plushest small bike?

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

What's the comfiest smaller bike? My P-reg cb500 is surprisingly okay, still on its oem twin shocks. But it's not what you'd ever really call plush, I don't think. Although yes, it is all relative.

But the other day, I realised I hadn't run my klx250 for a while - and decided to ride it. Part of what'd been putting me off was the lack of comfort. It's good for green lane bimbling, for sure. However the seat is needlessly narrow (I suppose in part to enable shorter riders to get their feet down) - but I had a local bloke reprofile it in the style of the US co's Seat Concepts base:

https://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum/attachments/klx-250s-71/12075d1501274728-new-seat-concepts-seat-seat005.jpg

I got a fairly cheap base off an ebay breaker (so I can change the bike back to oem spec if necessary), and after about £150 all in iirc, the job was done. It's made things loads comfier.

I also remembered that the bike has quite a lot of adjustment - not at the front, but the rear has a clicker at the base of the shock, plus more to go at on a gas reservoir. I thought fuck it, I'll just max 'em out to full softness and see how it handles.

Answer - hardly any different, on road at least (I've not been off road yet and anticipate having to adjust it back towards standard settings). But comfort-wise it's night and day. This adjustment, together with the Seat Concepts type re-profiling mean that two or three hours on the bike is actually bordering on the pleasant. The only problem is the range - you ideally want to be heading back towards civilisation once you get to 50 miles. But that's not too bad - even though the Wolds these days have hardly any petrol stations.

In any case, I started to wonder which smaller capacity bikes are comfy? I suspect that what lets a lot of them down is a lack of adjustment. Take the NC750X for instance - not a small bike, admittedly - this has damper rod forks and afaik nothing to fuck with at the back, apart from a bit of pre-load. Otherwise you might look at it and think its long suspension travel and sensible Honda bullshit might make for a bike you could turn into a bit of an armchair. But no. Apparently not.

I suspect the NC is fairly representative of a lot of more affordable bikes, and is certainly true for stuff in the 250 to 500cc class. So believe it or not, the KLX can be turned into something of a class-leader with not much effort and expense - at least if comfort is a main criterion. Yes, obviously slow - but if you're on roads with grass growing up the middle, as I often am, 60 can feel quite brisk. Doesn't like gradients much though.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[martin734]

The comfiest small capacity bike I have ridden is the Honda VT125 Shadow.
____________________
Current bike: ST1100 "Big Red"

[Poseidon]

My little CG has the comfiest seat I've ever sat on. The suspension is a bit bouncy though.
____________________
1977 Honda CG125
2002 Ducati Monster S4 (currently restoring)

[Fisty]

My little bandit 400 is the comfiest bike I have ever ridden.
____________________
Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[stinkwheel]

My bullet is surprisingly comfy over distance. It doesn't seem that way at first. It's got bog standard, preload adjustable shocks and damper rod forks.

I have however fitted a lycette style sprung saddle. When you first ride it, this seems desperately uncomfy but as time goes on, you realise that over longer hauls, it's very good. It's a triangular frame that pivots at the front and has two large coil-springs at the back. There are 13 upholstery springs stretched across the frame (the same thing you get in high-end armchairs like parker-knolls). There is a horsehair pad over that, then a leather cover. I add a sheepskin over that to prevent sweatiness.

So it's initially lacking in padding but it gives excellent dynamic support so that longer distance numbness doesn't set in. It also leans forwards slightly so you take a little more weight on your legs. Combine this with the fact it moves about and you are constantly engaging your buttock and leg muscles slightly.

When you first use one, your quads and buttocks ache after a while but once you're used to it, you can do long runs in comfort.

What I'd like is a Denfeld seat which has a built-in damped shock and no sideways play but ££££. (pic is a rear one, front one has no handle).
https://bobsbmw-images-production.s3.amazonaws.com/c/8ce93a15ae7f7ac.jpg
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Fisty]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

I've not done any long stints on the 250 yet, but a 2 hour plod around Rutland at the weekend bodes well in the comfort stakes. Similar riding position to the Enfield, but now I've fitted Grip Puppies and decent bar end weights there's no vibes felt in the handlebars. Can feel some in the footpegs, but not obtrusive. Might be a different case on journeys above the 2 hour mark, or sub 2 hour if it was all motorway. Time will tell.

It does have a low seat height, I could afford to stick a pretty big wad of padding in the seat, and still flat foot the bike.

The YBR Custom was pretty comfy, cruiser stylee seat but not feet forward like my Savage was, so weight's not all on your spine.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[Easy-X]

For me nothing beats the armchair feel of a 125 cruiser with footplates. Shame my old Superlight's seat was too soft: fine for ~20mins then the lack of support is noticeable.
____________________
Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[smokin joe]

Whether a bike is comfortable or not depends largely on your own ergonomics. What seems like an armchair ride to one person will be a torture chamber to another.

Personally, the bike that gave me the plushest ride was a CB500. Trips from my then Essex home to west Wales and back again (Not on the same day) were done without any aches and pains at all.

[kgm]

I regularly do 250+ mile days on my CRF250L and find it fine. The caveat being they I stop quite regularly for photos. That's with the stock seat and a range of about 120 miles safely. I'm planning on getting a custom seat as you have done and adding a larger fuel tank which should give a range of about 180 miles and will save me having to carry a 5L can of fuel on the back just in case. I'm also planning on stiffer suspension. The stock stuff works but is definitely too soft for running with luggage or higher speeds off road.

[kev2b4]

Often do 200+ miles a day, on gen 1 hayabusa, - front lowered 12mm, rear lowered 35mm ( in order to get my hooves on the floor ) , front seat changed for a 20mm gel pad, only discomfort is shoulders a bit stiff , presumably from not not moving around much.
____________________
previous C50,CD175,GT500,GSX250,CB750KZ,GSX750E,GSX1300R

[om15]

I think the RE Classic 500 single seat version was the most comfortable bike that I have had, the Himalayan isn't too bad either.
My new Interceptor 650 is not comfortable, lots of other good things, but not comfortable.
____________________
Alcohol doesn't solve problems, but neither does milk

[ThunderGuts]

[jeffyjeff]

[struan80]

Is any bike properly comfy. It's not like sitting in your reclining seat in the living room. And on topic, a VFR1200 is the most comfortable bike I've ridden by a long way. Surprisingly agile and the V engine is unusual, but raunchy.

[Polarbear]

The comfiest small <250 bike I ever rode was the Varadero by far, but I like the upright riding position for comfort.
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[mentalboy]

Not ridden too many small bikes too far. Piaggio Zip 125


Since when was a 'Busa small, Kev2b4?
____________________
Make mine a Corona.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Not to mention a VFR1200

obvs some people not don't read the OP, they don't even read the thread title!
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125