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A seat for traveling sisters

by Bobbie
(Jacksonville,FL. USA)

Help! I have a 883 Sporty with the stock seat and I ride a bit more than some as I am retired. After about 100 miles my backside hurts so much I start looking for a soft spot to fall off, just kidding. Does anyone out there have the same experience and does anone have a solution? I don't want to make a $450.00 mistake.. I really need some advice from someone who knows and hasn't go t anything to gain excerpt my graditude.

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Oct 15, 2014
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cheap fix
by: Anonymous

Get an Air Hawk air cushion. Your butt will thank you and so will your wallet.

Oct 08, 2014
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883 Seat
by: Gypsy Spirit

Hi Bobbie ...

I ride a 1995 Sportster 883 Standard. The first thing I did was swap seats with the '03 Hugger my fiance had. I don't know if I have a good picture of it on my website GypsySpiritsRides(dot)weebly(dot)com. I did it in part because it gave me a little better reach, and I liked the way it looked, with its button-tacked padding.

I learned young though, it's not so much the seat as the way you sit on it! Sitting straight up kills me, regardless of the seat! I have really high road bars, so I sit farther back on my sacrum, rather than forward on my sit bones. This helps my back (two bad lumbar discs) as well as my behind!

I also put pull back risers on (initially 1 x 1) and recently changed them our to a four inch rise with one inch back to accomodate a three gallon king tank. I didn't know if I would like the extra height at first, but dropped the bars down a little more and find I like it even better than the shorter risers.

Because I travel so much (13,000 miles so far this year, with as much as 750 miles in a 24 hour period ... my website SO needs to be updated!) I have a T-pack that sits on her passenger pad and doubles as a backrest.

I usually know when she's ready for a gas stop because that is when my backside is ready for me to get off it for a few minutes too. However, by time I get gas, use the rest room and get something to drink, I'm ready to get back on again. The only time I'm not ready to ride more is when I am exhausted from lack of sleep!

Keep tweaking your Sporty to fit YOU perfectly! I'm almost 5'3", 130#, and 57 years old. What works for you is going to be as unique as you are. Figure out what your "comfortable" position is when you are relaxing at home, then try to set your bike up to duplicate it. Really small changes, like 1/4" tilt to your bars forward or back, can make a difference in how you sit on your seat, as can where you place your feet. Experiment. Trade seats with a friend for a day if possible. You'll find what works.

Feel free to email me at NightWind1157(at)gmail(dot)com.

Ride well!
Gypsy

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