Finally updated new bike.

I seldom write on this blog, but thought i should update it to at least show my current bike. It is a 2008 Yamaha wr250x. I'll post some pics of it & try to show any mods i've made.

I got it in July of '09.  It had 220 miles on it.  It is the super moto version, but i put knobby tires on it for more offroad worthiness.

I put on a skidplate, handguards, rox risers & a higher alloy handle bar.  I got a lower seat & put on the yamalink, which lowers it down another inch or so.

I added a rack i took off my drz, cut down the tail light assembly, took off the clutch & kickstand safety switches, & added a more open exhaust pipe.

I also removed the exup assembly, & did the 10k resistor mod to clear the check engine light from the exup.  I removed the ais assembly, the vacuum flapper & screwed down the flap for the air noise reducer.  This also opened up the air intake a little.
I put the swivel pegs from my drz on the wrx, put some led turn signals on the front, & mostly have just ridden it.  I've put over 3k miles on to date, & it has been a great upgrade for me from the drz.  It is lower, lighter, & is easier for me to handle.

Motorcycle seats: The quest for posterior bliss..

I don't know anyone over the age of 25 who thinks most stock motorcycle seats are comfortable for any length of time. So we make mods. We buy third party seats. We try fixes, covers, cushions, powders, underwear & magic lotions. But at the end of the day, our butts are still red & sore.

On my drz, I got the suzuki gel seat, first. It was a marginal improvement. The more i thought about it, the more i realized there was no way of improving things with the narrow seat. The gel seat is worse, because it is rounded.. so more pressure hits you in the middle. I can sit in a car for hours & not be as sore. I can watch tv for hours.. sit at the computer, etc. The main difference is the weight is spread out in the other chairs, but on the motorcycle seat it is concentrated in a small area.

I rode up to Utah the summer of 2008.. i was planning over 2k miles & a lot of sitting on the bike. I wanted a better seat. I had tried a bicycle gel seat cover, tying it over the back of the bike's seat. Again, marginal improvement. Then i got the idea of making my own sheepskin. I had a sheepskin seat cover that wasn't being used (well, it was on the car, but i pinched it for the bike). I snipped it up, put some fabric glue on the backing, glued a strap to the bottom & covered the strap with plastic tape. That over the gel bike seat cover was a little better, yet.





I rode that combination up to ogden, ut. A couple of long days of riding.. some dirt, some freeway.. It was better than what i had before.

In Utah, i planned a trip to montana & yellowstone. I knew there'd be more time in the saddle, so planned another mod. Then i stumbled upon this seat cover in walmart.. it's an ATV seat cover, with straps to tie it to the existing seat.



The foam was pretty thin, but it was wider. The problem was it just followed the contour of the suzuki seat. I found a political sign that was no longer needed. The election was over, & i don't know if the dude won or lost, but i cut part of the corrugated plastic sign up into 2 pieces, taped them together, then put it under the walmart seat cover.





This gave me added width, a little spring action from the plastic sign, & some length. I could slide back on the seat on longer hiway rides & get some support from my thighs.

For the grand finale, i put the sheepskin back on.





Now was the time for a test. How about riding 400 miles up into montana.. doing some single track.. some dirt roads.. but also lots of pavement. I rode for 3 days, camped in the forest, & tested the seat. It was a major improvement. The 'layers' helped dampen the vibration, another major factor in monkey butt. The added width spread out the weight, & the wool pile gave some added cushion & wicking action. The 3rd day i rode about 400 miles from montana back to ogden, ut.

I thought of improvements.. but short of more & thicker foam, nothing would add to it. More & thicker foam would also contribute too much to the height, & it was already about 1" taller.. but with the lower suzuki gel seat, it was still a little shorter than the stock.

So then i decided it was time to go home. It's about 600 miles from my Daughter's house in ogden to sedona, az. I left early in the morning & rode the freeway down past spanish fork.. about 100 miles. then i got on smaller highways, rode down to Bryce, then on some dirt toward Lake powell. I sat on that bike for almost 14 hrs.. clocked 560 miles, rode in rain for about 50 miles, & generally tested the seat in a variety of conditions.

It may not look pretty, but my butt thinks it's beautiful.

The walmart cover was about $17. I had the sheepskin cover, & had paid $15 or so for it, clearanced. there's still enough on it for a couple more covers. The plastic sign was free.. who says our politicians are good for nothing? I also bought a tube of liquid stitch.. too lazy to sew.. & the glue works great, anyway.

So this is my new adventure riding seat.. I take it off if i've got some gnarly dirt rides planned with local riding buddies.. but i've left it on for some of them.. as long as the added height isn't a problem, the seat is great.

Here it is on the wr:

Tires.. where the rubber meets the road.

There are a lot of different opinions among motorcycle aficianados about tires. Some are very committed to their brand or type of tire & will promote & defend them to the death! The tire is very important. It is where you connect to the earth in the ride. My basic philosophy on tires has been to get the best tire for the worst conditions i might find myself in.

For many years i used the big teraflex on my drz. It had amazing traction, was very tall, & lasted a long time. I got 5k miles on them.. of course they were nearly bald when i replaced them. I noticed that i seldom used all the traction they provided. Most of the miles i put on the bike are on long dirt roads & paved sections. But then there will be a steep rocky climb, or sand, or some mud. That's when the tires prove themselves.

On occasion, i've considered downgrading to a less aggressive tread. 90% of the time i would be fine with a typical dual sport type of tread, rather than full knobbies. But then i remember some of the spots i've gotten into. Spinning out halfway up a big hill isn't much fun. Better to have the traction & not need it, than to need it & not have it. So i stick with the big knobbies. They wear a little faster on the longer rides, but it's not that hard to change them, & there are reasonably priced tires out there, & tires are part of the maintenance of motorcycle riding.