How to make the ride comfortable for a 6'6' rider?

[kk4dbi]

Hi all. First off I want to say that I fit on the bike and can ride it for a good 70 miles before getting real sore on my rumpkiss. But I do have my legs go out at kind of an odd angle while stopped and my knees come close to the front of the tank while riding. I find that I sit way to the rear of the seat instead of the center where most butts are supposed to settle. I was wondering if anyone had experience 1. With aftermarket seats for tall riders or 2. Had experience with raising the bike a few inches and how to do so. I love this forum thanks for any advise.

[Gz Rider]

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[JWR]

Hi all. First off I want to say that I fit on the bike and can ride it for a good 70 miles before getting real sore on my rumpkiss. But I do have my legs go out at kind of an odd angle while stopped and my knees come close to the front of the tank while riding. I find that I sit way to the rear of the seat instead of the center where most butts are supposed to settle. I was wondering if anyone had experience 1. With aftermarket seats for tall riders or 2. Had experience with raising the bike a few inches and how to do so. I love this forum thanks for any advise.



Burkebuilds reworked his seat to make it about the same height as the rear.

Other than homemade, there is no after market seats for the GZ.

[kk4dbi]

Thanks all I am investigating some way to lift the rear of the bike an inch or two with some aftermarket shocks i'll post if I end up doing it. If it's not a bother could someone direct me to the user who modified his seat, I would like to check out his method.

[Gz Rider]

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[mrlmd1]

If you just raise the rear an inch or so you will affect the handling of the bike - figure out how to raise the seat height. You can try a pad under your butt, just attach it well so it won't slide around.

[Water Warrior 2]

Raising the rear 1 inch with longer shocks will change the handling a bit but I would get too excited and expect a drastic effect. That in conjunction with a raised/remodelled seat may do the trick for a taller rider. I would also be thinking of slightly taller bars as long as the cables still work or get longer cables and taller bars to really get a good fit. The taller bars will offer more knee room and a more comfy reach for the arms. A taller seat will offer a better position for long legs.

[mrlmd1]

I would keep this bike as is for a while 'till you gain more experience riding, then start to look around for a slightly larger bike that fits you better. Modding this one (GZ) may lower it's resale value and I'm sure you will be looking for a bigger bike someday.
I moved up to a Suzuki S50 from this one and you may really like that, but there are many to think about and try on and that's half the fun.

[Water Warrior 2]

If you do decide to trade up to a larger more comfy bike there is another good alternative from Suzuki. After you have developed some skills and confidence of course. Take a look at the Suzuki Vstrom 650. It is probably the tallest bike for the buck and as reliable as a rock. A bucket full of aftermarket products to make it just right or ride as is.
The second generation of the 650 is out for 2012 so you may find some pre 2012 models going for a reasonable price on the used market. Do some lurking on Stromtroopers.com to get an idea of the bike and it's abilities. Whether commuting or touring with it packed like a rented mule it will work very well.

[kk4dbi]

Thank you everyone for your feedback!