Making your motorcycle fit you specifically will improve your riding experience massively, TFX Suspension Technology have created these suggestions for you.

Adjustable Levers

When you are sitting on your motorcycle, there should be a straight line from your elbows through your wrists. This line should carry on through your fingers when they are resting on the levers, not to you are reaching for them. Some bikes have extremely wide set levers and without knowing it you have to stretch to reach them. These factory levers can make your hands get tired quickly, creating aches and pains.

With adjustable levers you are able to set the distance between your fingers and the bar perfectly. For those that use two fingers on the clutch and or brake, you may find the shorter levers more comfortable. Particularly if you wear bulky gloves as they can get trapped between the lever and the throttle grip, with shorter levers this isn’t a problem.

Pegs

Aftermarket pegs are a good idea for adventure bikes, most adv bikes already have them built in but can be hard to adjust. We have found that standard pegs can be set firmly in the wrong place for a standing rider which can be a problem, so check your pegs when stood up on your parked bike. Also make sure the pegs have aggressive teeth to improves grip and an open design, which lets the mud pass through. 

Seat Pads

There are a lot of different options when it comes to improving the comfort of your seat, replacing the seat entirely is sometimes a good move. There are however a few cheaper ways to make your bike fit you for long periods of time:

1. There are quite a few manufacturers that use a gel-like shock absorbing method. Butt Buffers use a visco-elastic polymer cushioning, originally developed in hospitals to help prevent bed sores.  As with the Airhawk below, this product removes uncomfortable pressure points that develop when sitting for a long time.
2. A very well know brand in this area, The Airhawk technology was actually created for people in wheelchairs, who spend up to 12 hours a day sat down. The cushion equalises the forces over the weight-bearing areas, meaning you can happily sit in the same spot for hours.
3. Sheepskins aren’t expensive, wear really well and give an extremely comfortable surface. There are quite a few companies selling motorcycle sheepskin seat covers, such as SheepSkinShop and Sheepy Hollow.

Windshield

Some riders don’t like windshields as they can disrupt the appearance of your bike. Although when travelling long distances and touring, being shielded from the wind is extremely important. If you have motorway miles ahead of you, this will make the journey much less tiring and uncomfortable as you won’t be fighting the elements. Windshields allow you to sit in a little bubble of protection which is ideal for long road trips.

Heated Grips

Something which can really affect the enjoyment of a ride out is cold hands. It’s not just a comfort thing either, your hands play a rather important part when riding so if they get cold reactions can get slower which is dangerous.

Fitting the grips can be done with: Sharp knife, Contact cleaner, Glue, Combination of spanners/Allen keys, Phillips/Screwdrivers.

Upgrade Suspension

A motorcycle suspension system performs the primary job of absorbing the rough surfaces beneath the machine’s tyres, which isolates the riders from impact. As well as enhancing the comfort, a bikes suspension plays an important part in the handling and steering of the machine.

Standard motorcycle suspension obviously isn’t made for you specifically, therefore is unlikely to give you exactly what you want and need. There are many things to consider when evaluating your current shock and considering an upgrade:

✓ How heavy you are
✓ How aggressive a rider are you
✓ How much luggage you are packing
✓ Consider terrain and weather conditions

TFX Suspension build every shock absorber or front-end product precisely for the model concerned, and specifically for the weight, riding style and load characteristics of each individual customer’s motorcycle and their riding habits – urban, touring, off-road or racing.

If you are currently wanting to upgrade your motorcycle suspension to fit you and your riding style correctly consider TFX. We build shocks for recreational and long-distance touring with a fully-loaded motorcycle, all constructed and manufactured with heavy-duty materials to guarantee you a shock you can rely on for many years.

Hopefully you found this article useful and you now have a few ideas about how to make your bike fit you. If you’d like to add anything please do so in the comments below, or if you’d like to ask us a question about your bike email us on: info@tfxsuspension.com