Me, Mr. straight-laced-establishment-man...............Mr. you-can't-rattle-with-a-cobra-in-his-sock-drawer has a confession to make:
[SIZE=18pt]My ass hurts.[/SIZE]
That seems counterintutive for as much as myself and LD types go on about their favorite sport.
But, it's always hurt...no matter how much I fidget and no matter how many times I send my custom Mayer back for adjustment. I added a set of beads to the seat and pretty much accepted I'd start to fidget after a few hundred miles and just live with. And I've put a strong face up about it and kept my mouth pretty much shut...it just wasn't going to get any better.
Well, I just got back from the Iron Butt National event and thoroughly enjoyed the Friday keynote speaker, Craig Vetter, and was mesmerized at his 90 minute presentation on the history of Vetter Windjammer fairings and his life.
Towards the end of his talk he held up a chunk of plywood he'd fabbed up with a band saw and sander...and offered 5 of them to whoever took him up to try the next day. He gave one to Higdon as #1.
So, I looked the next morning expected all 5 to be swooped up, but not that surprised that none had been given away yet. We're a stubborn and vain lot...us long distance riders...particularly at the National event. It's important to look cool.
But, my ass hurt and I wasn't THAT vain. So, I took a chance.
Actually, his wife Carol checked me out on it to make sure I knew how to use the board....I embarrassingly took this chunk to the bar, did various moose impersonations at dinner, and stuck it behind my fuel cell for the ride home Sunday. I justified it by having the two of them autograph it and figured it was a art at that point.
As I cleared Cheyenne with a fresh tank of fuel and began the long drone of I-80 across Wyoming home I remembered the chunk of wood behind me and grudgingly put it under my ass like mom was having me try on a pair of Sears underwear. I knew I wouldn't like it and looked like a dork doing it.
Mind you it wasn't easy at I-80 nominal speeds and horribly unaerodynamic as I extracted it from it's perch. It almost flew out of my hand! And I also butchered placement by hanging it up in my drink tubes and under the beaded seat. However, when I finally got it placed correctly and sat down I actually went, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh." as weight transferred to the back of my legs.
It was like a new seat!
And I rode in complete comfort...free of any fidget....for about 375 miles until I had to stop for fuel again.
It was that good!
In fact, as I'd come for a stop I'd take the board out and lament the fact I'd be slumped over the bike again developing hot spots on my ischium.
So, now I have this fundamental problem.
Be comfortable and look like a complete dork OR deny it ever happened and don't tell a soul.
Well....we know which way I'm headed with this post.
So, the only thing remaining for me to figure out is a way to remember I have a slab of plywood under my ass before I have to put my feet down at a stoplight, do a bit of trimming to make the board fit the FJR tank a bit better, and figure out how to powdercoat plywood. :dribble:
A bit interested? Clicky here for more info.
[SIZE=18pt]My ass NO LONGER hurts.[/SIZE]
This concludes my 2010 motorcycle confession......THANK YOU Craig and Carol Vetter!
[SIZE=18pt]My ass hurts.[/SIZE]
That seems counterintutive for as much as myself and LD types go on about their favorite sport.
But, it's always hurt...no matter how much I fidget and no matter how many times I send my custom Mayer back for adjustment. I added a set of beads to the seat and pretty much accepted I'd start to fidget after a few hundred miles and just live with. And I've put a strong face up about it and kept my mouth pretty much shut...it just wasn't going to get any better.
Well, I just got back from the Iron Butt National event and thoroughly enjoyed the Friday keynote speaker, Craig Vetter, and was mesmerized at his 90 minute presentation on the history of Vetter Windjammer fairings and his life.
Towards the end of his talk he held up a chunk of plywood he'd fabbed up with a band saw and sander...and offered 5 of them to whoever took him up to try the next day. He gave one to Higdon as #1.
So, I looked the next morning expected all 5 to be swooped up, but not that surprised that none had been given away yet. We're a stubborn and vain lot...us long distance riders...particularly at the National event. It's important to look cool.
But, my ass hurt and I wasn't THAT vain. So, I took a chance.
Actually, his wife Carol checked me out on it to make sure I knew how to use the board....I embarrassingly took this chunk to the bar, did various moose impersonations at dinner, and stuck it behind my fuel cell for the ride home Sunday. I justified it by having the two of them autograph it and figured it was a art at that point.
As I cleared Cheyenne with a fresh tank of fuel and began the long drone of I-80 across Wyoming home I remembered the chunk of wood behind me and grudgingly put it under my ass like mom was having me try on a pair of Sears underwear. I knew I wouldn't like it and looked like a dork doing it.
Mind you it wasn't easy at I-80 nominal speeds and horribly unaerodynamic as I extracted it from it's perch. It almost flew out of my hand! And I also butchered placement by hanging it up in my drink tubes and under the beaded seat. However, when I finally got it placed correctly and sat down I actually went, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh." as weight transferred to the back of my legs.
It was like a new seat!
And I rode in complete comfort...free of any fidget....for about 375 miles until I had to stop for fuel again.
It was that good!
In fact, as I'd come for a stop I'd take the board out and lament the fact I'd be slumped over the bike again developing hot spots on my ischium.
So, now I have this fundamental problem.
Be comfortable and look like a complete dork OR deny it ever happened and don't tell a soul.
Well....we know which way I'm headed with this post.
So, the only thing remaining for me to figure out is a way to remember I have a slab of plywood under my ass before I have to put my feet down at a stoplight, do a bit of trimming to make the board fit the FJR tank a bit better, and figure out how to powdercoat plywood. :dribble:
A bit interested? Clicky here for more info.
[SIZE=18pt]My ass NO LONGER hurts.[/SIZE]
This concludes my 2010 motorcycle confession......THANK YOU Craig and Carol Vetter!
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