Awkward seating (sitting?)

Although I haven't logged many miles so far on my '73 750 Hi-Rider to roadster convert, I've ridden it enough to see that for me the seated position on the bike gives me the "knees up under my chin" feeling. That's an exaggeration of course but I'm about 6'1" to 6'2" tall with long legs and my knees wind up well above the tank. I've also had other bikes in the past that gave me the same issue. It's not necessarily uncomfortable but I could see that trying to ride a long distance would be. The way the footpegs mount to the bike you'd have to get creative to lower them. Wondering if other taller riders have devised a way to change the footpegs, or seating position to help reduce the "knees too high" problem. Might be just something you have to learn to live with.

Different approach:
Bar back risers might make you feel less cramped. A Triumph Western bend bar with a 5-inch rise could work some. All that might be too ugly for you, but it is possibly a less expensive option than moving the footpegs.

If you want to lean around corners then lowering the foot pegs is not an option, maybe mounted rear sets or do something like Rob ss on here who shorten the foot pegs lengths, change of handle bars or seat so you sit further back, maybe get use to the position and ride the bike, maybe the interstate set up might have been a better idea than the roadster set up as the tank is longer, seat is wider and further back, you could spend a lot of money, do many changes and still have the same problem, get use to the bike and clock up the miles it always takes a bit of time to get use or fit into the bike.

Ashley

rear sets are a real help, but for your height/build the interstate is the best for long rides

I know some shorter riders have the problem of having to tippy-toe some modern bikes at a stop, so maybe I should quit whining. I do have the U.S./western bars on the bike, and they feel pretty good for my longer arms. Kinda on the fence about rear sets and doubt I'd go that route. Since some have mentioned it, I would like to sit on an interstate to try it on for size. As some of you have indicated, sitting back further because of the longer tank may help somewhat. My regular rider, an 80s gold wing, could even benefit from a further rearward seating position but its' factory seat keeps your butt in one position and you can't really move around on it, and it's adjusted back a far as can be. I guess being average height, whatever that is, may be a benefit when trying to fit yourself to a bike.

Maybe changing from a Hi Rider to Roadster you should have taken into account for your height and gone down the Interstate road before starting the changes if you have long distant travels planned, plenty of options to think about before starting any project, planning is your best friend.

ashman said:

Maybe changing from a Hi Rider to Roadster you should have taken into account for your height and gone down the Interstate road before starting the changes.

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Had my heart set on a roadster and wasn't even aware of there being an interstate model. I'm new to Norton ownership.

Why forums like this plays a big part before making any changes, Roadsters are great but for long distant travels and comfort for tall people and there are a lot of recourses available these days, when I built my Commando/Featherbed back in the early 80s I relied of my mate's mistakes and lots of reading and talk with people who knew what I planning on doing from cam builder and machinist who knew about balance factors, more old school bike builders and the parts that were around back then, how things have changed and so much we can do with our Nortons these days, but it always boil down to what you want as well, there are a lots of good advice around but also lots of bad ones.
I have always had an idea in my head which way I wanted to go before making those big changes, lot of my friends didn't see the big picture when I change my Norton that I brought new and only had it for just 4 years before the big change, to me it worked out well and built my way but a lot of my mates disapproved what I did, but I built the bike for me, not them and I still own it to this day 49 years and my good mate Don who put me on the road of Nortons and Featherbed frames at the age of 17 was the road I took and loved every minute of it and my bike still gives me the thrill I was looking for when I built it, but planning was very important from the start.

Ashley

I used to be 6', now 5' 11" ( damn old age). But I believe that your legs don't get shorter, so still 34" inseam. After owning Commando's for 50+ years, the best combination for me is US bars with a Corbin Gunslinger seat. Looks way better than a stock Roadster seat and you sit a little more rearward with a rise to keep you from moving too far rearward.

might consider available (yam xs650 chopper fans) universal custom fit forward (or even mid) controls, apes, shield & even a driver backrest combo, that likely would be a first ever known norton combo : )

very common on beloved here lol harley's, where u could at least easily try it out first

interstate tank seat setup, with the seat farthest back, from the rest, def opens up seating room/range that more suits bigger folks

A rider from Canada, was at one of the INOA rallies with his bike having been modified for his height. He had obtained some aluminum plate and partially copied the shape of the Z plates. The part that the foot pegs attached to was changed to be where he wanted them. He did such a nice job that if he hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed. I believe his name was Pete and his Mrs. name was Cathy. They were with the Ontario Norton Owners.

t c with bigger bars & big shield/fairing/lowers combo, looks like a roadster deal

The interstate seat will move you back about 3 to 4 inches. Maybe, if we knew your location, a interstate seat could be borrowed for you to try out before going to the expense of a different tank and seat. The interstate seat will fit with the roadster tank. It will just have a gap between the nose of the seat and the tank.
As for wanting a certain model, I'm still Jonesing for a Long Range Fastback. https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-british-motorcycles/1972-norton-fastback-zmtz17jazhur/

Speaking for myself at about 6ft, I never could get comfortable on an interstate with standard footpegs because the longer tank puts me too far back and the reach to the bars was uncomfortable with the forward pegs. I am much more comfortable on a roadster without rearsets. I use standard eurobend bars and find the footpegs are still a little high, forward but like this better than the more pronounced forward pegs and bars caused by interstate tank and seat. Now if I invested in electric start I would more easily live with the rearsets (not needing to lift the peg to kickstart every time) and would prefer the interstate with rearsets.

Obviously this is a personal comfort thing so different strokes.

I agree. I swapped my roadster to an interstate set up. 6' and 32" inseam. My knees feel further forward and closer to my elbows than the Roadster set up. It's obvious when I first get on, but I soon forget about it, so comfort over longer distance seems OK.

On looks alone, would never go the 'gunslinger' route. But the saddle part looks lower than the beautiful stock seats anyway. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! To me, the beauty of the Commando is the long, low look, which the stock seats and 19" wire wheels complement. It is drawing on the Vincent, even the Brough Brit bike heritage. Rakish beauty. The Corbyn seats just look 80s Harley to me. A pet hate. I'll get off me soapbox!

Mart UK said:

I agree. I swapped my roadster to an interstate set up. 6' and 32" inseam. My knees feel further forward and closer to my elbows than the Roadster set up. It's obvious when I first get on, but I soon forget about it, so comfort over longer distance seems OK.

On looks alone, would never go the 'gunslinger' route. But the saddle part looks lower than the beautiful stock seats anyway. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! To me, the beauty of the Commando is the long, low look, which the stock seats complement. It is drawing on the Vincent, even the Brough Brit bike heritage. The Corbyn seats just look 80s Harley to me. Just a pet hate. I'll get off me soapbox!

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Amen.

Mart UK said:

I agree. I swapped my roadster to an interstate set up. 6' and 32" inseam. My knees feel further forward and closer to my elbows than the Roadster set up. It's obvious when I first get on, but I soon forget about it, so comfort over longer distance seems OK.

On looks alone, would never go the 'gunslinger' route. But the saddle part looks lower than the beautiful stock seats anyway. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! To me, the beauty of the Commando is the long, low look, which the stock seats and 19" wire wheels complement. It is drawing on the Vincent, even the Brough Brit bike heritage. Rakish beauty. The Corbyn seats just look 80s Harley to me. A pet hate. I'll get off me soapbox!

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Mart,
Like you have said,it is all a matter of opinion.Myself I have used Corbin seats on both my Roadster and Interstate bikes.They were the first thing I changed over the factory seats. I think whatever makes you smile is the best option.
Mike

franko said:

A rider from Canada, was at one of the INOA rallies with his bike having been modified for his height. He had obtained some aluminum plate and partially copied the shape of the Z plates. The part that the foot pegs attached to was changed to be where he wanted them. He did such a nice job that if he hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't have noticed. I believe his name was Pete and his Mrs. name was Cathy. They were with the Ontario Norton Owners.

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That’s Pete Turner, or more commonly known as Two Meter Peter!

I'm running around 6'3" these days and Road my bike as a Roadster for many years before switching to an Interstate setup. I don't think either were much different, since I typically sit fairly far back on the seat when riding. Either way, my knees were positioned slightly above the tank. The first pic is 25 or so years old, but you can see where my knee is with my foot resting on the peg. My favorite combination for riding was the bike with the Interstate tank, rear-set footpegs, and lower European bars with about 2" cut off either end (bottom pic). This is the configuration I might run with my MkIII if I can locate rearsets for it.

My bike came with the Corbin fitted and I must say, from what I had read, I was a little apprehensive. People saying the seat was too firm, could chafe the inner thigh as it’s wide front to back and that there is only one position with no room to move around.

I’m 5’ 10” and of the 3 bikes I ride it is by some margin the most comfortable especially on longer rides. Sure, it’s very firm, no wiggle room and wide too but unlike the W800 I don’t slide forward or get pressure points on the inner thigh or sit bones; looks the bollox too IMHO. I even have the pillion version too but yet to try it, came with the bike from the previous owner.

However it does have one pretty major drawback which I discovered a few weeks back when I set off on an early chilly morning for a day in the Cotswolds. The weather forecast was sketchy so I decided to slip on my Oxford waterproof leggings. I didn’t get to the end of my road when for safety reasons I turned right back and removed them; the combination of the leather seat and nylon trousers meant I slide around all over the place even if I forced myself back in the hump; my regular Roadskin jeans are no issue so time to rethink my waterproof solution for this bike.