Anyone got any long term, high mileage experiences of these type of things ???

I ride a DRZ400 and an Africa twin and my ass is numb after a few hours...

I even have a corbin and a sheepskin on the DRZ but it's very little improvement.. Airhawks are TOO expensive and I hear they burst a lot...

Thanks, Ted

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Maybe you could try a sheepskin. They 'breathe', and can just be shaken if they get wet. I found the gel pad very clammy on my buttocks and crotch, and they are expensive. I use the neck area triangle, its a natural seat.
Peter, in Oslo

I use one of the Gel things under a sheepskin. Makes a difference, but not sure how much, I'm one of those people who can do 600 mile days on a stock XT seat so it's hard to tell. Feels nicer though.

Andy

Sheepskin.

Comfy, cheap, and can be used in your tent, under your feet, lower back etc, for extra comfort...

__________________
Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

Yes, im well experienced with sheep skins and already have one !

I was thinking of something to go under it as although the sheepskin helps, it only delays the pain by an hour or two.

I did 10 hour days at times on my XT600 with a sheepskin and that was unbearable. I got another sheepskin in Argentina with sown in foam and that was an improvement but thought the gel pads might be even better !

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

try a pair of Astana Kazzinc bicycling shorts
Those + 1 sheepskin = butt heaven

I think you're talking about the holy grail of Glutteae Maximae. I think there comes a point where no end of improvements will make the saddle cofortable. In the case of the DRZ and the @, and my XR for that matter, the saddles are not designed to be ergonimic over long periods. They are all pretty narrow from what I remember.

The shape of the saddle is simply not made to support the rider in a comfortable position. This includes the angle of the hips, thighs and the spoinal column. You feel it in your @rse, but it's all these factors that contribute.

I have a tractor seat on my Ural. It was bloody uncomfortable. I have since moved it back to the second bolt point provided and its loads more comfortable: nothing to do with padding, but all to do with the angle of my back in relation ot my arms and legs and where my body's (excessive, IMO) weight sits. A sheepskin improved it further, but would have done little had I not moved it to start with.

The most comfy bikes I have had were my CBR1000F, and my R1150GS. My CBR 600 was OK, my ZXR750 was a court sentence etc. Other bikes had varying comfort levels.

It think your best solution is a 10 minute walk around every couple of hours: it's free and will probably allow you to cover more miles in a day than a gel seat would.

My thoughts...

__________________
Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

Hi There,

Regarding the airhawk getting holes/punchured.. my wife has had one on her bike for the last 7 months and had no issues at all despite very hard use. One guy i know has one which got a hole in it which he repaired on the road with a tyre tube repair kit

Airhawk cushion for £15 - ::. UKGSer.com .::

This is just what you need mate! This is a thread I added on another forum. Just make sure you use the link a few posts down to the manufacturers site. I bought mine from the manufacturer but couldn`t find their site when I done the post.
Cheaper than a cheap, cheap thing and very effective provided you inflate as you would for an airhawk i.e. very slightly.

__________________
This old world keeps spinning round, it`s a wonder tall trees ain`t laying down.

I know you said no Airhawks ... but ... have to give my thumbs up to them. No other seat pad compares for comfort, IMHO. They are durable ... have 80,000 mis. on mine. It did suffer a leak, at the seam. Repaired with tire puncture glue and no further problems.

The only thing better for a DRZ is a Renazco seat. Then no Airhawk is needed, because the Renazco is an extremely comfortable seat.

__________________
http://ridefar.typepad.com

I would love the Renazco, unfortuntaly the $350 price plus international shipping and customs and tax charges to get it here makes it pretty much impossible

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Another vote for the Airhawk seat from me. I used it on my DR650 going around NZ and OZ and could ride for 12 hours no problem. I now have a Honda CTX 200 and use the Airhawk seat. Well worth the cost.

__________________
Peter

http://peter-onamission.blogspot.com

Hey Ted, I see on another thread you're planning to ride the DRZ thru Africa. Of course what Renazco does is not rocket science. They basically repad and recover the stock seat. I've seen a number of reports from riders who did the same themselves, or engaged a local artisan to do it. Might be worth looking into if you haven't already. The big question would probably be what foam to use. Not sure what Renazco uses but it's dense and cushy and man is it comfortable.

__________________
http://ridefar.typepad.com

i had a gel seat as an option on my last bike. it was really comfy, working well nearly all the time. the only thing it did which really annoyed me was get unbearably hot when it was left out in the sun for a bit. i mean too hot to sit on, not just uncomfortable

__________________
dave

Hey Ted,

You need to perfect the "long distance enduro bike, arse shuffle"

Left cheek then right cheek.
Shift back on the saddle and repeat.
Sit side-saddle on the right side of the bike then switch sides when your neck and shoulders really hurt. Alternatively, stay side-saddle and the pain in your neck will take your mind of the pain in your butt.

I would try getting hold of a seat base and get a local vehicle trimmer to modify it for you. The problem is that for comfort, you will need to widen the seat and this might give you other issues. (like putting your feet down)