Just bought a used 05 ST1300 two months ago (jury still out)...think I would be happier on a Interceptor set up for Sport Touring . Reason...My body tends to do better with a little forward lean vs. sit up and beg position on long days.
Looking for someone (around 6'2" 220lbs) who routinely does long days on the Interceptor (250-400 miles) to share your insight on riding position and comfort throughout the day. Also, do you ride 2-up?
Is the Interceptor a idea3.gif idea for Sport Touring or a sad.gif idea.
Please Rate:
Body position...pegs to seat ? Comfort throughout the day ? Fun Factor ?
You are about 1" taller than me, but sound the same otherwise. I own a 5th gen personally, but I figured Id post anyway.
My main 2 complaints, on a stock (ride) bike, is the seat and the handlebars. One of the most common mods are Gen-Mar Risers or the Heli-Bars, both supposedly work VERY well. The seat on a 5th is surprisingly decent for a bike, I think better than the 6th's, but for hauling it should still be replaced.
With enough experience I learned how to minimize the pain in my hands/wrists, but with that the pain just goes elsewhere, and for me, thats my butt. A Sargent will be coming very shortly (handlebars to remain stock).
Fun? Well its been bike of the year so many times it shouldnt even be questioned whether its a fun bike. And the more reliable they are, the more fun they are. Not having to travel long distance and plan for atleast ONE breakdown is a nice feeling. And I bought mine used with 19k! Awesome bikes they are, and LBS is very good.
Some people just don't like the stocker at all. Others, like me must have Japanese style butts because the seat is fine. [Really, if true, my butt is the only Japanese thing about me. The suspension thinks that I ride two up when riding alone.]
I can get about twelve hours of saddle time before I notice the saddle. On the other hand, maybe the Sargent, Corbin, and other saddles really do have 24 hour comfort & I don't know what I am missing.
I am 2" shorter than you but my inseam is 34" and i have pretty long arms for my height. We are the same weight. I have a 5th gen with a Corbin saddle and Heli bars. I love it.
Although I hate ridding the slab the bike is very compfortable at an indicated 80-85, around 6,000 rpm. When you mention sport touring I assume you are talking about two lane touring and in that environment this thing rocks!
Took a nice long ride up the California coast with my stock VFR -- thought I was going to sell it because of my sore back and neck.
Put a Corbin seat on and handlebars from a Hawk GT. Took an even longer ride up to Northern Cal. (I live by LA) and absolutely loved it. I rode 1600 miles in4 days. Changing the seat and bars makes a huge difference.
i am 6 ft 240 and have a 1998.raise the bars up all the way and nove them in 1/2 inch.have rode over 1100 miles 2 times ,from kingman ,arizona to oklahoma city and from montross .colorado to pryor okalhoma.have ridden from oklahoma to gatlinburg 2 times .i am 57 and when i stopped icould have ridden more if necesary.i will never own anything else.
kajinvfr, Jul 29 2006, 11:28 PM i am 6 ft 240 and have a 1998.raise the bars up all the way and nove them in 1/2 inch.have rode over 1100 miles 2 times ,from kingman ,arizona to oklahoma city and from montross .colorado to pryor okalhoma.have ridden from oklahoma to gatlinburg 2 times .i am 57 and when i stopped icould have ridden more if necesary.i will never own anything else.
FWIW, I'm a little shorter and a little lighter than you but, yes, the VFR would make a good sport / tourer IMHO. I'm getting ready to do a 325 mile day in mostly fast twisties. As usual, I'll be a little tired when I get home but mostly from handling the twisties and the constant very high very concentration levels required(mentally challenged, I know, LOL!).
Going in a straight line, your 1300 would likely be better. It's a great bike. Ride a Viffer before you trade. OR, get one of each.
I'm 6'1, my wife is 5'10". We SPORT tour, sometimes with all three hardcases and a tankbag, and I can't imagine a better bike for arriving at a destination then stripping off the luggage and ripping up some curves. Of course you can still rip hard completely loaded up, which I think is quite a testament to how good this bike is.
alex3755, Jul 29 2006, 09:26 PM Just bought a used 05 ST1300 two months ago (jury still out)...think I would be happier on a Interceptor set up for Sport Touring . Reason...My body tends to do better with a little forward lean vs. sit up and beg position on long days.
Does the used ST have risers? If so you could remove and get a bit more forward. Geezer
You guys are all big ass dudes out there. I am the exact size that the VFR was designed for and that is 5'9" at 150 pounds.
With the stock seat and handle bars, at the ripe old age of 61, I just took a short ride from home here in Tennessee to visit my daughter in N.J; a 770 mile trip in 12 hours.
As far as I am concerned, I would not change a thing, it really is the perfect bike for one my size. Oh yeah, I would change one thing, a nice 1000cc engine less V-Tec would be nice.
Last year I missed a 1000 mile day by 75 miles due to tornados and hail in the area.
The bike goes from long hauling to sport touring to Deal's Gapping simply at the change of the road.
In two weeks my friend on a Triumph Tiger and I (on the VFR) will be heading out west and we may just do a 1000 mile iron butt just because it is there. I will be more comfortable than he will. He sits to upright and that puts undo strain on his rear and spinal column.
I can go further on the VFR in one sitting than I could on my ST1100 when I had it.
I own both a VFR and a Yamaha FJR, both with stock seats. I am 6', 220 and am only good for 100 miles at a clip with both bikes before I have to stop to cool the burn. Shortly I am going to go with a Bill Mayer seat on the FJR and am going to swap out the VFR seat with a Corbin figuring that will help to a large degree. The same type of thread is running on the FJR forum right now because a guy feels that he is more comfortable in the tucked position on a sportbike as opposed to the "sit and beg" position. I think its more a function of your body type and the seat as opposed to the riding position.
Im 6'4" tall and 185lbs. I ride a 99 VFR800, when I ride in the proper position the bike is very comfortable, but as I get slouchy on it, I become cramped. I could do 400 miles on it but Id be hurting bad by the time I got off.
I do not like the stock seat because I end up squishing my berries on the gas tank too often, a seat that keeps you slightly back off the tank would be ideal, but then you really need some taller more swept back bars.
If I were going to set up my VFR for long comfortable rides, I would get some convertibars and a Seargent or Corbin seat, and some adjustable foot pegs, with this I could tailor my bike to my dimensions and I bet I could ride all day long comfortably.
Joebroni, Jul 29 2006, 06:33 PM You are about 1" taller than me, but sound the same otherwise. I own a 5th gen personally, but I figured Id post anyway.
My main 2 complaints, on a stock (ride) bike, is the seat and the handlebars. One of the most common mods are Gen-Mar Risers or the Heli-Bars, both supposedly work VERY well. The seat on a 5th is surprisingly decent for a bike, I think better than the 6th's, but for hauling it should still be replaced.
With enough experience I learned how to minimize the pain in my hands/wrists, but with that the pain just goes elsewhere, and for me, thats my butt. A Sargent will be coming very shortly (handlebars to remain stock).
Fun? Well its been bike of the year so many times it shouldnt even be questioned whether its a fun bike. And the more reliable they are, the more fun they are. Not having to travel long distance and plan for atleast ONE breakdown is a nice feeling. And I bought mine used with 19k! Awesome bikes they are, and LBS is very good.
I do some long weekends - last one was Laguna Seca and I put in nearly 1000 miles, most of which was getting there and back. I'm shorter than you at 5'-10", I've added Helibars to reduce the lean, other than that I can't complain about comfort. -Chris
It certainly CAN be done. Is it ideal? Probably not.
I just returned very, very this morning from running a SaddleSore 1000. I've changed the seat, and added some bags. Next on the shopping list are Heli Bars. I've gotten used to using the VFR as a sport touring vehicle, but it is not a pure Sport Tourer. As discussed on this board time and again, the VFR is a terrific all-arounder. If you had to have just one bike...
Another thought - the chain will require much more maintenance and attention than a shaft drive (or belt) will. No biggie on paper, but if you're sport touring, you're doing your adjustments every day or few days. I've never had to adjust a chain twice in a 24hour period before, but logging the miles will do it.
Six foot, 190 lbs and avg. 400 mile days of very much SPORT riding on my 02 VFR which is just under 40,000 miles. Sargent seat and heli bars a must, heated grips, heated jacket liner, socks and I ride year round from in the 20's to 100's deg. If your the SPORT side of touring, the VFR is a winner, on the Touring side I would get a New Wing over the ST, much more sporting capability than the ST IMO(aka Yellow Wolf). my $.02 beer.gif
6' and much, er, larger than you. 50,000 miles on an 02 with a max day of 700+ miles (stock seat/bars). 700 is a bit much, but 500 a day is no problem. I've done nearly 8000 miles in two weeks on my cross-country trip a few years back.
I had been considering getting a FJR/ST to do for extended Sport Touring, but after my recent 5 day Sierra trip I have decided my 5 gen VFR fits the bill pretty well. See trip report on this site. In fact I was so happy with the bike and the soft bags that I have deferred any thoughts of going to a bigger bike for solo twisty trips.
[image: IPB Image]
Typically I plan on 300 miles a day in the back country with about 400 miles at the high end. With this distance I am fine. At 6 feet/215, I find the bike's fit just about right. I still use the stock screen, bars and seat. May get an aftermarket seat and heated grips next trip to the high country but would rather have a radar detector. If I am doing lots of slabs/straight lining I opt for my Wing, which is all I use for two up. There can only be one in this environment.
Keep your ST and buy a used VFR and have it all!!!
Shorter, bigger. I have 45K miles on my '02. Stock bars & seat. The bike is great for every kind of road - slab to twisties to the occaisional dirt - and can go for 600 mile days no problem. The sport part is what is best though.
Thanks everyone for your input. Love these forums....kinda of like talking to your wifes ex-husband first....before you marry her next.
After 19 replies....Here is what I know:
Body position -- Everyone from 5'7" to 6'4" say "OK to body position"....IntAceptor says, "I'm too fat" ohmy.gif
Comfort -- Let's see....My wrist will hurt.....My hands will hurt....My butt will hurt...but I will get over it all...eventually. Or spend the $700 and get the seat and Helibars and get over it real quick. For Monkey Butt....gscott says buy an Alaskan Leather seat cover
Fun Factor -- Sounds like my wife will have to wipe the grin off my face at night.
2-up Concern -- Remedy.....Let her fill both side bags and add a Givi trunk for her luggage while I can suffice with tankbag on a 10 day trip. Everyone's happy!
Lastly...DBrazeau....Suggested not to leave home without a wrench to adjust the chain frequently on trips. Big deal or not a big deal or just a nuisance?
alex3755, Aug 1 2006, 02:47 AM Suggested not to leave home without a wrench to adjust the chain frequently on trips. Big deal or not a big deal or just a nuisance?
Tool kit under the seat comes with everything you need to adjust the chain. I do mine when necessary but I check it every 500 miles when I lube it. Doing it is simple... loosten one bolt, adjust with spanner, tighten bolt.
I'll take VFR chain maintenance over ST shaft-jacking any day. Honda-brand chain lube turns to gel over night. I always spray the chain at the end of the day. Rear wheel stays clean. No adjustment needed between 4,000-mile oil changes, but I don't wheelie or abuse the chain.
I'm 1.85 and 95 kilo's and my girlfirend 1.80 and 85 kilo's (big girl) We love our vtec. use stock seat and handlebars but have a fully adjustable WP suspension setup. Guess why. Use the vtec both on of the track and love ST. Just been on a two week trip around spain wich was 8.000 km in two weeks on all kind of roads (but mostly twisties in the mountains off course) also have the hardbags mounted (all three) and a Oxford tankbag.
No problem, would not want another bike, except the earlier mentioned 1000 cc version. This is my second vtec the first one got stolen. last year we've been to italy with it en '07 we'll be going to the Northcape and back through the baltic states. No BMW GS for us!!!
alex3755, Jul 31 2006, 08:47 PM After 19 replies....Here is what I know:
Great summary.
What I got out of this discussion is that the whole bars/seat issue is highly subjective and depends more on distance than physique. I found the stock bars to be great for a day trip but not more. Tried Gen-Mar risers that were great for a couple of 600-mile days but not more. Convertibars cover everything but are only worth the money if your trip is in weeks rather than days. Same story with changing the factory seat.
If I had a bigger garage (and unlimited cash) I would leave Interceptor stock and add a K1200GT, V-Strom, Griso and Ruckus to cover the points on the sport-touring spectrum that Interceptor doesn't fully cover. But I'd still probably ride Interceptor more than the others...
Havagan, Jul 31 2006, 11:22 PM Tool kit under the seat comes with everything you need to adjust the chain. I do mine when necessary but I check it every 500 miles when I lube it. Doing it is simple... loosten one bolt, adjust with spanner, tighten bolt.
Hav
In point of fact, I've adjusted the chain on my '02 3 times in the 20,000 miles I've ridden it. If you run them a wee bit on the loose side of spec and keep them well lubed (I know, I know, it's a "sealed" chain, I lube the snot out of it anyway - Maxima Chain Wax every 400 miles or so) adjustments should be needed only infrequently.
As to comfort, I'm 6'6", 240 (mas o menos), 36" inseam, and in my early 50s. In stock form I had minor issues with my wrists, knees, and monkey butt. I've since lowered the pegs (Buell) raised the bars (Gen-Mar), replaced the seat (Sargent), and installed a throttle lock (Throttle Meister). With this set up I'm a happy camper after 500 mile days (I typically do them in 100 to 150 mile blocks - with 10 minute water and fuel top-up breaks between segments). Where I live there's no way to sweeten it. You have to ride 300+ miles of nothing but straights to get to any fun roads. The (modded) VFR gets me there in good shape and is a blast to ride when I arrive.
I am not as big a you, but I have a long upper body so maybe my information is pertinent.
My 02 is for sport touring and sport riding. It does both with exceptional results. I haven't found a need for Helibars or Genmar risers but on a 6 Gen bike the stock seat can cripple a man in short order. I chose a Corbin seat and my butt and "the boys" thank me every time I pass 300kms on a ride. When the number start hitting 900 -1000 kms the rump knows it, but I'm still go to go, if need be.
I have GIVI E41 hardbags with a GIVI V46 topbox installed and I use a tankbag. Since I always ride solo on the VFR the hauling capacity is huge. The side bags do catch some wind but not enough to worry about, mainly a gas mileage issue rather than handling, twisty roads are very doable with bags installed. I also have a Throttlemiester to easy right arm strain.
This year I did a 4500km, 6 day ride through the Mt St Helens and Mt Hood area. This was my 3 or 4th extended trip on the 02 and continues to be a joy to ride. Sure more power would always be welcome, but the VFR meets or exceeds virtually all of my touring and sport riding needs. Friends on FJR's are faster, but you can't ride at 200+ KMH for very long anyway. So the flick-ability and comfort of my VFR make the choice obvious for me. [image: IPB Image] Ride 1.JPG
Just got a new one...rode 1200 km in 2 days..I wouldnt change anything!! But be sure this is what you want..I bought it to get a bike where my head was out in clean air all the time..no more #$%%%^$^& with windscreens and buffetting crap! And I wanted more sportbike ergo's.. I got what i wanted..Plus because i can take weight off my spine leaning ahead, or move up to the tank and sit upright..,move around a lot on the seat.. this has turned out to be the first bike i ever owned that my butt is totally happy!! Love the seat!
After fiddlin with every bike I ever bought to make it more, comfy, less wind, less arm pressure, etc, etc...this time I just left it alone and after the first hour it fits great! I have done bar raising thing, the big windscreen, etc. I Finally i realized what a waste of$$ and how could keep being so dumb and keep buying something that needed all that done? so this time I just tried it longer and got used to it..and now I love it. On my last bike the bar raisers just increase my height over the window and i needed a bigger window, then I got into all the buffetting crap.then of course i was in that almost situp/lean position...never ended..I figure if you want to sit upright, just buy a cruiser or get a Vstrom ( I did) and be real comfy and still handle. Im 5.9 and I wouldnt change anything . The only mod I made is i bought a decent helmet that fits! smile.gif
Give it a try before you spend any $$ It will be quite a diff ergos from the st, thats for sure.
good luck!!
Nitro
Cdn Arctic, Aug 3 2006, 09:34 AM I am not as big a you, but I have a long upper body so maybe my information is pertinent.
My 02 is for sport touring and sport riding. It does both with exceptional results. I haven't found a need for Helibars or Genmar risers but on a 6 Gen bike the stock seat can cripple a man in short order. I chose a Corbin seat and my butt and "the boys" thank me every time I pass 300kms on a ride. When the number start hitting 900 -1000 kms the rump knows it, but I'm still go to go, if need be.
I have GIVI E41 hardbags with a GIVI V46 topbox installed and I use a tankbag. Since I always ride solo on the VFR the hauling capacity is huge. The side bags do catch some wind but not enough to worry about, mainly a gas mileage issue rather than handling, twisty roads are very doable with bags installed. I also have a Throttlemiester to easy right arm strain.
This year I did a 4500km, 6 day ride through the Mt St Helens and Mt Hood area. This was my 3 or 4th extended trip on the 02 and continues to be a joy to ride. Sure more power would always be welcome, but the VFR meets or exceeds virtually all of my touring and sport riding needs. Friends on FJR's are faster, but you can't ride at 200+ KMH for very long anyway. So the flick-ability and comfort of my VFR make the choice obvious for me. [image: IPB Image] Ride 1.JPG
alex3755, Jul 31 2006, 06:47 PM Lastly...DBrazeau....Suggested not to leave home without a wrench to adjust the chain frequently on trips. Big deal or not a big deal or just a nuisance? Thanks again everyone for your input!!!
Nitronorth, Aug 3 2006, 04:04 PM Just got a new one...rode 1200 km in 2 days..I wouldnt change anything!! But be sure this is what you want..I bought it to get a bike where my head was out in clean air all the time..no more #$%%%^$^& with windscreens and buffetting crap!
I have spent more time screwing with my Goldwing Windshield than the my VFR. And after my 100+ degree ride to Laguna on my Wing I had to put in a vent. Previously I had to cut a strip off the top but still have buffeting and still experimenting. Love that VFR!
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End of thread · 30 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 19 Oct 2006