Buckeye
Member
Preface: Age- over 60, Hgt- 6 ft, Wgt- 165, Inseam- 32.
Experience: Many miles in hot, cold, wet and dry weather. No passenger.
We all know butts, like feet, come in all sizes and sensitivities and if the stock seat on your new ride fits you in all situations, you are indeed, fortunate. How well your seat fits is evidenced by how long you can ride before your mind starts concentrating on your ache :blink: . Many years ago, the thrill of the ride was recalled by days of tenderness after the return. No more. Custom materials and fitted seats make it possible to cover long distances on consecutive days without suffering. But you know the custom makers charge big bucks for their work and the finished product can be a work of art without always delivering the intended comfort :glare: .
My brother and I had BMW R1100RTs for about five years. My used '99 had a leather Corbin which I never changed and his '96 had the "Comfort" seat which was intolerable for him. He sent it to Sargent for a $300+ redo which still gave him fits. He sent it back to a second custom maker(can't remember who) for a redo. He tried a gel/memory pad. He tried bicycle shorts. I traded him my AirHawk, which helped. Lastly, he sent the seat to Rick Mayer with pictures of his sitting position and details of his anatomy
. That one still did not satisfy although he sold the bike before giving it a long trial. He's now on an '03 K1200RS and, surprisingly, was sitting much more comfortably using the AirHawk crosswise. These BMrs had the three position adjustable height seats.
I kept the Corbin because it spread the load over a wide area and allowed me to move around. I raised the front by 1/2 inch to alleviate the wedgy effect and occassionally used an Alaska Butt Pad. I found the shape of the Corbin was more important than it's hardness. I also found that lined overpants without the AK pad made the seat more comfortable (softer) in cool weather. I also realized that the broad Corbin allowed me to slide around and change positions rather than locking me in to torture my sit bones.
So, when I got the '05 FJR I concentrated on "tweaking points" on the first long distance trip. Yup, seat needed fixing. Having done some custom carving on two KLR seats, I had no misgivings about taking the knife to the FJR when I got back :assassin: . I cut it down to take out some height and make it broader and flatter and cut it back almost to where the pan rises to make it longer. I also cut the rear seat to make it flatter and wider to support the MotoFizz seat bag better.
Now the options: Bead Rider on top of the AK fleece. The beads sink into the fleece still giving the mobility and "massaging" surface but insulating against too much ventilation on cold mornings. Slip the fleece out when it gets hot and you need the ventilation. Also, slip the fleece out and put it in your bag to keep it dry when it rains. No soggy fleece and, with the beads' spacing between you and the seat, no puddle trapped at crotch level <_< .
More advantages? You can adjust the "padding" effect of the fleece by adding a fold at the front or where-ever you decide, to alter the whole sitting position. This is what finally is giving my brother the relief he needs.
More? I roll my fleece pad inside a sweatshirt or jacket liner to make my camp pillow.
More! You can try both these products for much less than a multi $ investment in a work of art. And if you still decide to make the investment, you may still find use for them .
Nothing against custom seats. I just want to spread the $ toward other accessories .
I've had the Bead Rider and AK Butt Pad a few years and know they are quality products. Can't remember the cost but under $100 back in the day. Cheaper stuff from Walmart can be adapted for a trial.
PS: Yes, I submitted this to BMW ON last year as a "touring tip" but the new editor butchered it :glare: .
Experience: Many miles in hot, cold, wet and dry weather. No passenger.
We all know butts, like feet, come in all sizes and sensitivities and if the stock seat on your new ride fits you in all situations, you are indeed, fortunate. How well your seat fits is evidenced by how long you can ride before your mind starts concentrating on your ache :blink: . Many years ago, the thrill of the ride was recalled by days of tenderness after the return. No more. Custom materials and fitted seats make it possible to cover long distances on consecutive days without suffering. But you know the custom makers charge big bucks for their work and the finished product can be a work of art without always delivering the intended comfort :glare: .
My brother and I had BMW R1100RTs for about five years. My used '99 had a leather Corbin which I never changed and his '96 had the "Comfort" seat which was intolerable for him. He sent it to Sargent for a $300+ redo which still gave him fits. He sent it back to a second custom maker(can't remember who) for a redo. He tried a gel/memory pad. He tried bicycle shorts. I traded him my AirHawk, which helped. Lastly, he sent the seat to Rick Mayer with pictures of his sitting position and details of his anatomy
. That one still did not satisfy although he sold the bike before giving it a long trial. He's now on an '03 K1200RS and, surprisingly, was sitting much more comfortably using the AirHawk crosswise. These BMrs had the three position adjustable height seats.I kept the Corbin because it spread the load over a wide area and allowed me to move around. I raised the front by 1/2 inch to alleviate the wedgy effect and occassionally used an Alaska Butt Pad. I found the shape of the Corbin was more important than it's hardness. I also found that lined overpants without the AK pad made the seat more comfortable (softer) in cool weather. I also realized that the broad Corbin allowed me to slide around and change positions rather than locking me in to torture my sit bones.
So, when I got the '05 FJR I concentrated on "tweaking points" on the first long distance trip. Yup, seat needed fixing. Having done some custom carving on two KLR seats, I had no misgivings about taking the knife to the FJR when I got back :assassin: . I cut it down to take out some height and make it broader and flatter and cut it back almost to where the pan rises to make it longer. I also cut the rear seat to make it flatter and wider to support the MotoFizz seat bag better.
Now the options: Bead Rider on top of the AK fleece. The beads sink into the fleece still giving the mobility and "massaging" surface but insulating against too much ventilation on cold mornings. Slip the fleece out when it gets hot and you need the ventilation. Also, slip the fleece out and put it in your bag to keep it dry when it rains. No soggy fleece and, with the beads' spacing between you and the seat, no puddle trapped at crotch level <_< .
More advantages? You can adjust the "padding" effect of the fleece by adding a fold at the front or where-ever you decide, to alter the whole sitting position. This is what finally is giving my brother the relief he needs.
More? I roll my fleece pad inside a sweatshirt or jacket liner to make my camp pillow.
More! You can try both these products for much less than a multi $ investment in a work of art. And if you still decide to make the investment, you may still find use for them
.Nothing against custom seats. I just want to spread the $ toward other accessories
.I've had the Bead Rider and AK Butt Pad a few years and know they are quality products. Can't remember the cost but under $100 back in the day. Cheaper stuff from Walmart can be adapted for a trial.
PS: Yes, I submitted this to BMW ON last year as a "touring tip" but the new editor butchered it :glare: .
