Lot of bikes out yesterday around Coniston
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Not today, but yesterday… For this week’s ride I headed a back-road route to Peterborough, my intention was to visit Wheels Motorcycles and try out some Moto Guzzis for size. I noticed there was a Triumph dealer a few miles away so popped by there first to sit on a Tiger Sport 800 as suggested on here.
The Tiger felt too cramped in the legroom department but I noticed a Scrambler XE in their demo bike line-up so I ended up taking that for a spin 
After 8 years on the Speedmaster the riding position was completely alien, with feet below my bum and the foot and hand controls were angled down at a steep angle. (For riding whilst standing?). The seat is also rather hard and narrow which I felt when hitting a few of the larger potholes.
On to Wheels Motorcycles where I had a sit on a Stelvio, and though it wasn’t my initial intention, I was off on another test ride…
This felt completely different. Engine has lots of rock’n’roll, the clutch is loads heavier than Triumph’s and it felt weird when with the clutch pulled in I could feel each pulse of the engine in my fingers. Suspension was very plush and the subsided and potholed road I rode a 50 or 60ish felt smooth (Though bike was wallowy on the bumps as you’d expect plush, lowly damped suspension.)
I travelled the same way later on my Speedmaster, at slower speed, and that was painful on the back. So now I know that it’s possible to travel in comfort, back wise at least. Not sure about having legs tucked up under me, and bent more acutely.
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I reckon any bike will feel cramped in the legs compared to the Speed master but the position you’re used to won’t give any protection to your back. When I sat on a Tiger Sport 800 I thought there was loads of room, but that’s coming from riding the Speed Triple.
As for the Scrambler control positions, I’m sure they can be adjusted to a more natural feel. You should probably try and get a longer test ride on something as a quick spin is bound to feel alien.
Good luck with the search 
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Today I took the Tiger out for the first ride of the season. A 100 miles or so of pottering about. Loved it!
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My garage is at the top of a slope, so I have to paddle the bike out backwards, controlling the backwards speed with the front brake. I therefore had to choose a bike with a fairly low seat height to get my feet flat on the ground. Hence my choice of a Street Twin. At first I found that the footrest to seat distance was closer than I was used to on my old TDM, but it has gradually become more familiar over time and it doesn’t bother me now.
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I could get both feet flat on ground (just) with the bikes I test rode. I experimented paddling them around and doing slow speed manoeuvrers and was surprised that they didn’t feel a lot more unwieldy than they did, considering they have 120mm higher seat height than my Speedmaster. The Moto Guzzi did lean over on sidestand a really long way and was very heavy to get off the sidestand when not seated on bike. The Scrambler was the complete opposite, stood nearly upright and felt like it was in danger of falling over at the slightest touch.
I guess for me, I’d happily give up 50mm of ground clearance to have feet that much lower for a more comfy position. That seems to be the problem to me, tall bikes are tall because they are going for ground clearance whereas I just want to stretch my legs!
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You can, of course, get aftermarket footrest lowering kits for a lot of bikes (including Street/Speed Twins), presumably at the expense of lean angle. I haven’t felt the need myself.
Higher ground clearance means more suspension travel and more confort. Not really compatible with the custom position and stretched legs.
As Dave49 said, consider adjustable footrest (SWMOTECH and others).
But the main thing is you cannot have stretched legs + back confortable position. To have a confortable position, no secret, straight back and natural arm position.
For the seat confort, you should not be stopped by a hard seat, or too low seat. I had all my seats changed or modified for confort and ergonomic. It’s around 200 euros well spent.
The Honda NT was no exception. The seats were changed for a confort version after a couple of weeks from new.
Good luck with your chase!
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I’m not really looking for stretched legs, just knees at 90° or a bit less acute. like I have on my current bike. Because despite Triumph saying the Speedmaster has ‘forward’ controls they’re certainly not traditional cruiser position.
Not that I want the insurance hassles with going custom bike route, but the T120 has the same engine as the Speedmaster, I wonder how difficult it would be to bolt the forward controls’ mounting bar to that? It has 50mm more suspension travel, which with some good shocks may be sufficient. Add in a handlebar change to get back straight and a custom seat and that may be the bike I want.
I’ll probably next try more ‘traditional’ bikes like the T120 and Royal Enfields and see how that extra 2 inches of suspension travel compares to my Speedmaster. (I suspect not much better.) Those bikes do have the big advantage that I could get them down the side of the house to store safely at the rear. If I got an Adventure bike it would have to live in my Dad’s garage.
Most “scramblers” have the footpegs further forward than the typical naked bike, although some riders then complain that the footpegs dig into there legs when stationary with feet down.
I guess it’s just going to be trial and error to find the right riding position.
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As the weather is set fine for a few days I would have liked to head to Wales for a couple of nights but I have a hospital appointment tomorrow, so instead I replaced the sidestand in an effort to get bike to sit more upright than it has in recent times.
Difficult to tell if it made much difference as ground at home is uneven. Will see how it looks on tomorrow’s ride.
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A great day out on the Scrambler today with my mate on his Versys 300. Up the coast to Cockermouth and across to the Filling Station at Keswick. Delicious as always 
We planned to go over Newlands and Honister Passes but Newlands was closed. So we did Honister, alongside Buttermere and Crummock Water, beautiful, then through Loweswater and back down the coast again. Despite what the route says we didn’t go to Workington (shudder)
Photo from the Honister cafe car park. If you zoom in you can see a quarry truck beginning it’s decent down the hill. Rather him than me, it’s very steep!
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Getting frightened. Well leaned over getting from one motorway to another I hit a petrol/oiltrail. Both front and rear stepped out about 6 inches (at a petrified guess). Brown underpants moment… 
Fateful Tiger saved me yet again…
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Is that a true 6” or a bloke 6” 
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6” skid marks in his under crackers, glad you’re ok dude
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Yup, bloke 6"…
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Glad you stayed shiny side up mate.
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Yesterday whilst shopping for a couple of small bike bits I found myself thinking that perhaps I should hold off ordering, because if my arm problem goes badly then I may not be riding my bike much longer, or could be switching to a different bike with an auto clutch. But then I realised I can’t let myself start thinking that way, I should just carry on as normal.
But with today’s sunny weather I started thinking that I should get out for a ride whilst I still can, don’t know how many rides I got left. But I again stopped myself going down that hole. Still, rather than sitting around at home moping, I may as well get out for a ride anyway. 
So I set off for the quiet country roads for a few hours, riding single-track roads with the hordes of men on bicycles, and the girls and women on horses. (There’s definitely a gender divide in these activities.) Everyone seemed happy with the joys of spring with smiles and waves all round. My bike even got a compliment from a horse rider whilst I waited for her group to pass me on a narrow road. You wouldn’t get that with these ugly adventure bikes 
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Not even the ones with auto-clutch
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