• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

550L seat comfort (or lack thereof)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kerry
  • Start date Start date
K

Kerry

Guest
Now that I have The Flame! running the way I want, I am riding greater and greater distances (rather than riding short "diagnostic" runs...) Of course, more time in the saddle highlights the deficiencies of said saddle (big time) and I'd like to do something that will allow me to do more than 100km at a stretch before having to take a "butt break". :eek:

That said, a key concern for me is seat height. I am short and can just barely flat-foot the bike now, so I don't want to add anything (like an Airhawk, for example) that might raise me. I have noted that some have shaved the foam on the stepped portion. That would remove the "locked in" feeling I get on the seat now. How much of a difference in comfort would that change alone make? Are there any other ideas?
 
The seat on my 750L was a torture device....I removed the cover and shaped the foam to be more concave. This would lower your seating position some and maybe make your footing a bit more stable.

Although more foam seems to the logical option, it's actually the shape of the seat that really makes the difference. The more it can be shaped to the contour of your rear-end the more comfortable it will be.:)
 
How did that affect the fit of the seat cover? I've got a gs650gl and have the same problem. Any pics?
 
Larry D said:
The seat on my 750L was a torture device....I removed the cover and shaped the foam to be more concave. This would lower your seating position some and maybe make your footing a bit more stable.

Although more foam seems to the logical option, it's actually the shape of the seat that really makes the difference. The more it can be shaped to the contour of your rear-end the more comfortable it will be.:)
Click to expand...

Thanks, Larry. I thought that some of the discomfort I was feeling was due to the fact that I am stuck in one position on the seat (i.e., can't move my rear around at all). Your solution would seem to exacerbate that "locked in place" feeling. I was wondering if a flatter seat (LESS concave) would be more comfortable. But if you really found it made a difference, I can try it. Yours is certainly a good solution in terms of keeping a low seat height.

Also, I was wondering if the covering material makes a lot of difference. My seat was re-covered by some PO and, while the material seems good quality and is in good shape, it is quite smooth (no stitching, grooves or seams). How much of a factor is that?
 
ryanm said:
How did that affect the fit of the seat cover? I've got a gs650gl and have the same problem. Any pics?
Click to expand...

Not to much difference in the original covers fit. Perhaps a bit more loose, but, I didn't shave any from the sides which kept the cover tight. Again, I was trying for being more concave. Looks good, I think.

IMG_0274.jpg




Kerry said:
Thanks, Larry. I thought that some of the discomfort I was feeling was due to the fact that I am stuck in one position on the seat (i.e., can't move my rear around at all). Your solution would seem to exacerbate that "locked in place" feeling. I was wondering if a flatter seat (LESS concave) would be more comfortable. But if you really found it made a difference, I can try it. Yours is certainly a good solution in terms of keeping a low seat height.

Also, I was wondering if the covering material makes a lot of difference. My seat was re-covered by some PO and, while the material seems good quality and is in good shape, it is quite smooth (no stitching, grooves or seams). How much of a factor is that?
Click to expand...

As far as the cover goes, you really just need one that breathes to keep your butt from sweating to much....ewww, that's just gross.....I read here that someone replaced an "L" seat with one from a Honda CM400, if I remember right, and reported that the flatter seat was much more comfy.:)
 
I think it's the position you sit in which is a factor of the style of bike it is. The cruiser style puts you in a laid back position, putting most of the weight toward the rear of your rear, or your tailbone. When I had my 1100L, I mounted some forward pegs really low. The lower position of my feet caused my whole body position to rock forward taking a lot of the load off the tailbone. It helped. But, most definitely, my G seat is way more comfy.
 
ddaniels said:
I think it's the position you sit in which is a factor of the style of bike it is. The cruiser style puts you in a laid back position, putting most of the weight toward the rear of your rear, or your tailbone. When I had my 1100L, I mounted some forward pegs really low. The lower position of my feet caused my whole body position to rock forward taking a lot of the load off the tailbone. It helped. But, most definitely, my G seat is way more comfy.
Click to expand...

Good point. The bike style does make a huge difference. As far as the "L"s go, I've never heard anyone say that the seat is comfortable to them.

I really like the seating position of the "L", it, in itself, is comfortable to me...the seat however needs something to make it rideable for more than a few hours because the weight is on your butt.

I rode bwringer's VX800 over the winter when both of mine were down for some maintenence. It had a more forward leaning riding position and after a few hours my wrists and shoulders were a little tired.

For me, I'd rather have the weight on my butt than my arms and hands......maybe I should eat a salad.:p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top