Kawasaki 650R rant!

[bassjones]

You would think an almost $7000 motorcycle would come with a stock seat that would be reasonably comfortable for at least 50 miles or so!  Seriously, why should a person have to spend $400 for an aftermarket seat to make a bike sold as a sport-TOURING motorcycle comfortable enough for 100 mile stretch of riding?  I know it's not just the 650R, but you would think manufacturers could make a decent seat, then if you wanted something different for your personal preferences you could do that, but you wouldn't HAVE to.

[marc11]

I never thought the 650R was marketed as a Sport Touring bike....many bikes sold today and all different price points have uncomfortable seats.

[R.Markus]

You would think an almost $7000 motorcycle would come with a stock seat that would be reasonably comfortable for at least 50 miles or so!  Seriously, why should a person have to spend $400 for an aftermarket seat to make a bike sold as a sport-TOURING motorcycle comfortable enough for 100 mile stretch of riding?  I know it's not just the 650R, but you would think manufacturers could make a decent seat, then if you wanted something different for your personal preferences you could do that, but you wouldn't HAVE to.

The problem, most likely, is your sensitive ass.

[bassjones]

The problem, most likely, is your sensitive ass.

   probably part of it, but that seat is bad too.  I also had a pack bungeed to the rear seat, so I couldn't move around on the seat much.

[Hickey]

Get one of these:  http://www.beadrider.com/

Much less than an aftermarket saddle and much more effective.

[thatguy]

My Tuono had a rotten seat as delivered.These guys fixed it up.They don't list your bike on the site but a phone call could clear that up.

[R.Markus]

I also had a pack bungeed to the rear seat, so I couldn't move around on the seat much.

That could be a lot of it. A lot of being comfortable on a long ride is the ability to move around on the seat and change the position of you legs.

[Rigger]

The seat on my VFR was really uncomfortable until I dropped 20 pounds of fat.  Some how the seat seemed to be more comfy.  

[keppyou812]

Ok, I'll trade you one SV seat, for the 650R seat.  

Garry turned me on to the bicycle shorts with the gel padding in them.  Got a pair at Dunhams for $18.  

HUGE difference.  Stock seat, no shorts = 150 mile ride.  And you really didn't want to even look at the bike again, for at least a couple of days.
With the shorts, I did the trip from Tyrone, PA. to Millville, NJ. no problem. (256 miles one way).

Oh, and keep an eye on the front motor mounts.  I have heard of cracking issues on the frame.  

[XLR8]

How long have you had the bike?

I always have to laugh at people who get a new bike and then within the first week of ownership they are claiming the seat is the work of the devil. The body needs time to adjust to new things especially a seat.  

[Muddart]

Spencer at greatdaytoride.com is supposed to do a good job, for around a $100. I am thinking about it for mine.

[bassjones]

How long have you had the bike?

I always have to laugh at people who get a new bike and then within the first week of ownership they are claiming the seat is the work of the devil. The body needs time to adjust to new things especially a seat.  

1500 miles so far.  It seems to get worse every time I ride it...  I might just have to try the bike shorts idea...  I've got a pair somewhere.

[XLR8]

1500 miles so far.  It seems to get worse every time I ride it...  I might just have to try the bike shorts idea...  I've got a pair somewhere.

Oh...well that seems time enough. Yeah that seat sucks man!  

[Giaka]

Its because most meriKans ride 1000 miles a year.

[Orson]

Bicycle racers ride on skinny little seats for hours. They're uncomfortable but, skinnier seats allow better pedaling.

They develop a butt callous after so much time in the saddle. You may just need to develop a butt callous  

[Grumbler]

Well, you could always buy two whoopee cushions (one for each cheek)
and deflate them whenever the right opportunity comes along.    

[kyzrex]

bet you thought the seat was comfortable when you 1st sat on it at the dealer.  M/C companies sell bikes based on people liking them when they sit on them or see them in magazines or shows.  Very few people get a chance to take a long ride on a bike before buying it.  So....seats are made to feel comfortable to the person that is shopping for the bike at the dealership.  Most of the time, they are made very soft because that feels good when sitting on it the 1st time.  However, that soft seat becomes a torture device after a hundred miles or so.  

I had the opportunity to demo ride a ninja650 a few years ago...about 30 miles or so....and after getting off the bike my first impression was that if I bought one I'd get a new seat first thing.  It does suck.  But doesn't kawaski offer an optional gel seat for that bike?

[bassjones]

they have a more thickly padded seat, but it costs more than the Corbin...  I'm thinking about getting a second stocker from the guys at BRP and sending it to Sargent for their mod...  Seems the most cost effective way to do it without giving up my ride while I wait for the seat.

[birdrunner]

they have a more thickly padded seat, but it costs more than the Corbin...  I'm thinking about getting a second stocker from the guys at BRP and sending it to Sargent for their mod...  Seems the most cost effective way to do it without giving up my ride while I wait for the seat.

I'd try the Meyer seats first, though Sargent has a pretty good rep.

If the bike model has been around for a while,  they might have an extra pan on hand,  then they give you a refund when you give them your stock seat after getting the new one.  Voila,  no lost time.

[1moreroad]

Figure out what you're sitting on.  If you sitting on the boys or slightly behind them, the discomfort is warning you about some significant potential damage.

If you are sitting back on your butt fat, then you're a little sensitive.

If you are sitting on the sit bones (to bones I think at the bottom of the pelvis just in front of the butt), then you need to spend time and you should adapt to it.

+1 on the bicycle shorts.  Avoid pants (like most jeans) that have a big thick seam right under your crotch.  There are gusseted jeans that help with this.

Make sure you are leaning into the handlebars with bent arms (no straight arms).  This can help rotate the hips forward to get most of your weight on the sit bones.

[FutRider]

It's the seat.  The reach from seat to bars is close enough that you have no choice but to sit on the area just below the tailbone.  Moving around on the seat can offer some temporary relief but it's not the person, it's the seat.  I feel for you.

[Phenix_Rider]

Sounds like an ad for hemorrhoid treatment in here.  

I've done plenty of miles on my stock seat, and  no complaints.  (19,000 miles since may/june '07)  The only time it's even a minor irritation is on the slab.  Forget about spending money and go find some interesting roads.

[Gypsyangel]

Most stock seats suck. Even on more touring style bikes. Ask any Vstrom owner. Heck, I've even seen Corbins on Beemers.

+1 on Spencer seat mods. Did mine for somewhere around $75 and I can go atleast 200 miles before I start to feel it.Deffinately spring for the Long Distance Gel.
http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php

You could also try a sheepskin seat cover.They deffinately help.I have one ontop of my spencer seat.
http://www.alaskaleather.com/testimonials.html

Also, check into the SW-Motech rear racks to carry a Givi or JC Whitney case on the tail. It frees up the space on your passenger seat, gives you waterproof storage and you'll never know it's even back there. Plus plenty of room to "swing" your leg over the bike instead of doing the "step-through" method.
http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/3056/523/

[Ti954]

Get one of these:  http://www.beadrider.com/

Maybe if you wear a turban and drive a cab.

[McRider]

Most motorcycle seats are uncomfortable for long periods of sitting.  It's like sitting on a stool....there is no backrest to help support your weight and it all ends up on your sit bones.  You can get used to it to some extent, but taking breaks periodically helps me the most.  I have put 40,000 miles on my 650R with the stock seat and find it no worse than any other bike I've owned.  

[bomber]

Peter Egan had an interesting suggestion a couple of years ago in his column (he was writing about Ducatis, but, really, it could apply to any brand).

Rather than offer the stock seat, and an extra cost "comfort" seat, why don't the manufacturers offer the "comfort" seat as standard, and the "stock" (uncomfortable?) seat as a reduced cost option?

Makes sense to me.

With all the advances that bikes have made since I started riding, seats, mirrors, tool kits, and horns are pretty much the same --- odd, since you'd think "fixing" the horn would be easier and cheaper than doubling the horsepower.

[denisep]

My ZZR600 seat looked plush compared to the 650R seat (or so I thought)..   After 10 minutes on the bike- my "parts" would go numb and then I would bounce between pain and numbness for the rest of the ride.

$100 and a ride to Mean City Cycles (they take mail in orders) fixed that problem.  It's been 6 months, and 9000 miles...   I couldn't be happier.

[scottzilla]

You would think an almost $7000 motorcycle would come with a stock seat that would be reasonably comfortable for at least 50 miles or so!  Seriously, why should a person have to spend $400 for an aftermarket seat to make a bike sold as a sport-TOURING motorcycle comfortable enough for 100 mile stretch of riding?  I know it's not just the 650R, but you would think manufacturers could make a decent seat, then if you wanted something different for your personal preferences you could do that, but you wouldn't HAVE to.

Years ago, the first thing you did when you bought a new bike was change the tires to something better.  OEM tires are quite good these days but it took a long time!  Suspensions suck on many new bikes too.  
I agree.  Motorcycle seats are cheaply made hunks of plastic.  

[1moreroad]

My ZZR600 seat looked plush compared to the 650R seat (or so I thought)..   After 10 minutes on the bike- my "parts" would go numb and then I would bounce between pain and numbness for the rest of the ride.

Which shows that it's personal because the only time I found the stock seat uncomfortable was 800 miles into an SS1k.  750 miles in a day was no problem (with bicycle shorts.  Things started to hurt in jeans under overpants after about 150 miles).  Now I wished I had another inch of distance between the seat and the pegs....

[dm_gsxr]

That reminds me. I need to ask the dealer about a replacement seat for my Hayabusa. My seat is in tatters. Maybe check e-bay or the Suzuki forums for someone who replaced theirs.

Carl

[Powder Addict]

My first ride on my 650r was a 7+ hour ride home after I picked it up, I didn't think it was all that bad  

It's not the best seat ever, but it's not the worst IMO.

[stasch]

IMO most stock seats have very soft foam that feels real cushy in the dealership but takes about 10 minutes of riding for it to compress down to the pan.

I'm aware of different preferences, but I ended up sculpting my own very firm padding to replace the stock fluff.  I shaped it much like an wooden kitchen chair from the Amish, with a bit of a recess for the 'sit bones', since that was the killer for me.  

Much much much better.  For me, in terms of a long day of riding, a firmer seat is better, and the firmer the seat, the better it is.  My other bike has a Corbin which are known to be 'firm' (some say hard as a rock) but it works for me.

Avoid cotton products anywhere near your butt.  Use synthetics to avoid the pulling and pinching of cotton which occurs when it begins to absorb moisture.  This seems to occur within 5 minutes or less after sitting on black vinyl in the summer.  Vinyl seat covers are horrible in that area.

I've tried the cabbie beads but they were a pain after about 5 minutes.  A sheepskin seat cover does a good job of adding a little padding and keeping things ventilated in both hot and cold weather.  

[Lakeguy556]

I always hear people complaining about the 650's seat. I don't mind it at all, I think its fairly comfortable. The longest I have sat on it was only about 200 miles a day though, and I have a little extra ass padding.

[rc30boy]

The stock $14k BMW GS has a totally sucky stock seat.  Luckily it's possible to stand on the bike and relieve suffering.  I did replace with a Sargent for a long trip I took and that was good, I have heard but not experienced (having not owned one) that the Mayer and that other guy, out of Redding Ca., are superior to all.

[Paulie]

Since I never throw anything away, i've just added crap onto my seat.

$$$ Hartco sheepskin cover...helped some
$ trimmed beaded auto cover on top...helped more
$$ Spencer's seat mod...meh

Russell is known as the gold standard. One of these days...

[Jake Harsha]

I hated the seat on my Speed Triple 1050 when I first bought it (coming off a Gen 5 VFR), but after riding it for a season and a half, I hate it less.  My butt adjusted to it some, I guess.


I've heard the Airhawks are really good...
Jake

[FJRmgm]

one thing I've learned about seats over the years - one man's comfortable saddle is another man's torture rack!!

Most Jap bikes have saddles designed for the smaller butt of non-Americans.

[ZREXER1]

Overall motorcycle technology is way better than the 80's except for seat technology. I had a '80 GS 1000G at that time and it was truly a comfortable stock seat.

No bike I have had since has been close. Both my Bandit and SV seats are mediocre at best in the seat department.

[black hills]

Maybe you could trade it for a nice KTM seat, they are oh so comfy

[Gar]

Less than $100 will get a nice new AirHawk. Then every motorcycle you ride afterward has a nice comfy seat. There, done.

[Connierider]

I have 10k on my EX and altho the seat isn't a Corbin I've had far worse,I won't spend the money to change it. I've done some 400 mile rides and not too bad.jmho guess it depends on your perspective. Folks hate the Concours (I) seat I though they were great. But I only put 40k on it so may have needed more time.lol My wifes ZX6J(2006) is the worse I have ridden on. The Meanstreak with a Mustang seat was the best I had.

[w777h]

I fixed my seat for $15 at Wal-Mart.  I bought an $11 beaded seat cover and $4 worth of fishing line then  trimmed it up and relaced part of it to fit the shape of the seat.  I'm 260lbs and can sit on it for hours now.

I'll get some pics posted soon.

[Flightar]

++1 on spencers. I have a friend that had spencers re-do her Moto Guzzi Breva 750's seat...end result is that it's MUCH better than the already decent stock seat the bike came with. If I didn't have a Sargent already on my VFR I'd definately have a spencer's seat on it. Turn around for the Breva seat was very fast...mailed it on Friday and got it back on Tuesday at a total cost of about $110.00 including two way shipping. The work was lowering the seat an inch, re-shaping the seat and adding the long distance package.

[kevin_stevens]

The only thing that really bothers me about a seat is having an angle that slides you forward into the tank - over and over and over and over and over and over and...  that's about how long it takes before I park the damned thing and walk away.

Worst one I've ridden recently in that regard was a Kawasaki Z750S.  Had to ride it 100 miles and I almost died.  Apart from that none of the stock seats really bother me.

KeS

[mikeyman]

 

Best $100 I spent on the bike. He is super quick on turn-around too.

Spencer at greatdaytoride.com is supposed to do a good job, for around a $100. I am thinking about it for mine.

[Schneegz]

Maybe if you wear a turban and drive a cab.

In the words of Achmed the Dead Terrorist, "Rrrracist bastard!"  

[BradleyRas]

kawasaki engineers must have used the same logic on the 600 as they did on the ZZR12 in regard to the stock seat  

[M]

I did my first SS1000 on my 650R with an OEM seat and survived. I now have a Corbin and do prefer it for 1,000+ days.

[Grainbelt]

going to roll over 30,000km on this trip, the first 10 on the stock seat and the last 20 on the kwak +1 seat.

The bigger complaint of mine is the tiny tank.

It's a budget bike. Even spendy bikes have marginal seats. Rant gets -3 points.  

[Phenix_Rider]

What do you think of that taller seat?  Where does the extra height come in- any chance it's in the front where it would keep you from sliding forward?

[M]

Back in '07, I did an IBA SS1000 on the 650R OEM seat. It was tolerable, though not comfortable. Not long afterwards, I bought a Corbin 2-piece seat for my 650R. It is a vast improvement over the OEM for high mileage days.

'07 SS1000 ride report: http://forums.ninja250.org/viewtopic.php?t=60618

[Gypsyangel]

My 08' 650 R seat wasn't that bad. Uncomfortable after about 100 miles ,but much better than my Honda F4i. I had Spencer redo the seat with the long distance foam for around $75 and added a sheepskin seat cover. Now it's good for a little over 300 miles.

[Powder Addict]

I've done back to back 10+ hour days on my 06 650r, a few Ibuprofen throught the day cured any seat ills I had  

Much cheaper than a new seat!  

[KodiakRS]

Padded bicycle shorts + ibprofen = home made touring seat for a fraction the price.  Now if only I could figure out a way to keep the engine vibe from making my hands go numb...

[chornbe]

How long have you had the bike?

I always have to laugh at people who get a new bike and then within the first week of ownership they are claiming the seat is the work of the devil. The body needs time to adjust to new things especially a seat.  

I agree, however some seats really are as bad as they seem.

[Flightar]

My son has a Ninja 650R and we just finsihed a 2500 mile ride in around four days...he thinks the seat is fine and he had no discomfort...

I'd encourage you to send it to spencers seats (www.greatdaytoride.com) he really does a great job, and his prices are very reasonable. I have experience with his work from two different bikes now, never been disapointed.