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8 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TravellingStrom
That is incorrect, the IB rally has sleep and rest breaks included in the itinerary and riders are expected to take them and can be penalised if they don't. The get bonus points if they prove they did sleep!
They also have scheduled stops between the different ride legs, so there are more sleep/rest opportunities right there.
You obviously have no idea what they do!!!
TS
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How many IBR's have you ridden?
For years they had NONE of the rules you quote and the ones they did have had no way to be enforced. Back then they had very few if any actual "manned" check points, so it was all about getting receipts with date/time stamps, pretty much the honor system. Talk to the riders mate.
I don't really follow the IBR closely now so I'm not familiar with current new rules ... but I have known some former IBR riders personally. They cheat. Period. The winners get around every rule in the book to win. They are not supposed to speed either. yea, right. 
I'm amazed more riders haven't died. The poor Aussie guy hit a Deer last year .... no helmet. Tragic. I knew Fran Crane and a good friend was on the search party for the guy who went off the road and disappeared some years ago. They found him ... 2 days later. I'm sure they all had comfortable seats! 
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9 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mickey D
I'm amazed more riders haven't died. The poor Aussie guy hit a Deer last year .... no helmet. Tragic. I'm sure they all had comfortable seats! |
Soory to take this thread off-topic.... but, yes, I'm amazed too and I really believe IBR is a foolish and dangerous concept - to each his own, however.
One thing that can be learned from Dave's (the Aussie guy) mishap is take along your own shampoo and don't use what's provided in the motel - if he had done that I believe he would still be alive today. 
As for a comfortable seat, the only thing that is going to keep your bum from aching is to use lots of painkillers - and that's not a good combination for ongoing alertness.
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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman
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9 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by farqhuar
As for a comfortable seat, the only thing that is going to keep your bum from aching is to use lots of painkillers - and that's not a good combination for ongoing alertness.
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On topic.
I have over 260,000 miles on my BMW R100R, 2-up on a Russell Day-Long seat.
No Iron Butt rides but many 10 -12 hour days and we never had to use painkillers.
If you have never had a custom seat you have no idea how comfortable they are.
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9 Jun 2010
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Airhawk
Talking of Airhawk's I've got one-used literally on 2 ride outs-and couldn't get on with it-if anyone wants to make me an offer its in my garage in London.
PM me if interested.
Thanks
Simon
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BMW GS650 Dakar and too much bling from Touratech!
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9 Jun 2010
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26,385 miles on an airhawk............well two actually
Hi there - just coming in on the side. My better half was not impressed with leaving the UK on a stock seat (R100RT). After much badgering, and hours and hours of research we bought two airhawks. From numb bum and that awful pain when you climb off we covered 500-600 mile days and could still walk. If you blow them up too hard you defeat the object - and move around a lot! Too soft and you more or less sit on the seat. It took us days to get the pressure right - especially at 15,000 feet up in Peru! Talk about pressure inflation! Nearly turned into an ejector seat!
Anyway, height off the ground can be an issue if you are short in the leg after you strap them on - particularly on GS models etc. Good idea to get them put into the stock seat - I think - but she disagrees as your bum will be in constant contact with a hard seat cover? Thus, no air circulating............. she thinks too much.............but is usually correct.........as I have learned to my cost..............
Anyway - that's what we found!
Regards to everybody.
Cathy and Bernard
A Blind Woman, Two Wheels and 25,000 Miles
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10 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Ferris
On topic.
I have over 260,000 miles on my BMW R100R, 2-up on a Russell Day-Long seat.
No Iron Butt rides but many 10 -12 hour days and we never had to use painkillers.
If you have never had a custom seat you have no idea how comfortable they are.
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Hi John, I've done many 16 hour days on the bike (I even did a month of 12+ hour days on a little Chinese 125 (with absolutely minimal seat padding) across China) without needing any aid but what the IBRers get up to is ridiculous.
I'm talking 20 hour days in a row for a week or so - a totally different kettle of fish.
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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman
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10 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Ferris
On topic.
I have over 260,000 miles on my BMW R100R, 2-up on a Russell Day-Long seat.
No Iron Butt rides but many 10 -12 hour days and we never had to use painkillers.
If you have never had a custom seat you have no idea how comfortable they are.
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Plus 1000 
I'm not sure why our English and Aussie brothers seem so CHEAP about getting a good seat. Such a huge difference when its right.
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11 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mickey D
Plus 1000
I'm not sure why our English and Aussie brothers seem so CHEAP about getting a good seat. Such a huge difference when its right. |
Maybe because by the time you factor in the shipping costs it is too expensive for something that cannot be trialled :?
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11 Jun 2010
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The problem I had with my airhawk is that it's yet another thing you need to remember to remove from the bike when you get to your destination. The aircells also spread the load over the whole of your undercarriage (including your nutsack!) which I didn't like at all....
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13 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by edteamslr
The problem I had with my airhawk is that it's yet another thing you need to remember to remove from the bike when you get to your destination. The aircells also spread the load over the whole of your undercarriage (including your nutsack!) which I didn't like at all....
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If you look at the link I posted, you will see the AH was inserted under the seat cover, just for that reason.
TS
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13 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TravellingStrom
Maybe because by the time you factor in the shipping costs it is too expensive for something that cannot be trialled :?
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Fair point. But most reputable seat makers I have dealt with in the USA are quite happy to make any and all changes to your custom seat if you have a problem ... FREE .... until you're satisfied. Still, shipping your seat back and forth and then waiting a month or two would NOT WORK for me either.
I'm really surprised there aren't more saddle makers in other countries.
Russell, Corbin and Sargent are ALL multimillion dollar companies. Seems like a good business opportunity here?
Or ...
If I lived in the UK I'd look to France, where there are over 5 times more motorbikes than in the UK. (little known fact) Quite a healthy aftermarket industry there as well. I've been to a couple big rallies in the South and was blown away at the numbers, the diversity of bikes and people and the friendliness. (good Beer too!) A friend runs a Ducati, Triumph, MV dealer there, so I got good info on the French scene.
I don't blame you guys not wanting to pay duty or postage. Screw 'em.
Someone talented in the UK should take this up.
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13 Jun 2010
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 I have no idea why you talk about the Iron Butt Rally a race and think about it needing to be safe. No one bats a eye if someone gets hurt on a Dakar rally or some other race. It is a chance you take going in you know the risk and are willing to take it. Riding the world is not safe we know the risk and are willing to to take it.
I do not like riding long runs you see so much less and you are gust making miles not traviling you be better of flying. Now I have done some long runs gust to get there in some preset time but I do not like it.
Back to the post then.
There is a few seat makers in the EU must be more around. Top Sellerie - Deluxe seats for motorcycles, petrol tank covers, tank bags and scooter leg covers [Rates for an order from : FRANCE]
You may need to talk to custom bike shops they deal with this all the time.
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13 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mickey D
Russell, Corbin and Sargent are ALL multimillion dollar companies. Seems like a good business opportunity here?
Or ...
If I lived in the UK I'd look to France, where there are over 5 times more motorbikes than in the UK. (little known fact) Quite a healthy aftermarket industry there as well. I've been to a couple big rallies in the South and was blown away at the numbers, the diversity of bikes and people and the friendliness. (good Beer too!) A friend runs a Ducati, Triumph, MV dealer there, so I got good info on the French scene.
I don't blame you guys not wanting to pay duty or postage. Screw 'em.
Someone talented in the UK should take this up.
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there are lots of quality custom seat makers here, so we dont have to pay sargent/russell/corbin prices, end of.
10yrs ago i bought a corbin gunfighter+lady for my gsxf (to be fair, it was a discount deal but still £250) and it was rubbish, it didnt fit, the base wouldve rub through the paintwork in minutes and it weighed a ton. dont know if it was typical of the brand but i wasnt impressed for rrp £300+ and it went straight back. i took a page from the corbin catalogue and asked a local seat maker to make my seat like that, and he did and did a better job for £110. my choice of vinyls (wasnt impressed with the leather corbin), foam cut to suit my pie loving butt, custom piping to match the bike, the original seat base went back on fine and a third of the price.
i think a lot of people simply dont realise how easy it is to get your seat altered so they spend a fortune on these big brands
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dave
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12 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mickey D
Plus 1000
I'm not sure why our English and Aussie brothers seem so CHEAP about getting a good seat. Such a huge difference when its right. |
yes, i totally agree with TravellingStroms answer, i guess we dont like to blow money without inspecting the goods. not that there would ever be a problem if using the old flexible friend but its easier not to spend your money than it is to do without it for as long as it takes to get a refund.
also in the UK to import something worth more than £18 sterling (yeah, like what costs less than 18 quid?) will cost an extra 17.5% tax, (soon to be at least 20%) plus a fat fee from the delivery service to collect it. on top of that you will have the costs involved in sending an expensive and heavy seat back to the states if you dont want it and a wait of at least a couple of months for the US postal service to sort itself out, a service that models itself on spanish postcards and touratech customer services for levels of efficiency.
i know americas a big place but ive had jewellery from beijing in 3 days, and a birthday card from my aunt in maryland took six weeks. she'd have done better folding it into a paper boat and floating it over!
i suppose thats why so many use UPS? costs more but the confidence is there
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10 Jun 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by farqhuar
One thing that can be learned from Dave's (the Aussie guy) mishap is take along your own shampoo and don't use what's provided in the motel - if he had done that I believe he would still be alive today.
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What has shampoo got to do with his death, what a stupid statement!!!
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