my ass hurts on ling rides

[druggrepp]

2001 RTP1100.

I came from sportbikes to this. I love the bike and how much more relaxing it is to ride all day but upright sitting makes my ass hurt on long rides , even with cop seat and it's extra padding.

I have bent tailbone from bike wreck long ago.

Don't want beads on seat.

Gimme some feedback on what you like and why before I pull out wallet please.

I'm also looking for hiway pegs but hate to spend $300+ for elf pegs.

My bike has cop crash bars, should I just get some cruiser foldout crappy looking pegs?

[RockBottom]

Well, first I would suggest that you stop riding lings (since those are fish).

 

But, in decreasing order of expense, your options are to buy an aftermarket seat like a Corbin or Sargent, have the seat rebuilt by a company like Russell Day Long or Bill or Rick Mayer, use some sort of pad like an Airhawk or Buttbuffer, or use a sheepskin or Beadrider.

 

Personally, I have an Airhawk, Beadrider and sheepskin, and just got a Buttbuffer at the MOA rally. None are perfect, so I find it helps to swap them out during an all day ride.

 

On the beads, I bought mine last year, used them once, and didn't like them. I gave them another try during the recent East Coast heat wave and this time liked them a lot. I find that about three hours is all I can take on them, though, because of the hardness. at that point I switch to the Airhawk. The jury is still out on the Buttbuffer--I tried to use it for the ride home after buying it at the rally on Thursday, but it was much too hot so I stopped and swapped back for the beads.

[Alfred02]

Why not get a 2nd hand seat and start shaving it yourself?

It doesn't really matter if you make a mess out of it...just keep playing with it until you get a shape that seems to fix the problem.

Then take it to a professional and get the seat finished off in a proper manner.

That to me seems to be the best and cheapest way to give you your desired result.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

On my 1100, I had a Corbin w/backrest. Loved it. Most Corbin owners seem to like the comfort, but they can be hit-or-miss on quality and fitment.

 

I had Elf Pegs, too, which I loved as well. Expensive, yes, but if you're looking for something functional and stylish, that's the cost of it. You can find pegs for less money, but they'll be the big grip-covered footrests that are permanently deployed out in the open. If you're trying to save some money, keep an eye on the classified ads; for used items. When I sold my 1100RT a couple of years ago, I sold the Corbin saddle and the pegs separately; you'll likely find someone else doing the same thing one of these days.

[OoPEZoO]

I bought Mitch's Corbin and also loved it. I added another 30k miles to and resold it when I decided to part out my RT.

 

I really miss that seat. It was sun up to sun down comfort. I can't go 40 miles on my GS without starting to get uncomfortable.

[Paul Mihalka]

Highway pegs won't help your butt. If you have tailbone problems, the only real cure is a seat that supports you by your cheeks. Best example for that is the Russell Daylong seat with it's pronounced wings, made specially for you.

[Jerry in Monument]

My '96 RT that I've had for 3+ months came with a Corbin seat. So far I am under impressed. Although having never ridden the factory seat, maybe I should be thankful for the Corbin.

 

650 miles in a day would be about all I would want to deal with.

 

After my recent trip to Yellowstone-Grand Teton, I am strongly considering a backrest. Having a tent and sleeping bag strapped on to the rear seat gave me something to lean back on and having some form of 'cruiser pegs' that are attached to the cylinders, at least gave me the opportunity to change positions frequently.

 

However, I too have tailbone issues having fractured mine twice.

 

Ran into some H-D guys up there and one had an Airhawk seat cushion that he said really helped, and he also said he has tailbone issues.

[druggrepp]

Sorry about spelling guys, I start on forums at 6am, before brain is engaged. And I dig Rockbottom's avatar.

I have redone my Blackbird's seat myself, I put home depot kneepad foam for garden working in it after I sliced top 1" off the foam. I could ride forever and never get sore.

I will start with that, then airhawk and I like the idea of taking options with me and change when butt screams.

I love riding this bike more and more every day

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

I hope you aren't placing yourself in a position to have PETA come down on you. Just how long are these rides Mr. Druggrepp? When do you give your ass a break? Food? Water?

[slow1]

I too had an r1100rt and it came with a sargent seat. It was basically a new seat and was ok until it went soft after 10,000 miles. To rebuild was a bit pricey and they use mostly soft foam for purposes of shaping. This is why imho the seat didn't last. Went with a Russell Day Long on the recommendation of others and next to Corbin, the best seat I've had. Like Corbin, it tends to be a harder seat because they use more closed cell foam.

 

My experience with Airhawk wasn't good. In fact after one ride I put it back in the box and buried it.

 

I prefer harder seats since soft seats create pressure points and poor circulation. That is why the stock seat sucks.

 

While I don't have a bent tailbone, I do have a herniated disk and found no troubles with the Russell Day Long.

 

Good luck.

[Peter Parts]

Lose weight. Get in shape. Do your pelvic tilts and back strengthening exercises. Flex. Stop smoking.

 

Easy to rattle off the tech fixes (and +1 from me about Corbin (tractor seat deep-dish style) and sheepskin) and for sure, you want your bike ergos to be right. But the enduring fix is being as fit as you can be with whatever limitations you might have from other physical conditions.

 

Ben

[jjg3]

If they're still available, you can get a set of Burton Briggs for about $60. They can be positioned in one of 4 locations on the heads, but not quite as stylish as a set of $300 non-adjustable elfs.

 

Discussed here.

 

 

As discussed in the thread, you do have to get a set of cheap pegs for the BB brackets. But they do the job for cheap (well, if you can call $60 cheap... cheaper than $300).

[Dave_in_TX]

I too had an r1100rt and it came with a sargent seat. It was basically a new seat and was ok until it went soft after 10,000 miles. To rebuild was a bit pricey and they use mostly soft foam for purposes of shaping. This is why imho the seat didn't last. Went with a Russell Day Long on the recommendation of others and next to Corbin, the best seat I've had. Like Corbin, it tends to be a harder seat because they use more closed cell foam.

 

My experience with Airhawk wasn't good. In fact after one ride I put it back in the box and buried it.

 

I prefer harder seats since soft seats create pressure points and poor circulation. That is why the stock seat sucks.

 

While I don't have a bent tailbone, I do have a herniated disk and found no troubles with the Russell Day Long.

 

Good luck.

 

Your experience with Sargent seats being soft is contrary to my experience. I had a Sargent on my 1200RT for tens of thousands of miles. It never really broke in and was still hard as a rock when I replaced it. I finally replaced it with a Bill (Rocky) Mayer seat made for my weight.

[AviP]

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet but if you have a hairy butt like I do, then seamless underwear takes away all the pain of long rides. I use bicycling shorts instead of underwear. On a scale of 0-10, the chaffing goes down from 9 to about 2. It's the best long-range investment for me. My 2000 RT did come with the comfort seat standard. Now 500 mile days are painless, 750 mile days just about start registering on the pain meter and 1000 mile days do pain a little but the incentive of 1000 miles/day just make it all disappear.

 

P.S. If you have a problematic tailbone, highway pegs might not be for you since they transfer more weight towards the tailbone.

[cali_beemer]

Just got back from over 3k mile trip in 9 days to Canada. My Russell Day Long was by far a shining star on that ride. My butt never had an issue ever! They are the only seats I have ever experienced that level of comfort, however; everones rear end is different.

[Jerry in Monument]

Ok, another hairy butt here.

 

I'm seriously thinking of getting the LDComfort shorts.

 

Just recently did a trip to Yellowstone-Grand Teton and back, 1,850 miles in 6 days. Not a killer but stil a good stretch since it's 650 miles from home.

 

What hurt most was my 'sit bones'.

 

Even with my tailbone issues, it was necessary to use the highway pegs and take some pressure off the sit bones for a few miles every so often.

 

Do the shorts help with the pain in the sit bones?

 

I've been reading up on them and can see where they would help with the heat, moisture, chafing issues, but I can't see how they would help with the weight of your body pressing down on those bones on a firm seat.

 

During the Yellowstone trip, I spent all but one day wearing my BMW Summer 2 pants in either pants or shorts mode. (Yes they got washed while we were there). So the 1 day (2nd day) I spent in my 501's had very little to contribute. My arse was hurting between Laramie and Lander on the first day.

[roughwaterjohn]

When I bought my R1100RTP, I could ride for 2 1/2 hours in perfect comfort. Somewhere between 2 hours 31 minutes and 2 hours 35, I had to get off the bike because my tail bone was sore and my thighs hurt from keeping me from sliding forward on the seat when braking.

 

Had my original RTP seat redone by Rick Mayer, it's a dream. I don't slide forward, and I can ride for 5-6 hours plus with no discomfort. Even then, I stop for food or a break, not because I'm sore. The seats a little wider, but I'm 6-2 so I can still comfortably plant both feet when stopped if needed.

[boatzo]

Mine did too!

 

My 99 had a Corbin when I bought it. Found it to be too hard (firm). Tried a BMW (un-comfort) seat, it sucked. Tried an Air Hawk, hated it. Hated the beads also. Got a Rick Mayer custom seat, better, butt my a$$ still hurt. Sold the RT and bought an LT, put a sheep skin on and my a$$ still hurts (but not as much) .

 

Some of us aint gonna get comfortable due to many factors. The best explanition I have seen for a pain in the ass is on the Kon-Tour site http://kontourseat.com/ It shows the skeletal anatomy of the Ischial Tuberosities and splains how the pain in the ass occures. Worth a read.

[longjohn]

One of the members here had his wife's seat customized at Bill Mayer's because of a disk problem. They carved it out a bit and now she's good to go. I would suggest a ride in fitting next time you're near Ojai.

[druggrepp]

My reply to how long in the saddle, after 3hrs, my butt is sore to the point it is making me stand on pegs like GS rider to get circulation. I moved seat up, down, raised rear of seat and lowered, better w low rear.

Slow1- what didn't you like about airhawk?

Riding this thing is addicting, I just don't want to get off.

[RockBottom]

I'm seriously thinking of getting the LDComfort shorts.

 

 

Those are the same as bicycle shorts without the pad, so you might be able to get a better price on bike shorts. I used to bike alot, so when I took up motorcycling, I already had a bunch laying around.

[DaveinNCMn]

Ok, another hairy butt here.

 

I'm seriously thinking of getting the LDComfort shorts.

 

Do the shorts help with the pain in the sit bones?

 

 

They didn't help me...and I have a bad tailbone. Chiropractor told me that in my younger days, I had broken it twice.

 

I ordered 2 pr of the LD's a couple of weeks ago. I tried them on a 300 mile day-trip and found them to be of no help. Am returning the unused pair for a refund. Even for "high-tech" underwear, those buggers are a bit spendy..

 

You really need good "cheek" support if you have a bad coccyx (tailbone).

 

 

 

[AEH]

2001 RTP1100.

I came from sportbikes to this. I love the bike and how much more relaxing it is to ride all day but upright sitting makes my ass hurt on long rides , even with cop seat and it's extra padding.

I have bent tailbone from bike wreck long ago.

Don't want beads on seat.

Gimme some feedback on what you like and why before I pull out wallet please.

I'm also looking for hiway pegs but hate to spend $300+ for elf pegs.

My bike has cop crash bars, should I just get some cruiser foldout crappy looking pegs?

 

Years ago, I bought one of those air pads that you can carry to football games or use in hunting stands. Learned about it on a Gold Wing forum. Cost $10-$20 at Dick's Sporting Goods (can't remember). It has a strap that you can wrap around the seat. Ugly as can be (brown on one side and camo on the other) but it sure got rid of the monkey butt. Spreads out the pressure evenly and it worked well for long days in the saddle on the FJR.

[Selden]

Why not get a 2nd hand seat and start shaving it yourself?

It doesn't really matter if you make a mess out of it...just keep playing with it until you get a shape that seems to fix the problem.

Then take it to a professional and get the seat finished off in a proper manner.

That to me seems to be the best and cheapest way to give you your desired result.

Good advice; it's not that hard to remove the cover and start shaving foam. Another approach along similar lines that has worked for me is to start with a sheepskin seat pad, (from Alaska leather in my case), then bond layers of expanded vinyl mesh (drawer liner, available in 24" wide rolls at Home Depot, etc) to the bottom, using spray adhesive. Uncompressed, the stuff is about 1/8" thick, and by varying the cut of the layers, you can achieve quite fine control over the contour. I use pieces that go within about an inch of the edge of the leather to achieve my desired contour, then use one large piece that goes right out to the edges to finish off the stack. This stuff also helps keep a sheepskin from sliding around. If I remember right, I have 3 layers at the front of my seat, and only one at the very back. Because this stuff is fairly thin, yet resilient, there is no noticeable stepping from layer to layer.

[tallman]

Ok, another hairy butt here.

 

I'm seriously thinking of getting the LDComfort shorts.

 

Do the shorts help with the pain in the sit bones?

 

 

They didn't help me...and I have a bad tailbone. Chiropractor told me that in my younger days, I had broken it twice.

 

I ordered 2 pr of the LD's a couple of weeks ago. I tried them on a 300 mile day-trip and found them to be of no help. Am returning the unused pair for a refund. Even for "high-tech" underwear, those buggers are a bit spendy..

 

You really need good "cheek" support if you have a bad coccyx (tailbone).

 

 

 

Or move to a true MYRP.

IMO, the RT doesn't allow that.

By removing the weight from the tail/sitbones the problem

should be resolved or at least greatly improved.

Best wishes.

[BriSco]

I just returned from 2284 miles in 5 day ride.

First day was 17 hours, 1093 miles with only gas stops.

Russell Day Long with LD Comfort shorts under my riding pants was key to no sore butt.

 

That was on my way to the MOA rally.

 

Did two 500+ mile days on the way back with no butt problems. I agree that if you have tailbone problems, the hiway pegs are not the way to go.

 

IMHO, comfort is a combination of things, fitness, saddle, bike fit, etc.

[Fubar]

I too had an r1100rt and it came with a sargent seat. It was basically a new seat and was ok until it went soft after 10,000 miles. To rebuild was a bit pricey and they use mostly soft foam for purposes of shaping. This is why imho the seat didn't last. Went with a Russell Day Long on the recommendation of others and next to Corbin, the best seat I've had. Like Corbin, it tends to be a harder seat because they use more closed cell foam.

 

My experience with Airhawk wasn't good. In fact after one ride I put it back in the box and buried it.

 

I prefer harder seats since soft seats create pressure points and poor circulation. That is why the stock seat sucks.

 

While I don't have a bent tailbone, I do have a herniated disk and found no troubles with the Russell Day Long.

 

Good luck.

 

Your experience with Sargent seats being soft is contrary to my experience. I had a Sargent on my 1200RT for tens of thousands of miles. It never really broke in and was still hard as a rock when I replaced it.

Ditto. Mine is about 2K miles in and still hard, that's why I'm looking for replacement. Gonna ride a Russell up to UN and hope that's the cure.

No medical issues on my end (pun intended).

[Rinkydink]

+1 on the LD shorts and RDL.

[g_frey]

You can pull the staples out of the seat cover and use a round orbital sander with a rough disk to carve a 2" wide groove down the centerline of the seat from midway to the very back. Then restaple the cover back on with a construction stapler. Much better.

[Dave_in_TX]

I too had an r1100rt and it came with a sargent seat. It was basically a new seat and was ok until it went soft after 10,000 miles. To rebuild was a bit pricey and they use mostly soft foam for purposes of shaping. This is why imho the seat didn't last. Went with a Russell Day Long on the recommendation of others and next to Corbin, the best seat I've had. Like Corbin, it tends to be a harder seat because they use more closed cell foam.

 

My experience with Airhawk wasn't good. In fact after one ride I put it back in the box and buried it.

 

I prefer harder seats since soft seats create pressure points and poor circulation. That is why the stock seat sucks.

 

While I don't have a bent tailbone, I do have a herniated disk and found no troubles with the Russell Day Long.

 

Good luck.

 

Your experience with Sargent seats being soft is contrary to my experience. I had a Sargent on my 1200RT for tens of thousands of miles. It never really broke in and was still hard as a rock when I replaced it.

Ditto. Mine is about 2K miles in and still hard, that's why I'm looking for replacement. Gonna ride a Russell up to UN and hope that's the cure.

No medical issues on my end (pun intended).

 

I replaced my Sargent with a Bill Mayer which was a major improvent. It's firm but it's contoured and the foam density is matched to my weight.

[DiggerJim]

I replaced my Sargent with a Bill Mayer which was a major improvent. It's firm but it's contoured and the foam density is matched to my weight.

That's the key. The foam has to be weight matched to the rider. But foam alone won't cut it for heavier riders which is why if you're over about 225 you're better off with a Russell as they have springs to help absorb the shock.

[tallman]

Jim,

Basically accurate but depends on how you carry the weight.

Long and lanky may find the RDL puts pressure on your posterior from the wings.

At least that was my experience.

 

Saddles that work for me may not work for another rider.

IMO, you have to try to see what works.

Best wishes.

 

[BerndM]

The next time your ass hurts, you might try this approach.

I'm positive your Ass will thank you for it!

 

Regards

Bernd

 

 

[boatzo]

The poor guy pulling the cart must be a republican

[Paul Mihalka]

The poor guy pulling the cart must be a republican

Watch out, POLITICS!

[DiggerJim]

Saddles that work for me may not work for another rider.

IMO, you have to try to see what works.

Yep, saddles are like oil, windscreens and religion :-)

[tallman]

Saddles that work for me may not work for another rider.

IMO, you have to try to see what works.

Yep, saddles are like oil, windscreens and religion :-)

 

 

I thought we all agreed on those topics and it was tires there waqs some confusion over?

[RockBottom]

Has anyone ever tried a Beadrider on top of an Airhawk? I like the ventilation of the beads, but find that the hardness becomes uncomfortable after three hours and intolerable after four. I'm heading out for a few hours now to see if this combination works.,

[RockBottom]

OK, it was a bad idea. Not my first. Or last.

[flat_twin]

Ok, another hairy butt here.

 

I'm seriously thinking of getting the LDComfort shorts.

 

Do the shorts help with the pain in the sit bones?

 

 

They didn't help me...and I have a bad tailbone. Chiropractor told me that in my younger days, I had broken it twice.

 

I ordered 2 pr of the LD's a couple of weeks ago. I tried them on a 300 mile day-trip and found them to be of no help. Am returning the unused pair for a refund. Even for "high-tech" underwear, those buggers are a bit spendy..

 

You really need good "cheek" support if you have a bad coccyx (tailbone).

 

 

 

Or move to a true MYRP.

IMO, the RT doesn't allow that.

By removing the weight from the tail/sitbones the problem

should be resolved or at least greatly improved.

Best wishes.

 

Bing Bing Bing!! We have a winner!!

 

I agree 100%. Getting off your tailbone is great advice. The upright riding position of the RT combined with the forward tilt of the factory seat puts the load right on your tailbone and hip bones. Seat jacks might help but I'll bet a Russell saddle would help the most by spreading the load to your thighs and butt cheeks.

And yes, applying as much of the Master Yoda's riding position as you can to the RT would help as well. It at least keeps you from slouching which further moves the weight away from your tail and toward your thighs, legs and abdominal core.

 

 

 

[Mike]

There are a lot of good aftermarket seat makers. I've heard great things about Russell Day-Long saddles, but you might want to look into the saddles made by Rick Mayer. He's not only a seat maker, but also a critical care nurse who understands orthopedics. If your discomfort is due in part to a tailbone injury, he's likely as qualified as anyone to build a saddle to alleviate your pain.

[ChrisSkor]

I like my BeadRider seat cover. When it rains I don't feel like I'm sitting on wet seat. I wear gel bike shorts from Performance Bicycle under my riding pants. Also, when I come in to a town or construction on freeway I stand for a short while just to give my butt a break.

[Mark K]

Yea. There must be something wrong with me as well. I sit on beads and and a stock seat. No, it wasn't comfortable at first but you get used to it. It was the best of many combinations I've tried over the years.

[philbytx]

+1 for the Day Long

Bought one for the R a few months ago.....love it !

However, I find my RT Comfort Seat has never given me a problem on long rides

[Dietrich]

Nearly gave up riding because of severe tailbone inflamation. Very painful indeed. My solution has been a Russel Daylong with some extra attention to a dimple built into the saddle in the correct spot (R1200GS). Recently been riding a Guzzi Norge and did not want to spend that much on the saddle, took it to an auto upholsterer who dismantled the saddle and shaved enough foam away in the critical area. Made a huge difference, actually no pressure on the tailbone at all. Cost was $100 and worth every penny.That is the key, you have to make sure that the pressure is taken away from that area and distributed elsewhere. Good luck.