PDA

View Full Version : BBG1500 bites the dust


BlaSTr
03-25-2007, 09:50 PM
Well, I finally did an "extreme" IBA ride - the BBG1500 this weekend. I did it in well under 24 hours thanks to some great weather, a fantastic bike (almost), and a few cager rabbits that cleared the road of LEOs.

It was a IBA sanctioned ride put on by the Free Florida Bikers organization. 30-40 riders showed up in 57F weather on all kinds of rides including a shieldless Yamaha 650. At least a half-dozen bikes came without windhshields and for a 1000/1500 mile ride that's something. There was one BMW 1200GS tricked out pretty well, my less than trick ST, lots of Harleys, VTXs, Shadows, the aforementioned Yamaha, and a bunch of Oldwings

The SS1000 riders went clockwise around Florida while the BB1500 riders went counterclockwise through Florida and Georgia. Temps went from 57-88F amid bright sunshine and lots of wind from the East (20-30+ mph according to the weather channel). We all rode to the first checkpoint amid whispy fog along a 2-lane construction zone road that had 2 short places to pass in the first 20 miles. After that I never saw another rider until the last stop. They were doing the 1000 and arrived about an hour after I did. The organizers say we'll have the papers and dodads in about 8 weeks.

The only problem I have is my butt and my junk. The Sargent seat gives me a good platform to sit on but the Alaska butt pad gets very thin after a few hundred miles. The AirHawk Large seems to want me to either lean forward or aft and is much higher than the pad. Is that a function of too much air? As for the other, it gets very uncomfortable on the AirHawk after a very short period of time. This is possibly due to the AirHawk not being properly filled. Any suggestions?

And if I've offended any women readers, my apologies. It was the only problem I had on the ride and I need to solve it if I'm going to ride longer distances or ride in comfort.

Doug

Putt
03-25-2007, 10:10 PM
RE: The Airhawk... just enough air to keep your butt from touching the seat,
or just BARELY touching the seat... It does not take much air at all..

Putt...

jahoobob
03-25-2007, 11:01 PM
Get a Russell!

Rob Hephner
03-26-2007, 01:26 AM
I just rode my Russell across the US a 2600 mile trip with zero issue what so ever....

It might be helpful to know your physical attributes to help understand what would be the best to remedy your situation?

Hashimoto
03-26-2007, 02:19 AM
Rob,
He said his butt and his junk hurts. Just what physical attributes are you asking him to describe? :eek:

crazykz
03-26-2007, 08:00 AM
First of all congrats on your ride. Well done. That is a tough ride to do and you did it even with the high winds and construction.

I don't have an airhawk but I do have a Sargent and a sheepskin. I decided to use a piece of memory foam in between the sheepskin and the Sargent and for me it works great.

I'll comment on the junk thing. If the pain is behind your junk I've had the same issue. I've been rubbed raw along the track on some rides. I've found that it was the way I was sitting on the bike. I think it may have to do with how the airhawk is causing you to lean forward or back. For me I sit with my back arched and my butt sticking out a bit. I had my chiropractor help me get the right seating position.

HTH

Curt

STill Fiddlin
03-26-2007, 10:04 AM
Congrats!

Haven't tried BBG, so I don't know, but I still swear by my beads. May do a BB on the way to PA if I don't decide it's not worth trying to find an extra 20 miles, or waste time documenting, since I'm going to be in a hurry.

Have to try and get someone to organize a in-state BBG ride in Texas. Not gonna try that by myself, as I'm concerned about just riding beyond safe limits without someone around to talk to or tell me to pull over.

Snoweyowl
03-26-2007, 12:02 PM
"The only problem I have is my butt and my junk. The Sargent seat gives me a good platform to sit on but the Alaska butt pad gets very thin after a few hundred miles. The AirHawk Large seems to want me to either lean forward or aft and is much higher than the pad. Is that a function of too much air? As for the other, it gets very uncomfortable on the AirHawk after a very short period of time. This is possibly due to the AirHawk not being properly filled. Any suggestions?"

Air Hawk suggests you sit on pad and deflate until you just touch seat. THEN add one, or two breaths back into it. This will keep you just off the seat. I used my wifes one without adjusting, it was terrible. Adjusted it correctly and it was great.

alan
03-26-2007, 02:18 PM
"Air Hawk suggests you sit on pad and deflate until you just touch seat. THEN add one, or two breaths back into it. This will keep you just off the seat. I used my wifes one without adjusting, it was terrible. Adjusted it correctly and it was great.

+1 on that. I swear by my Airhawk and agree that you barely inflate it, just enough to keep your butt from touching the seat.

:03biker:

BlaSTr
03-26-2007, 06:02 PM
Thanks for the comments.

From the comments it sounds like the AirHawk is overfilled so I'm going to play with that this week. As for the foam pad, I'm going to try that also.

As for the Russell, that may be the final solution. I've already paid for the AirHawk and the foam is free so I'm going to try that first.

And I'm going to look at my riding position.

Doug

Flaldrider
03-26-2007, 06:34 PM
Congrats on the BBG. Can be a tough ride. I know what you are talking about with regard to the seat. I went the Russell Day-Long route and have never looked back.

Mike

DataHawk
03-26-2007, 08:40 PM
Congratulations on the BBG! When I did mine I fell off the bike at the end, the legs just wouldn't work. After that ride I said I would never do another one...and I haven't, although I have done a couple 1300+ mile rides in under 24 hours. Next time try a sheepskin once you get the seat set up best for you. I have the front in the middle position and the rear in the low..the Sargent will bend alittle just like the stock seat.

crazykz
03-26-2007, 08:43 PM
This where I got my memory foam:
http://www.airrider.com/store/product.php?id=440

I trimmed it a little. It has a nonslip pad on the bottom of it so it stays in place on the seat.

Curt

BlaSTr
03-26-2007, 08:58 PM
This where I got my memory foam:
http://www.airrider.com/store/product.php?id=440

I trimmed it a little. It has a nonslip pad on the bottom of it so it stays in place on the seat.

Curt

Thanks for taking time out from the IBA prep to drop me the note and URL. I'll check it out.

Other than that, the ride was great, the directions sparse, and the anxiety worse than the actual ride. It wasn't until somewhere around hour 16 that I knew I could actually complete the ride in time. After that it was grinding out the miles while being careful to avoid stupidity.

I love this ST more and more. It ran great no matter the speed, temp, or temperment of its owner.

Doug