Help with seating.

[R18CentennialRider]

Hello all R18 friends.

I really need advice on how to make my ride more comfortable. I have done some research on this forum and with other reviews but I can’t seem to get a comfortable seat or position. I love riding and going longer distances like one hour or more and then back. After about 1 hour it starts to get uncomfortable and riding 150 miles in a day is more difficult. Worried about riding down to the BMW rally in June which is about 600 miles one way!

I am a bigger guy. 6’3 240. I have used the stock 719 seat then put a pad on That. Then tried the fastback seat but that was too low. So now I have the fast back seat with an air hog cover on it which helps a little but still doesn’t work well after a while. I was going to buy a day rider or wunderlich seat but those are very spendy and not sure if that will work either! I don’t want to sit up too high because I am already tall. I am starting a small collection of seats and covers!

I am going to get the BMW risers installed so I don’t have to slouch down so much. Thinking about tearing apart my 719 seat and putting gel into it. Main issue is sacrum and lower back soreness giving me fatigue in general.

Or maybe that is normal and I need to get used to it and take more breaks. I am an older guy and not as in shape as I was 30 years ago but I want to ride for another decade or so.

Any thoughts from the group and ideas would be awesome and appreciated. It’s my goal to ride 5k miles this riding season.

Thanks much!

 

[2021FE]

I too am 6’3” tall with a 33” inseam and weight about 180lbs. I put a Mustang dayrider with backrest on my R18 and it was a huge improvement. I highly recommend that seat.

 

[Hammo]

Hey i feel for you my friend , i had the same problem , trying to get your machine sorted to your own personal comfort is not easy . I,m getting on a bit now so i went for comfort , i purchased a Corbin Gunfighter seat with backrest, and one inch risers this helped a lot but saying that i,m a lot lighter than yourself , even so after 90 minutes i need a stop and some coffee and a leg stretch , i would definately agree about more stops , it makes the ride a lot more enjoyable . Good Luck .

 

[DonC]

I’m 73 and I’ve been riding for 61 years. Here are my observations about seat comfort. Every seat takes a certain number of hours to break in and they’re more comfortable after a proper breaking in. The Homage single on my R18 probably took the longest to break in until it was comfortable. Some seats never get comfortable. The most comfortable seat I’ve ever had was on a Honda cruiser with a gel seat (stock). Checking and adjusting your body posture (stop slouching) frequently while riding aids me greatly in long distance ride comfort, especially for my lower back and hips. I used to hate stopping every 100 - 150 miles or so for gas but now I use that time to hydrate, stretch a little, ease the butt burn; taking a few minutes off the bike at each stop adds a little time to the ride but makes it much more tolerable. A few years ago I did several back - to -back 700 mile days that way. Every seat is a little different, Corbin’s are a little stiffer than Mustangs, a $1200 custom made seat wasn’t as comfortable as my stock Honda, etc. It’s kind of hit or miss for what’s gonna feel good and what isn’t. I’d suggest trying the gel layer added to the foam on a seat you like.
Not sure this helps but it’s my 2 cent’s worth.

 

[RWF]

Since you’re talking about you back and posture, I would recommend a riders back rest. Makes all the difference in the world to me.

 

[TheOldProfessor]

I put a Mustang Cross Country seat on my R18B. To do that, you have to move the underseat wiring around a bit, no big deal. The Mustang is more comfy than the stock seat by far. Still not nearly as comfy as the daylong seat on my Harley, but it is at least rideable.

Why can't motorcycle companies figure out how to build a comfortable seat?

 

[Allemande]

I had the same struggles with the stock seat on my R18 classic. I bought a Mustang day rider but still did not like the pressure on my butt and tail bone. The problem is the curvature of the seat, either stock or Mustang. So I took the stock seat to a local upholstery place (they do boats, bikes, cars upholstery) and worked with them on getting a more straight seat shape with different firm layers of foam. Once that was done I added an Airhawk cushion and a seat cover to it and am now pretty comfortable.

 

[emgarciax]

Check my post regarding Wunderlich Aktivkomfort vs stock Classic seats
https://www.r18forums.com/threads/wunderlich-aktivkomfort-vs-stock-classic-seats.3731/

 

[harrisrc740]

I had the same struggles with the stock seat on my R18 classic. I bought a Mustang day rider but still did not like the pressure on my butt and tail bone. The problem is the curvature of the seat, either stock or Mustang. So I took the stock seat to a local upholstery place (they do boats, bikes, cars upholstery) and worked with them on getting a more straight seat shape with different firm layers of foam. Once that was done I added an Airhawk cushion and a seat cover to it and am now pretty comfortable.

Same route I went, first Mustang day rider then had local upholster re-work my stock seat. Now very happy with my solution

 

[emgarciax]

That combo looks very nice.

 

[R18CentennialRider]

Well I bought the

Wunderlich AKTIVKOMFORT Seat!​

For the rider alone. It is a significant improvement. I also bought their handlebar risers and had them installed. Still not perfect but I am dealing with an older body and being a little taller and heavier may hinder perfect balance. But I will just take breaks every 100 miles or so down to Tennessee! A flat seat may be ideal so I can shift around more but then we are talking more mods or even a new bike. I’ve put so many thousands into his bike and I’m keeping it. Changed out my spoked rims to the Roland sands and they look superb.

Thanks for all the suggestions. You guys are great.

Has anybody ever taken the stock seat and opened it up and modified it with gel and made it better. I may do some experimenting. I have upholstery experience on cars so it should be too hard. The 100 year seat is very cool looking but very hard.