Sore Butt

[BCRider]

Just finished our first road trip on the RT. I did about 1600 miles with my wife on the back. I purchase Air Hawk seat pads for both of us knowing the stock seat sucks for long rides. I had no problem and could have gone for hours at a time but for the wife it was a different story. We had to stop every 1/2 hr and after 5 hrs she was done. What should I do now? After market seats or am I on my own?

Please help I refuse to ride a GW.

[Aluminum_Butt]

Can you give any more information as to what she was experiencing? There is the classic "monkey butt", where the circulation is cut off and it results in a burning sensation. If not that, then leg pain? back pain? cramped muscles? What were the symptoms?

[BCRider]

Lower back pain seemed to be the biggest complaint. She also had the sore butt but it was the back that bothered her the most. She claims my butt is to big so her legs are to far apart.

[Aluminum_Butt]

A couple of things come to mind:

 

1. Do you have a top case or back rest? Is she able to relax her back against something comfortable?

 

2. If you lowered the passenger footpegs a bit (kits are available), would that drop her legs enough to clear your hind end?

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

My wife complains about the stock rear seat too. It is tilted slightly forward and she complains that it causes her to slouch in the seat if she wants to use the backrest. A proper aftermarket seat built for her (and you) should remedy a good portion of the problem.

 

Russel Day Long saddles are a favorite of many. I've seen a lot of Bill Mayer Saddles and Corbin.

[BCRider]

We have a top case but she doesn't like to lean against it because it's not a comfortable position. Are there different types of padding you can attach to the top case?

How much lower do the peg kits go?

[Aluminum_Butt]

BWM makes a pad specifically for the top case, but it's only about 1/2" thick. I would think you could upholster some extra padding on it, though.

 

I think there is more than one manufacturer of peg-lowering kits, but here is a couple: Peg Lowering Kit and Peg Lowering Kit

[Aluminum_Butt]

BWM makes a pad specifically for the top case, but it's only about 1/2" thick. I would think you could upholster some extra padding on it, though.

 

Another thought occurred to me. I have a Givi top case. The pad for it is a couple of inches thick. I can't see any reason this couldn't be adapted to the BMW case. It does require drilling a couple of holes, then attaches to the top case with screws. Here's a link - look for the E79 midway down the page. Givi Accessories

[chrisz]

My wife had the same issue with the back rest. The original pad that came with the top box, was too short and made her feel like it would snap her in two. I've seen pictures from someone on this forum that fabricated a replacement back rest for his wife, and so I've done the same for my wife. Basically the new backrest is about 2.5 times taller then stock and the same width. Some wood, a rubber pad, vinyl cover, staples and glue and you're set. It took me 3 hours to fabricate the back rest plus an overnight cure for the glue.

 

Have fun.

[rocks]

Pictures??

[TracerBullet]

it sounds as if she is slouching rather than a slight lean forward. If so then all of the bounces of the bike are being absorbed directly into her lower back.

[Lineareagle]

One thing we all have to remember is that when on the back if she doesn't pay close attention to the roads ahead she will get surprised by road bumps, shifts etc. All these add to tension and back pain. Back pain is alot to do with tension. The softest seat won't help.

Once I explained that to my wife and had her look ahead rather than around she doubled her time in the saddle with no change in the saddle at all. She even starts lifting onto the pegs a little now when she sees the road ahead getting a little rough.

[WeirdHarold]

Change places occasionally, and let her drive.

 

She'll have more fun and You'll experience the problem first hand.

 

 

Don

[Hedge36]

One thing we all have to remember is that when on the back if she doesn't pay close attention to the roads ahead she will get surprised by road bumps, shifts etc. All these add to tension and back pain. Back pain is alot to do with tension. The softest seat won't help.

Once I explained that to my wife and had her look ahead rather than around she doubled her time in the saddle with no change in the saddle at all. She even starts lifting onto the pegs a little now when she sees the road ahead getting a little rough.

 

Reason #307 to invest in an intercom if she'll be riding along much.

[Rags]

Get an RS - her boat will rock...

 

[Jerry Johnston]

My wife uses a pillow that looks like a campers bedroll only smaller, stuffed with memory foam and places it just underneath the backrest that is on the trunk. She says it supports her back much better than the backrest which sits too high. Also she found a sheep skin cover makes a large difference. I get no complaints from her except when she wants to go motorcycling and I don't.

[Mike]

The key to the back pain issue may be a back pad, as mentioned above. However, the BMW pad's pretty thin. You could get it reupholstered with thicker padding, or buy a thicker pad from Cee Bailey's or Corbin. I had a Corbin pad, but ended up using spacers to push it forward.

 

I don't have any experience with the AirHawk products, but I think you'd find an aftermarket saddle from someplace like Russell, or one of the Mayer brothers to be a marked improvement. I had a Corbin on my RT and, while I liked it, my wife thought it was too hard.

 

If the width of your butt is a problem for her, she'll either have to find a skinnier man, or put you on a diet.

[ESchwab855]

Pictures??

Of the wife or the sore butt on the wife lol

the sore arse can be taken care of with under armor or like panties for both of you. I dont ride more than 1/2 a day without them.....oh and once she gets them on we need more pics to tell if the fit is right..lol

[TrojanMan]

If anyone is still listening, there is a relaxation technique that will address the knee spreading pain and can usually provide for some of the back pain. Please email me for details. ericlost@clearwire.net

Your woman will love you!

[memaus03]

Glad to hear that my wife and I are not the only ones in this situation. The first thing to go was the stock seat and we now have a Corbin. My wife complained a lot about sore back and butt with the standard BM backrest and pad. This we changed for a Givi which has the nice thick pad, No more back problems at all.

 

However, I have to admit that both the Mrs and I simply cannot sit in that seat for much more than an hour without a break, despite it being a Corbin. If we ride longer earlier on in the trip, it will merely catches up with us later. I have wondered how others cope. Some guys I ride with from work on GT's and FJR's can go for 2 hours on a stock seat with no complaints

 

Beats me.

[Boffin]

The key to comfort to me and my wife was in our clothing. Good quality walking/climbing seamless underwear to take the moisture away from the skin without cling. Cotton is the worst thing to wear as it clings and pulls the skin sideways inducing that burning sensation. Next is good topwear, my wife went from 1 hour to 4 hour comfort by switching to correctly fitting leather trousers. Avoid tight clothing and anything with seams where you sit.

 

We can now ride all day in comfort, taking short rest breaks every 1 to 2 hours.

 

Andy