What is the purpose of seat pitch?

[setasai]

What is the purpose of the stock seat's pitch forward? It's a problem for many of us who feel like we keep sliding into the tank but it works for others. Is there a reason why it is slanted so far forward? Does it make certain maneuvers easier?

[alex.s]

It makes it harderto slide back under acceleration

[heylookitsfranco]

it's not a girls bike for nothing...

please put your flamethrowers down, I might have been kidding.

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by setasai

What is the purpose of the stock seat's pitch forward? It's a problem for many of us who feel like we keep sliding into the tank but it works for others. Is there a reason why it is slanted so far forward? Does it make certain maneuvers easier?

Just a couple of my observations
1. Positions the rider more towards the center of the bike for better control
2. Lowers the seat height and moves the controls back (closer) for the vertically challenged and beginners. (Taller riders can sit back 3 or more inches and be comfortable.)

[setasai]

Originally Posted by alex.s

It makes it harderto slide back under acceleration

That makes perfect sense.

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

Just a couple of my observations
1. Positions the rider more towards the center of the bike for better control
2. Lowers the seat height and moves the controls back (closer) for the vertically challenged and beginners. (Taller riders can sit back 3 or more inches and be comfortable.)

Oh ok I see. That makes sense.

Thanks for the responses, helps a lot. I am currently reshaping my seat and because I am a taller rider, I tend to like to sit further back on the seat but because of the pitch, the backside of my sitting bones are supporting my weight instead of the bottom. Good to know there's nothing wrong with flattening the pitch a bit.

[Boom King]

I find the constant sliding towards the tank a little bit of a nuisance myself. The weird thing is that I'm only about 5'7" and I prefer sitting way back on the seat. Right to the edge where I'm almost touching the passenger seat. I have no problem reaching the controls. The bike certainly feels "smaller" than when I first got her. I can't even imagine how someone close to 6 foot can ride this bike for a prolonged period of time.

[setasai]

It's a challenge but I make it work. Most of it just has to do with shifting your weight around often but last time I took a 430mile trip it was painful every 50miles because of the way the seat is shaped. It ALWAYS puts pressure on the bones and at the same time there's friction on the backside of my buttcheeks from gravity causing me to slide downwards.

[CoinSlot]

Just do this:

2011-09-25 15.51.42.jpg

Easy!

[NDspd]

I'm about 5' 11'' and 180lbs, and I change from the front to the rear and back depending on the situation ahead. If I'm cruising, I usually sit toward the rear, if I'm going hard in the corners or really beating feet I sit up front so I can cradle the tank better.

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by setasai

... I am currently reshaping my seat and because I am a taller rider, I tend to like to sit further back on the seat but because of the pitch, the backside of my sitting bones are supporting my weight instead of the bottom. Good to know there's nothing wrong with flattening the pitch a bit.

I had my seat reshaped and covered. The seat is a little more flat so I don't slide down into the tank as much. Works well on longer rides.
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/attac...1&d=1289448688

[DaBlue1]

Originally Posted by Boom King

... I can't even imagine how someone close to 6 foot can ride this bike for a prolonged period of time.

I'am 5' 11" and ride mainly long periods of time. I find it a plus that I can either lay on the tank, sit up straight or varying positions. The ability to adjust myself in the seat without a lot of weight on my arms, shoulders and lower back is great, not to mention my knees not being constantly bent at a painful angle, like it would be on a larger sportbike.

[setasai]

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

I had my seat reshaped and covered. The seat is a little more flat so I don't slide down into the tank as much. Works well on longer rides.
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/attac...1&d=1289448688

Cool! Yea this is exactly what I am going for. Mine doesnt look like yours or anything close to stock anymore because I added more support on the sides to widen the rear portion of the seat pan. Like you say, I sit on the rear on long stretches and towards the tank for maneuverability. Lets see how it turns out.

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

I'am 5' 11" and ride mainly long periods of time. I find it a plus that I can either lay on the tank, sit up straight or varying positions. The ability to adjust myself in the seat without a lot of weight on my arms, shoulders and lower back is great, not to mention my knees not being constantly bent at a painful angle, like it would be on a larger sportbike.

Varying seat position is great! I would do that regardless of how my seat turns out. I also vary my feet on the pegs to alleviate some of the strain. Sometimes I even let them hang and skim the ground... on straight roads of course.

[setasai]

Originally Posted by CoinSlot

Just do this:

Attachment 15948

Easy!

That's the general idea. But I also want to add some height to it.

In anycase, this post was purely to ask about seat pitch. I have another thread for my seat shaping as a potential DIY in the future when I complete it.

[Boom King]

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

I'am 5' 11" and ride mainly long periods of time. I find it a plus that I can either lay on the tank, sit up straight or varying positions. The ability to adjust myself in the seat without a lot of weight on my arms, shoulders and lower back is great, not to mention my knees not being constantly bent at a painful angle, like it would be on a larger sportbike.

Yes, varying positions is great. It helps that you've reshaped your seat to a flatter profile. I might have to try that. With the stock seat, I find that even when I've shifted my seating position, I tend to slide right back against the tank.

[gfloyd2002]

Originally Posted by alex.s

It makes it harderto slide back under acceleration

Not an issue on our ninjettes. Get it on a liter bike, but really not needed for us. The little lip on the passenger seat or stopper from the cowl is plenty to stop us.

Originally Posted by DaBlue1

Just a couple of my observations
1. Positions the rider more towards the center of the bike for better control
2. Lowers the seat height and moves the controls back (closer) for the vertically challenged and beginners. (Taller riders can sit back 3 or more inches and be comfortable.)

I disagree with number one on our ninjettes. Moving as far back on the seat as possible during cornering offers a noticeable advantage to control of the bike by adjusting weight closer to the back wheel. Reason 2 is it. And it is annoying for riders that don't need that extra inch or two. And moving back to the back of the seat doesn't completely solve it because you are constantly creeping forward into ballcracker territory.

Bad design to try to sneak an inch closer to the ground and make a seat more appealing to a wider range of riders, while compromising rideability for a normal sized male is the real answer. A bad design that Corbin has solved. I sat on a ninjette with a Corbin and it was heaven. My testies hadn't been so happy since . . . well that is a story for a different time.

[alex.s]

Yeah sliding back is not so bad with only 30 hp

[rockNroll]

The seat is rotated forward from the position of a standard bike's seat because the hand controls of a sport bike are lower and forward and the foot pegs are back and higher. If the seat remained in the old standard position, you'd have to bend further at the hip to get onto the hand controls.