable, but I wouldn't be happy with it overall. I like the GS and the ZRX.

[Dink]

I am also 6'3" and about 220 lbs., I prefer lower bars to stretch out, hence a Katana.
Dink

[Pharkmeh]

How can I fit my 82 GS100E? (Any tall riders here?)

dont think its GS but sure is a Suzuki 100 - clearly u just need a tall mans seat:-D

[Bert Patterson]

You’ve got about three inches on me and I’ve got about twenty pounds on you. And I’ve got an ’82 EZ. I have bars that are a bit lower than stock – maybe Superbike bars, but I don’t know.

I would like the pegs slightly rearset (maybe an inch back and an inch up) from stock, but other than that, I can do 600 miles in a day with no pain. It is a very comfortable bike.

Cruisers look comfortable to people with less experience on motorcycles, but it ain’t the case. Sitting up straight is brutal on the back, but even worse when your arms are extended and your feet are pointed forwarded. Besides lacking control, all your weight is carried on your tailbone. It is a horrible long-distance ride.

The best you can go is find a bike with slightly rearset pegs, enough of a reach to the bars where, with elbows bent and forearms parallel to the ground, you’re leaned slightly forward, and a flat wide seat that allows you to shift around a bit. You need to split your weight between the pegs, the bars and the seat. A good test is whether or not you can easily stand up straight on the bike while maintaining control.

Cruisers don’t necessarily suck, but they suck and handling and long-range comfort.

[QuaiChangKane]

I am also 6'3" and about 220 lbs., I prefer lower bars to stretch out, hence a Katana.
Dink

I'm gonna go with lower bars, too - especially since you've already noticed that laying forward takes the pressure off of your back.


Check into clubmans (cheap option) or fully adjustable clip-ons (more spendy - ~$150.00 range).

I've got a set of Telefix four-way adjustable clip-ons on the 750 and have no complaints about the riding position (although I'm looking to source/fab some rearsets).

My bars are forward/rearward, width, rise, and twist (wrist position) adjustable. In a few seconds with an allen wrench, I can go from a 1.5" drop to a 1.5" raise (3" total range). Very easy to change for the nature of the day's ride.

Also look into getting a magnetic tank bag for the longer superslab sessions - the day's gear stuffed into a tank bag makes a perfect chest pillow to take the pressure off of your wrists. A cafe or bikini fairing may help, too - the cafe bubble I had on my 750 put the wind blast right into my chest, taking quite a bit of weight off of my lower back and wrists at freeway speeds.


It seems counterintuitive, but for those that have never ridden a modern sport bike, some can be quite comfortable for long rides. The Hayabusa is quickly gaining ground as a fave touring bike in sport riding crowds....


-Q!

[lhanscom]

I'm in the process of doing some pretty big mods to make the bike more comfy. BTW I'm 6'4" 250lbs 34" inseam.

Phase 1
I had drag bars on there, then I fabricated a "riser" to add about an inch up, and back. Better, but not great. I decided to go a little more extreme, at least for the short term, as my back has been giving me issues. I took a pair of bars I had kicking around (off an 850GL), modified them to be a whole lot less cruiserish, and mounted them. They give me ~6 up, and back. It's pretty comfy, but I don't like how the bike handles, because I'm not leaning forward. So these will probably be changed again after phase 3.

--If you don't own a welder, among other tools, you probably have to stop here.

Phase 2
I'm putting on a 4-1 exhaust, a mix of a couple of pipes I have kicking around. The end result will be a short exhaust, with the end of the pipe under the bike, exiting to the side of the rear tire. Maybe pods, and of course the jet kit. This really does have to do with the comfort thing...

Phase 3
Once the exhaust is out of the way, I can relocate the foot pegs, kind of like rearsets, but instead of going up, and back, I'll be going down and back, about an inch. I'm planning on using angle cut pegs, so as not to lose cornering clearance. I'm hoping to gain enough room to stop my back from being strained. Right now, my feet are too far up, causing my back to bend the wrong way. Moving the pegs may involve making new controls for the brake, and shift levers, not sure yet.

After this is all done, I'll probably post some pics.

[away_man]

Thanks for all the info and advice; I have a few things to try now. First step is just to adjust the bars that are on there. Looking at the slack in the cables, I think I can move them forward/up and backwards/down enough to figure out which direction I need to go to get comfy, then I can figure out what I need to get for replacement bars, or if I need them at all.

The 1" risers on Ebay are intriguing; I might have to try them out.

Also, (just curious)- any other aftermarket seats that fit the 82/83 1100E besides the Corbin Gunfighter/lady?

[lhanscom]

Corbin at least did have a seat at one point, but they tend to go the oppisite way you want to go, giving a lower seat height, and less leg room.

[bwringer]

One item of comfort I haven't seen mentioned is that you need a forward lean to your body to counteract the effects of the airstream at speed. At 70mph on my GS850 (no fairing), my body is perfectly balanced against the wind. For me at 6'1", this was a simple matter of changing to shorter "Daytona" bend bars. Your solution will likely be different, but that's the idea.

I also note that the "cruiser" la-z-boy riding position is, in reality, VERY painful, although most non-riders and lots of cruiser riders think it looks comfy. At best, it feels comfy sitting on the bike in the showroom. (Now you know why Hardley-Ableson poker runs are at most 80-90 miles in a day, with tavern stops every 10 - 15 miles.)

The gyno exam chair position also severely compromises your ability to control the motorcycle. And it really looks silly -- who wants to see the soles of your boots coming at them? Ideally, you want to be sitting alertly upright and bent forward a bit, with your feet under your center of gravity so you can easily lift your rear out of the seat. This is nearly identical to the best riding position for riding a horse.

Some sport-touring bikes and many GS models bring the feet a little farther forward than ideal to minimize the angle of knee bend -- most people can't keep their knees in a racebike bend for hours on end. It's still quite easy to rise out of the seat when crossing rough railroad tracks and such.

Hardley-Ableson's "touring" models (Road King, Electra-Glide, etc.) place you in more of an upright "dinner chair" position, which can be quite confortable with the right seat, but is only workable behind a fairing or large windscreen. For me, they cause quite a lot of leg pain because the floorboards (world's dumbest motorcycle feature) lock your feet in one position -- I have to remove the heel shifter and hang my boots off the back of the floorboards most of the time.