Long Ride Seat Comparison

[n4mwd]

I was wondering what everybody thought about the seats on the various sport bikes. I'm referring to how they handle on long rides and overall comfort.

I have a pregen and the seat starts getting uncomfortable after about an hour. Not to mention hot. At first I thought it was the sun heating it up, but it turned out that the engine was heating it up. That makes it even more uncomfortable on a long ride.

So those of you who have ridden other bikes long distances, how do they compare?

Pregen, newgen, cbr250r, Ninja 650R, ZX-10R, etc.?? How do they stack up in terms of seat comfort?

Also, has anybody found a good method of improving the comfort and coolness of a pregen seat on a long ride?

[adouglas]

I used to have an EX500, which had a banana saddle like your pregen. I did a tour of New England and Nova Scotia with it some years ago. I now have a newgen. In 09 I rode from Connecticut to Indianapolis on it, returning via W. Va.

I find the newgen much more comfortable. Many, however, don't like it.

After getting really sore during that earlier trip on the EX500, I paid a lot of attention to comfort on my most recent trip and gave it considerable thought. I did not modify my seat at all. My goal was to do anything I could - as a rider - to increase my comfort.

My conclusion was that how you sit on the bike and what you do during the ride has a major impact… it's not so much about the saddle as how you use it.

During that recent trip, I'd shift position a lot, never staying still on the bike for more than a few minutes at a time (there was no rule about time… I'd just shift positions when I felt like it, and it was pretty often). I'd go from upright to full tuck, move my feet around on the pegs, change hand position, put more or less weight on my feet, rest my chest on my tank bag, slide forward and aft, lift a cheek, etc. etc. Pretty much anything I could think of. This did wonders and I never got bad monkey butt on the whole 2,500 mile trip. I did get a bit stiff (I'm over 50, after all!), but it was not torture by any means.

I also would stop every hour and get off the bike, if only for a minute to walk around and stretch my legs. This was critical, as at the time I was having knee problems and using a cane.

That whole experience taught me that it's a lot more comfortable to ride a bike like a jockey rides a horse… with your pelvis rotated forward and the weight on your thighs instead of your butt. If this is hard to envision, try sitting on an office or hard kitchen chair, perched on the edge with your feet underneath you. See how the weight is on your thighs and you can actually slide a hand under your butt? That's how my weight is distributed on the bike. I'm always comfortable.

See what I mean about "how you use the saddle?" I think that most people -- especially those who complain about being uncomfortable -- tend to put too much weight on their butt. They SIT on the bike instead of RIDE the bike.

[n4mwd]

Thanks, I suspected that the newgen had a better seat. My pregen seat has gotten so bad that I've had to ride standing up.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by n4mwd

My pregen seat has gotten so bad that I've had to ride standing up.

Well, that's one way to keep your butt from hurting....

[n4mwd]

Originally Posted by adouglas

This did wonders and I never got bad monkey butt on the whole 2,500 mile trip. I did get a bit stiff (I'm over 50, after all!), but it was not torture by any means.

I'm planning a trip of about half that. Did you stop frequently? I'm planning to stop every rest stop whether I need to or not.

[choneofakind]

n4mwd try scooting back on the seat. The flat part at the back is much more comfortable, not to mention sitting back further improves your body positioning and helps you to be more smooth overall.

Speaking of hot bikes, don't ever ride an SS. Those puppies roast you.

[n4mwd]

I didn't like the SS riding posture. If the seats get that hot we'd all end up with roasted nuts. The regular sport bikes have a better posture IMHO.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by n4mwd

I'm planning a trip of about half that. Did you stop frequently? I'm planning to stop every rest stop whether I need to or not.

Like I said, every hour. Even a minute off the bike walking around makes a noticeable difference.

I also didn't try to push it. My longest day was somewhere between 400 and 450 miles. Average was more like 350.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by n4mwd

If the seats get that hot we'd all end up with roasted nuts.

I think this is only a problem on SS bikes with an undertail exhaust. Most of the heat I was thinking of was from around the engine. Literally like riding an easy-bake oven for your chest and face.

Originally Posted by n4mwd

The regular sport bikes have a better posture IMHO.

Maybe better from a comfort perspective, but it's better to have your head and upper body down and forward from a handling/control perspective. Watch Twist of the Wrist II. SS bikes make that attack posture all the time.

Scooting your butt back on the ninjette helps get your head and torso down a little bike. The back of the seat is also flatter and more comfortable. I think Kawasaki curved the front of the seat excessively so that the effect was a narrower bike so beginners can touch their feet on the ground. Whatever the reason, the front of the seat simply is not comfortable.

[adouglas]

Once I started riding differently I found the aggressive posture more comfortable. I've now got rearset adjusters on my bike and have the bars as close to the fairings as I can get them. I'm very comfortable.

[etiainen]

My old newgen seat got really uncomfortable after 1.5 hours of so of continuous sitting. I have done 400 mile days on that seat. And I hated it.:/ It used to sink in and it made my butt hurt A LOT!

I got a Corbin afterwards, that was a lot more comfy, but the most I did again was about 400 miles.

I've ridden my friend's pregen, but not for extended periods, so I don't know how it'd hold up to that, but for about an hour or so I was fine.

SS seats make my arse hurt in 30 mins. I also find the riding posture uncomfortable. I rode the ZX-14 and the seat felt pretty good actually.

On my CBR250..well I rode that 13 hours to Georgia, and other than minor discomfort when I arrived, my butt was fine. The seat is quite firm, which doesn't make it the most comfortable thing out there, but in comparison to my newgen seat I like it a lot. It doesn't sag in over long distances, so over the long haul it performs better. It also doesn't slope into the tank. :/

[kamikaze]

did ~800km on a newgen last year in one day. my butt was so numb by the end of the ride i thought it had just disappeared. it's my #1 complaint about this bike. I think they use the finest japanese granite they could fine, covered it with leather, and slapped it on.

thankfully i bought a corbin saddle this year, I can't wait to get it.

[etiainen]

I need to sell mine lol. It is sitting in my garage unused....

[FrugalNinja250]

825 miles on a Corbin, in 12.5 hours. Four times so far in two years.

[jdoucet93]

R6 seat = most uncomfortable thing ever. It's hot, it sticks to your pants and it's harder than concrete. Good thing I'm young so it doesn't bother me at all

[Jiggles]

My 650 seat is sooooo comfortable. It's softer and wider in the back compared to the 250 but also narrow in the front so your legs can hang off easier. Night and day difference between the two

[n4mwd]

The corbin seats look nice, but pricey. I'm wondering if I can just get a sheepskin covered foam pillow and strap it on somehow. I've also noticed hot air hitting my leg that seems to be coming out between the seat and side panel. Something to also cover that up would be nice.

Like you said, the pregen seats have virtually no foam in the front, but are OK in the back. I'm thinking of some kind of pillow to remedy that. I guess I'll probably end up making something.

[Boom King]

I hate the slope on the newgen seat. Your boys get nice and intimate with the gas tank.

[n4mwd]

Originally Posted by Boom King

I hate the slope on the newgen seat. Your boys get nice and intimate with the gas tank.

They did that on the newgen to solve the gas cavitation problem of the pregen. The pregen's tank is basically draped over a bar so gas cavitates on the the side opposite to the petcock. So you can run out of gas with gas still in the tank. The newgen tank is flatter on the bottom but higher up.

[etiainen]

My J**k doesn't care about gas running out.