Hello there,
The first time I took the CBR 600 RR out for a spin (a rental in April), it was very awkward. I had a lot of back, neck and wrist pain. Later I discovered that I was putting too much weight on my wrists because I was all hunched over. Since then I've learned to keep my back straight, lean back a bit, hold the grips ever-so-lightly and grip the tank with my thighs. Success! It's now a very comfortable and fun ride ... except for one thing... I have too much pressure on my crotch now because it's uncomfortable after only 30 min or so. So I end up constantly adjusting my seating position to regain feeling. Sorry for the details, but what am I doing wrong?? Am I too close to or far from the tank? Is my back too straight? Am I not gripping the tank enough? Sometimes I forget. It's absolutely the last thing I have to sort out before being totally comfortable. I guess you could call this the rider's break-in period . I've already gotten used to the general feel of the bike and LOVE IT, and have no problems reaching or applying the controls. As you might have guessed, this is the first sport bike I've ever ridden or owned. I swear though, if I were a guy I'd be infertile by now! I'm 5'10" and 150lbs if that helps. Thanks girls

 

LOL @ infertile!!

I really find gripping the tank with my knees and consciously thinking once in a while "keep the arms loose and use your back" helps me not lean so much, both on arms and forward onto sensitive areas.

With all the height you've got though (lucky girl!) you could look into swapping out the seat for something more padded/gel padded.

 

Thanks Elfling!
So lean back, light on the grips, and grip the tank as much as possible. Got it. I'm sure it's partly me just getting used to the position overall. I was thinking about getting a Corbin seat since I've heard so many good things about them, but I want to wait and see if I can solve this without it first. If all else fails though, that's what I'm getting. Thanks again!

 

I'm not sure it's even so much leaning *back* as learning to use your back/core muscles to support yourself more than everything else. I've heard awesome stuff about the Corbins too though, I'm looking into them as well.

 

You're right, it's my core! I know exactly what you're talking about. I KNEW that would come in handy some day. My old trainer at the 24 Hour Fitness had me do a lot of intense core exercises. It felt good though. I kinda like how this bike is somewhat physically demanding because it'll motivate me to exercise more and look good. I rode again today trying to be more conscious about gripping the tank and it helped with the pressure a lot. I still get worn out after only an hour of riding, but I'll get there.

 

Yeah you will! Let me tell you- I lift regularly, and I lift a lot (powerlifting style)- but riding the bike is a whole different kind of workout. I have never been this hungry, ever

 

Im gonna chime in if thats alright. You want your crotch area probably a couple mms or an inch away from the tank, you want absolutely no weight on your wrists at all. This can even be done without gripping the tank with your legs. I still get a bit of back/neck ache once in a while.

You don't want any part of you locked up ie elbows or wrists. You should be able to ride and corner without putting no pressure on the handlebars besides initiating lean.

 

I am 5'8, bit over actually and have absolutley no problems with comfort on my RR, in fact I find it just as comfortable as my ocean liner of an F3, funny, maybe it's just me but I seriously find it comfortable for hours at a time ..I neither lean forward or back, I am evenly spread ... I tend to just sit in the bike and go fast(ish) ..lol ... don't hold bars with an iron like grip or clench the tank too hard, that will over an hour or two cause discomfort and fatigue .. when just pootling along, even briskly, you should be fairly relaxed but firm ... it's hard to offer advice, we're all different ... I can ride an RR for hours but bend over to pick a magazine off the floor and go oooh ow, my back!! ..lol

Jules


EDIT: something else I do, at lights or if just pootling along a boring long road I will sit up and take a hand off the bars and stretch my arms alternately *this* can make a big difference, think of sitting at a PC for hours on end, you take ten minute breaks on the hour every hour to avoid RSI injuries

 

I agree...sitting a little further back won't hurt....with the RR you are forced to lean more over the tank b/c the handle bars are lower, use that tank as a pillow, slide your booty back and relax your arms a little....I occasionally sit up riding with one arm too, but I find you will always be shifting your weight. Hope it works out!

 

Thanks everyone for your input. As of today I've got 353 miles on it, riding every day since I got it 10 days ago. I just today rode for nearly 2 hours without much discomfort, so that's a big improvement. I've definitely gotten used to keeping my torso up on its own and arms loose, which helps keep my hands light on the grips. Then with a small but constant squeeze on the tank and backed up just a bit it feels pretty comfy. Like I said before, it's probably just my own break-in period that I'm in the middle of. We'll see where I'm at when I go in for the first 600 mile oil change.

On another note, I didn't go over 6K rpms for the first week and then I just recently cranked it to 7-8K rpms. Supposedly I can take it higher after the first oil change, but 7-8 is fine with me. It has such a great sound right there and it transitions from 1st to 2nd gear more fluently when it's up to 7-8 first anyway. In general I've been taking it pretty easy: accelerating evenly, not speeding (too much) and not taking turns too tightly, mostly because I'm still nervous about dropping it. In the back of my head I know I won't, but I just have to take it slow. For those of you who care, my chicken strips are being eaten little by little each day Yummy.