Suzuki GSX650F Forum - www.GSX650F.biz

The only thing not great about my GSX650F is the riding position, this is definitely a sports bike and I want to be lower, my last bike had clip-on’s and therefore the first thing I planned to do was fit some, However I need some advice.
When I sit on the bike and imagine some lower bars I feel my feet need to move back to give me a perfect ride (I’m 6ft tall and solid) also I’m a few years older and I do a lot of 500km journeys, leisurely with breaks.

I note a few of you like Dashy and Sleddog have lower bars, I’m really interested in how you like them, and would you recommend I make the change?

Lastly where do people recommend I look to get them, preferably a uk shop?

I think we all know my view on my clip ons. I love them. I'm like you though, i'm 6 foot something, but im skinny as a rake lol. I don't reckon the clip ons have affected the bike's comfort on long journey's too much... I'm currently trying to find some adjustable rear sets so i can raise my pegs up high for that perfect ride position you're talking about (i know what you mean, as thats my only complaint after the mod), as with the clip ons, it's a shit load easier to get the bike over, but now that the bike gets over more, I havent got the ground clearence in the pegs... Mine are Vortex ones though. I just went through Ebay

I just put vortex clip-ons on my bike and I love them. The bike handles a hundred times better now. I'm short 5'9 so I don't know about the foot pegs as far as it would affect a taller rider but it works great for me.

Meeeee too. i went with LSL clip ons and i would never go back to the stock handle bar. Two big plus Lot more control low and high speed, and clip ons killed all the vibration.

Hey Invader,
Just FYI, i've just ordered a set of these http://www.banditmaniashop.co.uk/bandit ... 1116-p.asp yesterday afternoon. When they turn up I'll let you know how they go. Might be what we're after for that "Perfect Ride" we were talking about. Will keep you posted

Dashy
Those sets look great, and only £30 i might get those 1st, Please post a picture when you fit them and let me know how they feel.

I also read about you grounding on cornering, i know the feeling, back when i was your age, i stated catching my GT550 center stand, that was easy to fix, i just took it off, then the exhaust was next, so i upgraded to a 3into1, cant remember what was next, but it was something unfix-able, like the frame or the engine casing, just had to hang off the side a bit more

maybe your next upgrade is some knee-pads

Na my next uprade will be a track day with some tuition i think lol. I dont come anywhere near close to putting the knee down because i don't think i corner properly... I corner fast, hang off the bike and keep a consistent line and all the rest, but no one else seems to have my problem, which makes me think it's my riding style/body position 0_o
I'll definately keep you posted though mate, as i don't only think of this mod as a performance/sporty sort of mod, but also a comfort thing for tall blokes like us...

I scraped a toe last week, but that was more due to bad foot position - it surprised me though, because I didn't think I was that far over and I often go further; it's a miracle I've not yet touched a peg down...
From the descriptions you've made of your cornering, "head out near the mirror" kinda stuff, an amateur like me couldn't say you're doing anything wrong - I reckon you'll love a track day with tuition and get heaps out of it...

EDIT: Just thought of a question for you: How's your body position?
As an example, if I'm pushing it into my favourite left bend, I'll slide over until my right butt-cheek is on the edge of the left side of the seat. I get there by sliding my left knee down directly towards the ground, with my thigh sliding down the tank. The top half of my body ends up WAY off the bike, and I can "only just" reach the right grip...

I used to scrape toes going around roundabouts... Now i ride pretty much on tip toe's keeping my feet up above the peg... I spose the pegs were just the next step... I'd love to do the Callifornian superbike school that twist of the wrist talks about, but i think the price range is a bit out of the question... There's a race course at Goulburn... And there's also one at Winton in Vic... One of the problems living in Wagga... To go anywhere, i need to make a day of it and probably stay the night... I'll get there

Clips and drag. i think the far lean u guys want can safely done on a closed circuit. road course. I lean as nite does, on many low and fast speed corners, yet the lean u looking for on public roads wont be easy, the curve and length are soft.

I say try turning your stock bars down first.

loosen up the two bottom screws on your bar risers, loosen up your levers with an 8mm wrench/socket, and just play with the ergonomics of your arms, and how your hands get to the levers.

You might find something that suits the way you want to ride, and you won't have spent any money doing it.

alright... Right hand Corner approaches, im down so my chin is all but on my tank, left cheak slides over to the right hand side of my seat so that my right cheak is completely off, right leg slides out and down, left leg is gripping my fuel tank, head is hanging out so i can all but kiss my mirror, and my arms are comfortably in control of my bike... I wait until the latest possible moment and tip the bike in, turn, keep a consitent line, and as soon as i can, im back on the power and out of there! I get a little hesitant with blind bends but thats just a confidence thing... The only problem with the snowy's is fuckwits in their caravans and 4 wheel drives who somehow manage to find it hard keeping in their own lane... But thats how the dash corners... Im only an amateur, so any of you more experienced blokes, im always keen to learn...

oh yeah... And normally i laugh/smile the entire way through a fast right hander... Feels good

Now im still learning to corner properly on a sport bike. when you say turn do you mean go with the turn or counter steer some. I know alot of people counter steer in a turn cause gets the bike down in a safer way. Im trying to work out some bugs I do the same with slide my butt the way I wanna turn but some friends told me stay on the balls of your feet on the pegs. But my main problem is counter steer or not, and if so when do I counter and do i pull back after the bike is down or just throttle out and let the bike stand back up on its own. Thanks for all the input guys.

I've racked up a couple of short and longer rides with my new ninja sport bars I had modified to fit my bike.
Tell you what ,its un freakin believable how much the handling has improved ,you really just can't put it into words.
The body lean angle is not over the top ,you can still sit up and cruiser along ,but your got that sports feel ,just right in the sweet spot for me with these bars in the twistys.
The front end feel is just transformed the bike and its really is just point and shoot into corners ,and if the corner tightens up its just so easy to change your line mid corner with out upsetting the bike ,its so easy to hold you line and drops into a corner like you got fresh rubber on every time.
Really can't say enough about my new bars ,comfort + sport ,make the bike look so much more sporty and a whole new lot of fun and confidence in the twistys ,its un real.
Clip ons would be to hard on my back and wrists ,but you guys are probably getting even more fun in the twistys.

Other bonus ,is your can see behind in the mirrors ..give you alittle more comfort being able to see clear ,also faster clearer head check over the shoulder.

Its a BIG call ,but there is two types of GSX650F ,one with traditional bars and the on clip ons style sports bars...because they are two very very different handling bikes.