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vfr fit?


WlayCo

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Hi all,

 

i have found this forum today and it seems to be perfect place for all my questions :) 

 

I am in love with 6th gen. VFR as most of you are too... The question is, how tall person can ride it?

I am 198cm and almost 130kg. I was even wondering if i can put some higher handle bars and also some higer/longer visor so bike is more user friendly to tall person?

Does any of this make sense? I am not even into fast riding, it would be more used for cruising and touring rides...

What do you think? How tall are you?

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Hi WlayCo,

Welcome to the group. 

The stock suspension is undersprung for your weight - I can relate, being in the 125kg neighborhood (winter weight you understand).  Best thing I did was to respring the suspension.  You will love the chassis even more when it is able to work as designed when sprung correctly.

As for extended controls, I have Helibars (replacement clipons) while others have handlebar conversions.  Any option here will be limited by the fairing opening and the need to have the modified controls swing within that opening.  Lowered pegs are also popular for taller riders.  Just use the forum search for various items and you can be drawn into hours of research here.

Enjoy the V4!

Cheers,

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Thank you very much for fast and kind response! I will definitely read the forum a lot...

So, suspension - OK, helibars - OK, lowered pegs - OK... and how tall are you? :) Do you know other drivers above 195 that are driving VFR?

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Well, I don't consider myself to be short, but you've got about 10cm on me. Still, I become pretty uncomfortable being folded up, so I've taken steps to give myself more room. I lowered my pegs, upgraded my suspension, and raised my bars. Instead of helibars, I shortened my fork tubes to run them flush with the top clamp, then drilled my top clamp for standard bar clamps, which allows me to change bars as I see fit. Also installed longer throttle cables, clutch and brake lines to avoid stress at full lock... Not simple, but not complex overall.

 

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable on this bike at 4 inches taller, but I'm not sure I wouldn't... I've got a long torso and shorter legs for someone my height, and I'm not sure a taller windscreen would help. The stock one blocks the wind from my torso, but I can actually sit up a touch and be above the turbulence easier than I can scrunch down to get out of the wind. I'd save the money on the windscreen and buy a helmet that handles wind well.

 

My next upgrade for comfort is going to be a custom saddle. The stock one is absolutely worthless for a big guy and my Sargent is better, but still not good beyond an hour or two. In hind sight, I wish I'd have done the saddle upgrade before anything else.

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Thank you too for feedback... So, what i am hearing is...if i really want to drive VFR and i am willing to make some small extra effort, i can make him fit for me? If i am right, that is all i needed to hear... I mean, i like that bike, i want that bike so i am going to make it fit for me...don't want to drive some that would be better fit but not to like it... hope you understand my point here... ;)

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I get it... I've got my tastes and not just any bike will do.

 

More than small effort, but I don't think the VFR is going to be much more work than most bikes... they build them for the average guy. Still, the VFR isn't a small bike. 

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I'm 191cm and 91kg. (without riding gear).     In addition to the above you might want to consider  peg lowering blocks.  They make a huge difference on long rides.  They only drop the pegs an inch (I'll let you do that conversion) but it works.  Member Busylittleshop makes them.   I have Heli bars to raise me up some.  Don't forget that being more upright will place more of your weight on the pelvic sit bones which can have its own side effects - particularly if you have the stock saddle.  If you really want to go higher, do a search for Convertibars.  They are more adjustable, but they do require changing the brake and clutch hoses to go higher than Heli's.   Having the suspension tuned will be the best modification  you make to the bike.  It transforms the character of the handling. 

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I'm 5'11", and my Son is 6'3".

I bought my 04 from him, when he stopped riding a couple of years.

It has stock handle bars and a Sargent seat.  I added Grip Puppies.

I also added Race-Tech front springs for my weight as soon as bought the bike.

He told me that for him, it's  4 Hour bike, and my D-I-L said she was uncomfortable after an hour.

At my height, and weight (185lbs), I find the bike to be all-day comfortable.

I rode it from CA to MA shortly after I bought it, and had a blast.

 

Steve

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If you go for a VFR Givi makes touring windscreens that raise the wind hitting ones head right above the chin bar on me. I'm 5ft 6in (1701 mm). I find it decreases wind noise, keeps me drier in the rain and increases my gas mileage by 10%.

The Givi D2175 is for 2002 - 2011 VFRs and the D200S, which I have, is for 1998 - 2001.  

I once had a fifth gen with Heli bars and peg lowering blocks, mentioned above, and it resulted in a much more upright position in the saddle.

Good luck.

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