Last weekend ago, I went on a long ride with my co-worker, Kari, who rides a Moto Guzzi Breva 1100 (beautiful bike, by the way). We rode down to the coast to Freeport and up the Blue Water Highway to Galveston for lunch at Gaido's. The total round trip took us about 4h 30m total. I was finding that within an hour or so the seat had become a bit uncomfortable, which puzzled me as I've ridden 2-3 hours at a time previously without much discomfort that I could recall. Having thought about it, I thought that it might be because this time I decided to wear my cycling shorts with the gel pad. My guess is that the gel pad had opposite the desired effect and actually created pressure points between the sit bones, wreaking havoc with the perineal nerve.
Yesterday, I decided to forego the cycling shorts to see how things went. I still started feeling some discomfort within an hour or so, but it wasn't as bad as before, but not quite as good as I recall previously. Perhaps my rear end got soft while I was on vacation with my family, or there's a deeper underlying problem that should be fixed. At any rate, I'm now considering an aftermarket seat that will let me keep up with the V-Strom's 5.3 gallon tank. Unfortunately, there's nowhere to try before you buy, so there's a bit of a leap of faith involved here.
I've read nothing but good things re: Russell's Day-Long custom seats, but I'd be looking at anywhere from $555 for vinyl to $695 for all leather and would have to ship them my stock seat, leaving me unable to ride the bike until they shipped it back. They do seem to have a very reasonable buy-back policy, where they will buy back your saddle if you do not find it comfortable after the break-in period, provided that you give them two tries to correct any problems with the seat.
Corbin gets fairly consistently high ratings on comfort and improvement over stock, but apparently their customer service leaves something to be desired. Again, this is all based on stuff I've read, so don't take it personally. I'm just sharing my research here. Their Canyon Dual Sport saddle looks pretty nice, with the tractor-style cupped seating for both driver and passenger, similar to the Russell but without the wings. It's a little less costly at $493. There's an option for a heated seat, but I can't really see myself needing that in Texas. Corbin provides a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser, but no refunds or credits. I find it very hard to spend that amount of money on a product sight unseen without any recourse should it not meet my needs.
Sargent gets consistently high ratings as well for both comfort and customer service. They also have a 30-day money back guarantee less shipping. Their World Sport Performance Plus clocks in at $450 and features some nice touches such as colored piping to match the bike, an underseat storage tube, and available heat option. I must admit that the Sargent's profile looks suspiciously like the stock seat's, but it's supposed to be wider; their foam comparison diagram indicates that they address the central high pressure issue; and they do have a 30-day return when you order direct.
UPDATE (2013-08-25) -- I have since read on Stromtrooper.com that people are having issues with the Saddlemen Adventure Track's fit where the seat meets the tank. It seems to be a fairly consistent problem with the product line, and apparently their customer support is indifferent at best. One poster said the guy asked him three times what he would do if the replacement fit exactly the same. Sounds like someone knows the fit of his product sucks. I think I'm scratching the Saddlemen off of my list, which puts the Sargent at the top now.
So that covers the Summer and Seats, now you're probably wondering, "What about Stelvio?" As an avid motorcyclist, you probably know about the motorcycle mecca called the Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps with its 84 hairpin turns rising to an altitude of over 9,000 feet. Well, that's the inspiration for Moto Guzzi's large displacement adventure bike, not coincidentally named the Stelvio 1200 NTX. I only bring this up, because my friend Kari has been trying to convince me that I really needed to get one, particularly because it also is available in a color not unlike that of my alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin. It really is an attractive bike and loaded with standard features, such as a monstrous 8.5 gallon tank, aluminum side cases that look like they're made by Trex, center stand, adjustable windshield, handguards, sump guard, crash bars, halogen aux lights, 12V power port in the dash, and high end suspension and brake components, all at a price of $15,990 MSRP. It really is a great deal when you break it down by how much all of those things would cost, many of which you would want to add anyway. It weighs in at around 600 lbs, depending on who you ask, which puts it right in the running with BMW's much uglier R1200GSA, which does not come with side cases and some of the other standard items on the Stelvio.
While I like the looks of the bike and the fact that it's simply different, I can't help but wonder why I would trade in the V-Strom. At this time, I don't do any two-up riding, so the 650 is plenty of engine for me. I have been averaging 53.6 mpg since I bought it, which means I have a possible range of about 350 miles on a full tank. Probably less, since that would be running it dry, which is a bad thing, but you get the idea. Meanwhile, the Stelvio would probably get around 40 mpg, which translates to 340 miles on a full tank, so range is a wash as well. So it seems the only thing I'd be getting in exchange for the additional $8K or so above what I've already spent on the V-Strom is more horsepower and torque. Since I can't see my wife and I embarking on any transcontinental bike odyssey in the near future, I think I'm standing pat with the V-Strom. It's a great bike in its own right, does everything I need it to do (with the noted exception above), and does it well. So let's change "Stelvio" to "Status Quo".
