[vinuchel]

Hello all. Have been riding my NS200 (Bs6, 2020 March model) since 1.7 years and have been 100% satisfied. A sudden transfer to my home town has now given me a posting at a place 25km from home. (Daily 50km up and down commute ). Everyday I am left with a stiff back after the ride. (Speaking about ride, dangerous driving in the heavy traffic narrow Kerala state highway )
Can you suggest tips and mods to make my ride bit more comfortable, like handle grip, seat modifications and any other mods.
My expectation : a butter smooth ride like old FZ16 or Unicorn
All suggestions welcome.

[IshaanIan]

Have you adjusted the preload on the rear shock to your liking? I would recommend core strength workouts over any handlegrip/seat modifications etc. It all boils down to your posture balance and base on the bike. If you feel like the bike rides excessively harshly then perhaps a change in oil viscosity for the front forks?

[windrider]

Get soft handlebar grips. If your riding position is too committed, you will get wrist pain. Try and find handlebar risers. Adjust your rear suspension to softest setting. Decrease tyre pressure by 2-3 psi. Your mileage will suffer but your back will thank you. Try and find a gel seat or add cushioning to your current seat.

[KPR]

Originally Posted by vinuchel

All suggestions welcome ��

Is selling NS 200 and buying an Unicorn be one of all suggestions? You save your precious back, petrol costs and urge to speed with NS .

[viper_711]

A larger wind shield goes a long way in my opinion. From personal experience, after a larger wind shield, rides became less tiresome. Wind and wind noise on helmet contributes a lot to a feeling of fatigue. My experience is based on 150-200km rides but feel free to try it out!

[vinuchel]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Have you adjusted the preload on the rear shock to your liking? I would recommend core strength workouts over any handlegrip/seat modifications etc. It all boils down to your posture balance and base on the bike. If you feel like the bike rides excessively harshly then perhaps a change in oil viscosity for the front forks?

Am a bit dim on technical. Do you mean to change the oil in front forks?
Haven't touched the suspension setup till now.

Originally Posted by viper_711

A larger wind shield goes a long way in my opinion. From personal experience, after a larger wind shield, rides became less tiresome. Wind and wind noise on helmet contributes a lot to a feeling of fatigue. My experience is based on 150-200km rides but feel free to try it out!

The route I take doesn't give me a chance to go above 40km speed. Anyways I will try a Windshield as per your recommendation👍

Originally Posted by KPR

Is selling NS 200 and buying an Unicorn be one of all suggestions? You save your precious back, petrol costs and urge to speed with NS .

Point no. 3 the urge to speed and zip by in busy traffic made me buy the NS200. I will never sell (atleast for time being )

Originally Posted by windrider

Get soft handlebar grips. If your riding position is too committed, you will get wrist pain. Try and find handlebar risers. Adjust your rear suspension to softest setting. Decrease tyre pressure by 2-3 psi. Your mileage will suffer but your back will thank you. Try and find a gel seat or add cushioning to your current seat.

Will try all the above. Have already ordered a gel pad (the cheapest one on Amazon
Can you suggest any good handlebar grip and handlebar riser. Installing a handlebar riser means making riding posture a bit upright?

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by vinuchel

Hello all. Have been riding my NS200 (Bs6, 2020 March model) since 1.7 years and have been 100% satisfied. A sudden transfer to my home town has now given me a posting at a place 25km from home. (Daily 50km up and down commute ). Everyday I am left with a stiff back after the ride. (Speaking about ride, dangerous driving in the heavy traffic narrow Kerala state highway )
Can you suggest tips and mods to make my ride bit more comfortable, like handle grip, seat modifications and any other mods.
My expectation : a butter smooth ride like old FZ16 or Unicorn
All suggestions welcome.

vinuchel, before we can give you different suggestions, if you can give us some background information, that will help us assess the situation correctly.
1. Your age, years of riding experience etc.
2. Are you physically fit, do you have any other health conditions that may be causing your back pain etc.
3. What sort of riding did you do for the 1.7 years and unknown kilometers that you have ridden your NS200? Did you face any issues at that time? What were the riding conditions like?
4. What sort of riding are you doing now? Are you carrying a heavy bag? Do you have a laptop?

Now keeping all else the same, there are 2 possibilities here
a. you are unchanged physically, and hence something related to the riding conditions in the past vs the present, is causing this back pain or

b. the bike remains the same, the riding conditions might have changed but something about motorcycling is causing an existing and unknown issue with your back / posture / lifestyle, to get exacerbated.

Without more details, it is impossible to guess one way or the other. I look forward to your responses to be able to help you out but I would suggest that you also consider getting a health checkup to see if there is an issue with your back that is being magnified by your current motorcycling.

[RMN]

Originally Posted by vinuchel

Everyday I am left with a stiff back after the ride. (Speaking about ride, dangerous driving in the heavy traffic narrow Kerala state highway )

The NS200 is a fairly relaxed and comfortable motorcycle. Most likely, a stiff back has more to do with your health or fitness. Will be good to assess and see if the level of stiffness is higher than normal or not and what is triggering it.

While a more comfortable motorcycle/setup will temporarily help you, if there is an underlying health issue, its going to resurface again.

Our lower back and spine takes a beating always riding motorcycles, its advisable to strengthen and decompress/stretch it properly for a longer and heathier life!

[throttleflick]

Hello vinuchel, I've been using a 2017 Bajaj Dominar for an office commute that was between 30-40 kms with half of it being in Mumbai traffic. I was going for a Pulsar 180 but made a switch to the Dominar 400.

I'm 5'5 with a relatively shorter inseam and lean as well, so not the perfect guy to use this heavy bike and somehow, I've managed to gel well with it.

My suggestions as per my own experiences would be to:

- Get a good pair of hand gloves: Gel handlebar grips are fine but what really would make a difference is the hand gloves. And not the cheaper ones. You should check for the grip, if you experience a pain in the webbing between your fingers and they should fit you perfectly.

Case in point: I was moving at 90km/hr and I was shedding speed to try and negotiate a turn but couldn't do it in time hence I crashed into the divider, got thrown to the other side of the 3 lane highway and my palms escaped without any scratch. Gloves with good padding will not only give you a good cushion but will also help protect your palms.

- Get a Fego float (or an alternative): I got one and instantly realized it wasn't for me as I'm not that tall to tip toe on my bike. Fego float alternative I have increases the size by 1 inch and I loved riding on it, but come traffic and I couldn't manage the bike confidently. Make sure you're able to comfortably maintain your relaxing posture once you are at a halt. Mine is slightly stretching to the right and keeping the right foot straight and flat footed to the ground while my left foot rests on the gear shift thereby locking the bike between my legs properly. Increasing the seat height should not take away your ability to be able to balance your bike properly when standing still.

Case in point: If you have gotten used to a factory tuned suspension setup on curves and general riding, tweaking it might take some getting used to. Or you might have to tweak it trying to find the perfect setup for you. If you are on a long trip, and have luggage mounted at the back, you might not find the setup to your liking as there will be a difference between the suspension tune with and without the luggage. Hence you can opt for a inflatable seat like a fego float.

Get fog lamps: But get the mounting right. I saw you mentioned narrow single lane roads/highways. I had mounted fog lamps I bought from Amazon on the leg guard. They served my purpose well because the fog lamps pointed straight while the headlamps on the bike could change direction. I had also slightly bent the right fog lamp towards the ground to increase the length wise spread of the beams. Unfortunately, during the lockdown my fog lamps got stolen from the parking (I hope they are using them properly at least) hence I don't have them anymore. Oh, you might ask why fog lamps for back ache? I've found myself leaning slightly forward while riding during the night commute to better see things and judge the road. That extra pair of light beams light up the road properly and made me give up that habit and maintain a decent posture.

Get a tank bag: A tank bag is my best friend. It has improved my commute experience and long ride experience as well. In commutes, I am able to just put my weight on the bag when I'm in traffic thereby releasing any pressure from my legs and wrists. On long rides, I let go my left hand on straight highways and rest it on my tank bag and opt for a very relaxed stance that can be changed very quickly if there is a dog or pedestrian crossing the highway. Mine isn't a magnetic one, stays permanently on the tank and I also use a combination lock just in case.

Stay hydrated: Long rides are good and all, and I've also found myself a hydration pack on Amazon that makes it easier for me to sip water while I'm riding. I arrive fresh to my office or home, the capacity is 3 liters and I generally end up drinking a liter and a half on the commute. Still a good way to take care of myself.

Get bungee cords: If your work bag is heavy, don't mount it on your back. Use bungee cords and securely mount it on your rear seat. I was not born with a backpack on my back and I ride the same way You can also (sort of) lean on it while on a signal or on long stretches of road and use it as your back support.

Learn to shed speed properly: Now by no means I'm judging your riding style but here are a couple of pointers to keep in mind while shedding speed.

1: I've always gripped the tank with my legs to reduce pressure on my wrists when I'm braking. That way, when the bike is slowing down, the upper half of my body is not being pushed forward and end up causing any stress on my fore arms and wrists.

2: Try and anticipate the situation around you. This is especially easier on commutes as you can have a mind map of the potholes, crowded areas around you and can basically avoid last minute braking and possible stress to the wrist and back.

3: Use your rear brakes as much as you use the front ones. I generally start to slow down using my rear brakes first and then gently engaging the front ones. Since both my legs are working to adjust the gear and engage the rear brake, it kinda becomes a mental exercise to grab the tank with the legs but I do end up finding the sweet spot which then provides me with ample time to judge and engage the front brakes. My bike comes with rear ABS hence I'm able to use it effectively without the risk of losing the rear grip, you should do the same or follow the 70:30 braking where 30% (and initial engagement) is the rear brake and 70% effort is from the front ones.

Get a good windshield: Looks are subjective and you might have people coming at you saying "why did you buy a naked street bike if you wanted to put a large windshield on it?". I laugh these things out as a windshield helps immensely on long rides. Remember how I rest my left arm on the tank bag, I also end up taking cover behind the windshields "sphere of influence" to better manage the amount of winds hitting me.

My first bike was this Bajaj Dominar 400. I was a car guy but Mumbai traffic and the fathers MT Innova made me convert to bikes. The Dominar is heavy, has its own set of setbacks for me in terms of my weight to height and health. But it has been a constant source of happiness during and after the commute. And more importantly, I do credit that bike and its weight, its dimensions and the tech it comes with to take me out and bring me home safely.

I don't exercise much, but I do make sure that I'm properly stretched before the bike ride. If you can add exercise to your daily routine, it will help too. Of course consult your health professional for that.

I have also had no prior experience of riding bikes. Most of what I know is from youtube. And not only from Dominar owners, but
-people taking their A(1/2) license tests in the UK: learnt how to use engine braking, braking in general, being aware of surroundings.

- or people in Sweden trying to ride their heavy ADV bikes around the country: My bike is heavy by my physiques standards and hence these were a great help for managing a heavy bike.

- our own brothers and sisters negotiating the Himalayas crossing rivers, falling down, picking themselves and their bikes up (properly, without injuring their backs I will add): occasionally I might be unable to put my foot down properly for there might be a pothole right where I've managed to stop at a signal and my legs aren't that tall, if I risk falling, there was an immense learning on how to manage the fall and recover from it.

- from people who traverse the Central Asia route on large and small bikes alike: staying hydrated, taking breaks, staying safe even in the back roads (i had an incident where I had to reach out at my pepper spray bottle when I was trying to pass pedestrians who were inebriated and were threatening me with consequences when I stopped to take a deep breathe and regain composure from the thought of a possible accident)

- and from race bikers too: speed shedding, using my body as a resistance to speed, negotiating curves.

[JJ1991]

Used to ride my Dominar 90 km daily few years back .Only mods I've done are installing a handle bar riser and a bigger windshield.They did a lot in improving my ride quality as well as considerable decrease in fatigue.Do remember to check the tyre pressure atleast once a month.

[vinuchel]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

vinuchel, before we can give you different suggestions, if you can give us some background information, that will help us assess the situation correctly.
1. Your age, years of riding experience etc.
2. Are you physically fit, do you have any other health conditions that may be causing your back pain etc.
3. What sort of riding did you do for the 1.7 years and unknown kilometers that you have ridden your NS200? Did you face any issues at that time? What were the riding conditions like?
4. What sort of riding are you doing now? Are you carrying a heavy bag? Do you have a laptop?

Now keeping all else the same, there are 2 possibilities here
a. you are unchanged physically, and hence something related to the riding conditions in the past vs the present, is causing this back pain or

b. the bike remains the same, the riding conditions might have changed but something about motorcycling is causing an existing and unknown issue with your back / posture / lifestyle, to get exacerbated.

Without more details, it is impossible to guess one way or the other. I look forward to your responses to be able to help you out but I would suggest that you also consider getting a health checkup to see if there is an issue with your back that is being magnified by your current motorcycling.

Thanks for the response. Please find the data.

1. Your age, years of riding experience etc.
33 years, been riding 2 wheeler since 16 years. Most of the riding was done in busy 2 lane roads of Kerala and Karntaka.

2. Are you physically fit, do you have any other health conditions that may be causing your back pain etc.
Not in the peak of health (obese as per BMI) but do survive day by day. No other health issues.

3. What sort of riding did you do for the 1.7 years and unknown kilometers that you have ridden your NS200? Did you face any issues at that time? What were the riding conditions like?
Used a Hero Pleasure, FZ16, TVS Victor and now NS200. Past 1.7 years on NS 200 was mostly rash driving in mixed road conditions (NH and state roads. Well the NS200 won't let me drive at 50-60km/hr speed as before ) Previously my commute to office was 12km a side and 25 km per day. As 80% of the above ride was in 4 lane NH in normal traffic condition, didn't experience that much issues with back.

4. What sort of riding are you doing now? Are you carrying a heavy bag? Do you have a laptop?
Now my new office is around 20km from my home and the drive is through peak hour (very heavy traffic in narrow 2 laned state highway) with sudden requirement for speed burst and narrow/just-miss overtakes .
Just a normal bag with now weight and no laptop (am a PSB officer so only luggage is bank keys and rain coat).

Awaiting your suggestion.

[vinuchel]

Originally Posted by throttleflick

Hello vinuchel, I've been using a 2017 Bajaj Dominar for an office commute that was between 30-40 kms with half of it being in Mumbai traffic. I was going for a Pulsar 180 but made a switch to the Dominar 400.

Excellent post and thanks for the response.
I rarely do trips on my bike and use it mostly for commuting. 40km total daily both ways. Main thing exhausting me is the continous shifting of gears and the traffic along with the riding position (I guess) which troubles my back.

Going by your post, I read reviews on the Fego float and immediately nicked one (borrowed as per my friend ) from one of my friend's ride and it feels so comfortable. Rode around 10km to test and it surely gives the butt an air suspension. I plan to use the same for around 2-3 months.

Which would be the best visor/windshield for NS200? I found many reviews for the carbonracing visor but its been sold out.

[throttleflick]

Originally Posted by vinuchel

Excellent post and thanks for the response.
I rarely do trips on my bike and use it mostly for commuting. 40km total daily both ways. Main thing exhausting me is the continous shifting of gears and the traffic along with the riding position (I guess) which troubles my back.

Going by your post, I read reviews on the Fego float and immediately nicked one (borrowed as per my friend ) from one of my friend's ride and it feels so comfortable. Rode around 10km to test and it surely gives the butt an air suspension. I plan to use the same for around 2-3 months.

Which would be the best visor/windshield for NS200? I found many reviews for the carbonracing visor but its been sold out.

Hehe awesome. See if the fego float helps. You should see if the bajaj ASS has a AS150/200 visor. I’m skeptical about the mounting points but it should be a straight fit. 99rpm might also have it. I use that website for all my bike parts.

I checked sahayadri moto website but they don’t seem to make one for the NS. I have their visor on my bike.

I also saw that your bike has clip on style handlebars. To reduce fatigue, I have installed handlebar risers as well. Can you check if there is a way for you to add a pair on your bikes handlebar? Someone who has already installed and is using it successfully for over a year should give you a better idea about its safety and long term reliability.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by vinuchel

Previously my commute to office was 12km a side and 25 km per day. As 80% of the above ride was in 4 lane NH in normal traffic condition, didn't experience that much issues with back.

Originally Posted by vinuchel

Now my new office is around 20km from my home and the drive is through peak hour (very heavy traffic in narrow 2 laned state highway) with sudden requirement for speed burst and narrow/just-miss overtakes .

vinuchel, my best guess is that an existing health condition is being exacerbated by the current riding. Thousands of riders are doing the same ride in similar conditions without any health issues. This makes me think that it is more fitness related than motorcycle related. RMN has hit the nail on the head with his post.

Before you do any mechanical changes to your motorcycle, focus on your health first. Do consult with a doctor. There might be some small lifestyle tweaks that are necessary. The doctor might suggest exercises as well to strengthen your back and other muscles.

Once that is on track, then shift your attention to your bike and see what tweaks can help improve the situation. By focussing only on the bike, you will end up throwing a lot of money on quick fixes while the problem will likely never be resolved.

[shankarbn]

First things first, riding a two wheeler on Kerala highway (fondly refered to as "main road" by locals) itself is a death wish. If your back is aching after a short 25km ride, you should first look at your fitness and spend a few minutes each day doing planks and stretches to avoid further damage to your already weak spine. Other than that, the following modifications will make your bike commute a lot better.

1. Bag or box that mounts to your bike rather than your body. I would suggest a good top box that can accommodate your laptop bag inside it when you are riding and your helmet when you park. Buy a detachable one so you can carry it like a suitcase inside your workplace. If you buy a bag, make sure it can accommodate your daily necessities as well as stays waterproof since Kerala is prone to rains.

2. Reflective stickers for your bike and helmet. White in the front, yellow on the sides and red at the back. Stick as many as you can on all fiber parts.

3. Heighten handlebar to your preference. Instead of changing the handlebar clip ons or bending it, get spacers from reputed brands.

Total cost should be less than 8k INR (5k for box, 1k for stickers if you go crazy and 1-2k for handlebar spacers).

Optional extras:

1. A set of fog lights in the front to be seen by oncoming traffic (which is from all sides in Kerala)
2. Brighter headlamp bulb (philips extremevision works great for me, you can even choose led from philips or otoroys though they come in a 2 pack)
3. Reflective clothing or jacket for yourself.

Source of advice : Over 150000kms of riding in India and abroad between all my motorbikes over a decade and a half.