How can I put this delicately...

asifnyc · August 11, 2003, 08:16:41 PM

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

: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?

john · August 11, 2003, 08:21:09 PM

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.

miket · August 11, 2003, 09:49:48 PM

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.

Traveler · August 11, 2003, 10:07:22 PM

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.

Just read Miket, I could have avoided all this typing and said "I agree". Oh well.

Blueknyt · August 11, 2003, 11:31:05 PM

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?

August 12, 2003, 05:16:57 AM

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

Cris · August 12, 2003, 12:14:28 PM

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!

JamesG · August 12, 2003, 12:34:20 PM

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

mrslush50 · August 12, 2003, 07:27:51 PM

you call a 100 mile ride a ball buster?!

you must be joking!

just did 350 on my gs three days ago. no sweat.

asifnyc · August 12, 2003, 09:10:03 PM

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...

glenn9171 · August 12, 2003, 09:33:13 PM

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.

Pkaaso · August 13, 2003, 03:26:08 AM

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.

klimber · August 13, 2003, 06:00:54 AM

Do women have this probelm as much as men? Could it have something to do with SIZE OF BALLS

Delta88 · August 13, 2003, 06:40:29 AM

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:

The Buddha · August 13, 2003, 06:53:11 AM

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.

Kerry · August 13, 2003, 09:31:58 AM

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....

Pkaaso · August 13, 2003, 09:52:50 AM

Quote from: klimberDo women have this probelm as much as men? Could it have something to do with SIZE OF BALLS

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!

Of course, men's balls are just smarter. :mrgreen:

Pkaaso · August 13, 2003, 09:54:12 AM

Alright, I'm already paying for that one. My wife saw that post. Now I'm a uni baller.

Cris · August 13, 2003, 10:28:59 AM

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!

:mrgreen:

ladybrid · August 13, 2003, 10:30:24 AM

"do women have..."
I will not be drawn into the bigger balls argument... that is a person to person issue, not generic gender issue

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.

News:

How can I put this delicately...