Distance riding comfort tips

drp · Sep 19, 2011

I just returned from a 350 round trip ride on my "73" commando 850 and I'm a little sore. At 60 maybe I'm expecting too much but a bit more comfortable ride would be nice. It was a great ride through the Amish roads in Northwest Ohio and I will do it again but there must be some simple improvements that can be done. The stock seat was brutal (even with a gel pad) and at 5'8" the drivers pegs seemed too high and too far forward. I've only had the bike about nine months with four months of good riding weather and I have probably put 1500 + miles on it going to and from work. I'm considering riding to the Vermont rally next year (800 miles) and I am wondering how the long distance Norton riders do it (besides possibly good drugs).

Dave

steveyacht · Sep 19, 2011

Several things work(ed) for me. FIrst, find some sort of throttle stop, throttle lock, that wil help take the tension off your right hand and wrist. Second, a small windscreen will help a great deal in taking wind pressure off your chest, allowing your muscles to relax instead of being tensed against the wind. Third, I use a piece of sheepskin on the seat to allow air circulation on my butt. Fourth, I am all the time switching between the front pegs and rear pegs to allow my legs to have different position available. Fifth, Use ear plugs. Amaxing how much more relaxed and less tired you are after a long day of riding when there is no buzzing in your ears when you take helmet off. Sixth, Take advantage of every stop to "Shake it out" get the blood flowing. Seventh , dont allow yourself to get dehydrated, this will lead to muscle cramps. Eighth, Excersize...... Streatching excersizes as well as those spring things for building up your forearms and grip.

Never did ask if you have Roadster or Interstate.......

Pretty simple things and have worked for me since I started riding in 1971......

TimG · Sep 19, 2011

steveyacht said:
Never did ask if you have Roadster or Interstate.......

Good point there, if you have an Interstate, the large tank forces you to sit too far back for the foot pegs & bars. I've run a Roadster for years & done some seriously long trips on it & always been comfortable but I've just completed the rebuild of an Interstate & been putting some miles on it thinking it would be better for long distances with the larger fuel capacity, but find it very uncomfrtable & tiring after about 60 -70 miles, I feel I need to have my gentalmens bits cramed into the tank to get anywhere near the right seating position. Guess rear sets may help but don't realy want to go that way, any suggestions welcomed.
Regards, Tim

daveh · Sep 19, 2011

TimG said:
steveyacht said:

Never did ask if you have Roadster or Interstate.......

Click to expand...

Good point there, if you have an Interstate, the large tank forces you to sit too far back for the foot pegs & bars. I've run a Roadster for years & done some seriously long trips on it & always been comfortable but I've just completed the rebuild of an Interstate & been putting some miles on it thinking it would be better for long distances with the larger fuel capacity, but find it very uncomfrtable & tiring after about 60 -70 miles, I feel I need to have my gentalmens bits cramed into the tank to get anywhere near the right seating position. Guess rear sets may help but don't realy want to go that way, any suggestions welcomed.
Regards, Tim

Tim, why don't you want to fit rear sets? I found my Interstate very uncomfortable on the standard pegs. It stretches you out like a bow. Once the rear sets were fitted, long trips were a doddle on the Commando. I also put more and firmer foam in the seat under where the rider sits, because the stock seat is too soft and ends up pushing your butt rearwards rather than pitching you forwards as it should, and your knees are bent too much. Notice also how the stock seat is concave where the rider sits — not good. A taller seat with firmer padding, and rear sets, will give you a riding position that doesn't torture your body. The rear sets also allow better control of the bike at any speed. I had the standard Interstate bars, but you could fit bars that reach rearwards a little more so that you don't have to stretch over the tank so much. Look at modern motorcycle ergonomics. Sit on a late 90s Honda VFR 750 and notice the relationship between the pegs, bars and seat. It is one of the most comfortable modern sports tourers you can find.

Hobot · Sep 19, 2011

Tim, why don't you want to fit rear sets? I found my Interstate very uncomfortable on the standard pegs. It stretches you out like a bow. Once the rear sets were fitted, long trips were a doddle on the Commando.

I'm 6'2" again and agree completely with Dave and the seat feed back. I melted into Ms Peel with rear set and T140 tall bars pulled back so right where my relaxed wrist angle fell. To further the melt no effort trace like ease I also put on a large IS tank bag I could lay chest and helmet chin on so total ease to hold head up, see the road and steer by pure thought. After hours even rear set hold knee bent to long so I put a brace across the forks I could ride feet forward and goof the big twin guys passing by. I had a fork brace that made it straight forward, forks w/o that will take some thinking hassle to do.

Crash bars on C'do are too close up and leave knees/hips bend about as much any way. A big wind screen take shoot air over helmet so you can see above its top also gives more reserves to go and go and go. Having something to lean back on like a bed roll against you sissy bar, you do have a sissy bar for long huals don't ya, if not then sorry is still a mystery why ya see so so many of those on long haul cruisers. The seat should have a back that catches the scarum/small of back to kinds of push up on it, instead of allow to sag back and down.
The throttle wrist rests on both bars helps too.

What people mostly feel is the long sag and stretch of the spinal cord and its blood supply aggravated by what ever prior injury decay time adds too. Also when you are not moving about blood slows down to everything and if not enough mineral/electrolytes in reserve then after a time muscles tighten and choke up more which just chokes on cord more, which tightens ya up more and can also magnify the tingle/numbness/burning from pegs seat and bar vibration.
I've found a good dose of sugar or artificial sweeteners a day prior or during a ride lowers my threshold and tolerance to just being a grin in the wind.
Some people have enough spinal degeneration they will not be able to stay comfortable even with best posture for very long. Its reversible to good human reserves by neck re-modeling and minerals enough to rebuild tissues.

powerdoc · Sep 19, 2011

This has a few interesting points:

http://hallicino.hubpages.com/hub/Motor ... t_Kink_Out

If you want to read more as to what you can do, Google "Motorcycle ergonomics". If you look at a Honda Gold Wing, that's pretty much how you should sit.

travelerjerry · Sep 19, 2011

I have this highway bar for change of leg positions. U-bolted to frame with a hard plastic sleeve over tubes. Helps out on the long rides to be able stretch the legs. Also have cruise control.

Torontonian · Sep 19, 2011

Scoliosis (thanks Hobot for advice) makes long rides painfull and I do cheat and carry a few T-3's if need be. An upright riding position is desired. Frequent rests and stretching ( or walking along potential new trout streams). But the best is a seat that works well with your particular deriere . Soft is bad , hard is good ( I know at age 53).Yes sheepskin is good to cover the firm seat. Forward stance good , not towards middle or back. Contoured to get the weight off the soft tush and distributed to inner thighs. Earplugs yes to reduce stress and arrive relaxed. Rest often and catnap to maintain allertness. Do not drive in the rain. Peter.

comnoz · Sep 19, 2011

I find myself alternating between the front and rear footpegs when I am on long highway stretches with my interstate. Jim

Hobot · Sep 19, 2011

Fit some pegs forward of the fairing for real leg stretching.

TC does

comnoz · Sep 19, 2011

hobot said:
Fit some pegs forward of the fairing for real leg stretching.

Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer my feet under me. Jim

GRM 450 · Sep 20, 2011

I found a good seat fellow.
And the seat top bag was very supportive.
A throttle miester cruise control was worth way more than the $200 it cost.
And using the rear pegs now and then.

Most comfortable tourer I've ever ridden long distance, and the most enjoyable.

graeme

Hobot · Sep 20, 2011

Riders vary so much in genetics to trauma history everyone will like a bit different arrangement than any one else. I'm skinny so the harder seats like the factory brick or the Corbons burns my butt while the big double saddle or Old Brit's over stuffed cafe type carry me over shocks and long stretches w/o feeling I have a butt. Only got to do one long trip where i could run the gas out of a IS tank w/o getting off. My buddy with the small tank would have to stop to gas while I did figure 8's waiting on him then we light out again and repeat this about 100 miles 3x's before Peel needed a fill and me an empty. There is some plain practice and conditioning to throw into the equation too. I'm trying to refrain from altering Trixie factory Combat and found last few trips I'm fine most a day on her in active handling of Ozarks Mt. but would put on taller bars and upgrade seat if I planned to just sit sit sit to ride ride ride on and on and on.

Interesting TC has the only stereo I've seen on a C'do so far, I've got space power and plans to do that too in Peel fairing set up.

Torontonian · Sep 20, 2011

earplugs or IPod ,no to stereo.

comnoz · Sep 20, 2011

I use an XM receiver for the long trips. Be doing four 500 mile days next week. LOP time.

Jim

rpatton · Sep 20, 2011

It's probably a good idea to choose between stock pegs or rearsets, then make sure everything else works with it. Stock pegs means an upright riding position that needs stock USA bars or ones with even more pullback and a windscreen. Rearsets need lower, narrow bars. The stock seats aren't any good for either. Because it's tilted backward where you sit, at anything over 60mph the wind tries to blow you off the back of the bike so you end up using a death-grip on the bars that wears out your arms and may even screw up your handling. I'm using a stock Interstate piano bench seat with a push bike panier strapped on the back. I put a roll of paper towels in the bottom so that there's a soft vertical step that works out pretty well. Whether you go upright or rearset, if at 65mph you can release you grip on the bars and not fall forward or get blown backwards you've probably got it right.
+1 on earplugs.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4195 ... Extra_Mile
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4337 ... t_the_Wind
http://www.ironbutt.com/

cmessenk · Sep 20, 2011

drp said:
...wondering how the long distance Norton riders do it (besides possibly good drugs.

My prescription for painless long-distance riding is:

1. Rearsets

2. A throttle-mounted cruise assist...here's what I have: http://www.amazon.com/CrampBuster-Throt ... B000NUVPQA

3. And most importantly, two Advils in the morning with breakfast :lol:

Hobot · Sep 20, 2011

Hehe, its both and good a bad idea to use NSAIDS as a vitamin or preventive, but shoot anyone riding on two wheels is always risking life and limb for the thrill so that trumps any other reasonable logical cautions that might limit right now enjoyment. I pile in the mulit minerals and save the NSAIDs for the party hang overs after the long ride done did.

I've done a lot of tractor mowing and plowing in days before handy stereo head sets so play my own tunes even make some up on the droning cruising, but sure would like stereo some how some way some day.

Here's my Interstate set up I didn't want to get off of after a time to learn how to just melt as one into bike itself. I'm working up for more of that into Iron Butt range, someday. Have to look close for the fork foot pegs/crash bars which saved my trip when July heat finally locked up new master cylinder, till plunger scrubbed down on sidewalk but mirror, signal, grip, bars and controls were not touched by the instant drop on take off. 1/2 gallon of 'shine and full tool kit and various spared packed along with most of two guys camp comfort.

Future front view wind grit rain hail blocker

daveh · Sep 20, 2011

hobot said:
Hehe, its both and good a bad idea to use NSAIDS as a vitamin or preventive, but shoot anyone riding on two wheels is always risking life and limb for the thrill so that trumps any other reasonable logical cautions that might limit right now enjoyment. I pile in the mulit minerals and save the NSAIDs for the party hang overs after the long ride done did.

I've done a lot of tractor mowing and plowing in days before handy stereo head sets so play my own tunes even make some up on the droning cruising, but sure would like stereo some how some way some day.

Here's my Interstate set up I didn't want to get off of after a time to learn how to just melt as one into bike itself. I'm working up for more of that into Iron Butt range, someday. Have to look close for the fork foot pegs/crash bars which saved my trip when July heat finally locked up new master cylinder, till plunger scrubbed down on sidewalk but mirror, signal, grip, bars and controls were not touched by the instant drop on take off. 1/2 gallon of 'shine and full tool kit and various spared packed along with most of two guys camp comfort.

Now Steve, that's a lot of luggage. Almost makes me want to take off on a trip myself.

Hobot · Sep 20, 2011

Food and maps and most needed tools in the tank bag. Tools parts and cook ware and 'shine in the hard bags. Two inflatable bed rolls, for Wes and me, my sleep bag, red is 4 seat 4'x4' fold out table, green is a tent, blue is 10'x10' square awning and poles, black bag on back is my Norton logo'd zip case. Ran out of moon shine leaving half a dozen Nortoneers and me flowing on air one hard working evening, then the rest of it disappeared down a old guy grounds keeper that suddenly began singing songs while looking upward sort of dancing a silly jig on his way back to the office. 20 min later Wes and I got going to see him still dancing a little jig singing out loud floating within yards of letting the office realize he was -off- the rest of the day : ) In place of the 'shine I carried spare rear drum from DynoDave back home and its doing its thing on Trixie with broken axle now.

In this posture i was supported all over w/o effort for longest intervals but could also lean back on luggage with feet forward like a recliner that places hips near ideal 135' flex.

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1172092 ... 1179EXuvGh

Distance riding comfort tips

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