...but I'm beginning to think that real comfort, for me anyway, is unattainable without dropping a grand on seats/backrests/bar risers, etc. I'm sort of close; the Givi 'shield and AirHawk pad work great, but the whole backrest-vs-reach to the bars thing is so frustrating!
I have a Bearcat (great service, good product, helpful communication, no complaints about the company at all) that I just can't seem to make work for me: it's too far back, I nearly can't reach the bars. I inserted dowels in the mounting bars to bring it forward, but the bars themselves dig into my hip bones before the pad touches my back (Look at a Bearcat from the side, the mounting bars' curve is indeed further forward than the pad...).
I'm 60 & what you might call physically average: 6', 180#, average arm & leg length (just not a lot of, ahem, "extra padding" due to hitting the gym 6 days/week; in fact, were I possessed of more "adipose inventory", I suspect the Bearcat, even in its rearmost position, might work better). At any rate, sitting on a bone-stock 400, the riding position feels about right: plenty of leg room, arms comfortably bent...just need that AirHawk under me and a backrest behind me.
FWIW, I had a Utopia on my Gold Wing; good support but it doesn't breathe at all; big, wet rectangular sweat-stain after every ride (the Corbin and even the Bearcat at least have openings for air; c'mon already, Utopia!).
I guess my next move will be to visit an upholstery shop & see if they can mount a pad (in a complimenting cover material because I just can't ride a bike that looks "cobbled-together") onto the front of the Bearcat's pad, see if that brings the thing forward enough (hopefully without the need for up-&-back bar risers).
Methinks this would all be avoidable if bike manufacturers would just put the good stuff on to begin with...but I wonder if RCP could supply all the Day-Long saddles that even one of the big 4 Japanese builders would need, lol!!
Oh well, on with the search for comfort... <sigh>...
I have a Bearcat (great service, good product, helpful communication, no complaints about the company at all) that I just can't seem to make work for me: it's too far back, I nearly can't reach the bars. I inserted dowels in the mounting bars to bring it forward, but the bars themselves dig into my hip bones before the pad touches my back (Look at a Bearcat from the side, the mounting bars' curve is indeed further forward than the pad...).
I'm 60 & what you might call physically average: 6', 180#, average arm & leg length (just not a lot of, ahem, "extra padding" due to hitting the gym 6 days/week; in fact, were I possessed of more "adipose inventory", I suspect the Bearcat, even in its rearmost position, might work better). At any rate, sitting on a bone-stock 400, the riding position feels about right: plenty of leg room, arms comfortably bent...just need that AirHawk under me and a backrest behind me.
FWIW, I had a Utopia on my Gold Wing; good support but it doesn't breathe at all; big, wet rectangular sweat-stain after every ride (the Corbin and even the Bearcat at least have openings for air; c'mon already, Utopia!).
I guess my next move will be to visit an upholstery shop & see if they can mount a pad (in a complimenting cover material because I just can't ride a bike that looks "cobbled-together") onto the front of the Bearcat's pad, see if that brings the thing forward enough (hopefully without the need for up-&-back bar risers).
Methinks this would all be avoidable if bike manufacturers would just put the good stuff on to begin with...but I wonder if RCP could supply all the Day-Long saddles that even one of the big 4 Japanese builders would need, lol!!
Oh well, on with the search for comfort... <sigh>...
