Well I like the bike but find the ergos less than desirable. I'm about to embark on a quest to make this bike comfortable enough to be a true sport tourer. That will undoubtedly involve peg relocation (mainly passenger pegs) hiway pegs for rider. Bars that allow a more upright position when desired and mods to the seats. Wish me luck I will keep my progress posted. Hopefully there are some of you out there that are like minded and can benefit from my experiences. Feel free to add any thoughts or suggestions of your own. I'm doing this because I don't want to downgrade to a more conventional cruiser just to keep peace in the family. :banghead:

Is there anything specific that you find to be the most uncomfortable?

I have don't a couple of days where I was riding most of the day, probably a good 5 to 6 hours, and while riding I was quite comfortable, about the only thing was that my clutch hand got a little tired..

MrHD1....I've got a guy here in Toledo who does custom seats. When I get home, I'll pull out a card. If I can't find a card, I'll stop by his shop. Top notch work. Any material you want, and can afford. PM me, as I may forget.......

Is there anything specific that you find to be the most uncomfortable?

I have don't a couple of days where I was riding most of the day, probably a good 5 to 6 hours, and while riding I was quite comfortable, about the only thing was that my clutch hand got a little tired..

Mostly, the passenger is severly disadvantaged by having their feet so far back. My wife is describing it as a torure chamber. I find the comfort adequate for daily rides but would have a difficult time traveling day after day all day. Right now my Beemer is the more comfortable bike. We can't have that now can we?

.. We can't have that now can we?
Certainly not.. :)

Have you looked at the H-D touring seats for the R?
Even just the back one for your wife..

Admittedly I haven't actually taken anone on the back yet (think they are all to scared) but I will be interested in the comments when I do.. :blahblah:

Certainly not.. :)

Have you looked at the H-D touring seats for the R?
Even just the back one for your wife..

Admittedly I haven't actually taken anone on the back yet (think they are all to scared) but I will be interested in the comments when I do.. :blahblah:

Yes, I have both started with hers right away. It's the location of her feet on the pegs that is causing the immediate problem. After we get that improved we can revisit the seat situation. As far as the bars go; folks put bar backs on bikes like my R1150R. With the R's pod a different solution (new bars) are necessitated. Speaking of pods the angle on the R could be improved as well (more upright).

I'm happy with the bars; it's the seat that will limit my miles per day. I tried the Sundower seat and it did nothing to ease the pain in the a$$. I am waiting for Corbin to introduce a seat for the R. I had one of theirs on a Buell X1 and could ride all day.

For long distance touring, a small wind screen might be a benefit - only in keeping most of the bugs off your jacket thereby reducing cleanup time each evening.

.. Speaking of pods the angle on the R could be improved as well (more upright).
This is something I would be interested in..
I spend most of my time between 50mph and 90mph and most of the time don't know what speed I am doing because the numbers are hidden..
I battle to see the digital readout as well having to move my head down to get a clear view..
Worst of all is the fact that I wear a full face helmet and so during normal riding am not able to see the pod at all in my field of vision si if any warning lights come on I won't see them till I actually look down at the pod..
Hopefully someone comes out with a relocation or angle changing kit in the near future..

Hopefully someone comes out with a relocation or angle changing kit in the near future..

Amen! Whoever or whomever figured out the angle must have had eyes in their chest. It's actually hazardous to attempt to acrually see the instruments and odometer while riding. If anyone out there knows if a pod from say a "B" could be adapted please let us know.

Yeahhh the freekin pod is dangerous!!!!......if im looking at it to check speed or to check to see if the indicator has turned its self off then i aint able to see if someone has pulled out in front of me......the 1st thing i'd do is change the angle of that pod if i could...back to the indicators, not being used to self cancelling indicators im getting a little frustrated at them having a mind of their own, sometimes they turn off wayyy too soon and other times too late and sometimes i go to cancel them myself just at the very point theyve actually cancelled themselves, thus instead of cancelling them ive turned the things back on again!!!!!! ARGH!!!!!!...as for pillion comfort, welllll my girlfriend has no complaints, butttt i think that could be more down to her not knowing any difference due to the very fact that this is the 1st bike she's ever been on....i aint told her that some bikes have grab rails and better pegs etc, i'll keep that kind of info to myself :sinister:

The story with the pod is that the Styling department overruled the engineers.

I spoke with one of the VRSCR Engineers at Daytona in March and he admitted that they knew the angle was wrong, but putting it at the right angle would block the view of the upper triple clamp, which the Styling department did not want.

So style beat function, typical for HD.

It will be up to the aftermarket or maybe HD if they get enough feedback to make an alternate clamp/mount.

At the moment I think the only options for the pod are either the Rizoma kit or changing it completely with something from Dakota Digital.. I had a look at it to see if it could easily be angled up but the casing is cast so it won't bend, the only way would probably be some kind of offset spacer and some grinding on the casing to make it fit at the higher angle..

Mitch, you will get used to the self canceling indicators and when you do you will not want to go back to the old style..
Bit of a sly move not telling your GF about pillion comfort.. You better make sure she never has a go on anyone elses bike other wise the next thing you know you will be fitting a sissy bar and floor boards.. ;)

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! sissy bars and floor boards??? ARGH!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! sissy bars and floor boards??? ARGH!!!!!
I thought you would enjoy that.. :rofl2:

Engine Guards - now say after me: "engine guards"

I'm happy with the bars; it's the seat that will limit my miles per day. I tried the Sundower seat and it did nothing to ease the pain in the a$$. I am waiting for Corbin to introduce a seat for the R. I had one of theirs on a Buell X1 and could ride all day.

For long distance touring, a small wind screen might be a benefit - only in keeping most of the bugs off your jacket thereby reducing cleanup time each evening.
Have you looked into something like this? Have'nt done it but those I know who have, rave over em.You can get pads or have it built into the seat.
Ed

I will probably buy an Airhawk because you can move it from bike to bike. I've heard folks rave about them and the fact that you can adjust it for preference looks pretty cool. They are a bit pricey so I wouldn't leave it sitting on the bike and walk away!

Hi there! I am new to the forum but was following your messages over the last couple of weeks. I was trying to make up my mind on the VRSCR and found tons of great information and input here. Many thanks to all of you, great thing those forums exist.

Anyhow, I picked up my yellow Street Rod yesterday. I did about 100 miles so far and it is an awesome ride. It is my first Harley, always wanted one but the traditional H-Ds did not attract me too much. Was looking into the V-Rod about a year ago - awesome bike but did not get comfortable with the seating position. As soon as I saw the R I knew it is going to be the bike for me. Great handling, awesome power and at least in my opinion great looks. I knew about the displays from your messages and yes, it is awkward. Rear brake peg location is not really great either but those mirrors are just awful. Need to have those replaced as soon as possible. Always find myself tucking my arm in to see at least a little bit what goes on behind me.

That's about all I have to complain about during my short riding experience on the R. Other than that I would not consider any other Harley model.

Kinda long reply here but also wanted to introduce myself to the crowd ... oh, I am Austrian but on assignment in Chicago.

Well I like the bike but find the ergos less than desirable. I'm about to embark on a quest to make this bike comfortable enough to be a true sport tourer. That will undoubtedly involve peg relocation (mainly passenger pegs) hiway pegs for rider. Bars that allow a more upright position when desired and mods to the seats. Wish me luck I will keep my progress posted. Hopefully there are some of you out there that are like minded and can benefit from my experiences. Feel free to add any thoughts or suggestions of your own. I'm doing this because I don't want to downgrade to a more conventional cruiser just to keep peace in the family. :banghead:

I am looking for a substantially taller sissy bar (black, if possible) and to move passenger foot pegs forward. I have found parts to change the foot pegs 1 1/4", but that is not enough for my tall wife. The only sissy bar I have found is not much taller than the stock one. Have you had any luck in these areas? Thanks.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! sissy bars and floor boards??? ARGH!!!!!

Ditto.

You know that shivering feeling when someone 'walks over your grave?' well I just had one reading that... :(

Must admit though, knowing my passenger's not comfortable often has a marked effect on my owon comfort.

Personally, I've found the R to be acceptably comfortable, whereby only a seat-change would be needed to make it definitely so. I wouldn't change the footpeg position; being able to swap weight from my backside to my feet and so forth on long journeys is a major plus-point with the rear-set pegs. Also, unless there's a strong headwind, 90mph is fine for a highway cruising speed.

Totally agree re the pod - it's well dodgy where it's placed. Don't like it. A 10deg lift in mounting angle would hardly change the look and make a whole load of difference in readability.

As an aside, had the Metzes fitted today and have done 150 or so miles of corner-carving. Will report findings in another thread.

ops

I put the touring windshield on my R, have almost 1,000 miles on it in windy West Texas. I now have more weight on my wrists without the wind pushing me back. After riding sport bikes, have learned to scoot as far forward in the seat as possible. That relieves my wrists and the stock seat is not that bad for me. Haven't done any 500 + miles in a day yet but will soon. I am 6' 3" and have to rest my feet on the pegs with the peg nearest my heel otherwise too much bend for my knees. I find the comfort of the bike so far quite good. :ride:

When the R was introduced I knew it was the bike for me, BUT the seat was unbearable and mirrors useless. $600.00 later I have a comfortable Corbin seat. $200.00 later I removed the stock mirrors and installed bar end CRG mirrors. These mirrors give the bike a lower look and they work. The pod position does not concern me. My wife has not been on the Corbin yet but should be a big improvement over the stock seat.

Hello,
I have done the following so far on my R for comfort.
#1 an internal gel pad installed into the stock seat.
I rode 10 hours to sturgis without, back with it. It
was noticably better, maybe 33% less pain.
#2 This winter I swapped the Stock bars for Sportster
bars. So far so good. forward lean is less and less weight
on my rists. I have not put enough miles yet to know for
sure. Now its about the same as my Concours was.
#3 I made a simple adapter to Raise the "pod" 2" above
the bar and tilted towards my face. Much more readable,
Im undecided about the appearance, but Im not really
concered what others notice.
#4 I raised the stock mirrors by about 2" with an extension that included a Ram mount style "bulb" in the
center. It works well for rear view and gps mount.

No luck on the highway pegs yet, they may not be needed with the higher riding position. I plan on getting the newest touring windshield, but want to see it mounted
on a bike first. Maybe It wont be tall enough with my more
upright position.

Im ready for the riding season. Nothing was bad for the
first year, I just wanted a bit more comfort here and there for the long rides.

I have pics posted at www.handigadgets.com/vrscr/1.jpg through 8.jpg

(I have a few extra of the luggage carrier "nacelles" I used for the t-bag if any have an interest.
I have about $40 a set into them.)

I am looking for a substantially taller sissy bar (black, if possible) and to move passenger foot pegs forward. I have found parts to change the foot pegs 1 1/4", but that is not enough for my tall wife. The only sissy bar I have found is not much taller than the stock one. Have you had any luck in these areas? Thanks.

You can remove those 4 plugs and put passenger pegs down on the swing arm like the rest of the V-Rods. You just have to come up with a way to get the peg around the pipe on the right side.

blhandi:

Very nice work. I sent you a PM on the luggage rack mounts.

Fred

blhandi, how did those mirror ext. work for you? Where did you find them?

Thanx
Tim

Itatkinson,
The mirror ext work very well for increasing rear viewing. I could not find a taller mirror in the catalogs I have. I have since learned that HD has extensions, I dont have the number. I made the extensions I use because I wanted the Ram GPS mount to go closer to my sight. A crude sketch is posted at
www.handigadgets.com/vrscr/1160.jpg
Brian

I also have been working on getting my R more comfortable for myself and my wife. I have a Buell XB12R that I use at the track and in the twistes so for me the R is my long distance bike. At first I installed the Harley Sundowner seat however, I did not like it and now have a Corbin seat with passenger back rest. I love this seat. I have been working on moving the passenger pegs forward as the stock set up has them too high and back for my wife. She did not like the stock set up and did not want to ride. Sooo..I wanted to but on hard bags and installed Corbin bags which has hardware to move the passenger pegs forward. My wife likes this much better however, I have on order a Quad T exhaust which will allow me to relocate the foot pegs to the swing arm. I also installed Flanders handle bars and I now love this bike. It is fast handles great and stops with two fingers.


oh one last thing I bought a pair of Works performance Racer Shocks (with the piggy reservior) these are excellent shocks. The issue is when I installed the Corbin bags I had to go back to the stock Harley shocks as the shocks do not fit with the bags (bummer)! The Works Performance shocks have a a 1000 miles on them....I am looking to sell them for half of what I bought them for. If anyone is interested let me know.

Blhandi
Can we see a picture of the Garmin using the Ram and extension?
Thanks

and now have a Corbin seat with passenger back rest. I love this seat. Sooo..I wanted to but on hard bags and installed Corbin bags which has hardware to move the passenger pegs forward. My wife likes this much better however.

Is the passenger section of the seat better than the Sundowner?
AND
Are the bags easily removable if you want to go with the bare bike look?

i am interested in the shocks johnbran pm me

You may want to try Offset Extensions by Kuryakyn. They will allow you to move the passenger pegs forward and also outward away from the bike. I have an extra set if you are interested. Also, Harley is now selling passenger floor boards in black (b) and silver (A). If you don't want to spend a fortune for a new seat, Butt Buffer can take a stock seat and pillion and put their polymer type material inside your seat.

Is the passenger section of the seat better than the Sundowner?
AND
Are the bags easily removable if you want to go with the bare bike look?

Regardin the passenger section of the seat. The Harley back rest did not give my wife good support for her back It was angled backwards and I think was to close to the seat...plus with the high foot rest position (it is like a sport bike for the passenger back there!) it was not comfortable for her. The seat was alright it was more the position of the backrest and foot pegs she did not like. I think the seating positions are all a matter of personal comfort and what you are coming from. Our crusing bike before was a Road King...so going to the R for her was NOT a comfortable switch:D I loved it! So that is why I have been making the changes to the bike to improve the comfort for her.

Regarding the Corbin saddle bags. They are held on by four nuts that screw into a bracket that is bolted on to the bike. Removing the four nuts and bags is very start forward. I'm not so sure that what you are left with is a "clean" look with the brackets left behind. Removing the brackets would be a pain. You can look at the bracket on the Corbin website,they have the installation instructions.

Blhandi
Can we see a picture of the Garmin using the Ram and extension?
Thanks

A good pic of the ram mount is at
http://www.handigadgets.com/vrscr/2.jpg

I did 60 miles tonight, interstate and twisties. All mods I described in (post 04-06-2006, 05:01) in this thread work great. its nice to loose the habbit of "elbo in" for rearview glance and "chin drop" for speedo glance.

Corbin Seats and Bar end mirrors go a long way toward making the R more comfortable and User Friendly..my 2cents FWIW..

Howdy,

Have increased the comfort somewhat. I put a Corbin Hollywood seat on, Dyna Wide=glide handlebars (needed new clutch & brake hoses), lowered rear an inch with Arlen Ness lowering kit. Am in process of converting to to forward controls. I'm 6'1" and felt cramped. I got it last August and now have 11K+ miles on it. Also have the "R" windshield.

Later,
Richard