So this is my first bike (1999). I squeeze the tank with my legs and try to use my abs to hold myself more upright, but my wrists still hurt after only 20-30 min of riding. I'm 5'10". Any adjustments or ideas?

 

youre still putting to much weight on your wrist. A easy test to see if your arms are to stiff or gripping to hard. Flap your arms l.ike chicken wings, if it upsets the bike you are too stiff.

 

+1.....you're probably just putting too much weight on them but they DO take some getting used to. Keep riding, it will get better for sure. Heli Bars will help as well. The 900RR has a pretty conservative ergo picture compared to todays torture racks so be thankful you dont ride a ZX-10R. LOL.
Use abs more, don't grab it with a death grip. Imagine the throttle is your d*ck.....gentle and light. Dont grab it like it owes you money. That will help. Being tense only exagerates any soreness you may feel.
Again, give it some time. The first couple hundred miles every spring I hate it too but it gets better.
Your should have your sag set with the pre-load but you could always reduce rear pre-load and take a little weight off your hands (just for riding around). If you are going to be doing any agressive back road riding I would rather have the proper sag than less weight on my hands.

 

Of course I have no idea on how to change the suspension setting. I've read about lines, sag, etc, but no idea what to do with them, or even where they are? I have an owners manual being delivered so it will hopefully tell me where/what to do. The rear seems pretty loose, and the front is way too loose now.

 

I agree on the previous comments, but just wanted to add that the physical condition of the rider makes a bigger difference on serious sportbikes, way more so than other types of bikes because of the aggressive riding position. When I first bought my 900RR, thirty or forty minutes of straight riding was about all i could handle. One of the best things you can do take your riding up a notch is to get your abs and obliques strong enough to hold your body in a correct riding position without concentrating on it, and to hold it for an extended period of time without becoming exhausted. It really doesn't take that much, just like 10 or 15 minutes of ab work a day that is a mix of the supine bicycle manuever, crunches, full extension leg lifts, stretching, etc, will do wonders. They don't require any equipment or very much time, and since i started doing it as a side benefit my ab definition has gone from a 3/10 to an 7/10. Now if i could just get the diet and drinking under control . . . . .

 

I'm 5/ 8 inches tall and about 155 lbs and the bike is perfect for me so with you being 5' 10" it might be the bike is too short for you lengthwise?

Is there a way for you to rotate the front brake lever forward as well as the clutch?

That way you won't be putting so much pressure on your wrists.

Another thing that might help is installing a tank bag over your gas tank.

You'll be able to store stuff when riding, plus you can rest your chest on it too, taking pressure off the wrists.

 

Forgot to add, a 900rr isn't a starter bike in my opinion.

Just go easy on the throttle and practice practice practice.

Welcome to the forums

 

I lay my left arm across the tank n lay on it on long straights lol.

I agree a 900RR isnt a starter bike, but he done has it so yea, take it easy or it will whip yer ****!!

 

Ive been known to use the one-handed armrest technique from time to time

Heck, I'll admit sometimes Ive taken both hands off the clip-ons and given my back a stretch but I dont recommend it at all!

 

I need to clarify that this is the first bike I've owned, not ridden, but yes, it is still A LOT of bike for me. I've tried rotating my wrists slightly and also tried almost leaning back (arched of course) and i guess it helped some, but I cant ride like that for long, so not sure. I'm in avg shape, so that isnt a concern. I'll just try to tighten up my abs and loosen up my grip and see what happens. Thanks for the help!