Lessons learned, 2008 EC ergonomics.

[Radbuster]

Hi guys and girls,

Last fall I found a 2008 EC200 in almost-new condition very cheaply. I stormed off to the seller, looked it over, had a short test ride, threw the money he asked for at him and took it home before he could change his mind.

Previously I had a 2007 EC300 that I bought new and used alot for several years with very few issues. So, when I saw the 200 which is almost identical and could apply old lessons learned, plus a few newer tricks, I jumped at the chance.

This is the first in a series to document a few but important changes to suspension, ergonomics, cylinder head and jetting.

So, ergonomics. I'm 5'8 or 178cm, middle-aged, weigh about 190lbs/90kg and are of about average riding ability and stand up most of the time and ride light on the bike to try to conserve energy, as energy is almost allways an issue ;-)

To get this bike to feel like more average japanese ergos, I finally settled on:

• Guts tall seat, medium hardness, is 1" taller.
• CR-hi handlebars, no-name brand
• 20mm bar risers
• DRC Cro-Mo footpegs for Yamaha, OEM -5mm, are approx. 9mm lower than stock and are not rear-set, so it would be possible to saw off the bushing and put it on top as some here have done, to gain more room.

The lower footpegs changed everything and all the pieces fell into place. I was sceptical at first, but being desperate, I wanted to try what lower pegs could do.
The resulting 9mm, or so, feel like at least twice as much and I could remove the 30mm bar risers. I tried removing also the 20mm risers, but even if they were ok on an MX track, my lower back hurts after 30mins when riding enduro, and I need to be able to stand for 2-3 hours or so.

My knees now grip the tank where they are supposed to. I wouldn't mind 5mm more or so, but this is good enough for now.

Hope this helps. Cheers,

Fred

[(F5)]

Yeah doing the cylinder head on my 200 was a great move. As was the ltr needle back in the day a bit.