Long distance comfort. Saddle & backrest

[andmoon2]

After 25 years of riding I just discovered that a backrest adds hours of comfort (well it delays the arrival of discomfort) to a long day.

98 r1100gs w/ corbin & no backrest...12 hours and then the butt burn becomes painful.
w/ backrest on same seat, 12 hours and my arse isn't even warmed up....my vision starts to go at the same interval though.


Try a back rest or something to lean on on long trips.

[SilverHound]

  +1. Already have a Russell Day Long seat w/backrest ordered for my new FJR. Had one on my Valk and it was a welcome addition. I don't need it all the time but figure you can always take it off.

[county]

A lotta the older guys swear by a backrest.

[steveindenmark]

I bought a Saddleman seat and a pro tech backrest for my last bike, a suzuki intruder 800.
I took it for a test ride from Denmark and rang my partner up from Belgium a few hours later. I did just over 1000 miles in 20 hours without any problem.

Great big thumbs up to a backrest.

It would not look too cool on my FZ6 though.

 

[tjhess74]

how do you use a backrest on a non-cruiser?  fjr? concours?  correct me if im doing something wrong, but i lean forward on those bikes, even with bar risers.  what good is a backrest if your leaning forward.  if i lean back enough to where a back rest would be, i couldnt reach the bars. im confused.

[Giaka]

I'm thinking you would need some serious bar risers and highway pegs to use a backrest on the FJR or even on the ST.

[Quickv4]

I have a KG slider backrest on my Magna. While im a young guy with no back pain or problems, it sure adds to the comfort of going on a strip of interstate!

[Kool shades]

At the "I should get a Backrest" point, maybe you should be looking at a Goldwing...

[BobM]

Don't know if this qualifys, but I was told by another rider that he wears one of those velcro cinch back support belts with shoulder straps for his long rides. Says it helps keep the back straighter so there's less fatigue.
Anyone else use or hear about that?

[RBEmerson]

+1 on "if ya need a backrest, ya need a Gold Wing".  At the ripe old age of 62, I do quite nicely with a Concours with lowered bars ('86 bars and windshield are 1" lower than '87 and later).  However, I also replaced the stock saddle with a Corbin(*) and that's what makes the difference.  I have to tank up every 180-200 miles, so there's a built-in break to take the time to stretch and loosen up.  

The truth is, riding a bike for any distance takes some exercise and conditioning.  Driving a desk all week and hoping that's enough training to drive 300-500 miles in a weekend is going to be, literally, a painful reminder that being out of shape hurts.  There's a reason why guys with big guts and lard butts have trailer queens...  

- - -

(*) The cosmic secret to getting along with a Corbin saddle: Accept that the first 300-500 miles will begin by feeling as though you're riding on a plank.  The foam isn't soft and cushy (if that's what you want, see your local Lay-Z-ee Boy dealer...   ), but it will shift, over time, to fit your butt.  Somewhere around 400-600 miles out, you'll wake up to the fact the seat actually does feel right after all.  

Useful hints:

• Don't try to break in a Corbin in cold weather
• Buying an old, used Corbin is never a bargain

Since the foam doesn't shift quickly, and since cold foam shifts even slower than warm foam, trying to break in a saddle during the winter, in anticipation of next summer's riding, will take more time (double the norm?).  Which isn't to say it can't or shouldn't be done, just don't expect results in ~500 miles.  

First and foremost, buying a used saddle is like buying used leathers.  The saddle's picked up the previous owner's shape.  The skin and the stitching will have worn from exposure.  Even Corbin won't refurb one of their saddles and a good upholstry shop won't do the job for much less than the cost of a new saddle.  Again, it is possible to find a good used saddle, but they're rare.  

All of the above is based on first-hand experience.  I shudder to think how much money I wasted on old, tired Corbin (and OEM) saddles.  BTW, I did score on an almost new used saddle at a killer price and it's worked out fine.  

[RodeRash]

[county]

+(*) The cosmic secret to getting along with a Corbin saddle: Accept that the first 300-500 miles will begin by feeling as though you're riding on a plank.  

I actually have an old Corbin that I only use for distance.  It always feels like I'm sitting on a plank.  IMO a plank is good for distance.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

I actually have an old Corbin that I only use for distance.  It always feels like I'm sitting on a plank.  IMO a plank is good for distance.

Agreed.

For some reason that concrete park bench at the rest stop always feels so comfortable after being on the bike for 4-5 hours at a time.

[SilverHound]

how do you use a backrest on a non-cruiser?  fjr? concours?  correct me if im doing something wrong, but i lean forward on those bikes, even with bar risers.  what good is a backrest if your leaning forward.  if i lean back enough to where a back rest would be, i couldnt reach the bars. im confused.

It's not for leaning back on all the time it's for the occasional stretch of the legs and leaning back. You can adjust them so that they're very close to the small of your back. Even after having them on my cruisers I never thought of having one on the FJR until I tried one. Still, I only plan on using it for long distances but when I need it I am sure I will be happy I got it.

...and for you smart asses with the Goldwing comments...