Very common problem. Search seats.
Wondering If I can get more than one hour of riding comfort on my 2016 GTL
About me - 6'1", 33" inseam, 250 lbs, stiff hips. I can last about an hour in the stock saddle before my knees and hips start complaining and i feel like I need to stop and shake it out. Any recommendations that are quicker and less expensive than an RDL saddle? I don't want to invest another $1,200 while waiting a few months for delivery when I should consider selling it now.
I feel shoved up into the gas tank with my wife on the back. I have highway pegs but my calves hit the lower storage areas and the foot pegs always seem to be in the way when I come to a stop. If I sell it, my motorcycle riding days are likely over. Owned it for a year after riding Harley Road Glides since 2007 that were much more comfortable (once I switched to Corbin seats and better suspension, LOL). Not interested in going back to HD, either.
Am I the only person having these issues? Seems like everyone else is loving their K1600's and there are not many complaints about the ride comfort and position.
I feel shoved up into the gas tank with my wife on the back. I have highway pegs but my calves hit the lower storage areas and the foot pegs always seem to be in the way when I come to a stop. If I sell it, my motorcycle riding days are likely over. Owned it for a year after riding Harley Road Glides since 2007 that were much more comfortable (once I switched to Corbin seats and better suspension, LOL). Not interested in going back to HD, either.
Am I the only person having these issues? Seems like everyone else is loving their K1600's and there are not many complaints about the ride comfort and position.
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I've got a 2015 k1600gt with original seats and I ride all day it's got 110000 miles
Why wouldn't you be riding all day
Sent from my motorola one 5G UW using Tapatalk
Why wouldn't you be riding all day
Sent from my motorola one 5G UW using Tapatalk
Lower pegs helped my knees. A lot.
It seems that 5’9” to 5’10” is the sweet spot height for the GTL. Taller riders suffer from being ‘scrunched up’. Unless you can find comfort with highway pegs, at your height you’re probably going to have issues. Peg lowering might help a little, but I’ve never been a fan of losing ground clearance for turns. That’s one of the reasons for owning a K16 in the first place.
BTW, a good saddle is never a waste of money. A select few can live with the stock seat, but most of the riding masses need a custom seat for tailored body support. Unfortunately, that means a $1,000+ outlay.
Good luck moving forward.
BTW, a good saddle is never a waste of money. A select few can live with the stock seat, but most of the riding masses need a custom seat for tailored body support. Unfortunately, that means a $1,000+ outlay.
Good luck moving forward.
I know what you mean about the knees. As far as the calves hitting the storage boxes there has been a person here that removed the boxes and replaced them with parts from a "B". He was then able to use the road pegs.
Extremely common. A buddy removed his lower storage areas to make room for floorboards which helped. The RDL is a must for these bikes, don't let anybody tell you different. Been riding for 40 years and had every seat on the market and none of them do what the RDL does.
At 6’ 185 I found installing the GT seat on the GTL to be very comfortableAbout me - 6'1", 33" inseam, 250 lbs, stiff hips. I can last about an hour in the stock saddle before my knees and hips start complaining and i feel like I need to stop and shake it out. Any recommendations that are quicker and less expensive than an RDL saddle? I don't want to invest another $1,200 while waiting a few months for delivery when I should consider selling it now.
I feel shoved up into the gas tank with my wife on the back. I have highway pegs but my calves hit the lower storage areas and the foot pegs always seem to be in the way when I come to a stop. If I sell it, my motorcycle riding days are likely over. Owned it for a year after riding Harley Road Glides since 2007 that were much more comfortable (once I switched to Corbin seats and better suspension, LOL). Not interested in going back to HD, either.
Am I the only person having these issues? Seems like everyone else is loving their K1600's and there are not many complaints about the ride comfort and position.
I'm 6'1", roughly 33" inseam, 265lb, bad knees, hips, back, and left ankle. The stock seat was painful in the hips and knees. RDL was the way to go for me, but I didn't really explore other options. The wait time and cost can definitely suck, but well worth it. I also added highway pegs, which helped with the knee pain, mostly by allowing me to change the angle. Now I can easily do 600 miles with a little break. My butt is the limiting factor. Need to do more squats or start carrying heavy rucksacks for several miles.
Sargent seat is a great improvement over stock seat for me. 6’1” 270+. Stock seat GTL is terrible. RDL makes great stuff and I’ve had them on 2 bikes. Don’t have the dough right now and I can do 9 hour days on the Sargent with stops for lunch and pics on occasion.
Also. Peg lowering bucks and putting the seat in the higher position can help.
Peg lowering and RDL'd the seat with them adding about 2.5 inches of height in the seat. It's wonderful when up and going. Slight trade off is when stopped for I need to sneak forward on seat for a good foot stance. Accelerate and I slide back into saddle. Knees and hips are now very happy.
Try surgery - a couple inches out of each ankle, and castration should work .
when I first began my K journey, I had many of the same complaints about my body and the way the ride made me feel uncomfortable and oftentimes in pain after a short time in the saddle
as offensive as it was to read, many member here questioned my fitness and conditioning levels
I did some self reflecting and began a stretching and cardio routine that greatly increased my saddle stamina and am grateful that many made these suggestions to me
I know it's not a cure-all or an end-all but it is a great practice to add to your toolbox and may help a lot when you do add other pieces of hardware
as offensive as it was to read, many member here questioned my fitness and conditioning levels
I did some self reflecting and began a stretching and cardio routine that greatly increased my saddle stamina and am grateful that many made these suggestions to me
I know it's not a cure-all or an end-all but it is a great practice to add to your toolbox and may help a lot when you do add other pieces of hardware
That's a good piece of advice. I've had my left hip replaced and my right one has been bothering me and I've seen a physical therapist and have a set of stretches I do somewhat regularly and I make it to the gym 3-4 times a week as well. I watched a former motorcycle officer demonstrate how to get on the bike from the right side and might try doing that. Thanks, Leewhen I first began my K journey, I had many of the same complaints about my body and the way the ride made me feel uncomfortable and oftentimes in pain after a short time in the saddle
as offensive as it was to read, many member here questioned my fitness and conditioning levels
I did some self reflecting and began a stretching and cardio routine that greatly increased my saddle stamina and am grateful that many made these suggestions to me
I know it's not a cure-all or an end-all but it is a great practice to add to your toolbox and may help a lot when you do add other pieces of hardware
I have had Sergeant, Saddleman, Corbin and Russell on various bikes. The current ones both have Russell Day Long, the absolute best for me. I have arthritis in the back and hips and have had numerous knee and foot surgeries. The Russell make a huge difference for me. I have not liked any of the stock seats I’ve tried for long ride days. I am a 32“ inseam. The Russell raises the seat height 1 1/2 to 2” but with your inseam you should still be ok. Since you’re sitting taller, your knees are slightly less bent. This helped me be more comfortable. It won’t help with the highway pegs though. It’s a lot of dough, but it has been a great investment for me by making a wonderful motorcycle fit me. IMHO you should consider the same so you can keep enjoying riding for years to come.
Wow, that search resulted in enough reading for an afternoon. One take away was to change the suspension to two up. It was one up with luggage so I got the manual out and felt the bike rise while I was sitting on it. I'll see how that feels later today.Very common problem. Search seats.
An RDL seat for the bike, with long legs you will love it, and I discovered liquid glucosamine at Cosco, Im 75 and have no problems with my bones and joints anymore.
That really helped me. It also made it easier to get my foot in, to put the bike on its center stand. I'm lucky in that I'm a morning's ride away from RDL. I made my appointment and was able to really appreciate their hands on expertise. Lots of people do great with the mail in, so it might be worth it for you. Best of luck.Wow, that search resulted in enough reading for an afternoon. One take away was to change the suspension to two up. It was one up with luggage so I got the manual out and felt the bike rise while I was sitting on it. I'll see how that feels later today.
Lower the pegs. Install highway pegs. Keep moving your legs. I am no Stretch Armstrong, but my knees have always been a bit buggered. By keeping them moving I can ride 20 hours a day for multiple days in a row.
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