fzme
Senior Member
So after two years of riding my FZ, I finally gained the means to go out and splurge on gear for my wife so she could enjoy the occasional ride. I actually bought this FZ6 specifically to include her in my riding, since my CBR was so uncomfortable for her. I also purchased the 'ladyfighter' seat from Corbin that comes with a removable backrest, so she could lean back.
Well, we hit the road this past weekend on a two hour long trip to a nearby state park. It didn't go so well. We didn't crash, which is good, but it was uncomfortable for both of us, and I don't think it was her fault.
First, with a sportbike, the passenger seat is tilted more forward and is closer to the tank, so a passenger can easily reach around and brace themselves against the tank under braking. Well, the FZ6's passenger seat is a little farther back from the tank, and the driver's (my) position is more upright, so my wife couldn't reach the tank to brace herself under braking, which was a big PITA. Those grab rails aren't as functional for her either, because her lower half would still slide forward under braking when she held on to the rails.
Now, I understnad part of this is her getting used to the bike, and getting used to being a passenger, but we never had these problems with my CBR.
Also, I think a major contributing factor was the seat. I love Corbin seats, but I think this ladyfighter is a bit of a flop. First, the surface of the seat is extremely slippery. I guess I hadn't noticed how bad it was until I actually sat in the passenger seat on my own bike. I don't know why Corbin wouldn't make the surface of the entire seat (especially the passenger seat) a more rough/abrasive material or rubbery textured like truck bed liner of tank pad type of material. Secondly, the Corbin backrest has some adjustablity to it. It can stick almost straight up or recline back. Every time she leaned back on it, it would recline and make her butt slide down toward me even worse. I can't fix the seat in one place so she can put more weight on it, so the backrest in virtually useless.
Overall, I think our problems are a combination of things, but I was wondering what any of you might think we could do differently. I know a good seamstress who is going to sew a rubber-type material to the seat for more traction, and I think if we practice more, we'll be more comfortable at it...
Also, I felt her grabbing and pushing off on my hips/upper thighs under braking to try to keep from smashing into me. I was wondering about maybe fabricating some handles to connect to the subframe on both sides just so she has something in front of her to grab and push off on under braking. When we both squeezed our legs, it helped, but I think it would be better if she could use her arms in front of her somehow... What do you all think?
Well, we hit the road this past weekend on a two hour long trip to a nearby state park. It didn't go so well. We didn't crash, which is good, but it was uncomfortable for both of us, and I don't think it was her fault.
First, with a sportbike, the passenger seat is tilted more forward and is closer to the tank, so a passenger can easily reach around and brace themselves against the tank under braking. Well, the FZ6's passenger seat is a little farther back from the tank, and the driver's (my) position is more upright, so my wife couldn't reach the tank to brace herself under braking, which was a big PITA. Those grab rails aren't as functional for her either, because her lower half would still slide forward under braking when she held on to the rails.
Now, I understnad part of this is her getting used to the bike, and getting used to being a passenger, but we never had these problems with my CBR.
Also, I think a major contributing factor was the seat. I love Corbin seats, but I think this ladyfighter is a bit of a flop. First, the surface of the seat is extremely slippery. I guess I hadn't noticed how bad it was until I actually sat in the passenger seat on my own bike. I don't know why Corbin wouldn't make the surface of the entire seat (especially the passenger seat) a more rough/abrasive material or rubbery textured like truck bed liner of tank pad type of material. Secondly, the Corbin backrest has some adjustablity to it. It can stick almost straight up or recline back. Every time she leaned back on it, it would recline and make her butt slide down toward me even worse. I can't fix the seat in one place so she can put more weight on it, so the backrest in virtually useless.
Overall, I think our problems are a combination of things, but I was wondering what any of you might think we could do differently. I know a good seamstress who is going to sew a rubber-type material to the seat for more traction, and I think if we practice more, we'll be more comfortable at it...
Also, I felt her grabbing and pushing off on my hips/upper thighs under braking to try to keep from smashing into me. I was wondering about maybe fabricating some handles to connect to the subframe on both sides just so she has something in front of her to grab and push off on under braking. When we both squeezed our legs, it helped, but I think it would be better if she could use her arms in front of her somehow... What do you all think?
