The "Butt Butler" is going on vacation

[Rick Butler]

Hey Guys,

 

I thought I'd give you all a heads-up that Linda and I are leaving for a 2 week vacation on June 21st to West Virginia and the Smokey Mountains, etc.

 

Therefore the "Butt Butler" will NOT be IN until probably July 7th.

 

I have told this to the last few folks recently that were interested in my seat mod and I'm sending out Steve Wallace's RSTD seat today. And I think I have one more seat headed my way to complete before we leave.

 

So, if you have not shipped your seat to me as of today June 13th, please wait until after July 4th. Then I will be happy to fix your seat.

 

And on the subject of fixing seats, I thought I'd like to give you all a little insight into what I have learned recently from re-working seats. Even though I have been doing my tail-bone relief for maybe 20 years, I have learned much more since I have been using memory foam to layer seats before putting the cover back on. It not only fills in the seat cover from the foundation foam that I've removed but it's such a pleasureful material to sit on. It does not have a linear resistence that most foams have when sat on. It compresses fully to the foundation foam whan sat on from those pressure points and then doesn't compress where there is no pressure.

 

Secondly, I have always used a electric carving knife to remove most of the foam. This is done to take any crown or forward pitch that is in the seat, or more recently to cut a curvature into the back of the seat to let you set back into the it. I don't know why Yamaha in their wisdom built a flat surface into the back of their seats? To me it just created another pressure point that is annoying. The reason I have only recently discovered this issue, is that I've been riding on a Travelcade Road Sofa for the past 20 years.

 

And even some aftermarket seats have comfort issues that I've had to personally deal with. And I'll have to admit that the Road Sofa for the 2nd gen is nothing like what they made for the 1st gen Ventures.

 

And IMHO gel inserts are highly overrated. They not ony absorb heat when sat out in the sun, the gel still creates pressure points that are uncomfortable. In fact I reworked a Travelcade Road Sofa for a 2nd gen few months ago and discovered gel inserts which I was not expecting. However I had worked around them on my Road Sofa a year earlier and had planned on doing this one the same. However the more I got to looking at the seat with the inserts out, I realized that I could cut the edges of the insert indentions out and still have plenty of foundation foam to work with. Plus it automatically gave me a seat that was 3/4" lower, which works well for those of us that are inseam challenged. And with a 1 1/2" of memory foam, the seat cover still fits like it was intended.

 

But, I've only recently found a small pneumatic right angle grinder with a 4" 60 grit sanding pad that I could easily control and vary the speed. This tool is critical to put a final smooth finish on the foam after I have cut it down with the carving knife. However it really puts off some fine foam particles, so after a short period of smoothing down foam, it looks like I've been snowed on. This is why I do this work outside under my carport.

 

Sorry I got long winded explaining why I won't be available until after July 4th. But I need to go get a couple of tires changed for a our trip coming up.

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

 

Oh and FYI, if you have not noticed, I have a classified ad here for my Butt Butler Seat Mod

 

http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php/product/1023/cat/7/date/1157932426

[GigaWhiskey]

Enjoy that ride Rick. Too bad I wont see you on the 21st but that is ok, I will see you again sometime.

 

BTW, my Butt likes you, lol. Seat feels really good! It was an improvement for the wifee too!

[skidrow]

U-turn, Your Going To The "MTA Gathering" Ain't Ya?

[eagleeye]

Hey Rick,

Sounds like a great trip. Hope you enjoy the Smokey Mountains. How could you not, huh?

I've managed to put on a bunch more miles since my last PM, and the seat is a dream to sit on.

Thanks,

Steve

[FreezyRider]

Hey Guys,

 

I thought I'd give you all a heads-up that Linda and I are leaving for a 2 week vacation on June 21st to West Virginia and the Smokey Mountains, etc.

 

Therefore the "Butt Butler" will NOT be IN until probably July 7th.

 

I have told this to the last few folks recently that were interested in my seat mod and I'm sending out Steve Wallace's RSTD seat today. And I think I have one more seat headed my way to complete before we leave.

 

So, if you have not shipped your seat to me as of today June 13th, please wait until after July 4th. Then I will be happy to fix your seat.

 

And on the subject of fixing seats, I thought I'd like to give you all a little insight into what I have learned recently from re-working seats. Even though I have been doing my tail-bone relief for maybe 20 years, I have learned much more since I have been using memory foam to layer seats before putting the cover back on. It not only fills in the seat cover from the foundation foam that I've removed but it's such a pleasureful material to sit on. It does not have a linear resistence that most foams have when sat on. It compresses fully to the foundation foam whan sat on from those pressure points and then doesn't compress where there is no pressure.

 

Secondly, I have always used a electric carving knife to remove most of the foam. This is done to take any crown or forward pitch that is in the seat, or more recently to cut a curvature into the back of the seat to let you set back into the it. I don't know why Yamaha in their wisdom built a flat surface into the back of their seats? To me it just created another pressure point that is annoying. The reason I have only recently discovered this issue, is that I've been riding on a Travelcade Road Sofa for the past 20 years.

 

And even some aftermarket seats have comfort issues that I've had to personally deal with. And I'll have to admit that the Road Sofa for the 2nd gen is nothing like what they made for the 1st gen Ventures.

 

And IMHO gel inserts are highly overrated. They not ony absorb heat when sat out in the sun, the gel still creates pressure points that are uncomfortable. In fact I reworked a Travelcade Road Sofa for a 2nd gen few months ago and discovered gel inserts which I was not expecting. However I had worked around them on my Road Sofa a year earlier and had planned on doing this one the same. However the more I got to looking at the seat with the inserts out, I realized that I could cut the edges of the insert indentions out and still have plenty of foundation foam to work with. Plus it automatically gave me a seat that was 3/4" lower, which works well for those of us that are inseam challenged. And with a 1 1/2" of memory foam, the seat cover still fits like it was intended.

 

But, I've only recently found a small pneumatic right angle grinder with a 4" 60 grit sanding pad that I could easily control and vary the speed. This tool is critical to put a final smooth finish on the foam after I have cut it down with the carving knife. However it really puts off some fine foam particles, so after a short period of smoothing down foam, it looks like I've been snowed on. This is why I do this work outside under my carport.

 

Sorry I got long winded explaining why I won't be available until after July 4th. But I need to go get a couple of tires changed for a our trip coming up.

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

 

Oh and FYI, if you have not noticed, I have a classified ad here for my Butt Butler Seat Mod

 

http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php/product/1023/cat/7/date/1157932426

 

Rick,

I've been cutting and hacking on my Gold Wing seat for the past year, trying this mod then that mod. Still not happy. I am having trouble trying to find the right type of foam to use. Would you be willing to share the type you are using, maybe even a source to buy it?

Wish I could buy a seat for my wing that was as good as the Pillow Top RSV seat.

 

Joe

[cecdoo]

Hey Rick, are you coming to the Skid In?? It would be great to meet you. Craig

[Squidley]

Have fun Rick, and I'll be getting ahold of you for some work on my '86 seat after you return...be safe.

[Rick Butler]

Tom,

 

My philosophy is to first get the foundation foam to more fit your butt. Then after that, I cut in a tailbone relief to take the pressure off the tail bone and put it on the sit bones. And the memory foam is really nothing more than a means to have a top layer that fills in the cover and doesn't create any upward pressure to speak of. And I get mine from Target or Walmart where it's nothing more than a 1 1/2" mattress topper.

 

So which GL seat do you have and how much have you already modified it. If it's not too cut up, I could probably save it and make it right?

 

Later,

 

Rick

[bongobobny]

Good thing I won't be buying anything for a while...

 

Enjoy the vacation, you deserve it!!

[FreezyRider]

Tom,

 

My philosophy is to first get the foundation foam to more fit your butt. Then after that, I cut in a tailbone relief to take the pressure off the tail bone and put it on the sit bones. And the memory foam is really nothing more than a means to have a top layer that fills in the cover and doesn't create any upward pressure to speak of. And I get mine from Target or Walmart where it's nothing more than a 1 1/2" mattress topper.

 

So which GL seat do you have and how much have you already modified it. If it's not too cut up, I could probably save it and make it right?

 

Later,

 

Rick

 

 

Rick, I have a 1500 stock Gold Wing seat. I cut about an inch of foam out of it, then cut pockets about 1" deep where my "sit bones" contact the seat. Filled the pockets with memory foam, then put about 1 1/2 inches of memory foam across the top where I took out the initial 1" of foam. I tapered the top layer toward the front of the seat so that it would be a bit lower there. With me, my tailbone doesn't seem to be the problem. It's my "sit bones" that cause pain. That's probably due to the fact that all my padding is out front and my butt is flat. Anyway, my system seemed to work fine last year, but this year was causing me misery. So, I did some more mods but to no avail.

I have purchased a used Diamond seat from another GW owner. After it arrives I'm going to install it and then take some more hacks on the stock seat just to see if I can fix it. If not, no loss. And if I get too frustrated with it and don't bugger it up too bad I may have you take a crack at it.

Thanks.

 

Joe

[seforeman]

Rick,

 

Hope you have a safe a wonderful trip.

 

I just got back from doing about 1800 miles on the Roadsofa you re-worked for me down from NJ to Va to W Va and then to North Carolina and back. Both the Wife and myself were extatic. The seat performed amazingly well. And I can tell you, I don't miss the gel at all, and considering some days the heat index was 105, I didn't miss the heat of the seats at all either. Prior to that we did 600+ miles to and from Rolling Thunder in DC on Memorial day. I feel like after riding 6-7 hours - I could ride a lot longer still. Now, the only part of my bod that is fatigued is my wrists. I have the Barons risers, but thinking I need to switch to the Flanders bars instead.

 

We are off to the Grey Ghost Inn in Vermont second weekend in July, will be putting in another 700+ miles then too, and looking forward to it.

 

You rock dude.

 

Keep the shiny side up.

 

Stu

[Rick Butler]

Hey Guys,

 

It's July 4th and I am back after almost 4,000 miles of traveling to WV and back to Texas.

 

Rick

[GigaWhiskey]

Now thats a lot of miles in the seat. One day I will do that even if it is when I can't do it on two wheels anymore.

 

Hope you had a great trip.

 

I will hook up with you to get your hard manuals back to you.