new 6th gen owner here

I've been riding dirt bikes and old 1970s Honda street bikes since I was a teenager but last weekend I finally bought a street bike that I plan on riding. I found this 2006 VFR 800 non ABS model on craigslist. I wanted pearl white and was fortunate to find this one, and for a good price. Its got 8500 miles on it, all stock, virtually new tires and has been meticulously maintained. The only real problem is cosmetic as it blew over in strong winds one time. The tank is perfect except for one small chip but the fairing got scuffed up on the right side. I rode it 35 miles yesterday and my hands hurt pretty good but I imagine that will get better with time. The only mods I'm planning on doing are Lust Racing lowering triangles, a Mag Knight white stick on tank pad, and eventually electronic cruise control of some sort. I love how the bike handles and the power is so smooth and predictable.

 

twist the joy controller further around. its a win/win. less pressure on wrist and bigger grins all around. heli-bars are for pussys

bike looks good, welcome to the madness

 

Hey! Welcome to the forum! I just purchased my white 06 vfr a few months ago. Only difference is mine has a laser exhaust on it and 1350 miles on it. Love the bike! She has 2 stable mates. Mainly bought her to go with my FJR. She's replacing my CBR, which is now up for sale.

Great bike!

 

:welcome: to the madness :wave:
Good looking bike you got there :thumbsup:
Try not to use too much pressure on the grips Heli bar will help
Ride safe and ATGATT and watch out when maneuver at low speed.

 

Hello- I also just added an 06 Vfr800 to the garage- Im enjoying it technically its my wifes bike, but I have put a few hundred miles on it myself now.

The folks around here have been a great resource.

 

ATGATT?


I'm only 25 but I already have problems with carpel tunnel and thats whats making my hands hurt so bad. Its not that I'm gripping the bars but my weight pressing down on the bars causing the shooting pain in my palms and up through my wrists and forearms. Its awkward but if I lean back as far as I can it relieves most of the pressure. I'm hoping the lowering triangles bring the seating position down and back enough to make me sit more vertical and relieve the pressure on my hands.

 

ATGATT = all the gear all the time

Are you using your core/legs to help you keep your weight off the bars? Keeps unnecessary pressure off the bars which also helps with pressure on wrists/hands/arms along with better stability on bike. If that fails... genmar risers or helibars could work

 

25 and already suffering carpal tunnel symptoms?:jaw: If in fact is is what you say, the only thing that is really going to help is to get that fixed, surgically. Simple effective procedure but I am told the recovery time is fairly long. I was tested for that but turns out mine is tendonitis. Strangely enough though, the testing for the carpal tunnel syndrome actually brought relief so now I get some physio about once a month using interferential treatments, which are very similar to TNS but industrial strength. Then again, my wrists have never been bothered by the bike riding but definitely physical work does.

 

Great pick-up on the bike - you, apparently, have just fantastic taste =)
(speaking as an owner of an 06 white VFR as of........8 days ago!)

 

Ya congrats.....the lust wont help with your problem only higher bars and an operation. Lowering will just make your feet closer to the ground and do noting for your hands...maybe cut your seat down a bit and get heli bars....JMO

 

Honestly I hate white. All I work on everyday is white fleet trucks and it almost makes me sick but then I saw this white VFR and had to have it. You just never see white on a motorcycle.

It may not be carpel tunnel but I'm assuming its at least the early stages of it. I've been working with hand tools since I was 8 and I'm sure thats a contributing factor. I'll learn to deal with it. Either way the bike needs to be lower in the back so the Lust triangles will be a nice addition for me.

 

Lowering the pegs is just going to change your knee angle. If you have problem with the bars being so far forward and down (you said there is relief when you lean back), the bars are going to be what you want to tackle. I don't agree with heli-bars being for pussies, either. If you wanted a racked out sport bike, you would have gotten something else. There is negligible change in the looks of the bike but a HUGE change in the ergonomics. I held out getting them for too long. They are amazing and should help A TON with your wrist pain...

 

Ahhh...just saw the triangles are for the suspension, not the pegs. I got peg lowering blocks. The suspension lowering may help out, too, but really, if you think about it, your body position on the bike shouldn't change that much, just the angle you approach the road...two cents...

 

Heli's....just do it...you wont be sorry. They where the second mod I did after installing steble horns.

 

Sure seems like there's a lot of us pussies here that enjoy our Heli bars:smile:
John

 

I've had mine for about a year and a half. I will enjoy them even better, I'm sure, once I install them.

 

And I thought I was a procrastinator,,,,,Er,umm, I mean busy
John

 

On the helibar issue - they came on the 6th gen I bought recently. I had test-ridden a number of VFR's with sotck bars though - and was pretty much convinced that I wanted stock bars. When I bought this bike, I decided to ride the helibars for a while and see what I thought. The short of it is that I like them and am fine with the ergos. I think it is a good mod if you are going to be on the bike for long days. THis bike also came with lowering pegs, which I have similar feelings about.

I rode 750 miles in two days this weekend - mostly back roads - and the fit works well for me.

Good luck with the new ride. I love the white.

 

Its getting better. I've been riding it to work the past three days and its 25 miles each way. Its not me gripping to tight, I don't even have to be gripping the bars for my hands to start hurting. Its me leaning forward and resting part of my weight on the bars and my hands start to hurt. I can push down on the foot pegs a little and kind of do a hunch back thing and shift my center of gravity back and take most of the pressure off my hands long enough for them to calm back down. At other times I will ride one handed and give my left hand a break and again my center of gravity goes back so there is next to no pressure on my right hand and it gets a break too. My Lust Racing lowering kit came in. I'm still thinking getting the bike down in the rear will help make for a more vertical seating position and help the hands enough that I can get used to it from then on. Whats the benefit to lowering pegs? I don't have any complaints with the foot peg location.

 

I've found that gripping the tank with my legs & holding myself up with my back allows me to take some of the weight off my hands. I've had issues with hand numbness/aching for years from riding a bicycle, & getting my weight off helps the most.