Help me live with my first cruiser

[Gusable]

Sounds like you're slouching.  Try this before doing anything else.

Every 45 minutes of riding or whenever you come to stop.  Put both feet on the ground and stand up.  Stretch out your torso and take the weight off your butt.  If you can't put both feet on the ground.  Do at least one foot and take the weight off you butt.

I do this at every stop

[Kev m]

The seat is only the answer if the butt is the only problem.

If it's hips, knees, back, etc. the seat won't help unless the height changes enough to change the rest.

[canuck750]

Cruisers are a particular taste, you love them or you hate them. For the cruiser experience my 72 Eldorado is great, I don't push it hard and I don't expect it to handle all that well or be very quick but with the big solo seat its a nice ride up to 75 mph. You have to take a cruiser for what it is, if speed and handling is your thing then a cruiser is probably not the right bike for you.

Today I rode with two other guys for a day trip, we swapped bikes as we often do throughout the day. For absolute comfort the 2008 GL 1800 was a hands down winner, IMHO the best seat on any bike I have ridden, turbine smooth engine, and the controls and foot pegs where in just the right position for all day, day after day riding. The 2013 Road King made the best noise, up to 75 mph it was OK, shook way too much to my liking and the handling was really lacking, felt very much like riding my 72 Eldorado. My K1600 GTL was the fastest and the most nimble bike but we all agreed it urges you to keep riding quicker and quicker, still very comfortable and very quiet.

Try a big adventure bike, you may be surprised as to how comfortable the riding position is and the handling on most of them is pretty decent.

[Gusable]

Does the collective think that a Calvin would be more comfortable than the EV? And if I did get one can I sit more rearward on the slope? I like to move around!

[Kev m]

Does the collective think that a Calvin would be more comfortable than the EV? And if I did get one can I sit more rearward on the slope? I like to move around!

It's the same frame so really it comes down to any minor differences in the seat or bars (I don't even think the footboards/controls are different, but you could check that), which are things you could change on the EV without having to change the whole bike.

[Gusable]

Roger that.  I talked with Jim at Ned's and we discussed how stiffly sprung these bikes are.  Mine rides like a buckboard. I need to figure out how to soften it up.  I feel every crack in the road. Maybe I can sell this Ned's seat and get a stock seat pan. Move the ecm and start cuttin' lol

[timonbik]

You need to get the seat firmer under your sits bones so you don;t sink into it.  A cut out or lowering of the lip at the back edge of the drivers seat  would help also.  A firm seat is the solution.  In the short term you can use a get pad to elevate you up and away from the rear portion of the seat saving the tailbone.  Don't know why manufactures put these bucket style seats on bikes.  The old banana style seats allowed one to move back and forth to change seating positions and tailbones were pain free,

Cheers, Tim,

[john fish]

A back support can make a world of difference.  Something like the support that is available on Corbin seats.

 On a tour, I put the sleeping bag or a pack on the seat behind me and make sure that it's close enough to hit me in the small of my back and improve my posture.  Makes a world of difference.  The "cruiser slouch" can make you hurt all over.

[Chesterfield]

The best seat and position for comfortable motorcycle riding is what is on a police bike. Take a look at how they sit and their seat style. Better yet ask an officer. Most will tell you they preferred Kawasaki KZ1000's over most others for all day comfort.

[Kev m]

The best seat and position for comfortable motorcycle riding is what is on a police bike. Take a look at how they sit and their seat style. Better yet ask an officer. Most will tell you they preferred Kawasaki KZ1000's over most others for all day comfort.

Well I can't say anything about a KZ, but holy crap the Police seat on my new RK is no doubt the best seat (stock or aftermarket) on motorcycle.

It's wide, cupped a little, has its own suspension, and is a bit on the tall side.

It's better than the Corbin I had on my first RK which was good for a week of back-to-back 500+ mile days.

I can ride through the 200+ mile range time after time in a single day.

But again it's still mostly a cruiser ergonomics which works for me better than sport tourer ergos.

[Fulton_Cali]

Roger that.  I talked with Jim at Ned's and we discussed how stiffly sprung these bikes are.  Mine rides like a buckboard. I need to figure out how to soften it up.  I feel every crack in the road. Maybe I can sell this Ned's seat and get a stock seat pan. Move the ecm and start cuttin' lol

That is weird--maybe the EV got its suspension firmed up, but the Cali 1100-up seems to have a reputation for being pretty cushy. Mine is set in the middle for damping and it's pretty soft but still has remarkable control for being so old.

However, on to the original question. Lots of good advice has been passed on here. I'm not sure the bike is perfect for you. Mine certainly isn't perfect for me. I think my next bike will probably be a BMW. I can also tell you I bought this bike from the original owner who was also a BMW LT owner. Stated reason for not riding the Goose very much? It hurt his back. So, there's probably a little truth to all of this. Cruisers ain't for everybody, the Cali ain't for everybody, yadda yadda. However, I also have a liking for the bike and knew I didn't want to dump it.

The riding position for me with a custom built-up seat is very upright, back at 90 degrees to the ground. I'm 6'3" with long legs, so before the height upgrade I felt like my knees were going to touch my face (ok, total hyperbole, but it wasn't comfortable).

So, to recap:
1. Sheepskin buttpad from Alaska Leather and/or Airhawk? Yes. Absolutely. I like the buttpad because it's a beautiful thing and I've noticed people tend to mess up with the Airhawk with too little/too much air, etc. The buttpad has no such technical considerations.
2. Custom seat? Maybe, but try #1 first. The seat height was killing me and a board member sold me his old built-up seat and that helped a lot.
3. And maybe I should have made this number 1, don't laugh--I read this here--try yoga. We men tend to have lousy core strength and emphasize certain muscles over others--it's partly why we get hernias, back strains, etc. I got a double whammy of this because I work for the local PD  as an irregular and the ballistic vest was leaving me nearly immobilized after a 10 hour shift. I'm 41 and determined that this is ridiculous. So, I found myself a "Broga" class (yes, google it after you finish laughing at me). I didn't care if it was men in tutus if it would make my back stop hurting at this point. So, two months later, once a week, and I am a LOT better. I kind of like yoga because you can do it at home without machines once you know the forms and it's like a martial art--you can spend a lifetime getting better at it. Your body also provides all the resistance you need for strengthening a lot of parts. No joke--I was blown away by a) how weak parts of my body were, and b) how much more flexible I feel now. You don't even have to play silly sitar music and say "oohhhm." Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Hope this helps. I still don't see the Cali as a long trip tourer for me, but it's endeared itself to me. Maybe yours will be the same?

David

[Gusable]

Excellent info and thank you so much for all the replies! I did a little experiment tonight. I went in the garage and threw a leg over the bike. Seat is comfy as heck sitting there in garage.  I love the bike. Go for a beautiful after work spin.  6 miles. All fun. Butt hurts just as bad as the 60 mile highway ride.  I think it's the rough ride. How can I soften the rear suspension?  I'd like to try messing with the settings. Little caveat...I'm heavy set and consider my solo riding 2 up.  270+ lbs. I don't think I'm on the bumpstops. The bike only squats an inch or less when I sit down ( I think)

[geoff in almonte]

Excellent info and thank you so much for all the replies! I did a little experiment tonight. I went in the garage and threw a leg over the bike. Seat is comfy as heck sitting there in garage.  I love the bike. Go for a beautiful after work spin.  6 miles. All fun. Butt hurts just as bad as the 60 mile highway ride.  I think it's the rough ride. How can I soften the rear suspension?  I'd like to try messing with the settings. Little caveat...I'm heavy set and consider my solo riding 2 up.  270+ lbs. I don't think I'm on the bumpstops. The bike only squats an inch or less when I sit down ( I think)

Bingo!!

Take the machine to a suspension shop and get the front & rear suspenders dialed in.  You are on the LARGE side so you may need stiffer springs, especially in the rear, to give you more freedom in making adjustments with preload, and compression/rebound damping settings.

+1 on the Airhawk - just remember, when putting air in, that less is more.

+1 on improving the strength of your abdominal core muscles.

Cheers!

G

[geoff in almonte]

I found this to be helpful when setting up the suspension on my CalVin

I left the setup to the pros, but an understanding of the forces (and physics) at work helps.

I cant get the link to paste, but here it is:

www.totalcontroltra ining.net-Suspension101eBook.pdf

G

[Kev m]

The Broga/core muscle conditioning is an interesting point. I've been training in martial arts longer than I've been riding motorcycles. I wonder if that has anything to do with my preferences for the cruiser position or it's just a coincidence why I never have any back pain from it?

I DID have tail bone pain, for about 2 years.... of course that was directly related to breaking my tail bone snowboarding.

 

[geoff in almonte]

I found this to be helpful when setting up the suspension on my CalVin

I left the setup to the pros, but an understanding of the forces (and physics) at work helps.

I cant get the link to paste, but here it is:

www.totalcontroltra ining.net-Suspension101eBook.pdf

G

www.totalcontroltra ining.net/Suspension101eBook.pdf

Try this one!  Or google it!

G

[flower_king001]

When I first got my '98 EV I couldn't ride it for more than 50 miles as my butt was in pain. I tired an Airhawk..beaded cover and sheepskin with no difference.  Then I got a Corbin saddle for it and it's the BEST saddle I have ever had!

Brian

[kidsmoke]

similar experience with the Jackal. Initial long ride left me regretful and literally, numb. Went with different seat which added height, opening the knee bend, and in my case the new seat also allowed for a bit of fore/aft maneuvering. Completely different experience on the bike from that point on.

To the OP, I've got an original 2 piece Jackal seat available if you wanted to have a pan to build off of.

[Gusable]

Thanks kid!  I might do that. I don't know yet

[Gusable]

Well I've been riding the bike a thinking about this.. thinking about that.  I'm totally torn because I love the bike but I've decided to sell it. It's too stiffly sprung for me (love the handling). The Ned's seat is great and the whole package is what it is.. a great bike for other folks. I'm not in the club as much as I'd like to be. I'm thinking next bike FOR SURE is a guzzi!  Stelvio,quota,b1100, 850 or convert!!! I like me some convert.  I'd like to ride one!  I will ride this goose to the lindale rally on oct1.  I'll put up a formal ad soon. Thank you for all your help!! Gus

[Guzzidad]

    My 01EV is the most comfortable bike I ever had. Corbin seat and Emgo super bike bars. I also have a 2012 Norge with a Corbin seat. It's pretty comfortable as well. But, the EV is more comfortable.

[Gusable]

I'm at a point with the bike of dollars vs. mods to make it right.  I'm going to cut my losses at this point   I'm glad yours is good!

[Ncdan]

My 07 Calvin seat was a killer after the first 50 miles. I had the folks at MEAN CITY CYCLE to rebuild the driver seat only. He uses top quality close cell foam and matches the density to your body weight. I just road an 8 hour ride a couple weeks ago and it was a VAST improvement over factory. Did my butt get a little uncomfortable at times, yes, but definitely not the torture apparatus it was before. Best 125.00 I've spent on a seat. I've had mustangs for 500.00 that were good but no better than this remake.

[Tom H]

After a quick re-read here.

Sorry to hear you plan to sell the bike. If you like the feel of it for the first 40 miles and then it hurts, it might be worth fixing it.

If it's just your tail bone. As mentioned, it could be the hump for the ECU. Move the ECU and have the hump removed or a latter seat should fit that does not have the hump.

My 2004 had a very comfy stock suspension. I'm about 175 lb or so. Not too soft as to wallow around, but not too stiff to feel every bump. I did change the rear shocks to a set of Koni's to lower the bike a bit. The ride is comfy still but a little more controlled feeling.

As mentioned, handlebars can make a difference. If you do have a tail bone issue, you may need to get a set of bars that makes you lean forward a bit to take the weight off your tail bone and move it to the butt/thigh muscles.

Maybe give it another go? If not, and you want to stay with a Guzzi and a more sport tour feel, maybe test ride a Norge???

Good luck,
Tom

[Gusable]

my dad just gave me an air hawk pad to try.  We'll try that. Stelvio/ norge for sure on the table

[antmanbee]

I would agree with you about the position of seat and bars and foot position.  I changed  my peg setup and dropped my forks and attached clipons above the top triple clamp. The bike now feels pretty close to my old T3. I lean a bit forward and my weight is off my tail bone and my feet are below me. I can stand up on my pegs without needing my arms to balance.
Cost? About $28 for the bars and around $30 for the peg/shifter assembly but with a bit of work and using mostly all the same parts. Not too cruiserish anymore.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Well I've been riding the bike a thinking about this.. thinking about that.  I'm totally torn because I love the bike but I've decided to sell it. It's too stiffly sprung for me (love the handling). The Ned's seat is great and the whole package is what it is.. a great bike for other folks. I'm not in the club as much as I'd like to be. I'm thinking next bike FOR SURE is a guzzi!  Stelvio,quota,b1100, 850 or convert!!! I like me some convert.  I'd like to ride one!  I will ride this goose to the lindale rally on oct1.  I'll put up a formal ad soon. Thank you for all your help!! Gus

Honestly, I think you are making the right decision. Don't forget the V11S. I'm no spring chicken, and can ride it all day without issue.

[drbone641]

 I have never had a cruiser before my Cali14. So far I've got my wind pocket good,I have fixed the very difficult cruise control and now I need to get my seat figured out . My buddy is ordering a Russell day long seat for his victory and I will try that first. This bike is too much fun to ride, to let a sore coccyx get in the way of not trying all my options . And it's also a lot of fun telling my wife that I have a sore coccyx and I would like her to rub it for me

[Gusable]

lol that's a good one

[Gusable]

Interesting development. I love this bike.  We're bonded n stuff. 😊 I' decided to er... read the instructions! Owners manual says rear shocks should be on "4". They were on 7. 1 is softest so I went there. I don't know where the forks were so I went in the middle on each to start.  0-15 clicks.  I went 7.  Tire pressure should be 34/36.   I was at 36/42.  So the rear buckboard ride is understandable  I'm going for a spin here in a bit.