So I did my first twisty ride since getting the GS in September (my first bike) last weekend. It was about a 50 mile round trip. I was sore afterward from using muscles I don't normally use, and my upper rear thigh / lower butt was sore. Is this something that wears off as your body adjust to that kinda riding? Or do I need a comfier seat?

Does anyone have an aftermarket seat, like a Corbin? Thoughts?

I've done 150+ mile rides on Mrs.'s GS, and while it wasn't as comfortable as my 650R (which has a Corbin) it was far superior to my 600 Eliminator and in no way crippling to me.  Also, the more seat time you do on your moto the easier it gets, in my experience.

Corbin doesn't yet have a late-model GS seat as a "stock" option, but for around $350 they will make you a custom one.  I recommend them highly, as their replacement for my 650R makes eight-hour riding days a walk in the park, plus proper positioning is much easier to maintain.

Corbin will only make you a seat if you take your bike to their production facility. Rumor is that if you do this so they can produce an aftermarket seat for the the 2nd gen GS500, they will do yours for free. But they need the bike with the seat first.

I would check out www.greatdaytoride.com if you just want to make your stock seat better.

Quote from: SAFE-T on April 14, 2011, 10:45:20 AM
Corbin will only make you a seat if you take your bike to their production facility. Rumor is that if you do this so they can produce an aftermarket seat for the the 2nd gen GS500, they will do yours for free. But they need the bike with the seat first.

I got my 650R's Corbin free for just that reason.   

I'll see if they're taking GS500 orders, but even if they're not I may get a custom seat made regardless.

Can't you buy this Corbin seat for your GS?

I've done ten 400-500 mile days on my 97 and 02 GS500s with stock seats riding to the mountains to play in the twisties, the first was in 01 at age 68 and the last one in 04 at age 71.  C'mon kids, either shape up or get a Buick for your trips.   

Actually back in 84 at age 52 when I got my first bike my right forearm started hurting so bad from twisting the throttle I could hardly keep on riding but I kept on and it went away in about a week and then my left shoulder started hurting equally as bad and that too went away in another week or so.  Neither pain returned again. You'll find muscles you never used much before starting to ride that have to be awakened and put into service.  For the longer riding trips you need to just keep on extending your range on your rides until you're into shape for the long ones.  Kinda like an athlete training for any other sport.   

If this is your first 50 mile ride, your soreness is mainly due to lack of seat time. I can do a 300 mile ride and be fine on the seat.

You need to build up your bike riding muscles etc. Get on the bike more often; ride for longer distances (30 minute runs, 45 minute runs, 60 minute runs, 75 minute runs, 90 minute runs (don't just go 30, 45, 60 and so on, do a few 30s then a few 45s then a few 60s). Seat time will also see you Relaxing more as you become more used to it.

Michael

Quote from: mister on April 14, 2011, 11:23:14 AM
If this is your first 50 mile ride, your soreness is mainly due to lack of seat time. I can do a 300 mile ride and be fine on the seat.

You need to build up your bike riding muscles etc. Get on the bike more often; ride for longer distances (30 minute runs, 45 minute runs, 60 minute runs, 75 minute runs, 90 minute runs (don't just go 30, 45, 60 and so on, do a few 30s then a few 45s then a few 60s). Seat time will also see you Relaxing more as you become more used to it.

Michael

yeah, got the bike at the end of last season, so now that it's warming up, i'm riding a lot more often.

Quote from: jacob_ns on April 14, 2011, 11:16:32 AM
Can't you buy this Corbin seat for your GS?

Corbin's website only lists a seat for the 2000 and previous models.  What year is the moto in your pic?

Quote from: StevenDavisPhoto on April 14, 2011, 09:58:06 AM
...I was sore afterward from using muscles I don't normally use, and my upper rear thigh / lower butt was sore...

You answered your own question.
Build up your muscles! Ride more. Go to the gym. Lose some pounds. Get fit. Exercise.

Quote from: MysterYvil on April 14, 2011, 11:32:21 AM

Quote from: jacob_ns on April 14, 2011, 11:16:32 AM
Can't you buy this Corbin seat for your GS?

Corbin's website only lists a seat for the 2000 and previous models.  What year is the moto in your pic?

That would do it. 1994

Quote from: gsJack on April 14, 2011, 11:22:45 AM
I've done ten 400-500 mile days on my 97 and 02 GS500s with stock seats riding to the mountains to play in the twisties, the first was in 01 at age 68 and the last one in 04 at age 71.  C'mon kids, either shape up or get a Buick for your trips.    :icon_lol

I've said it this way: If a 40+ year old guy can do 400 miles in one day on a 500 with clipons, surely these young punks can do a couple hundred with handlebars! (oh, and my rearsets were all the way back and up, too)

The Suzuki gel seat that was available before the seat redesign was awesome. Wish they offered one for the current model.

Your butt will get used to it. The stock seat on my current bike is flat and rock hard, and I've done plenty of 5 hour twisty back road 100+ miles rides and not even noticed my butt being sore. I've ridden bicycles with hard flat skinny plastic seats so there isn't anything that's going to make me uncomfortable.

If you're gonna be out for a while, try putting on a pair of bicycle shorts under your pants. The padding is thin but it's good quality and will definitely make things more pleasant.

Quote from: tt_four on April 14, 2011, 07:43:58 PM
If you're gonna be out for a while, try putting on a pair of bicycle shorts under your pants. The padding is thin but it's good quality and will definitely make things more pleasant.

yeah, i wear under armour sport boxer briefs. works well.

I found after I got used to the seat that it was the 700 kilometer mark that I start to get sore.

It's also fairly easy to re-pad the seat yourself, if you have any can-do in your attitude bucket.

Given that old vinyl gets tired, probably best to get some new four-way-stretch vinyl material - I bought "all-sport" as best I recall - seat cover was cut and needed replacing, plus I personally prefer a non-black seat, so I bought red. Some folks have re-used the old cover, but I would not bet on it with a 16-17 year old cover. Got some "extra firm" (yeah, right - I'd hate to meet the soft) foam while I was at it from one of the auto upholstery suppliers - you can also get the gel material, though you might find a better price on that stuff as a bicycle seat cover you butcher for the purpose - I skipped it for now. Added 2" of foam to the seat and recovered (naturally, 2" of foam does not actually raise seating position 2", but it helps, if you want a bit higher seat, which I did.) You either need a serious staple gun, or a creative combination of a less-serious staple gun and channellocks to finish getting the staples in.

If your main seat foam is in really bad shape, you can also strip all the way back to the plastic base and build up new foam from the base. Or, if you want a lower seat, you can cut it down (the best use for an electric carving knife - find one at a thrift store near you) or strip to the base and build up a lower and/or more sculpted seat.

Just have to ask...you weren't sitting on your wallet were you?  Might be obvious, but we all forget...

Quote from: StevenDavisPhoto on April 14, 2011, 09:58:06 AM
So I did my first twisty ride since getting the GS in September (my first bike) last weekend. It was about a 50 mile round trip. I was sore afterward from using muscles I don't normally use, and my upper rear thigh / lower butt was sore. Is this something that wears off as your body adjust to that kinda riding? Or do I need a comfier seat?

Does anyone have an aftermarket seat, like a Corbin? Thoughts?

Conditioning is a large part of it.  The more you do, the more you CAN do.

That said, I had the Spencer Long Distance mod done to my GS500F seat.  This mod is fast and inexpensive, $75 plus shipping.  Took about a week.  Check him out at www.greatdaytoride.com.

BTW Corbin does, or did make a seat but it only fits the E models.

Keep the shiny side up,

Chuck

Quote from: Chuck500 on April 18, 2011, 01:01:17 PMCorbin does, or did make a seat but it only fits the E models

Only 1st generation GS500's.

WILL NOT fit a 2nd generation E model.