> Henry, I think you posted something before about the GTS seat simply not
> being suited to "bony" buttocks, and this is very much my
> experience. Questions of shape aside, I think it's just too
> soft. Always
I've had my saddle "worked on" by a local upholstery guy who knows
motorcycle seats and is probably the best in the business locally.
Currently my saddle is just the opposite=Too hard. It has been built up so
that it is basically a flat saddle. What John (the upholsterer) did last
week was to lay on another layer of 1" (2.5cm) of latex foam, because I was
sliding forward into the tank. He then shapes it so that it looks and fits
well--the first time he worked on it, I told him I liked the shape, and he's
pretty much maintained that (of the stock saddle). At some point this week,
I'm hoping he'll be able to soften it. He does that by cutting channels
into the foam so that it appears to have a checkerboard pattern. The other
thing he does is cut a rather deep channel that runs parallel to the
saddle's direction, and is under the butt--this allows side to side movement
of the foam further promoting comfort. John also cut a small concave dimple
in it for me under my left hand pressure point, which has relieved that
problem.
> Anyone tried to replace the standard seat foam covering? I've thought of
> doing it also because the outer (vinyl) on my bike is starting to come to
Again, a good upholsterer should be able to remake your saddle cover. John
did mine and I got to choose the color--I opted for a dark gray color that
closely matched the plastic which contains the glove box, though I did
consider a light gray that matched the frame rails.
> pieces, no doubt as the result of exposure to lots of British weather.
>
> I think knees and back problems are going to require a more
> reclined riding
> position - which means moving the pegs forward and the handlebars
> rearward,
> which probably means getting a different bike :-(
I can stand some pain, and the fact is, unless I'm riding a big tall bike
(like a Wing or the Beemer 1200 LT), I'm likely to get sore in the knees at
minimum. Part of my costs to ride! :)
Regards,
Henry S. Winokur
94 GTS1000, AMA, MRF, MD/MSF Certified Instructor
West Bethesda, MD
