F6B not knee friendly....help

[wjduke]

I find this particular defense of an inanimate object particularly idiosyncratic. So what if he/she blames the bike? For him, it's the most uncomfortable bike he's ever been on, and that's got to be incredibly frustrating when you spend a bunch of your hard earned money on something that's supposed to bring you joy. I can relate. I'm coming from a 2014 Valkyrie, and relative to my 1999 Valkyrie, I found it very ergonomically unfriendly. The F6b is a fantastic machine and fits me much better, but there are definite design trade offs just like anything else. The vibration free horizontally opposed six is a magic engine with a magically low center of gravity. But it also sticks out quite a bit and makes an easy toes forward/knees relaxed cruiser position challenging to attain. If you're comfortable, that's fantastic, and what I wish for all of us. But you being comfortable on your bike doesn't help the poster be comfortable on his.

You kind of missed my point

I'm 5-6 and have to modify every bike to fit me and keep me comfortable. I have a bad back( still recovering from second surgery) and sore knees. I have moved my handlebars back and up, ergo 111 highway pegs and a heartco seat with backrest. To get more of my feet on the ground I lowered it 1 inch. I have also changed the windshield. Bikes are made for an average stature but we are all so different so we need to make them our own.

You made my point

[Verismo]

You kind of missed my point



You made my point

If you say so. I'd say you kinda missed both the poster's and my point. (His being he just wants to be more comfortable. Mine being who cares if he blames the bike.) If he's owned a bunch of other bikes, and he has, and the F6b is the first bike to give him knee problems, then it's fair for him to say it's the bike, especially considering the design trade-offs on the B might be the very thing preventing his knees from being comfortable.

Sounds like he's on his way to some relief with the Ergo's and the seat position, though. I might also be interested in moving the seat back for a better leg position. However, I have Helibars and that would mean putting risers under the Heli's. I've read someone on here doing it, but it seems like the throttle cable would bind on mine if I moved them back anymore. I'll have to take a closer look.

Jason

[Old Ryder]

I will say that it took me quite a bit of trial and error--- AKA, money spent---- to get the bike to fit. Heli bars, peg lowering kit,and custom made seat to get me back and up, all of this to get the bike to fit my 6'1" 250 lbs.

[wjduke]

If you say so. I'd say you kinda missed both the poster's and my point. (His being he just wants to be more comfortable. Mine being who cares if he blames the bike.) If he's owned a bunch of other bikes, and he has, and the F6b is the first bike to give him knee problems, then it's fair for him to say it's the bike, especially considering the design trade-offs on the B might be the very thing preventing his knees from being comfortable.

Sounds like he's on his way to some relief with the Ergo's and the seat position, though. I might also be interested in moving the seat back for a better leg position. However, I have Helibars and that would mean putting risers under the Heli's. I've read someone on here doing it, but it seems like the throttle cable would bind on mine if I moved them back anymore. I'll have to take a closer look.

Jason

I totally get his problem. Maybe this isn't the bike for him. It's common. A lot of guys look for comfort. I'm just saying it's each individual, not the bike. Maybe we're saying the same thing. Not all of us need to make any changes though. I've been here 2 years....handlebars, seats, foot pegs, backrests, wind screens...lordy lordy windscreens. I hope he gets it to his liking. It's a great bike.

[Dave Ritsema]

An Ultimate King seat, Kuryakyn risers and mini boards with the 3/4" drop made a big difference for me in regards to getting my legs straighter and pushed further away from the bars taking more bend out of my knees.

[Freddels]

I have addressed this previously so I hope nobody minds hearing about it again. I too have knee problems and had to sell my ST1300 because of my knees. I thought the F6b would be better so I bought one. After riding a short time my knees were hurting again and I was afraid I would have to sell it until I put on the Kuryakyn II pegs. The pegs saved my riding. Because of them I can sit in about five different positions including lifting the bottom of my butt completely off the seat while pushing hard on the pegs. I'm not concerned about braking because the bike has linked brakes so pulling the brake handle engages both front and back. I only use the pegs when I don't plan on braking anyway. The ability to straighten my legs with the pegs has definitely helped my knees and allowed me to keep riding.https://imgur.com/a/kNdPg

I have an ST1300 and I have a similar problem with it. After riding many hours, my knees are just hurting from being in the same position for so long. There just doesn't seem to be any way of fitting some sort of highway pegs to it. I asked on the ST forum and was told to get a HD b/c this bike wasn't meant for that. Other than that (and no cruise control) I love my ST1300.

With the GW/F6B, the mick o pegs are available and I know people that swear by them.

[willtill]

I think a big part of new rider discomfort on the F6B, is the missed riding position on past bikes.

You have to get used to the new seating position of a Goldwing centric modeled bike.

It takes time, it did for me.... though with with some 3/4" drop adapters it helped me...

[woody]

Trade it in on a Suzuki Bandit. After a few blocks your bum will ache so much you will forget about the pain in your knee's.

[willtill]

Trade it in on a Suzuki Bandit. After a few blocks your bum will ache so much you will forget about the pain in your knee's.

Try a stock DR650 seat. After an hour... you'll feel like you were sitting on a 2x4

[BIGLRY]

Try a stock DR650 seat. After an hour... you'll feel like you were sitting on a 2x4

And on my 09 KLR650 a 2x4 would be a pleasure compared to the 2x2 Kawasaki calls a seat.