Help me Keep the Super Tenere

eram310

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Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
88
Location
Minneapolis
I love my Super Tenere ES but my sit bones do not.

I have owned the bike new since 2015 and in the first year I have replaced the stock seat with the Sargent. No improvement, maybe even worse. The only thing I like about the Sargent is that I can slide around the tank when riding aggressively in the twisties. (I have a Sargent on my 19-year-old SV650S and I also had a Sargent on a Triumph Street Triple R and it worked great for me on those bikes)

Based on feedback here and my personal experience, I decided to install Helibars on the bike. The assumptions, being 5’7 and 160LBS and short reach, the Helibars would put me more in the center of the seat and not in the narrow part close to the tank. No Help.

Today I test road a MultiStrada 950S, very nice bike, but it didn’t wow me. I did feel I was occupying most of the seat. It is almost like the Multistrada is designed for smaller people and it feels like a smaller bike. It also has taller pegs.

Bottom line, I want to keep the ST ES, but I have to be able to do more than 150 miles without being uncomfortable.

A few things about me, I have been riding hard core for the last 25 years continuously. From Sport touring, track days, off road and dual sporting. I am no Iron Butt, but I have done 600+ days on my SV650S with a Sargent seat, Tiger 800 stock seat with sheepskin. My normal day rides are usually 300-500 miles.

My next try is going to be something like Skwoosh Comfort Cushion or an AirHawk. I don’t want to spend $500 + on a RDL, Lamm or Bill Mayer and be disappointed again.

I know I am getting older, so just for reference,Last week I jumped on my SV650 S and did about 200 miles and although my knees were a little sore , my bottom felt great. Only about 150 miles today, maybe 30 on the Multi and 120 on the ST, and I still feel my sit bones as I am typing this.

Feedback from people my size and riding style will be highly appreciated.
 

fac191

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Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
2,827
Location
London
I love my Super Tenere ES but my sit bones do not.

I have owned the bike new since 2015 and in the first year I have replaced the stock seat with the Sargent. No improvement, maybe even worse. The only thing I like about the Sargent is that I can slide around the tank when riding aggressively in the twisties. (I have a Sargent on my 19-year-old SV650S and I also had a Sargent on a Triumph Street Triple R and it worked great for me on those bikes)

Based on feedback here and my personal experience, I decided to install Helibars on the bike. The assumptions, being 5’7 and 160LBS and short reach, the Helibars would put me more in the center of the seat and not in the narrow part close to the tank. No Help.

Today I test road a MultiStrada 950S, very nice bike, but it didn’t wow me. I did feel I was occupying most of the seat. It is almost like the Multistrada is designed for smaller people and it feels like a smaller bike. It also has taller pegs.

Bottom line, I want to keep the ST ES, but I have to be able to do more than 150 miles without being uncomfortable.

A few things about me, I have been riding hard core for the last 25 years continuously. From Sport touring, track days, off road and dual sporting. I am no Iron Butt, but I have done 600+ days on my SV650S with a Sargent seat, Tiger 800 stock seat with sheepskin. My normal day rides are usually 300-500 miles.

My next try is going to be something like Skwoosh Comfort Cushion or an AirHawk. I don’t want to spend $500 + on a RDL, Lamm or Bill Mayer and be disappointed again.

I know I am getting older, so just for reference,Last week I jumped on my SV650 S and did about 200 miles and although my knees were a little sore , my bottom felt great. Only about 150 miles today, maybe 30 on the Multi and 120 on the ST, and I still feel my sit bones as I am typing this.

Feedback from people my size and riding style will be highly appreciated.
What do you mean by sit bones ?
 

Doug C

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Victoria British Coloumbia
I’m same height 10 #’s heavier, I’ve had good luck with the air hawk. I’ve done many 5 to 600 mile days when travelling. Stand up on the pegs when I can to get the blood flowing again. I have the Yamaha low seat in the low position. Seat concepts does a nice replacement foam and cover kit for reasonable price but does raise seat height about 3/4”
 

fac191

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Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
2,827
Location
London
Your sit bones are called the ischial tuberosity. They're in your pelvis, and they provide the structural foundation for sitting down.
It's so difficult sometimes to feel really comfortable om a bike. I did everything i could to my 800 Tiger, seat, risers, bars from an Explorer 1200. It improved it alot but it never felt like home. The Tenere by comparison feels like an old pair of slippers. I put a seat concepts kit on it as i do tend to sit forward on the bike and its great as its wider and more padded at rhe front. I think for me its how i sit on the bike which gives me problems.
 

Sierra1

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Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,812
Location
Joshua TX
Eram310, I think that some people can ride all day, and other can't. I don't think your size has anything to do with it. I'm 6', and 300lbs at 57 yrs. I can't go more than a couple of hours at a time. I've always ass-sumed that it was my weight squishing the padding. . . . of the seat, and in my ass. But, your about half of my weight, so. . . . If the Sargent seat works fine on the SV, but not on the T-12, there's more to it than just the seat. Seating position, (position of your legs and arms) and engine vibrations are probably the main factors. Before spending any more money, I'd try and find a forum member that has changed out their seat, and is willing to let you try it out. The bike would be the "control" element, with only the seat(s) being different. Good luck.
 

cyclemike4

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Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
815
Location
ky
I love my Super Tenere ES but my sit bones do not.

I have owned the bike new since 2015 and in the first year I have replaced the stock seat with the Sargent. No improvement, maybe even worse. The only thing I like about the Sargent is that I can slide around the tank when riding aggressively in the twisties. (I have a Sargent on my 19-year-old SV650S and I also had a Sargent on a Triumph Street Triple R and it worked great for me on those bikes)

Based on feedback here and my personal experience, I decided to install Helibars on the bike. The assumptions, being 5’7 and 160LBS and short reach, the Helibars would put me more in the center of the seat and not in the narrow part close to the tank. No Help.

Today I test road a MultiStrada 950S, very nice bike, but it didn’t wow me. I did feel I was occupying most of the seat. It is almost like the Multistrada is designed for smaller people and it feels like a smaller bike. It also has taller pegs.

Bottom line, I want to keep the ST ES, but I have to be able to do more than 150 miles without being uncomfortable.

A few things about me, I have been riding hard core for the last 25 years continuously. From Sport touring, track days, off road and dual sporting. I am no Iron Butt, but I have done 600+ days on my SV650S with a Sargent seat, Tiger 800 stock seat with sheepskin. My normal day rides are usually 300-500 miles.

My next try is going to be something like Skwoosh Comfort Cushion or an AirHawk. I don’t want to spend $500 + on a RDL, Lamm or Bill Mayer and be disappointed again.

I know I am getting older, so just for reference,Last week I jumped on my SV650 S and did about 200 miles and although my knees were a little sore , my bottom felt great. Only about 150 miles today, maybe 30 on the Multi and 120 on the ST, and I still feel my sit bones as I am typing this.

Feedback from people my size and riding style will be highly appreciated.
I probably don't have much that can help you but i have pretty much the same issues as you. I am a couple inches taller than you so that helps me. I did make a seat with stiffer foam in it. I like to ride at the back of the fuel tank and hug it with my legs. Just my riding style i guess. On long rides though that would make things ache. I put 1 inch risers on my bike and rolled the bars back towards me. I also had trouble with the bars being too wide for my frame. I narrowed them probably two inches or a little better. With the bar mods and the seat foam change on long rides when i need to I have room to move back to the wide part of the seat. when i get into traffic or on curvy roads i can grip the tank with my legs and feel pretty good either way. Still the seat needs some work if you have to stay up by the tank.
 

MFP

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Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
1,410
Location
NYC, NY
My next try is going to be something like Skwoosh Comfort Cushion or an AirHawk.
I posted earlier this month that I added the Skwoosh mid-size gel pad to my stock seat and I must
say it is a heck of an improvement. Well made (in NY), fits spot on and very functional, not bad for $69.99.
I prefer the gel-pad in the Skwoosh rather than the air-pad in the AirHawk.
Skwoosh.jpg
 
B

ballisticexchris

Guest
Eram I would highly recommend the AirHawk. It has infinite adjustments.
 

fac191

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Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
2,827
Location
London
I posted earlier this month that I added the Skwoosh mid-size gel pad to my stock seat and I must
say it is a heck of an improvement. Well made (in NY), fits spot on and very functional, not bad for $69.99.
I prefer the gel-pad in the Skwoosh rather than the air-pad in the AirHawk.
View attachment 67153
Forgot to say i put a backrest i had from a givi top box on aswell. It sits on the joim between the 2 seats. It offers so much support i can gas it as hard as i like and i dont have to be gripping the tank with my knees to hold on. I find as i am less tensed up im not transferring the problem somewhere else. Will post up a photo. Its a cheap fix and removable in seconds.
 

Cantab

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Joined
Mar 15, 2020
Messages
482
Location
Christchurch NZ
Your sit bones are called the ischial tuberosity. They're in your pelvis, and they provide the structural foundation for sitting down.
I have broken 1 part of that - not fun at all , ive used an AirHawk on a few types of bikes and it def helped me on the long trips or big days @ 1000kms.
 

TNWalker

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Here is a link to a seat cover option that In recently found. I have no experience with this product however I think It looks like quality kit. If it didn't work out, you could always go back to the oem cover. https://www.tappezzeriaitalia.it/gb/super-tenere-1200/623-13026-seat-yamaha-super-tenere-1200-modello-maui-comfort.html I think this kit looks really good.

For what it's worth, I went on the same hunt as you did looking for a seat solution on my Tenere'. AirHawk, Seat concepts were a no go for me. I bit the bullet and went RDL and have no regrets whatsoever. I should have went there first and saved me a bunch of money.


Steve
 

fac191

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Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
2,827
Location
London
Here is a link to a seat cover option that In recently found. I have no experience with this product however I think It looks like quality kit. If it didn't work out, you could always go back to the oem cover. https://www.tappezzeriaitalia.it/gb/super-tenere-1200/623-13026-seat-yamaha-super-tenere-1200-modello-maui-comfort.html I think this kit looks really good.

For what it's worth, I went on the same hunt as you did looking for a seat solution on my Tenere'. AirHawk, Seat concepts were a no go for me. I bit the bullet and went RDL and have no regrets whatsoever. I should have went there first and saved me a bunch of money.


Steve
Wish you could the RDL over here.
 

Cycledude

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Jan 29, 2016
Messages
3,998
Location
Rib lake wi
Currently using Corbin it mostly works fine but it’s to slippery and to hard on rough roads. I have tried SeatConcepts for 160 miles and didn’t like it, last week I rode 500 miles on a friends Russel Day Long and thought it was great so I’m planning to buy one, it’s a little to tall for me but I’m hoping to have mine made a little lower.
Tenere is the first motorcycle I ever owned with such a miserable seat, or maybe the real problem is I’m Just getting old.
 

fac191

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Jun 22, 2016
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London
Currently using Corbin it mostly works fine but it’s to slippery and to hard on rough roads. I have tried SeatConcepts for 160 miles and didn’t like it, last week I rode 500 miles on a friends Russel Day Long and thought it was great so I’m planning to buy one, it’s a little to tall for me but I’m hoping to have mine made a little lower.
Tenere is the first motorcycle I ever owned with such a miserable seat, or maybe the real problem is I’m Just getting old.
I`ve been getting old since i was born. I wouldnt worry about it. If you stop getting old then you got a problem. I think theres alot of folk on here would love to knock 500 mile days off. Me included !
 

Cycledude

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Jan 29, 2016
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3,998
Location
Rib lake wi
Check out a Terry's custom seat. They are a lot cheaper than other custom made seats. I tried a Seat concepts. It was no better than the recovered stocker for me.
Yes I would love to take Terry’s Custom Seat for a test ride, it sure looks like a nice seat and if I knew I would like it I would buy one. That’s one of the biggest reasons I was looking forward to the Tenere rally in Arkansas so I could checkout all the Tenere modifications.
 
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