Comfort in rearsets?

Come on, there's no comfort in a cafe racer! It's meant to be a bare bones chop job... While that may be true for those 'doing the ton', I doubt I'll look forward to cramping into the bike each time I ride, let alone on a long ride. I can already imagine the discomfort.

As much as evaded the topic of riding comfort, I truly need rearsets! Especially with clip-on handles, the upper body is contorted forward while the legs remain in the same stock position. They're locked away in an awkward right-angled position. Every bump in the road will shiver up my spine. No matter how many deadlifts or squats I do, my back will inevitably take a toll.

Throwing the feet back will allow not only improved ergonomics for riding comfort but should naturally offer better handling. They'll be handy when it comes to repositioning the body for different road conditions, maybe throwing a bit of a knee down on corners, shifting weight during the twisties and gripping the bike during death wobbles. I see it as, putting a bit of race back into cafe racer.

Rearset positioning seems to be a subjective matter of personal preference. Perhaps that's the case when you test ride a bike to get a feel for what works. A secret fetish of mine, the Triumph Daytona 675 has a higher than average seat. The bike itself has ergonomics generally suited to a taller rider, adding to the explanation to why they feel comfortable. The Honda CBR on the other hand, feels much more compact and a bit more cramped.

Interestingly, MotoGP riders appear to have the same peg setup relative to the bike and their body. 

The question remains - What rearset will be 'right' on the SR250 and most importantly, me? 

Well, taking the above observations into account, I think I'll have my rearsets sit fairly far back, at least a few inches from stock position. As the bike is fairly lowered, I don't want to go too low nor too high, otherwise I'll be propped up, standing more than sitting. I'll try find a compromise between 'too low' and 'too high' so that I'll still have some ground clearance.

I've always had a fetish for shiny rearsets at the bike shop, but never really like the way the look on cafe racers. Picture a retrofitted rearsets borrowed from a Yamaha R1. The shiny alloy stands out and looks out of place. Not exactly period correct or 'in theme' with the rest of the build.

Aesthetics-wise, it's difficult to steer away from the 'sports' look. Not unless the rearsets are camouflaged and hidden to the eye. But even so, the stance of the rider, once on the bike will be an immediate tell. You won't see a Harley with rearsets! Nor would you see a sportsbike with forward controls. I think the trick is to find balance between 'sport' and 'cruiser'. Perhaps something akin to 'athletic but subtle'.

Hopefully the final design will achieve a balance between aesthetics and practicality. Aesthetics first of course! 

Here's some food for thought - Photos of rearsets and pegs: