New bike or can the S1000rr be made comfortable?

As I'm now getting on a bit I'm thinking I would like something a bit less aggressive in terms of riding position but before I take the plunge and change the bike I wondered anyone had fitted any different bars and foot rests to their bike to make it more comfortable. I love everything about my bike but having riden a bike with straight bars and less cramped in the leg I felt so much better once off the bike hence my questions, If I can keep my existing bike with some mods it would be ideal.

Any thoughts?

Ac schnitzer do a flat bar conversion.
Gilles make clipon bar risers.
BMW do a comfort, raised, seat.
Many rearsets allow you to adjust the peg height.

World is your oyster in terms of adjustment

- Alex

alex said:

Ac schnitzer do a flat bar conversion.
Gilles make clipon bar risers.
BMW do a comfort, raised, seat.
Many rearsets allow you to adjust the peg height.

World is your oyster in terms of adjustment


- Alex

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Thanks Alex just to the type of info I was looking for, anybody used any of these, any pics?

Hi, I use Gilles Vario bars and racefoxx footrests set to their lowest position. I?m 54 and full of injuries but personally I think you can get a sportbike more comfortable than a tourer or naked. Skidmarx TT screen and the above are great. Most of the aftermarket rearsets are rebadged chinese and are beautifully made and a sensible price. Vario bars thread here. https://s1000rrforum.co.uk/showthread.php?14093-Gilles-variobar-help-please
Raised mine by 80mm at grip centres. My tourer is certainly less comfortable than my S1000RR, 1098 or TL1000R as it puts too much weight on your arse and lower back. Vario thread with pics here. Jamie

Is there any modifications to do when fitting these vario bars?? Extra length brake / clutch lines ?? I've just done a 2 day Lake district tour and my average speed over the 2 days was 30mph.. needless to say my neck and wrists took a hammering.. my mates were on naked bikes so they lapped up the miles.. so this is a mod I'm interested in .

JamieMac said:

Hi, I use Gilles Vario bars and racefoxx footrests set to their lowest position. I?m 54 and full of injuries but personally I think you can get a sportbike more comfortable than a tourer or naked. Skidmarx TT screen and the above are great. Most of the aftermarket rearsets are rebadged chinese and are beautifully made and a sensible price. Vario bars thread here. https://s1000rrforum.co.uk/showthread.php?14093-Gilles-variobar-help-please
Raised mine by 80mm at grip centres. My tourer is certainly less comfortable than my S1000RR, 1098 or TL1000R as it puts too much weight on your arse and lower back. Vario thread with pics here. Jamie

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Do the risers just lift the bar height and alter the angle, can the angle be changed so they are totally flat? Do you have any pics of them fitted and how much they've flattened out your bars?

Roughy how much longer do the pegs give you again just approximately, are we talking about mm or a good few inched?

Thanks for the input

Hi, both brake and clutch cables are fine. They provide stand off posts to raise the top fairing / screen. I wouldn?t bother with the BMW comfort seat as it raises you an inch or so, so you?re back to the same angle. Pics on that vario bar thread i gave you. I got my bars of ebay for ?100+. I can do 600-650 miles a day and I need 2 new hips and used to race so have broken pretty much everything twice inc back. You could also get footpeg plate risers and swap them over ie right for left so they are then lowerers. Valter moto and other manufacturers out there. I just went for the very well made chinese rearsets J

Hi, the varios could be set up like a V if you wanted but I found the best position for me was 1 indentation down from flat. Flat is the wrong angle for your wrists. I?d say the rearsets dropped an inch and back an inch. I?m guessing here as I?m in hospital just having my 4th bollock op in 2 weeks. I?ll search for some pics. That other thread has links to my bar pics. Jamie

sat on an RR with Snitzers fitted at my local dealer was pretty comfy position . was thinking of it my self being 6'2" . but they reckoned it was about a grand for the conversion ...

Put Helibars on mine, made a big difference
Not so much the extra height but the angle.
Flatter seemed to do less damage to my wrists, and as a bonus they cut the vibes slightly

JamieMac said:

Hi, the varios could be set up like a V if you wanted but I found the best position for me was 1 indentation down from flat. Flat is the wrong angle for your wrists. I?d say the rearsets dropped an inch and back an inch. I?m guessing here as I?m in hospital just having my 4th bollock op in 2 weeks. I?ll search for some pics. That other thread has links to my bar pics. Jamie

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Bloody hell Jamie, not a pleasant thought hope it all goes well and thanks for the input, if you can send some pics when you get a chance but no rush.

edzt said:

Put Helibars on mine, made a big difference
Not so much the extra height but the angle.
Flatter seemed to do less damage to my wrists, and as a bonus they cut the vibes slightly

Click to expand...

I rode a mates GSX-S and not only was it more comfy on the wrists with flat bars but also it felt 'easier' to turn the bike in for me so I'd like to achieve both . My unhealed scaphoid really gives me gyp now and I assume it's the angle and weight on my wrist that causes the problem, I didn't feel anything on the GSX-S

toffeeboy said:

My unhealed scaphoid really gives me gyp now and I assume it's the angle and weight on my wrist that causes the problem

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How is your core strength?
I had the same problem, decided to strengthen my core and do sit ups. I managed to totally take the weight off of my wrists and have never looked back.

alex said:

Ac schnitzer do a flat bar conversion.
Gilles make clipon bar risers.
BMW do a comfort, raised, seat.
Many rearsets allow you to adjust the peg height.

World is your oyster in terms of adjustment

- Alex

Click to expand...

My mate has just fitted the Gilles riser bars, BMW comfort seat and rear sets (set low) - hes 6'4 and not very flexible! He loves the bike now. Recons its as comfy as the ZZR1400 he had before it.

He moved from a GS to the RR as the GS was causing back problems - all his weight was vertical on to his arse.

Core strength isn't the best but not bad, the problem isn't just my wrists, it's back and I find the foot rests too high even though I'm not particularly tall they just give me cramp in my thighs. I just want something more comfortable all round, love the S1000rr it's just that over the last 4 years I've found it progressively less and less comfortable - I know the bike hasn't;t changed but old age creeps up!

oldwobbler said:

My mate has just fitted the Gilles riser bars, BMW comfort seat and rear sets (set low) - hes 6'4 and not very flexible! He loves the bike now. Recons its as comfy as the ZZR1400 he had before it.

He moved from a GS to the RR as the GS was causing back problems - all his weight was vertical on to his arse.

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Thanks Alex, I've enquired about a set of Gilles fro sale on this forum, if I can get the rear sets dropped by 3 inches or so that'd work, I don't want the comfort seat as I don't want the bike any taller than it is now

toffeeboy said:

Core strength isn't the best but not bad, the problem isn't just my wrists, it's back and I find the foot rests too high even though I'm not particularly tall they just give me cramp in my thighs. I just want something more comfortable all round, love the S1000rr it's just that over the last 4 years I've found it progressively less and less comfortable - I know the bike hasn't;t changed but old age creeps up!

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The last thing I'd want to do is suggest you don't have an S1K because they are stunning bikes, I've also had two GSA's (equally brilliant) but I find my KTM Superduke R the most comfortable bike I've owned as it has an optimal riding position that seems to equally distribute your weight which means no sore wrists, numb bum or cramped legs. I've never ridden an S1000R but maybe take one out for a test ride and see how that compares for you?

^Burn the heretic!

MacRR said:

The last thing I'd want to do is suggest you don't have an S1K because they are stunning bikes, I've also had two GSA's (equally brilliant) but I find my KTM Superduke R the most comfortable bike I've owned as it has an optimal riding position that seems to equally distribute your weight which means no sore wrists, numb bum or cramped legs. I've never ridden an S1000R but maybe take one out for a test ride and see how that compares for you?

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Having had my S1000RR for coming up 5 years I don't want to part with it, I wouldn't consider a S1000R as I want something with a fairing otherwise an Aprilia Tuono Factory would be sitting in may garage. If I change it needs to be compact, fully faired, quick enough without needing to be mental but. most of all comfy, my friends GSX fitted most parts and the F version gives me the fairing but if at all possible I want to keep my S1K

toffeeboy said:

Having had my S1000RR for coming up 5 years I don't want to part with it, I wouldn't consider a S1000R as I want something with a fairing otherwise an Aprilia Tuono Factory would be sitting in may garage. If I change it needs to be compact, fully faired, quick enough without needing to be mental but. most of all comfy, my friends GSX fitted most parts and the F version gives me the fairing but if at all possible I want to keep my S1K

Click to expand...

KTM Superduke GT. I Love mine, loads of power, wind protection, all day comfort, feels very light, quick ish, oh and I know of 2 short bods selling cheap.