Judging by the first pic posted by the OP he needs to be sliding his butt off the seat and dropping both his head and knee. This will help on the XR as well.

 

I have about 250K combined riding miles since I started riding 11 years ago. This bike is the worse for my egronmics that I have ever owned. The tanks is so wide that I was already asking my hips more then they can flex just to ride. "Throwing a knee down" was not possible with this bike. I had a 4" rise in the seat with an air hawk when I hit the tail of the dragon (pic). The air hawk is great for Highway but it becomes a challenge in the twisties for the air will move around in odd places not allowing you to sit on the seat securly. I know how to ride... This bike is nothing like the bikes of my past (gen1 FZ1, gen2 FZ1, Bandit 1200, FZ6, GSX1300BK, ZG1400, SV1000, GSX650F, A plethora of GS750-1150e's, etc)... I will state the XR1200 is more like the bikes of my past in handling and Ergos then the XG could ever be... The XG was just a horrible bike for me by the time I started racking big miles.

 

It has been stated that the SR was built for folks 5'5"-5'9". Every test ride review rider that complained about the ergo's was 6' and taller. Therein lies the problem.

 

It was fine for most of ownership, rides that didn't go past the 200 miles mark. I think the injury occurred during a +600 jaunt through Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. After that ride my hip was hurting the worse it ever had. I took a week off from the bike after my trip and just couldn't get back on it for more then an hour after (50-60 miles) total for the day.

To note the MOCo never stated anything about it being only for riders 5'5:-5'9". They pushed to sell the bike, I did buy it and with the modification to the seat height the bike was working great... The big trip hurt me.

I've done a 300+ miles trip on the XR and it is night and day difference. Too bad HD sdidn't look to the past to make a great bike today.

 

The targeted height range was divulged to a test rider during the roll out at Daytona by a member of the design team attending the event.

While it's a shame the XG didin't work for you the XR should prove to be a comparable replacement.

 

That's interesting. I'm 6'1" in riding boots and don't have any problem with the broader ergos of my SR. My only issue is that I get cramping in my right hip sometimes from the way the exhaust forces you to place your foot at an open angle.

OP, the XR1200 is the bike I wanted, and if H-D was making them today I would have bought one over my SR without hesitation. I love that platform but I just can't get over the constant part and peg dragging most models suffer from. Hope it gives you many trouble-free miles.

 

That would be the recurring complaint I have read.

 

I too wanted an XR1200 from day 1 but they are very hard to find in my neck of the woods. My XR1200 was the first one I ever saw in the flesh so to speak. In fact I inquired about finding one from my local dealer and they wanted to get me on a Roadster or Street-Rod initially.

Glad to be on a bike that has a traditional HD engine in a modern, competent and capable frame.

 

If only they hadn't killed off Buell!

 

The m2 cyclone is what the sportster should have evolved into during the 90s