These are the options as I see them for riding without getting a sore arse aka monkey butt
1. Gel seat - tried it, its pants
2. Custom foam seat - was ok, but still sore after a while
3. Beadrider - doesn't work for me. I bet it would work if I had plenty of layers of fat on my ass, but all the fat likes to accumulate on my stomach
Which leaves me with these two to try out:
4. Alaskan sheep skin
5. Airhawk
Has anyone tried these and got an opinion? I'm inclined to try the airhawk next
Does 3 work for charlie then? :whistling: :popcorn:
I used a sheepskin on my 1000mile 24hr run with positive results but am considering going to Tony Archer for a custom refit of my OEM seat. Now I have done a few miles I now know what is wrong with mine. Got it from this guy 'sheepskinseats' on eBay it could do with being 5" longer and have 2 securing straps the width is fine, long wool very comfy. He told me he would make one to my specs if I wanted him to. PM me your address and I will send it to you to try if you cover the postage costs.
Sent from my iPhone by mini Elves.
Zeb
Quote from: Kwikasfuki on July 17, 2014, 07:08:18 PM
These are the options as I see them for riding without getting a sore arse aka monkey butt
1. Gel seat - tried it, its pants
2. Custom foam seat - was ok, but still sore after a while
3. Beadrider - doesn't work for me. I bet it would work if I had plenty of layers of fat on my ass, but all the fat likes to accumulate on my stomach
Which leaves me with these two to try out:
4. Alaskan sheep skin
5. Airhawk
Has anyone tried these and got an opinion? I'm inclined to try the airhawk next
Are you saying I have layers of fat on my arse :nono: :mfr_lol:
airhawk, without a shadow of doubt, ive tried the gel seat- rubbish, ive got a custom foam seat ( top sellerie) which gives me about 4 hours before getting uncomfortable, with the airhawk I can do 8 hours , im not kidding its awesome, however sat on a aircushion takes a bit of getting used to , ok for straight motorway miles . just get the cheap airhawk, the neoprene one is not worth the extra in my opinion.
Charlie and ewan had airhawks on LWD series one, ewan said it was their best bit of kit.
Airhawk is a great option, you don't need much air in it but it will raise you up a little, so if you're already on your tippy toes you might struggle.
I had the Airhawk and used it on my european travel.. Hated the thing and sold it as soon as I got back to someone on here..
I like to stop every hour/hour & half so no need for me to be looking for anything else, even though my Corbin seat is rock hard on my :asshole: :mfr_lol:
Buy abike with comfortable seats...simples :yes:
100MA will confirm :popcorn:
After coming to the GTR from a Goldwing you notice the difference :)
Purchased a set of Airhawks before our Europe trip last year and haven't taken them off since. If you follow the instructions and get the air right for you they are almost as comfy as the Goldwings padded arm chairs....
Still get off every 90 minutes for fuel and a coffee though so the circulation also gets a chance to return then....
Asif what sort of mileage are you doing before things start to get uncomfortable. Day one of our Scottish trip we did 430 miles approx without a problem. By day six Nigel had done 1700 miles and still no discomfort. (And that was on his GS)! :popcorn:
Quote from: The Wolf on July 18, 2014, 09:08:43 AM
Asif what sort of mileage are you doing before things start to get uncomfortable. Day one of our Scottish trip we did 430 miles approx without a problem. By day six Nigel had done 1700 miles and still no discomfort. (And that was on his GS)! :popcorn:
after about an hour I get discomfort. I'd never be able to do an iron butt
Have you thought of botox or silicon implants ?
The ONLY saddle I have ever managed to do over 400 miles without any pain in my arse is the Russell Day-Long.
It's so good that you only really notice it when you get off the bike and walk away,... stop and suddenly realise that everything else aches but yer butt doesn't.
Is it worth the £500+ asking price? Well that's your decision.
The one on my GTR1000 is not for sale at any price and if I had the spare cash I'd be getting another one for the 1400.
Quote from: doebag on July 18, 2014, 10:43:06 AM
Have you thought of botox or silicon implants ?
:mfr_lol:
I take it that's the procedure you've had? Did it work?
Is a iron butt member allowed to brag ? :cool:
First day 1050 miles. On the 8th day 3500 miles. :biker3: on stock seat. Den did some local riding in Turkey before doing the 12 day/3750 miles return.
I lobe my GTR for its so easy to ride standing. Any time your ass is sore. Stand up for a litte. Many of my miles was done standing. But i did buy a custom seat noe and cant wait to see how it is to use. Hope its kind to my :asshole:
Quote from: Kwikasfuki on July 18, 2014, 10:28:47 AM
after about an hour I get discomfort. I'd never be able to do an iron butt
Asif, try sitting on your wallet.
that should make the bike a lot more comfy, It's amazing how much padding there is in a leather wallet and a few hundred pounds worth of tenners. :mfr_lol:
Quote from: JohnnyTh on July 18, 2014, 03:08:12 PM
Is a iron butt member allowed to brag ? :cool: On the 8th day 3500 miles.
Bloody ell you using WARP DRIVE???
Sent from my iPhone by mini Elves.
Zeb
I did my iron butt ss1000 on my airhawk , 18 hours straight, on my stock seat I could only do an hour!
Did mine on a dead sheep :)
Sent from my iPhone by mini Elves.
Zeb
Quote from: 100milesaway on July 18, 2014, 03:55:36 PM
Asif, try sitting on your wallet.
that should make the bike a lot more comfy, It's amazing how much padding there is in a leather wallet and a few hundred pounds worth of tenners. :mfr_lol:
:mfr_lol:
I'm skint. Don't believe what Steve tells you
Quote from: Kwikasfuki on July 18, 2014, 09:07:22 PM
:mfr_lol:
I'm skint. Don't believe what Steve tells you
He's minted, don't believe what he tells you! Even his staff drive Roller's. :yes:
Quote from: The Wolf on July 18, 2014, 10:05:41 PM
He's minted, don't believe what he tells you! Even his staff drive Roller's. :yes:
:mfr_lol: I wish!
Quote from: Zebedee on July 18, 2014, 04:02:06 PM
Bloody ell you using WARP DRIVE???
Sent from my iPhone by mini Elves.
Zeb
Did you not know your GTR have warp drive? :laugh:
A couple of years ago I did a 5 week tour of Europe on an ST1300 with a Melseat conversion to the standard saddle, it wasn't too bad but still some discomfort with the 'Burning Butt' syndrome.
I discovered that the saddle had dropped on one side and so replaced it with a Sargent seat (2nd hand) but also decided that it wasn't necessarily all about the saddle but what I was wearing that may have caused the problem, so I invested in a pair of 'LD Comfort shorts'
http://www.ldcomfort.com/
I had a big gulp when I worked out the price but figured that for an upcoming trip to Greece it was worth a try, the result was much improved comfort even on motorways but it's worth taking a 15min break every 90 mins for fuel, a drink of water and a toilet stop (I'm old) and let the blood circulate.
Even if you decide the LD's are too pricey, try and ensure you have no seams or wrinkles in the seating area of your clothing when you ride as they will cause you true pain after an hour in the saddle!
Quote from: Kwikasfuki on July 17, 2014, 07:08:18 PM
4. Alaskan sheep skin
5. Airhawk
Has anyone tried these and got an opinion? I'm inclined to try the airhawk next
Lots of people swear by sheepskin but it didn't work for me. I didn't detect much difference in my comfort level and when it poured with rain the sheepskin got absolutely soaked and eventually overcame the waterproofing in my trousers; not pleasant.
I've used both the Airhawk 2 and the new R version. I think the latter is better, certainly on our GSA anyway. The idea is to put as little air in it as possible and it works but I still felt disconnected from the seat (probably because I was!). I've got a v2 and an R and will be keeping the R for emergency use.
Assuming you can't borrow one from a dealer (I've never heard of a company doing try-before-you-buy with these in the UK but they apparently do in Germany), if you PM your address to me I'll lend you mine so you can give it a go without the expense of having to buy one.
I'd also echo Steve's advice about the LDComfort shorts but I found them a bit too warm when riding in higher temperatures (not that that's likely to be a problem for you up in the Frozen North).
I've had several seats remodelled by various UK people and I've tried several third-party seats but the only thing that really worked for me was getting it done by a US person who basically threw away all but the seat base and built bespoke seats for us; they really are excellent but not cheap. We used Rick Mayer (http://www.rickmayercycle.com/) but many people in the LD community swear by the Russell Day-Long (https://www.day-long.com/). Either would involve sending your seat to the US and the Day-Long can increase seat height quite a bit.
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Are you quite sure that the warm damp feeling went from the outside in? :oops: :oops:
Coman
The day long long Russell seats look like they could be the answer to the numb bum , they have wider side bits to support the thighs ,so should hold off the hot bum feel ,they do look comfy , I. Sat on a bmw 16 gt and that seat felt fantastic ,,, :biker3:
Quote from: nightrider on July 20, 2014, 07:14:13 PM
The day long long Russell seats look like they could be the answer to the numb bum , they have wider side bits to support the thighs ,so should hold off the hot bum feel ,they do look comfy , I. Sat on a bmw 16 gt and that seat felt fantastic ,,, :biker3:
Yes but "sitting on it" and sitting on it and then doing a 300 mile day are two different things. :whistling:. For the record I have always found that any seat is more comfy if you are wearing leathers, and a lot less comfy whilst wearing textiles. :smiley:
The Russell seats seem to get good reports, but the wide seat doesn't look good to me on a gtr. Comfy underwear helps a lot I think, so no thongs chaps! :whistling:
on the standard seat just did 420 miles in 7 hours from loch ness to hull with stops for fuel/toilet every 140 miles and my bum was always on the verge of that wrinkly feeling is it hot bum?
I was wearing leathers with shorts on underneath and I sweat like a pig which doesn't help comfort wise
i was wondering if instead of changing the seat, change your pants? some inflatable type nappies/undies etc?
is there anything on the market?
a few times I had overtaken loads of caravans and coaches only to stop for a pee and see them go past me.
it would be great if I could hook something up so I could pee on the fly? catheter?
im new to this touring lark so any advice would be greatly appreciated
Quote from: 100milesaway on July 20, 2014, 08:03:17 PM
Yes but "sitting on it" and sitting on it and then doing a 300 mile day are two different things. :whistling:. For the record I have always found that any seat is more comfy if you are wearing leathers, and a lot less comfy whilst wearing textiles. :smiley:
. , Yes all them gold wing seats must be very uncomfortable to sit on , if a seat feels hard before you have even set off then it is only going to get worst , for a touring bike the gtr seat is less padded than a rd250 I had years ago , the Russell seats have to be the way to go ,tested on long straights In the USA , same as cars get in a luxury car and the deep soft leather is just great to sit in and cruise along ,
I believe the riding position can have a big impact on your comfort. I personally have my feet on the pegs the same as i ride a pushbike -- ball of my toe on the peg. Takes a little weight off my ass.
The width of a seat if too wide can put strain on your inner thighs and cause cramp and will have a knock on effect.
Wear tight-ish boxers or pants so sweat doesn't pull your hairs on you legs, and as previously said, stand up frequently to allow circulation.
I stop at least every 1 1/2 hours.......If your not enjoying the ride, why push yourself. I don't expect or want to get to my destination before others that I've passed....im enjoying it more than them !
We did 568m on our last day from Dijon area to home as it was raining and didn't want to try and dry stuff out, and we knew about it.
In August that will be 765m down to Le Pouzin in one hit as we've been asked to join family for a few days in the south of france. Its not me that will suffer, more Lorraine being a passenger, so a short next trip to Saint Maxine via the Verdon the next day and that will give us 4 days off the bike to recover. 3 days to come home as theres no rush.
Well thats my 2 penneth anyway......works for me. :biker3: happy riding
I found its not necessarily the miles you do but the time you are in the seat, we only did 420 miles yesterday
its the 7 hours on your bum that you notice!!!
an hour doing 48 miles on scotlands tiny A roads takes it out of you more than an hour doing 100 miles on the motorway
I look at my 420 miles and how knackered I was - next day off work lol!!
and then read of 700 miles trips or iron butts 1000 miles 18 hours in the seat and realise im never gonna be a long distance tourer
I think 250 miles or 3 hours would be ok if you could then have a couple of hours break then repeat and that would be mine and my wifes limit
We did 620 miles over 14 hours two up and neither of us had even the slightest hint of numb bum. I've done well over 1000 miles in 18hrs and had shoulder burn from holding the throttle (despite the throttle lock) but my bum was fine. Have also done 500 miles in one day in the Ardennes and was utterly knackered but bum never once hurt.
what seat you got on your 1400 boomer?
I have a custom one made by Viking Motorcycle Saddles. Its better than the OEM but i still slide forwards so need to get it modded further. Cost £110 so way cheaper than a Russell.
I have the Russell Day Long Seat which was built for me 2 years ago. As I live in California, I rode up to Shasta City to have the seat built while I waited. It is very comfortable, but as mentioned, it does raise the seat height up about 1 1/2 inches. I had to lower the front and rear of the bike in order to flat foot when stopped.
To me it was worth the trouble.
Enclosed, I hope, is a picture of my 2011 Concours with the Russell Seat.
Brent
Have just got one of those seats today ,off ebay shall be giving it a good test soon ,
id love a russel seat , it would cost about 800 bucks as id have the seat heating upgrade. Im sure they dont ship to the uk though.
I saw that russel come up on uk ebay it was pricey , but probably worth it.
might make enquiries with them over the winter
Quote from: mtnbandit on July 24, 2014, 05:51:55 PM
I have the Russell Day Long Seat which was built for me 2 years ago. As I live in California, I rode up to Shasta City to have the seat built while I waited. It is very comfortable, but as mentioned, it does raise the seat height up about 1 1/2 inches. I had to lower the front and rear of the bike in order to flat foot when stopped.
To me it was worth the trouble.
Enclosed, I hope, is a picture of my 2011 Concours with the Russell Seat.
Brent
Now that does look like your favourite arm chair :punk:
Quote from: nightrider on July 24, 2014, 06:30:55 PM
Have just got one of those seats today ,off ebay shall be giving it a good test soon ,
How did I miss that !!!!!
Sent from my iPhone by mini Elves.
Zeb
Quote from: Zebedee on July 24, 2014, 09:09:52 PM
How did I miss that !!!!!
Sent from my iPhone by mini Elves.
Zeb
It was because I never bid on it for you to gazzump :whistling:
or
You was probably buying another screen :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
Quote from: pross on July 24, 2014, 09:19:41 PM
It was because I never bid on it for you to gazzump :whistling:
or
You was probably buying another screen :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
:mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: The Secret Serial Screen Seat Squirrel Strikes again Pross :no:
Quote from: viper on July 24, 2014, 06:56:12 PM
Im sure they dont ship to the uk though.
They do ship to the UK, but you have to send them your original seat first and that would be about £95 shipping.
Quote from: Charlie747 on July 24, 2014, 10:10:44 PM
:mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: The Secret Serial Screen Seat Squirrel Strikes again Pross :no:
You know it Charlie :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol: :banana: :banana:
Quote from: Débs on July 24, 2014, 11:13:27 PM
They do ship to the UK, but you have to send them your original seat first and that would be about £95 shipping.
thanks deb
A few of us ought to club together to get a Russell day long seat and share it, that way the cost is not so great, only hassle is when two want to use it at the same time.
Was a good idea for a few minutes at least.
Alan
The Russell Day Long is built to your specific weight/height and ride position according to the web pages so they can get the springing right for you. Hence the request for pictures of you and your pillion astride an upright bike in your normal riding position.
Probably why they have such a good reputation - have it on my wish list for a year or so...
Yes, they ship to the UK. Costs about $90.
You have to ship your saddle to them which costs around £90.
Then there is the cost of the saddle.
Mine show below was a Dual with 2x Heavyweight suspension and a vinyl cover.
Cost was $750 delivered so just the £90 outward shipping to add.
All in it cost me a little over £500.
I sold it to a guy in Cornwall (Steve "Bagman") for £250 plus his OEM saddle when I was unemployed and skint.
If any of you do decide to buy a Russell, get the "half-moon" style like my GTR1000 saddle shown at the bottom.
This has less stitching and does not need to be covered when it rains.
(http://gtr1000.com/graphics/mygtrpics/Vivian_Russell.jpg)
(http://gtr1000.com/graphics/mygtrpics/Vivian_Russell2.jpg)
(http://gtr1000.com/graphics/mygtrpics/Viv_Nov_2008.jpg)
(http://gtr1000.com/graphics/mygtrpics/New_Otto4.jpg)
boomer, I prefer the style of the one on your 1000
Saturday. tyre pressures checked, spit and polished checked, fitted new bead rider checked.
then went on a local loop ride via Hagley Worcester Kidderminster Stourport and stopped at Bewdley by the river severn and watched the rowing races in the glorious sunshine. :yes:
the bead rider was a bit slippery at first but ok after a while. I am away at the end of August on the bike so there may be a better report on the bead rider :clap: :clap:
there was a fellow in Bewdley on a 1965 mint condition scrot a lambretta 150 we got chatting he was amazed at the size of engine on my baby :yes: :yes:
I was amazed he did the isle of white on a fiver of petrol :clap:
I use a buckwheat filled bag for my 1400 mile Round trip to Ireland, for 25 notes its spot on.
http://www.bumbags4bikers.co.uk/
I found pushing the buckwheat towrads the tank up front helped leveled my seating position, spreading out my body weight across the seat. A quick shuffle and you can readjust your position too.