[hammo123]

Hi there as i'm new posting just wanna say hello from downunder /Sydney Australia & then ask for some advice or suggestions please..
I'm now the proud owner of a 1995 900ss & after a long history on bevel desmos i really wanna like this bike as well. But i have a few issues & questions maybe you guys can help me with.
Now i'm not complaining but upon my first ride of the SP & only having 900 supersport 1975 & 76 models plus 860GT & most recently a SD 900 Darmah as comparisons i have to say im a little disappointed & with the riding position of this beastie..
I'm pretty tall & slim @ around 186cm & 75Kg and sorta feel a bit like a praying mantis as if i'm sitting "on top of' the bike & towards the front too much with the old crown jewels rammed into the tank !!! because of the seat arrangement there's not much room to push your butt back to gain some distance from the tank & some more leg room..The riding position apart from being uncomfortable doesn't give me the sense of actually being a part of the bike & thus it all feels a bit lightweight & Flimsy..as if im not actually on the road..-_-
Now i've read lotsa articles in this & other forums & theres plenty of taller riders out there that are loving the 900ss & its riding position & handling so i'm just wondering if its something that i'll grow used to & develop a feel for?
Has anyone else gone this phenomena of making a transition from old dukes to the "newer" designs? Or are their any tips or hints for adjustments or Mods that you guys can suggest…Or should i just STFU clock up some miles & "get over myself"
Any advice or reassurance is welcome

 

[rharris]

The 900 ss is a great fun bike to ride ,You should ride a 848 -1098 then get back on the 900 and you love it even more

 

[bruce19]

My SS/SP's were the most comfortable sport bikes I've ever had. The conventional wisdom is that the newer Supersports were less comfortable. So I don't know that the 848 etc. bikes will be more comfortable. I think you are just going to have to figure out what adjustments will work for you. Ergos are really a very individual thing.

 

[silvaire]

My SS/SP's were the most comfortable sport bikes I've ever had. The conventional wisdom is that the newer Supersports were less comfortable. So I don't know that the 848 etc. bikes will be more comfortable. I think you are just going to have to figure out what adjustments will work for you. Ergos are really a very individual thing.

I'm tall, similar build to the OP, and my mid-90s SS feels more comfortable than my bevel SS, or my 996, or my ST2. The ST2 would be equally comfortable but it has a weird too straight factory handlebar angle. The other two are just torture racks for long distance riding, and having ridden a later model injected SS I might call that the least comfortable bike I've ridden. For my use, the carb/belt SS really has the best ergos of any Ducati so far. Its a physically small motorcycle with not a lot of extra room, but what room it has it uses to great effect.

 

[curveman99]

I've upgraded my Bars(higher lift) New Race Tech front fork kits with gold Valves, New Ohlins rear and now the ride is so much better!! Also re-padded my seat so my old butt don't get sore on long rides.

Big Diff at the Track!!

 

[VTGPDUC]

Set rake at around 24 degrees, keep stock bar height but put an after market single seat on and build it up with seat foam to where you are puting more weight on front. Usually around 2 1/2 inches. Stock seat is too low for performance riding especially with after market rearsets. Raising the rear helps also (ohlins rebuilt to ie spec will work). Cheers

 

[PeterVentura]

I'm a taller rider (6'2") and I'm not that happy with the riding position. My knees hit the brim of the tank unless my ankles are angled just about all the way up or my toes are on the footpegs. Its more comfortable than my 1987 GSXR but its still not great. I just put a sargent seat on there which is nice for a little more legroom so next step unless I get a vfr instead, are some adjustable rearsets to lower the footpegs... I do have long legs but not hideously long, just about a 34" inseam.

 

[FredSmoot23]

riding position . . .

Take a look in the gallery at my images to see what I did to lower my footpegs. Limiting factor was rear brake linkage not quite touching the exhaust, and not touching the clutch cover/case going towards the front. Used .250" ceramic anodized aluminum 2" wide. Cut and shaped w/ hand tools & electric drill for holes. Sounds like you need to do several things to gain "leg room". I'm 5'9" and 185 lb. all suited up.

Fred H.

 

[Leeland]

I've upgraded my Bars(higher lift) New Race Tech front fork kits with gold Valves, New Ohlins rear and now the ride is so much better!! Also re-padded my seat so my old butt don't get sore on long rides.

Big Diff at the Track!!

I have a 2001 ss900ie, i have tried a couple of bar risers to help me sit back a bit more, but they end up hitting the underside of the faring. Are the ones you run that much differant? And can you drop a link in here on where to find them?

Old Dog...

 

[Lucille8]

My 96 900s is more comfortable than either my 998 or BMW R1100s. The 900 has rear sets on top of it. I'm 5'8". The 998 is ok for a short distance, and the seat of the BMW (both stock and Sargent) numb my legs in a couple of hours.

 

[hammo123]

Thanks guys ...heaps of really valuable suggestions & advice here..I'm going the safe & steady route first ...mainly outta financial constraints..so ive got a sargent seat on the way & am gonna have a little fiddle with the standard clipons & some fatter or thicker grips & see how i go from there...I'm determined to get this baby to "feel" right even if i have to reprogram my Brain:think:

 

[Doc's Duc]

I went through much of the same concerns when I got back on mine a few months back, after years of being out of the saddle. We're even similarly built; I'm 6', 180 lbs. - though at 55, I'm guessing I'm probably a bit older...
Initially, I felt that riser bars were going to be my only saving grace, but luckily I put the question on the forum first, and got lots of great suggestions and info from the great group of experienced guys here that were well outside of my own line of thinking .
First of all, which made a huge difference, was reminding me to use my back, abs and legs to help support my weight, instead of dead leaning on the bars with my wrists doing all the work. A little "core strengthening" (abs, etc.) never hurt anybody, and that along with regular push-ups, building up my arm support strength, was an unbelievable improvement in the comfort of the position on the bike.
I also bought "SuperBike" grips - they're much tackier than the stockers, which means you can use much less of a death-grip on them to hold speed. I also got one of those "CrampBuster" tabs that clips on to your throttle, allowing you to open your hand occasionally and hold your speed without gripping it tightly.
I swung the angle of the bars out slightly. Unfortunately, the fairing spoils too much movement, but that tiny change brought a bit of comfort in itself.
Lastly, I also got a Sargent saddle - BIG difference. It's slightly taller, which gave me a bit more legroom, and I tend to sit a bit further back on it than I did the stocker, up against the bumstop, so even though it's a little longer reach to the bars, it seems to be less of a downward angle, so less weight on the arms as well. I think you're really going to like it.
Again, the biggest change was via personal physical improvement...And I'm no gym rat by ANY means, but it makes it a nice excuse to workout on a semi-regular basis, knowing that it's really doing you some noticeable good!
Best of luck -

 

[scoter]

I'm looking to make the riding position on a '07 800SS more comfortable. I've heard Heli bars help, but others say they don't actually allow much change without causing interference with the fairing. Anyone have success with Heli's, Cycle Cats?

 

[hammo123]

I'm not familiar with either the Heli bars or the 800SS
but all i will say is that the Apex clipon risersApex 3" Riser Clip-on Set
made a huge difference for me on my carby SS
They are so flexible with adjustment & in conjunction with lowering my pegs
& an aftermarket seat i finally have my bike setup right for me..
& it really makes a huge difference..

If you feel more comfortable you feel more confident & thus safer i reckon..

 

[Chuckracer]

Hammo, I'd love to hear more feedback on these. How did you mount them so as to get more rise? The stock bars can be slid higher on the tubes as well, but then you're into the low fairing and you lose what little steering lock these bikes have to begin with.
What do these do that others don't do so well? I have a hunch but I'd love to see and hear it spelled out...Thanks!

 

[duc96cr]

I'm short and old, and not in the best of shape. I've adjusted my bars in and up til they barely graze the edges of the fairing . I still could raise the bars a bit if I had room, so I've been thinking of trimming the edges of the fairing. It wouldn't do a taller rider much good , but for me going to a lower profile Corbin seat will allow me to sit a bit more upright also. If your legs are long, a lower seat might cause hip discomfort.

 

[hammo123]

Ok I don't have any pics of my own so i nabbed some off the net to try & explain.
I think the secret to these beauties is the locating pin & holes that allow for radial adjustment ..
so with the adjustment via the usual rotation of the main clamp around the fork tube plus the riser post
then the radial adjustment of the bar..it's almost infinite the amount of positions you can achieve..

Obvious limitations being the steering lock (bars or thumbs hitting the tank) & the fairings..
but even with these i found with time i was able to tweak it to exactly where i needed it to be..
basically sat on the bike & closed my eyes & with the clamps etc loosened just grabbed the buggers &
moved them till it felt right..tightened up & went for a ride ..adjusted things if i could if they were obstructing ..ie: master cylinders/ levers/ whatever..

Took me some time but i now have it setup just right for me..
If i were to buy again I'd probably get the 4" ones ..just so i had a little more to play with
You are definitely limited by the fairings & steering lock/travel but by adjusting say the clamps that can
sometimes give you more room to raise the posts or change the angle of the bars ..
Kinda hard to explain but each adjustment impacts on the other & gives a slightly different feel or more clearance somewhere..
Great bars if you have the time & patience i guess to play about…
I love these things & they're really well made & you can also buy
all the bits separately if you drop the bike or bend or break something

It wouldn't do a taller rider much good , but for me going to a lower profile Corbin seat will allow me to sit a bit more upright also.

Funny thing is I'm tall & old 6'2" & had a Sargent seat for a while ..ended up with a used old Corbin from the classifieds on here & it actually suits me better..!!
Sure it's lower but also the hump towards the passenger part is back further so i can push my ass back into the seat further & it's transformed the ergonomics somehow & voila !! it's made such a difference..doesn't make sense but it works

 

[Chuckracer]

Are the posts that go into the fork leg clamps adjustable for more than up and down? That is to say, could someone rotate the clamps back around the fork legs slightly? My biggest problem really isn't so much the height or angle (though I would happily accept improvements on either), it's that the bars are so damn far away, out in front of the forks and it just doesn't seem to be necessary. They could use more width, too.

I'm 5'8", long of leg and short of torso.

 

[hammo123]

Pretty cheezy vid i found but it does show the variety of adjustments

 

[Chuckracer]

Oh, friggen awesome! That answered my question - Hammo, yer a star! Thanks for the help, Mate!