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My body also demanded over the years that I mutate my 98 Honda VTR1000F (Superhawk) into a sport tourer by finding first Helibar, then some adjustable Italian followed by Moto 3D adjustable clipons that are almost 3" up and 1.5" back with more sweep. I also installed the excellent MFW Vario adjustable footpegs that are about .75" lower and .625 forward. I've modified my ancient Sargent saddle 2 times more to my liking.
However, as my cervical and lumbar disc's degraded even more (after a high speed bicycle incident with / by another bicyclist), severe stenosis, bulging and slippage that my neck and lower back could not tolerate forced me onto a leftover 15 FJ-09 in 16. Yet while a proverbial comparative couch, I still needed to go to Renthal Street Naked bars, a Sargent and now also adjustable footpegs. Yet the higher FJ-09 saddle still forces me to mount and dismount by stepping up on the left footpeg like one uses the stirrup to mount a horse.
The contrast between the two fastest red steeds was highlighted even more just last night when, after eliminating some of the spaghetti like wiring and 5 inline fuses abd a +/- buss distribution bar that went back to the early 2000s under the saddle with a FZ-1 Fuzeblock, and being just about ready to replace my antique incandescent spot driving lights with LED, I took the VTR out last night for a shake down run.
Where it was a gorgeous night and the Ole VTR was glorious and so much lower (I can swing my leg over) quicker, torqueyer and sneaky faster than the FJ, I felt like a Gorilla on a 16-inch bicycle!
It seemed the back of my thighs and calves were touching and feet were radically up if not too much more rearward, and my hands of course a fair bit lower, forward and closer together. Yet I managed, and reveled in the boom, bark and on rushing road felt at speed, where though I still was not quite acclimated back to the handling, it was almost telepathic, needing only slight counter steeri
ng input and lean to promote comparatively significant turn in and bending sprightly through tight or more open sweepers.
I only did 64 miles and after my lumbar fusion a year ago almost exactly (!) and my cervical disc repair on hold because both my shoulder rotator cuff repairs failed and myst be redone; we'll just have to see how far I can tolerate my VTR however much I hope I can rekindle our affair.
The FJ won't mind, just as my RD400 has had to bide its time.
Yep he's (with 4 grown women in my immediate family, testosterone is needed to balance things out, so all 4 of my steeds by definition are guys) a slippery fella who demands to look good going out!
How many 111k + mile original everything VTRs are out there let alone one that has kept his Cary Grant looks? OK I'm dating myself. Make him a George Clooney look alike. 😎
Last edited by skokievtr; Aug 17, 2022 at 04:26 PM.
Back in the day, The Yellow Menace AHRMA race team...Motto was, "If you can't be good, look good!" Well, we looked pretty good. Garnered a trophy from Bob Goodpaster, Chief Roadrace Scrutineer, (RIP John) for "Best Prepared and Looking Bikes Presented At Tech." It might have helped that we placed a cigar on the seat of each bike at tech. John liked cigars!!
Damn 111kmi?! Impressive stuff, and she still looks good! I’m just curious if you recommend/approve of the tank pads/grippers on the outer sides? Do they provide a noticeable improvement when going hard(er) through the twisties? I’ve been considering adding them on my bike but haven’t done so just yet…
Damn 111kmi?! Impressive stuff, and she still looks good! I’m just curious if you recommend/approve of the tank pads/grippers on the outer sides? Do they provide a noticeable improvement when going hard(er) through the twisties? I’ve been considering adding them on my bike but haven’t done so just yet…
I have tank grips on all my bikes. The more sporty the ergos the more they're needed. Gripping the tank your thighs while braking keeps the weight of your wrists so you can keep your elbows loose.
They can make hanging off easier if your into that, for me even on the track I rarely did so very far off.
I first made my own from an very early Techspec snake skin blank. I sent to them the pattern and they sent me
a free set in gratitude so they may have a kit available
Now I have a set I cut from a StompGrip blank I like more because it's aggressive
I guess I could scan my templates and save them a a Jpeg.
But yes get a set. Take it from a grumpy semi old man.
God Bless you sir. We all love finding those mint low/no mile bikes and cars but it's really nice to see someone riding the **** out of something (AND take care of it too!). I have 343k miles on my Toyota but to see that kind of mileage on a bike (and a Superhawk at that, not some big touring bike) is very impressive. Congrats.
When I sold my mint '01 FZ1 years ago it only had around 5k miles on it and you could eat off the underside of it. Guy who bought it cannonballed back and forth from Florida to California countless times to see his daughter and last time I saw it a few years back it was a bit worse for wear and had like 50k miles on it. He apologized but even my OCD self didn't care and was happy he had gotten so much good use out of. I actually came across it locally recently on Offerup and contacted him. He's since decided to keep it forever and has completely redone the bike haha.
God Bless you sir. We all love finding those mint low/no mile bikes and cars but it's really nice to see someone riding the **** out of something (AND take care of it too!). I have 343k miles on my Toyota but to see that kind of mileage on a bike (and a Superhawk at that, not some big touring bike) is very impressive. Congrats.
If my health had not forced me to get something more upright, I'd have this many more miles on my beloved VTR...and that's not considering I've only been able to ride sparingly since 2017.
After may last 3 surgeries in 7 months and 2 more procedures since March (another just last Friday), and despite a half dozen other issues, I still rode 250 miles yesterday on my also highly modded 15 FJ-09 (bought new as a leftover for $8.2k + T&L USD in July 2016; really a great bike though!).
I hope after a couple more surgeries and even more PT to be cranking out the miles on my VTR by next June or July.
All I can say is bicycling WILL **** YOU UP! I used to cross-train year round, except when the roads were icy, doing 150 miles a week. Then on 01-01-07 I got taken out at 18 mph by a A-Hole Nome on his fancy carbon fiber Specialized who cut me off and his rear derailleur busted 9 spokes in my front wheel, it banana'd and jamb tight in the forks and I did a huge endo I needed a parachute to survive from. I did not have one of course and it's been waaay downhill ever since and I'm going to be 68 in a couple months.
PS, "Life begins at 140 mph on two wheels". I cracked a buck 20 a few times yesterday; as close as I could get given the roads and my severely depleted condition. :-)
Last edited by skokievtr; Sep 11, 2022 at 12:54 PM.
Damn that really sucks to hear, I'm sorry. I was doing some triathlons for a few years before everything was cancelled and was cycling all the time. Really enjoyed it. Have had a few close calls but thankfully never had to learn to walk again like I did on a motorcycle. We'd get up super early and would start our rides before the sun was coming up so by the time we got back all the testosterone fueled wannabe dipshits on their fugazy bikes (yes China also makes fake $15k road bikes) and makeup applying Palm Beach housewives speeding down the wrong side of the road in their G-Wagons late to their next cosmetic procedure were just coming out. I've even had a car TRY and run me off the road for no other reason than many people don't believe bikes should even be out on the road (if you remember someone shot Miguel Duhamel in the head with an air rifle a few years back) but as much as some people think I have an attitude problem I've lost track of how many times I've kept everyone else out of fights, out of trouble and out of jail. It's also a terrible perception I can thank all the pack riding foreigners for who ride 4 wide and give the finger to all the cars trying to pass them. Again we'd avoid most of that by getting up super early. When Covid happened my second Half-Ironman was cancelled and since then I've just been busy doing a lot of other stuff (working on my house and fixing up an old Pontiac). I rode a cheap $350 Felt road bike and built another beautiful Felt B16 I found on Craigslist, like new, again for $350 lol. It became a bit of a chore though every weekend because like everything else I learned to basically do everything including respoking my own wheels. I didn't have a $10k bike like my friends so my older bikes always were kept perfect so after every ride everything had to come apart, be cleaned, tuned, etc. like a gun. I don't mind having older stuff but I like everything to be perfect, especially considering it's not the safest hobby in the world to begin with. Anyhow I do miss riding and hope to get back into it in the future. For now it's just a hell of a lot easier to ride the bike in the gym and move on with my day lol. Again sorry to hear about all that.
PS, "Life begins at 140 mph on two wheels". I cracked a buck 20 a few times yesterday; as close as I could get given the roads and my severely depleted condition. :-)
I'm guessing that with the "I cracked a buck 20" that there is no stability issues at speed with the FJ. I have read that it is something the older FJ's had. Would like your take on the bike in general. I'm thinking about something that is more upright also and the FJ09 is on my short list.
I'm guessing that with the "I cracked a buck 20" that there is no stability issues at speed with the FJ. I have read that it is something the older FJ's had. Would like your take on the bike in general. I'm thinking about something that is more upright also and the FJ09 is on my short list.
For normal road speeds even fully loaded I've never really had an issue but I'm used to bikes that get a little loose although with the FJ I've never considered it an issue, some have some haven't.
All I can say is if you can find one in good shape that's well farkled For a good price, go for it you won't regret it.
For normal road speeds even fully loaded I've never really had an issue but I'm used to bikes that get a little loose although with the FJ I've never considered it an issue, some have some haven't.
All I can say is if you can find one in good shape that's well farkled For a good price, go for it you won't regret it.
Thanks. The supply of good used ones seems to have disappeared.
