I am very interested in the R3. Years ago I owned a Kawasaki Ninja 250 that served me well. I learned to ride on it but sold it for a little more power (Suzuki SV650) and one other major reason.............buzzieness. My hands would go numb after a while on the highway. I had to put foam grips on the bar ends and wear gel work out gloves to make it managable. How is the R3 at highway speeds, say 70 to 75mph? Do you feel the engine vibrations at all through the bars?
Buzzieness
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I was riding home from work yesterday and zooming along at 150kph. I did not feel anything different at all, just pure exhilaration at the ease of speed and the mobility too
MonoXimian
MonoXimian
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Grip Puppies
I install grip puppies (foam grips) on all my bikes. Not as much for the vibrations, but to build up the grip diameter. My hands do not like the small diameter of stock sportbike grips. The grip puppies do a good job of absorbing vibrations.
I come from the Kawasaki Versys which is quite vibey. The R3 is smooth as silk in comparison.
I install grip puppies (foam grips) on all my bikes. Not as much for the vibrations, but to build up the grip diameter. My hands do not like the small diameter of stock sportbike grips. The grip puppies do a good job of absorbing vibrations.
I come from the Kawasaki Versys which is quite vibey. The R3 is smooth as silk in comparison.
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All bikes buzz imp, just at different RPMs. My zx6r buzzed at high rpm. You could see it in the mirrors. My last ninja 650 you could somewhat feel and definitely hear at 4k rpm. Same as the 650 before that. Current R3 you don't really feel but you definitely see in the mirrors. As far as hand being numb, be loose on the bars. Someone once tdold me to grip it like you are throwing an "ok" sign, with thumb and forefinger.
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That's good advice kojiiro, any time I'm on a long ride I find myself with two points of contact on each side. Say the tip of my fingers and part of my palm. I regularly go for rides of 6-8 hours a day and its the only way to not have your hands get tired. If I do happen to have my hand wrapped fully around I make sure to stay loose!
I have that problem every time I ride more than 15 minutes or so. My right hand goes numb. It's not a death grip, it's called having to hold into it tight enough to work the throttle. My Majesty never did that so its not like I don't know how to ride. I've got over 10 years riding under my belt.
So yes, for me, it is buzzy.
So yes, for me, it is buzzy.
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Highly recommend. Will be the best $11 you spend. Cut the grip to length and use a cup of water with a few drops of liquid dish soap. Use this mix to lube the inside of the grip and slide it on. Will not move and can be removed later by cutting them off if need be.
I have a suspicion your issues with the SV had as much to do with the ergos as with the engine. I was never comfortable on my SV650S, it's super stretched out. Never rode the naked SV though, which does have higher bars.
That said, the R3 is the smoothest riding twin I've ever ridden. I was just commenting on that last night. The mirrors barely even shake at idle. Riding down the road at any speed, I catch myself doing things with my mouth that would get my tongue or lips bitten off on a Sportster. And having to remind myself that I might still bite them off if I crash.
+1 on releasing the death grip, and working on your core strength.
That said, the R3 is the smoothest riding twin I've ever ridden. I was just commenting on that last night. The mirrors barely even shake at idle. Riding down the road at any speed, I catch myself doing things with my mouth that would get my tongue or lips bitten off on a Sportster. And having to remind myself that I might still bite them off if I crash.
+1 on releasing the death grip, and working on your core strength.
I noticed the buzz starts after 7.5-8k rpm or so. Given my bike is not completely broken in yet(900miles) I don't know if that would matter. But still pretty smooth if you ask me(don't expect it to be a V6/V8 luxury sedan)
But the handle bar does stretch out quite a bit that you can't rest your elbow on gas tank and I think that tires my hand more than the buzz itself
But the handle bar does stretch out quite a bit that you can't rest your elbow on gas tank and I think that tires my hand more than the buzz itself
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I did last night, but I was ten hours into my ride >.<
I would like to comment on the grip covers that capt kirk suggested on the first page of this forum. I got them for about 10 dollars. The difference is mind blowing. I don't get the buzzy feeling in the grips anymore. They're also more comfy because they're thicker now, but not a ton moreso. I let my dad grab the grips and he said we definitely needed to get some for our 4 wheelers. So I just ordered 3 more sets!
http://www.amazon.com/Grab-On-Grips-Grip-Cover/dp/B000WJAH5M
http://www.amazon.com/Grab-On-Grips-Grip-Cover/dp/B000WJAH5M
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Glad that you like them. Thanks for posting up! I cannot recommend them enough... They work so well, I can ride for hours where before I would hurt in just a few minutes. And this is a $11 add on.
Ride safe!
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I was just searching and found this thread - thanks guys. Going to look at the Amazon grips.
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Try the evotech bar ends. That worked for me. I actually have some used for sale in the for sale section. They have stainless slugs and lessen the vibration quite a bit. I had to try a few brands but those evotechs from the UK did the job. You can buy them directly from them for about $40
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Hey everyone, so I wanted to do a follow up on this thread so you all know what to expect. First off, I did the grips AND the Evotech bar ends at the same time, so I can't comment on the effectiveness of either one on its own.
I will say that the Evotech bar ends feel slightly LIGHTER than the stock ones. I might switch them out just to see if they do indeed make a difference or not. In the meantime, they look much nicer than the stock ones and stick out a bit more too.
As for the grips, I used some quick detailer squirted on the inside of the grip and a flat head screwdriver to give me a bit of leverage to pull it over the stock grips. Got them on no problem.
They do make the grips a bit thicker, but in a nice cushioned way. Feels a little weird at first but I quickly got used to it.
But the comfort - oh the comfort while riding is awesome. I did notice that the vibrations are nearly all gone. Could be the combo of both items but again, I didn't try them each independently so I can't be sure which one was more effective. I just know that now my hands don't go numb and aren't buzzing while riding (especially on the highway).
Overall, I would rate the purchases a 9 out of 10. If you're on a budget, start with the grips first since they are so cheap. They even shipped to Canada without a problem.
I will say that the Evotech bar ends feel slightly LIGHTER than the stock ones. I might switch them out just to see if they do indeed make a difference or not. In the meantime, they look much nicer than the stock ones and stick out a bit more too.
As for the grips, I used some quick detailer squirted on the inside of the grip and a flat head screwdriver to give me a bit of leverage to pull it over the stock grips. Got them on no problem.
They do make the grips a bit thicker, but in a nice cushioned way. Feels a little weird at first but I quickly got used to it.
But the comfort - oh the comfort while riding is awesome. I did notice that the vibrations are nearly all gone. Could be the combo of both items but again, I didn't try them each independently so I can't be sure which one was more effective. I just know that now my hands don't go numb and aren't buzzing while riding (especially on the highway).
Overall, I would rate the purchases a 9 out of 10. If you're on a budget, start with the grips first since they are so cheap. They even shipped to Canada without a problem.
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