Of Balls, Bars and Bungs...

Well I've had an interesting weekend... a month after getting my bike the steep learning curve has reared it's good/bad/ugly head.

Lesson 1: Motorbikes are heavy. If you try to turn at low speed you will need to apply power. If you do not they will tend to fall over. Very reliably in fact.

Subset of lesson 1: R&G make good crash protectors. Also, minor bike parts are cheap.

Lesson 2: Men have dangly bits which, when wearing gear, have a tendency to get squished - especially when one leans forward to adopt a more exciting riding style. These things also seem to get worse with time, particularly after one has passed a motorway exit thinking "it'll be fine"...

Lesson 3: Being 5' 4" I think I need to get a handlebar comfort kit. I mean, I CAN ride for an hour without stopping, but then I NEED to stop. Not good in intractable traffic...

Most certainly all you on this forum will have learnt these lessons (well some will have missed out on lesson 2) but I thought I'd share my experiences - you may now laugh. But it's ok, cos I still love my SV

LOl, how doo matey

Yep i`ve learnt lesson 1 & 3 and can advocate the comfort kit. PS: Sorry bout your dangly bits

Yeah, i have done 1,2, and 3 btw as well

Hehe nice post! I have been riding my SV exactly one week...I have experienced lesson 1 and 2. Lesson 2 as a result of lesson 1, not so much, I picked her up but I wouldn't say she was light as a feather! Welcome to the madhouse

I must admit MYC that no sooner had lesson 1 commenced a very large and very friendly cornish lad jumped out of his car and raised both my bike and my spirits. Amazing! Though I can't claim to have picked up my bike by myself... yet. Doubtless the time will come! Lol Claire, thanks, they will survive to ride another day - Long term concerns are still present, however.

How dooooooo mr bluefish!! No shame in #3, all of us have lower backs and half have balls (well actual real balls) - protecting our assets one might say In all seriousness I think the kit has gotta be done, It's just so fun to ride that I will strive to make it more practical

Mad...house...or...mad...home...

Point 3 sounds a bit odd to me, as I've ridden with smaller and taller riders and neither seem to have the problems you're describing. What sort of pain are you feeling, as there may be simple cheap options like adjusting the lever position worth exploring first.

Orose, I get lower back pain after being on the bike for an hour or so. I think the SV riding position is great, I can sit almost completely upright in traffic and not straighten my arms completely or get right down on the tank for the quick bits, or anywhere in between. Problem is I would love to be able to get completely upright so I can stretch out my back while riding on those long journeys and I just can't quite get that far up! A matey down the road is about 5' 6" and has an SVS and it fits him perfectly - maybe I've just got short arms

I've read that I can swing the clip-ons towards me a bit, but what I really need is towards me and up!

Seriously though, suggestions would be great - Recently I keep asking myself if I should sell up and get something more comfy but then I get on the SV, ride it, and all those stupid thoughts go away!

Maybe I should just MTFU.

Lesson 1 Subset 2 - when wheeling the bike about over uneven ground (down off a slightly raised garage floor for example), make sure the side stand is up. Or it will catch on the floor. You will lose balance. The bike will fall over. You will feel like a pr@tt.

Re lesson 2 - you need better underwear to properly sort the angle of the dangle. Although, that said, I sit fairly far forward (I'm a bit off a short@rse too) and I have suffered squishage under heavy braking.

Can't comment on Lesson 3

I am 5' 4" (and 1/10th) and ride from here (Morecambe) to Southampton (270ish miles) without any pain in my back. (I ride a K5 SVs)
I have ongoing back problems anyway but if I wear my back protector it seems to help my back pain so I can ride them miles without bother.
I do not have raised bars or the like. I just ride 1 handed whenever possible as this gives me chance to straighten my back out.