Pain in the a$$

E-man · 10-06-2009, 09:39 PM

How far do you typically ride in between breaks? I've notice an ass and hand numbing experience and wondered if this was true on all bikes or specific to the vibration of the GZ. Any ideas on better seat shock absorbtion?
Maybe I shouldn't try 3 hour rides on a 250cc?!?

music man · 10-06-2009, 09:47 PM

This is an age old problem on small bikes, let us know when you find a solution that will let you ride 3 hours on the gz without that happening, you will be everyone on here's new best friend.

dannylightning · 10-07-2009, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E-man

How far do you typically ride in between breaks? I've notice an ass and hand numbing experience and wondered if this was true on all bikes or specific to the vibration of the GZ. Any ideas on better seat shock absorbtion?
Maybe I shouldn't try 3 hour rides on a 250cc?!?

lol, never had a ass numbing problem yet, but i think the hand numbing problem will be on any bike, plenty of times i see a guy getting off the freeway and setting at the stop light at the end of the exit ramp. shaking his hands around, i do the same thing after about a hour of riding, some kind of cruz controol system would come in handy so you can take your right hand off and rest it some times. no problem giving my left hand a rest but the right one always needs to be on the throttle.

i went on a 3 hour ride once, it wore me out actually, than again it was after a heavy night of drinking and probably not enough sleep, got up in the morning and about a hour later we all went out riding. it was a good time tho.

a lot of guys modify their seat i mean you could mount a couch cushion on there if you really wanted lol.. or you could get some kind of jell pad seat cover. not sure if you can get any aftermarket seats for the gz or not. but you can definitely add or remove padding from the seat to make it fit you better, you could even remove some padding and add new softer padding in there if you wanted. just depends on how much trouble you want to go threw and what you are comfortable doing.

Water Warrior 2 · 10-07-2009, 06:35 AM

3 hours is a long time on a bike.Try for a time period of 1 or 1.5 hours and then get off the road for a stretch and a walk around. Sure a lot of long distance riders go for many hours but they have a lot more bike and and equipment for a comfort zone. You have to work up to a longer time in the saddle. Max for me is about 2 hours, then I need a coffee, smoke and a pit stop before I spring a leak. Lynda on the other hand rode her GZ half way across Canada and back without so much as a finger cramp. The seat was perfect for her from day one and she also had a backrest to lean on.
Riding a bike can be very tiring what with the noise level and vibration. Wind will cause a few pucker moments and you start to hurt after a while.

bonehead · 10-07-2009, 06:56 AM

About an hour and a half is all I ride then stop for a rest-bike and myself. If you are miserable, it takes all the fun out of riding.

Danny, look for a "twist assist" cruise control. They mount on the throttle and can be locked down to hold it in position. I have seen various models between 18-32 dollars.

dhgeyer · 10-07-2009, 08:27 AM

I have routinely riden for 7 or 8 hour days. I break for a few minutes every hour or so, no matter what bike I'm on. If I don't, everything suffers: various body parts (depending on the bike and riding position), enjoyment, and concentration. Loss of concentration is downright dangerous.

Some bikes cause numbness in the hands, some don't, and some people seem to be more prone to this than others as well. A bike that is "buzzy" can cause loss of feeling in the hands. Another factor is riding position. The more weight you have on your hands, the more likely hand numbness will be. On some bikes I need to get each hand off the handgrip and move my fingers every few minutes. You can do this while riding. The left is no problem, of course. The right means taking your hand off the throttle, so you have to pick a spot/traffic condition where you can coast and squeeze the clutch. A few seconds will do wonders if you do it every little while.

The seat on the GZ is rather small, hard, and transmits a lot of vibration. Bad combination for endurance riding. In the case of the seat/butt, there is also an issue of lack of circulation, and this can be an issue with just about any motorcycle seat. It just takes longer with some than with others. Of course, your anatomy is a variable as well. The solution is the same as with the hands: give it a break at regular intervals, and frequently enough so as not to let a serious discomfort develop. Actually stopping and taking a short break at least every hour is a good idea. You can also do a lot of good while riding by standing on the pegs briefly (on the GZ, or any bike with forward pegs, you have to pull yourself up with the handlebars to do this). You don't have to stand up all the way. You just have to get the weight off your butt. On the GZ, it's easier to do this if put your feet on the passenger pegs. I actually ride about half the time with my feet on the rear pegs. I don't do this in traffic, of course. You can also help by moving around on the seat, rocking and just wiggling to get some circulation going in the parts that are compressed.

There are products available to help with these problems. Gel gloves, and various slip on handgrip padding tubes help some people. You can also get sheepskin, beaded, and gel saddle pads. Some people have good luck with these items. Some people on this forum have also rebuilt their seats with more padding, and I'm sure that has to help.

I think you can do some pretty long rides on the GZ, but you can't do it all at once, and you have to "ride smart".

Water Warrior 2 · 10-07-2009, 04:32 PM

dhgeyer, some very good helpful points. My Vstrom was killing me for the first 3000 kms. No more than 15 minutes and I was in severe agony. I did not fit the bike so I made the bike fit my body. Gel seat to replace the OEM seat, up and back risers for the bars and Grip Puppies over the standard grips. Throttle Rockers on both grips too. All hand and foot controls must be adjusted to your body not the other way around. Heated grips make a big difference to old bones too. I can actually stand up straight on my bike to get relief when needed too. Butt burn when the temps go up ?? Lots of talcum powder in the undies. And for the guys particularly, wear very supportive shorts so "Things" don't get dragged down by gravity. For the Gals, a sport bra will offer more support on rougher roads. My #2 wife was dirt rider and said the difference was remarkable.
Comfort and endurance varies with each and every rider. A past dirt bike riding buddy was 10 years younger than I was but was beat half way through the day. I wasn't in better shape than he was but I made the bike fit me and I rarely got tired or felt beat up at the end of the day.

dannylightning · 10-07-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Lots of talcum powder in the undies. And for the guys particularly, wear very supportive shorts so "Things" don't get dragged down by gravity.

do you really use talcum powder, not sure what talcum powder is made out of but i don't think i would shove any of that down my shorts. i think i would go more with baby powder or something along the lines of that.

as far as the supportive shorts go i'm not quite following this one i can see one reason they might help and that is so you don't set on and smash your "Things" :crackup

music man · 10-07-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannylightning

Quote:

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Lots of talcum powder in the undies. And for the guys particularly, wear very supportive shorts so "Things" don't get dragged down by gravity.

do you really use talcum powder, not sure what talcum powder is made out of but i don't think i would shove any of that down my shorts. i think i would go more with baby powder or something along the lines of that.

as far as the supportive shorts go i'm not quite following this one i can see one reason they might help and that is so you don't set on and smash your "Things" :crackup

:facepalm:

burkbuilds · 10-07-2009, 07:21 PM

Hey Danny, Baby Powder IS Talcum powder.

10-06-2009, 09:39 PM	#1
E-man Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Raleigh,NC Posts: 7	Pain in the a$$ How far do you typically ride in between breaks? I've notice an ass and hand numbing experience and wondered if this was true on all bikes or specific to the vibration of the GZ. Any ideas on better seat shock absorbtion? Maybe I shouldn't try 3 hour rides on a 250cc?!? Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

10-07-2009, 06:35 AM	#4
Water Warrior 2 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Squamish B.C Canada Posts: 11,409	Re: Pain in the a$$ 3 hours is a long time on a bike.Try for a time period of 1 or 1.5 hours and then get off the road for a stretch and a walk around. Sure a lot of long distance riders go for many hours but they have a lot more bike and and equipment for a comfort zone. You have to work up to a longer time in the saddle. Max for me is about 2 hours, then I need a coffee, smoke and a pit stop before I spring a leak. Lynda on the other hand rode her GZ half way across Canada and back without so much as a finger cramp. The seat was perfect for her from day one and she also had a backrest to lean on. Riding a bike can be very tiring what with the noise level and vibration. Wind will cause a few pucker moments and you start to hurt after a while.
	0

10-07-2009, 06:56 AM	#5
bonehead Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: elgin,tx Posts: 907	Re: Pain in the a$$ About an hour and a half is all I ride then stop for a rest-bike and myself. If you are miserable, it takes all the fun out of riding. Danny, look for a "twist assist" cruise control. They mount on the throttle and can be locked down to hold it in position. I have seen various models between 18-32 dollars. __________________ Standing with the PGR until they stand for me. Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

10-07-2009, 08:27 AM	#6
dhgeyer Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Merrimack NH USA Posts: 722	Re: Pain in the a$$ I have routinely riden for 7 or 8 hour days. I break for a few minutes every hour or so, no matter what bike I'm on. If I don't, everything suffers: various body parts (depending on the bike and riding position), enjoyment, and concentration. Loss of concentration is downright dangerous. Some bikes cause numbness in the hands, some don't, and some people seem to be more prone to this than others as well. A bike that is "buzzy" can cause loss of feeling in the hands. Another factor is riding position. The more weight you have on your hands, the more likely hand numbness will be. On some bikes I need to get each hand off the handgrip and move my fingers every few minutes. You can do this while riding. The left is no problem, of course. The right means taking your hand off the throttle, so you have to pick a spot/traffic condition where you can coast and squeeze the clutch. A few seconds will do wonders if you do it every little while. The seat on the GZ is rather small, hard, and transmits a lot of vibration. Bad combination for endurance riding. In the case of the seat/butt, there is also an issue of lack of circulation, and this can be an issue with just about any motorcycle seat. It just takes longer with some than with others. Of course, your anatomy is a variable as well. The solution is the same as with the hands: give it a break at regular intervals, and frequently enough so as not to let a serious discomfort develop. Actually stopping and taking a short break at least every hour is a good idea. You can also do a lot of good while riding by standing on the pegs briefly (on the GZ, or any bike with forward pegs, you have to pull yourself up with the handlebars to do this). You don't have to stand up all the way. You just have to get the weight off your butt. On the GZ, it's easier to do this if put your feet on the passenger pegs. I actually ride about half the time with my feet on the rear pegs. I don't do this in traffic, of course. You can also help by moving around on the seat, rocking and just wiggling to get some circulation going in the parts that are compressed. There are products available to help with these problems. Gel gloves, and various slip on handgrip padding tubes help some people. You can also get sheepskin, beaded, and gel saddle pads. Some people have good luck with these items. Some people on this forum have also rebuilt their seats with more padding, and I'm sure that has to help. I think you can do some pretty long rides on the GZ, but you can't do it all at once, and you have to "ride smart". __________________ 54 HD Hummer,64 Honda150,66 Ducati250,01 Vulcan500,02 Vulcan1500,83 Nighthawk650,91 K75,95 VLX,04 VLX,01 GS500E,01 Ninja250, 02 Rebel,04 Ninja500,06 Concours,96 R850R
	0

10-07-2009, 04:32 PM	#7
Water Warrior 2 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Squamish B.C Canada Posts: 11,409	Re: Pain in the a$$ dhgeyer, some very good helpful points. My Vstrom was killing me for the first 3000 kms. No more than 15 minutes and I was in severe agony. I did not fit the bike so I made the bike fit my body. Gel seat to replace the OEM seat, up and back risers for the bars and Grip Puppies over the standard grips. Throttle Rockers on both grips too. All hand and foot controls must be adjusted to your body not the other way around. Heated grips make a big difference to old bones too. I can actually stand up straight on my bike to get relief when needed too. Butt burn when the temps go up ?? Lots of talcum powder in the undies. And for the guys particularly, wear very supportive shorts so "Things" don't get dragged down by gravity. For the Gals, a sport bra will offer more support on rougher roads. My #2 wife was dirt rider and said the difference was remarkable. Comfort and endurance varies with each and every rider. A past dirt bike riding buddy was 10 years younger than I was but was beat half way through the day. I wasn't in better shape than he was but I made the bike fit me and I rarely got tired or felt beat up at the end of the day.
	0

10-06-2009, 09:47 PM	#2
music man Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Hot Springs Arkansas Posts: 1,127	Re: Pain in the a$$ This is an age old problem on small bikes, let us know when you find a solution that will let you ride 3 hours on the gz without that happening, you will be everyone on here's new best friend. __________________ "Tell me what kind of wreck you're going to have and I'll tell you what type of helmet you need." [Author Unknown]
	0

10-07-2009, 07:21 PM	#10
burkbuilds Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shannon, Georgia Posts: 1,268	Re: Pain in the a$$ Hey Danny, Baby Powder IS Talcum powder.
	0