Anybody else just can't get comfortable?

[seadog]

Has anyone tried Day Long Custom made seats? I am going to send my stocker to them this winter when the bike is in storage and let them make me a custom seat. They use the stock seat pan and have you take pictures of you on the stock seat and get your height, weight, inseam measurement and build you a seat out of your stocker. Big Larry swears by them and I might be by next summer too. They are cheaper than Mustangs, or Ultimates, Corbin and the like. Sound to me like we are all beating our heads against a wall and spending way too much money to achieve our comfort.

[stroguy]

BIGLRY swears by DL.

[BIGLRY]

I know of three other F6B board members who now ride and love their Russell Daylong saddles and I suppose there are a few more out there. Also quite a few VTX owners on my forum ride a Daylong. If I'm going more then a 100 miles I will ride no other.

I to have some physical issues like some of you old guys(I'm 65). I broke my neck in 2002 an have bone grafts and a titanium X brace holding it all together at the c4/c5 then in 2005 I had my chest crushed (lost conformity) and left shoulder ripped apart causing nerve damage(can't lift left arm more than chest high now) in a "no brakes" 750 foot ride off a 45 degree slope, then over a cliff. I had the 14 ton piece of equipment I was operating roll over on me causing the issues, so you see I demand and must have comfort when I ride and a custom fitted Daylong fills the bill. You can read all about the accident with a few pic here http://www.californiavtxriders.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=11591

I have a Daylong on my F6B, VTX1800 "C", 2004 Rune and having one made for my 2009 KLR 650 this winter. I do not run one on my turbo X as I only ride it 100 miles or less a day, but boy is it a fast 100 miles.

[powercruzer13]

Ultimate Mid with backrest is working good for me. I do wish it didn't sit me up higher but the setback is perfect. Still toying with the idea of raising my Klockwerks w/s 1" & then it would be perfect.
Still not as comfy overall as I was on my Valk with a King Big Boy but I haven't got the miles on the B that I had on the Valkyrie.
Attachment 14643

[motozeke]

At 5' almost 9" , 31 sometimes 32" inseam, the seat, being wide in the front, spreads my hips far enough apart that it hurts. Imagine sitting in a computer chair and trying to spread your knees as far apart from each other as you can. It usually takes me about a month of riding to get back to were it doesn't hurt. With the Yellowstone trip less than 2 weeks away I am dealing w/a bit of a sciatic nerve issue in my left leg, very hard to get comfortable and makes the leg weak and hard to lift up off the peg...

That's my #1 wish about this bike--not cruise or reverse or traction control or any such thing--just to be more narrow at the waist. Not a big deal for sure, but it would be nice.

[motozeke]

That's my #1 wish about this bike--not cruise or reverse or traction control or any such thing--just to be more narrow at the waist. Not a big deal for sure, but it would be nice.

By the way, the stock seat is just fine by me. All day comfort. Don't need a backrest or highway pegs. This bike is phenomenally comfortable for me.

Guys... this one's gonna be a hard message... but the best thing you can do to make riding long distances more comfortable is to lose the gut and get your butt into shape. Hanging 30+ pounds above your beltline and coupling that with a weak core is going to make riding a lot more unpleasant.

[hiflyer]

I know of three other F6B board members who now ride and love their Russell Daylong saddles and I suppose there are a few

I to have some physical issues like some of you old guys(I'm 65). I broke my neck in 2002 an have bone grafts and a titanium X brace holding it all together at the c4/c5 then in 2005 I had my chest crushed (lost conformity) and left shoulder ripped apart causing nerve damage(can't lift left arm more than chest high now) in a "no brakes" 750 foot ride off a 45 degree slope, then over a cliff. I had the 14 ton piece of equipment I was operating roll over on me causing the issues, so you see I demand and must have comfort when I ride and a custom fitted Daylong fills the bill. You can read all about the accident with a few pic here http://www.californiavtxriders.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=11591

:

Gotta say Larry, that's one ride I don't want to make.

[valkmc]

By the way, the stock seat is just fine by me. All day comfort. Don't need a backrest or highway pegs. This bike is phenomenally comfortable for me.

Guys... this one's gonna be a hard message... but the best thing you can do to make riding long distances more comfortable is to lose the gut and get your butt into shape. Hanging 30+ pounds above your beltline and coupling that with a weak core is going to make riding a lot more unpleasant.

I agree and I know from experience. 20lbs made a huge difference for me. I found out during prep for a ride from Fl to Ak. I decided to get in shape and found out my tolerance for miles on my C-14 went up. 3.5 miles walking (I quit jogging several years ago) and some light weight lifting daily made a huge difference. I have the stock seat and like it. I do wish the rise to the passenger seat was not sloped as much as it is. I liked the way it was on my 12 Wing. I'm considering having someone alter just that for me.

[Old Ryder]

By the way, the stock seat is just fine by me. All day comfort. Don't need a backrest or highway pegs. This bike is phenomenally comfortable for me.

Guys... this one's gonna be a hard message... but the best thing you can do to make riding long distances more comfortable is to lose the gut and get your butt into shape. Hanging 30+ pounds above your beltline and coupling that with a weak core is going to make riding a lot more unpleasant.

In a perfect world you are correct. Guys are spending gobs of money trying to get the bike to fit them---making the person fit the bike is not as simple as 6 trips to the health food store and 5 months at the gym. Check out my picture---how do I get my legs 4 inches shorter to get the knees below the hips? Cut off 4 inches? This is on a seat that pushed me back a few inches and Mini boards that are 3/4" lower than normal. So getting the legs straight suddenly makes my arms 3 inches too short. I lost 50 lbs last year and that did help, but I fit my Victory at 270 lbs a lot better than I fit the B at 220. I believe a lot of guys here are coming from sport bikes and are used to the "multi-angle-riding position".

I also think what everybody is saying is that there is not a lot of "adjustability" on this bike, and I think that has to do with the wide engine right where your feet should be. The advantage of the V Twin is that the engine is narrow enough to make it adjustable for a large variety of sizes and shapes of bodies--- the B--not so much. As I have gotten older, I have a lot of friends that have a number of health problems and take meds that prevent them from "just loose the gut and getting that body in shape". BTW---check the poll/thread asking the ages of the riders and you will find this is a "mature" riding group. I have been blessed with great health, but I still spend 30 minutes every day-- 7 days a week on an eliptical and Bowflex just to maintain what I do have and have been doing it for over 15 years while working a full time job. It is hard enough doing it for my health, and not just to make bike riding more comfortable. Much easier to just buy a new seat and risers.

[grendl]

My first long ride with the stock seat and backrest had my back begging for mercy at about 300 miles. Seemed like every bump was jabbing at the base of my spine.I had thought then the first money in a limited budget was going to the Mustang.
At some point that went away - I dont know if I broke the seat in or it broke me in. Now my rides are all good.No problems with the reach,I like the backrest being there as it keeps me stable when I take off .I can lean back into it and feel more comfortable on long rides.
I now have no real reason to change anything (I am 5'11 about 195-200 pounds have always been fairly athletic). At 65 going to 66 soon,the ol' arthritis is setting in but on the F6B I am comfortable.
Still like the Mustang seat for the look of it but to me the bike is comfortable. I have the forward footrest and almost never use them. On log runs,I find the passenger footrest fit me better if I want to change positions.
Debating other changes now is at the top of the list.What lights, center stand belly pan is money better spent and functional.
I would ask,based on my experience with the stock seat,when you make the changes are you riding the bike for a while,letting everything settle in as you get used to it,before jumping to something else?