Yesterday was my first 100 mile day. I rode with a friend down to Alice's Restaurant (south of San Francisco). It was about 50 miles each way and... it was a BALL BUSTER! :x :oops: :( :o :x
I've felt a little uncomfortable on shorter rides, enough that I bought a gel seat and put it on before this ride. Well it either didn't make any difference or not enough that I could notice. I literally thought I might be doing permanent damage to myself.
I have a bicycle seat that has a cut out that relieves pressure points but I haven't seen or heard of this ever for motorcycles. I'm new to motorcycles so I don't have any experience with any other motorcycles/seats. Anybody else out there have this issue?
Have you ever gone to the doctor to make sure you don't have an enlarged prostate or something? The GS seat is so plush compared to many standard/sport bikes.
I can only suggest what a buddy of mine did, he folded up a hand towel (or a small bath towel) and tucked part of it under the front of his seat and the rest lays over his seat. He swears it makes the seat softer and better for long rides.
First try to support more of your weight with your legs, both on the pegs (I understand it's not easy when you're 6'5", your heels are probably touching your butt) and by hugging the tank with your knees, and change your position from time to time.
Then get a pair of bicycle shorts with padding and wear them under your gear. They make a lot of difference on long rides.
I get the same results when my passenger wears nylon pants and slides forward whenever I brake.
Perhaps a pair of fuzzy dice attached to the front of your saddle? :) Failing that, for passengers, make 'em hold your hips and you'll need to feather the brakes. It's an art form, but one your unborn children will thank you for.
For solo rides, take a little more weight on your feet and grip the tank with your knees. If that still doesn't work, a hockey cup will stop pucks at 90 mph, so it should stop balls travelling at a fraction of that speed. :cheers:
Just read Miket, I could have avoided all this typing and said "I agree". Oh well.
i dont have this problem as this was a former race bike, there is a dent in the tank in this area, I can only imagine the pain he felt. do race suits have body armor in that area?
I have that problem, I end up standing up on the pegs a lot! I freak the cages out!
I think it is because I sit very forward and brake hard in most corners so there is a lot of pressure there!
Stay Safe
My boss just sent his (BMW) seat in to http://www.buttbuffer.com.
They carved his original seat according to his instructions and put dry polymer inside. He sent his seat in last Wednesday via UPS 2-day and got it back yesterday, so they're pretty quick.
(We are located in Santa Clara, CA...their company is in Ephrata, PA)
Hope it works out! :thumb:
The cushiest seat in the world will cause discomfort if you sit in the same place for long enough. The problem is that your bones, in this case your hip and upper leg bones, compress the tissues between thier high points and whatever is supporting you. They get squeesed, irritated, and lose their blood supply.
The trick is to keep moving around (just like hospital paients avoid bed sores). Slide back and forth, and left and right. What I've found helps is to turn my lower torso so that one leg is up against the tank and the other is out, almost in hang off style. This also has the benifit of twisting and flexing your spine too.
James
you call a 100 mile ride a ball buster?!
you must be joking!
just did 350 on my gs three days ago. no sweat.
I'm not saying that 100 miles is a lot. I'm just saying if I'm on the bike for more than 30mins straight it gets almost unbearably uncomfortable for me. I want to be able to do 350, or whatever, but I don't want to be in pain while doing it...
You have to work your way up to it. When I first got my GS last year, I could hardly walk after about an hour of non-stop riding. Now an hour doesn't bother me at all. I can handle about an hour and a half without resting. About 10 minutes of rest and I can take another hour of riding.
I've concluded that I have a "300 mile ASS." If I take several stretch breaks and also move around on the seat a lot.
As said earlier, it takes time to build up the strength for long rides. I think one of the problems is, the part of you that is being used to sit on the bike is not the same as in a chair (no duh - I know). On the bike your sitting more on the inside of your leg bones and bottom of your pelvis. This is where the "fum-unda" cheese is created. You know the spot. I get an itch for a few days after along ride in that spot.
If you don't know what "fum-unda" cheese is, well, it's cheese fum-unda the balls.
And, I've been thinking seriously about wearing a cup. Balls were not designed to travel and hit anything at any fraction of any speed.
Do women have this probelm as much as men? Could it have something to do with SIZE OF BALLS :thumb:
I find that, if I concentrate on keeping my pelvis tilted somewhat back, it alleviates most of this problem. It doesn't take much depending on how far forward your handlebars require you to lean. I recently finished a 14 hour, 700 mile ride, (no - not on a GS, thank you Lord), and the problem under discussion here was the biggest stumbling block to my being able to go further, (especially combined with the elastic of the legs of my shorts digging in to my legs after 10 or 12 hours). I don't think a cup would be very comfortable but I have considered becoming a supporter of athletics, if you know what I mean. I accompanied Mr. Slush on the 350 mile ride that he mentioned above and it was my first experience with "boxer-briefs". These are likely the knit boxers mentioned earlier in this thread. They're regular "tighty-whities" but they have extended, form-fitting, (at least if you don't have skinny chicken legs like mine), legs so there's no pressure point right at the bike seat. My advice is to experiment with subtle changes in position and riding gear and find a combination that works for you. Or, buy an Intruder and shift the problem to your tail bone. :lol:
I used to find my corbin used to make my bum hurt after 150 miles or so (and yes werase I have done 150 miles at a stretch) The stock seat however makes contact all over the place and not just my bum, the stock seat also has lesser bum area contact thereby stressing the delicates and not stressing my bum. Your bum is a lot more equipped to handle the weight in most cases. The gel seat I believe is going to be a mix of both but the sheer quantity of padding it has might not let it have the ill effects of either.
Cool.
Srinath.
Quote from: asifnycI've felt a little uncomfortable on shorter rides, enough that I bought a gel seat and put it on before this ride. Well it either didn't make any difference or not enough that I could notice.
My Suzuki gel seat "crowds" me more than the stock seat. I only put the gel seat on when my wife is on the back. For long rides, give me the stocker!
For me, the biggest discomfort on a long ride comes from the hairs on the back of my legs, the ones between me and the seat. As near as I can figure, they get plastered into place after a couple hours. When I change my position on the seat they "scream" at me. I was amazed at how much it hurt, and it took me a while to figure out what was going on. I'm seriously thinking about shaving that area before I leave on my 3,000+ mile trip tomorrow.
But that would probably create different problems....
Quote from: klimberDo women have this probelm as much as men? Could it have something to do with SIZE OF BALLS :thumb:
LMFAO! Not sure if your saying women have different size balls than men here? Today, as you know, women and men have the same size! :thumb:
Of course, men's balls are just smarter. :mrgreen:
Alright, I'm already paying for that one. My wife saw that post. Now I'm a uni baller.
Quote from: klimberDo women have this problem as much as men?
Can't say that I do... :mrgreen:
Quote from: PkaasoOf course, men's balls are just smarter. :mrgreen:
You ARE a comedian! :roll: :mrgreen:
"do women have..."
I will not be drawn into the bigger balls argument... that is a person to person issue, not generic gender issue :P
However it can be uncomfortable to ride for ladies too. All of your weight ends up on the pelvis and hip joints.
For both genders there are major veins running on the inside of your... well where the legs attach "ahem"... restrictive clothing can cut in and create serious pains in you legs and lower ab, that you don't automatically associate with elastic and seems digging into your crotch.
Everyone is built different and has different strengths. Shifting your weight and taking stretch brakes is important.
I'm jealous of the new model seats on the 01 and 02... I'm working on redoing mine to have more cushion up front.
Quote from: ladybrid"do women have..."
Snip... restrictive clothing can cut in and create serious pains in you legs and lower ab, that you don't automatically associate with elastic and seems digging into your crotch.
Yup... That's why I wear womens underwear when riding...Soooo silky and sooo....You know
Quote from: ladybridEveryone is built different and has different strengths. Shifting your weight and taking stretch brakes is important.
I'm jealous of the new model seats on the 01 and 02... I'm working on redoing mine to have more cushion up front.
More seriously...the 01+s are not better.
Cool.
Srinath.
ROTFL!
Well, now when I am feeling bad about other people riding better than me, I shall at least be able to imagine the male one's wearing lacy frilly women's undies. hah!
Glad to hear that about the newer seats... coz from my perspective they *look* more comfortable with the padding wrapping down like it does.
I forget what is ROTFL...
The way to look at it is Men have a choice if they want it rough they can wear mens and if they want soft they can wear womens...So I guess women if they want rough ... can wear Mens too ... And if that's not rough enough a set of drywall sanding blocks could be added...
Ha ha...even if I am the only one amused by my joke...Nothing new in that...
Cool.
Srinath.
Quote from: seshadri_srinathI forget what is ROTFL...
Rolling on the floor, laughing...and I'm amused. :roll: :mrgreen:
Something is wrong with your butt.
I did a 10000 km round trip (I guess 6500 miles) this summer... about 800 km a day. The only thing that got sore was my back.
My butt would only get sore after like 150 km in a single go, but nothing too bad. Five minutes off the bike and I'de be ready for more.
Fix your butt.
Quote from: seshadri_srinathMore seriously...the 01+s are not better.
Cool.
Srinath.
You are SO wrong. JohNLA and I tested/compared the older seat on one of our gs canyon rides and the older seat is like cardboard compared to the 01+ seat. I've done 400 mile rides (okay, just once) and had no problem at all. Longest single stretch on that ride between bathroom breaks was 200 miles. Although, since it was in twisty roads I was sliding around alot side to side and I'm very good about moving about often.
Quote from: seshadri_srinathI forget what is ROTFL...
The way to look at it is Men have a choice if they want it rough they can wear mens and if they want soft they can wear womens...So I guess women if they want rough ... can wear Mens too ... And if that's not rough enough a set of drywall sanding blocks could be added...
Ha ha...even if I am the only one amused by my joke...Nothing new in that...
Cool.
Srinath.
Nope, I enjoyed that one too. Please stop, your killing me. :thumb:
Srinath: Lets talk more on the under garment issue, I've been working on a barb-wire thong, you may want to try. :?
Ladybird: I agree size is nerver a subject discused amoung women. :bs: I was saying our balls are smarter, that's all. I just think since we men keep our brain so much closer to our balls, they can't help but rub off some of the shear geinus kept there. :mrgreen:
Quote from: Pkaaso
Ladybrid: I agree size is nerver a subject discused amoung women. :bs: I was saying our balls are smarter, that's all. I just think since we men keep our brain so much closer to our balls, they can't help but rub off some of the shear geinus kept there. :mrgreen:
Hey where's the little angelic harmless smiley when you need it?... *Never* said women don't discuss size 8) Just said I wasn't going to go into a debate over the intelligence of male and female secondary brains.
And for the record women's undies are often not the comfortable choice. :o
I'm going to go practice my motorcycle now, and will keep visions of men trying to keep jockos in their lacy frilly underthings to protect their brains, to maintain good humor. :thumb:
Quote from: KerryFor me, the biggest discomfort on a long ride comes from the hairs on the back of my legs, the ones between me and the seat. As near as I can figure, they get plastered into place after a couple hours. When I change my position on the seat they "scream" at me. I was amazed at how much it hurt, and it took me a while to figure out what was going on. I'm seriously thinking about shaving that area before I leave on my 3,000+ mile trip tomorrow.
But that would probably create different problems....
That's totally the burn that I feel on anything over 100 miles without a few off of the bike. Even when I do get back in the saddle after a break I can get a major burn in the hairy-inside-leg-seat-contact area.
It is greatly magnified on hot days.
I was being sarcastic when I mentioned "size discusion". Also, I find the humor here to be refreshing. I really have laughed outload at some of the things people write here. People look at me funny at work somtimes.
Thanks to all for the great humor.
OH, and asif, hope your "busted balls" heal soon.
Paul
:cheers:
ugh
humor good
sarcasm, outloud laughter... all appreciated and enjoyed
;)
having previously owned a GS450S [1981]and now the 96 GS500E ,averaging over 2 hours riding each day to work and back.I have tried all sorts of things and found a small towel dubbled over the seat quite good.but by far the best thing to do for long distance trips is a more up right position.I am currently trying to obtain the relievant bits to fit a one piece handle bar, to raise and broarden grip positions and also take some of weight off the wrists,an other problem I have with the extra weight of the GS500E. P.S.[ is it my imagination or were the gear ratio's on the GS450s better spred out than the GS500e]
Quote from: pantabloQuote from: seshadri_srinathMore seriously...the 01+s are not better.
Cool.
Srinath.
You are SO wrong. JohNLA and I tested/compared the older seat on one of our gs canyon rides and the older seat is like cardboard compared to the 01+ seat. I've done 400 mile rides (okay, just once) and had no problem at all. Longest single stretch on that ride between bathroom breaks was 200 miles. Although, since it was in twisty roads I was sliding around alot side to side and I'm very good about moving about often.
No...the older GS actually has a better seat...If you slide forward that lip on the seat going up the tank really prevents...well metal to metal contact...The 01+ seat has a better seat cover...It prevents you fron sliding forward gathering speed as you go...and slamming into the tank...Older seat is a better design, newer seat has a better cover. I have slammed into the tank on a ZX 7 I think...very painful...that will never happen on the 89-00 GS...It will on a 01+ They should have put in that lip in the 01 seat too.
Cool.
Srinath.
Baby, EVERY saturday I have the day to myself so I ride. Each saturday for the past 4 months I have logged at LEAST 300km's. Never in pain or anything.
Maybe you should workout and get in shape.
Quote from: JonathanBaby, EVERY saturday I have the day to myself so I ride. Each saturday for the past 4 months I have logged at LEAST 300km's. Never in pain or anything.
Maybe you should workout and get in shape.
Maybe you should let us know your secret for working out those areas :o ...no, wait, after all, I don't think I want to know :nana:
Whoa this is the funniest string I've ever read...and to think it started out as a serious question. ;) I ride an '01, stock seat. I do all kinds of riding/commuting, from 15 minutes to 2-3 hours without a break...never had a problem. :thumb: I definitely feel slight fatigue/irritation from sitting in basically 1 position for so long, but that's normal...same thing happens on my V-Star, but the positioning is a little different.
Maybe the answer is looking into a side-car to carry a personal masseuse along :? ???? I wonder who would apply for that job, though. (It better pay plenty!!)
Actually, on the serious side, good underwear would probably help on all counts, lol.
Bike short style boxers (or whatever the proper term would be) would help with saddle chaffing. The motorcycle specific hot weather long johns might help make you more comfortable all in all. Either of these extra layers might make changing positions easier, coz then you are sweated and stuck to your garments... bleh!
Other than that, and getting off the bike and stretching more often, bicycle or ski exercise machines that would give you more muscle resilience to support your weight in a crouch/tuck for longer.
Maybe we need to develope a motorcycle specific work out? :roll: I know I need it! lol
Ladybrid,
Boxer-briefs is the word you’re looking for. I'm actually working on some inflatable one's. Thinking of maybe filling with water that you can heat or cool. Or, you could wear them on the outside; make the outer layer of plastic, clear. Yea, you could some little fish in there to swim around.
Hmm, I gotta go, off to my laboratory.
Quote from: ladybridThe motorcycle specific hot weather long johns might help make you more comfortable all in all....coz then you are sweated and stuck to your garments... bleh!
I wear Patagonia Capilene long pants (silk weight) and a long sleeve shirt of same under my leathers. Wicks moisture away and keeps you from sticking to your leathers.