any 5'7"ish riders who've adjusted handlebars?

[Tiger_Lily]

Hi there!

New sv650 owner here :D very excited about the new bike.

I'm coming from a little cruiser and have a feeling that the new riding style will take a little getting used to. Noticed though, riding home last night, that my throttle hand/arm got a bit tingly and I guessed I'm probably putting too much weight on it.

Wondering if anyone's (around my height) adjusted their handlebars?

Any suggestions/advice much appreciated.

Thanks. :)

[Troy]

Hmm... Another Oregonian on a UK forum, interesting!

At 5'11 and 210 pounds, I found myself putting a lot of weight on my wrists as well. Once I realized I was doing it, I managed to "fix" it a little bit just by changing the way I rode when commuting: Scoot up real snug to the gas tank and sit up a little straighter, relax the hands a bit. I actually felt more secure and way more comfortable on the bike by doing this, and rode a little better as a result.

This is a good forum, someone will come along shortly with a good tip on adjusting the handlebars though.

-Troy

[Tiger_Lily]

hey -- where in OR are you? any chance you have an owner's manual you might want to loan me for a couple weeks? :)

just bought my SV yesterday, private party, but no manual w/ it... kinda want to look it over

[Larry]

You'll soon get used to the new riding position if you're anything like me; it just takes a few days/rides to adjust properly to a new bike. My last new bike was horrible over long distance at first but after a couple of weeks it felt at least as comfy as the SV ever did :)

[Troy]

hey -- where in OR are you? any chance you have an owner's manual you might want to loan me for a couple weeks? :)
I'm in Hillsburrito, just outside Portland, probably 5 hours from Ashland on I-5, I'm thinking?

I actually don't have the "owner's manual". I bought a service manual from Clymer, I think it was about $30. Here's one example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Clymer-Service-Manual-for-Suzuki-SV650-1999-2002-NEW_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247 QQcategoryZ38663QQihZ005QQitemZ150265451060QQrdZ1Q QsspagenameZWD1V It's a pretty decent manual, lots of pictures, diagrams, and descriptions. But, there's a cheaper router these days. If you have a Bittorrent client, you can download the manual in PDF format using this: http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/4119932/Suzuki_SV650_service_manuals_1999-2002.4119932.TPB.torrent

I'm not sure how legal that is or not, so I won't comment. But a private message might get faster results?

[MiniMac]

I'm just about 5 ft 6 and have just tilted the levers down slightly. You have to be careful though, as if you tilt the clutch lever down too much, it catches on the bikini fairing when the bars lock to the right.

[Pwalo]

Well this is an international forum. I assume you've got the S model? If you do, you can adjust your levers down slightly as already suggested. I'm 5'6", and the S is pretty spot on with this adjustment.

It will take you a bit of time to get used to the new riding position (I found it a bit strange after my GS500), but once you get used to gripping the tank with your knees, and relaxing your shoulders and arms you'll find things slot into place.

If you've got the naked SV you can always slacken the handlebar mounting bolts and slide the bar backwards or forwards to suit.