I recently purchased a gel seat pad for my bike, it's amazing how much it smooth's out the bumps. Now I'm thinking about getting my 36 year old seat rebuilt using modern materials.
Will be getting a Saergent seat and still using an old sheepskin. Never throw anything out. Crampbuster on both bikes. Works great when your older and wrists are worn out. Got cruise control, but use these more often.
When it comes to seats, I went through all the normal ones out there for after market for my Tiger 800. Turns out they all sucked and none of them would integrate with my built in heat controls. I ended up looking around and shipped my seat out to Russell Cycle Productions in California, to have them rebuild it. I won't lie, it wasn't cheap, but I can tell you it was worth every last penny. I tried the sheepskin and a bunch of other things before hand with no success. Save your time and money, just have them rebuild your seat. (This is not a paid endorsement, but if you ask my ass, it is totally worth it).
Great list! Depending on the bike you are riding, I would include upgrading the foot pegs. On an adventure bike they are usually too small. Getting larger pegs like the IMS Adventure makes all the difference both sitting and standing.
As you say, fit the bike to you! I don't do quite the hard-core touring you do, and what I do would probably be considered sport touring, but I had no trouble at all riding to Nashville several years back (about 12 hours or so, rain from Johnson City off and on, some heavy). Double bubble windscreen helps a lot, as do the Heli Bars and Corbin saddle (MUCH better than the stock seat), and Race-Tech suspension. Last summer's 800-mile WV weekend was no trouble either. And I get by with just a tail bag, tend to travel kind of light.
On the crampbuster, I had a large plastic one like you show and had an issue once with a large cruiser on gravel where the front started washing out. When the bars were to the left, the crampbuster ended up making me give more throttle due to my lack of reach. Obviously, it ended up being a pretty ugly oscillation which ended with the bike on its side. My point in bringing this up is that the Kuryakyn universal throttle boss is a much smaller all rubber version which still does the job, but is small enough to not cause the debacle I had with the large plastic one. Thanks for the vids- I enjoy them!
Yeah, the crampbuster can interfere with the throttle control if you are not careful. I have learned to move my hand to the far left when making minor slow speed adjustments in steering just to ensure I don't give it a shot of throttle that can be dangerous. Work great as long as you watch out for that....
You didnt mention you've written book(s) about touring as well...dont forget to let them know you're a published author on traveling on two wheels. :-) Also, great vid and advice.
Another great video. I had never thought about using a cramp buster the Roadmaster since it has cruise control, but I think I'm going to throw one on it anyway...cost is minimal, and when out on the twisties, no real opportunity to use cruise and might relieve fatigue when rolling on and off the throttle. And, I am so happy to learn how to pronounce "Puig," lol (not Pweeg)
Yeah, the Crampbuster is great in those sections you mentioned (twisty) so get the hand relaxed for a few seconds before getting back into a turn. The Puig pronunciation is all the Europeans I listen to in MotoGP every week 😂
at 6'4" and 58 yo, highway pegs are a must. imho, the ktm bags on my '16 1290 SAT are good, but the the release mechanism is pure crap. I wish that the high end bikes would come with an electric seat height adjustment like cars, easier to get on then raise it up to ride. I dont like the adaptive ride height idea as forks are complex enough, one more thing to require expensive dealer service. im keeping my 07 gsa and my 16 1290.
KTM Powerparts Ergo seat is the way to go on the 1290 SA. It makes 1000 mile days a breeze. Hard bags are definitely the way to go on the street. However, soft bags work much better if doing any offroad riding.
Throttle rockers (or cramp buster) are a major upgrade if you don't have cruise control. Sounds simple.. but 6 hours into a ride you'll really appreciate being able to take your grip off the throttle once in a while.
Nope, just leave it on. As long as you're sitting on the bike it won't get wet. I will throw a half cover over my bike at night if it's calling for rain tho.
Thanks and no, I haven't. My last 3 bikes (FJR1300, 1290 SA and 990 ADV) all came with either factory bags (Yamaha had saddlebags and factory option top case, 1290 Factory Saddlebags and added the factory option top case) or aftermarket bags (990 has Tusk aluminum panniers) already on them. I couldn't justify the added cost when they all worked/work fine for my purposes.
I have been looking all over but haven't been able to locate the liners for the OEM hardcases. Where did you get yours? Thanks in advance and love the content!
The Airsoft Hawk inflatable seat is a winner as well. Used it for years on cheaper bikes for complete comfort PS: I have always wondered why you can pay big bucks for a top line bike and without failure, they come with a crappy seat ! Even the cheapest car has a decent seat..
Eh…people complain about seats but I’ve done multiple Iron Butts and countless cross country (and multiple country) trips on stock seats; never had an issue.
@@2WR So lucky. I only had one bike of the many that I have toured with that came with a good seat...Yamaha Venture. Other than that, always had to make some mods to handle those 1500 km days...guess my butt is too sensitive....:))
Really don’t want look through the windscreen but over it, especially with the new helmets having the internal smoked visor that drops down it puts a big strain on your eyes and you fatigue faster. If you’re just looking over the top of it you’ll still get the wind protection benefits but not having to look through multiple lenses.
Great list, I agree. My honorable mention is heated grips. I just got my first bike with heated grips and I like them. I always sucked it up before and had to stop when frost bite became a concern.
I had heated grips on my short list but ultimately left them off. Figured most people would be touring during warmer weather so went with those items/upgrades instead. I do like my heated grips though.
As I've stated in numerous videos before, I use my 1290 for touring. I do sometimes put more aggressive tires on and take it off--road but my 990 is what I use more for ADV riding.
Way overpriced stuff here. I buy sheepskin for 29 bucks a peace and mount a strap, makes 58 for both seats. You pay 240 for both seats. Well, you make money with the videos
No, I paid about $100 when I bought to over ten years ago (they now sell for $120 for a full sheepskin). I then trimmed it down into 2 originally for my FJR1300 and then for my KTM1290 years later. As for making money making videos…this video has made a total of $36 since it was posted 😂
@@2WR My mistake as an FJR RP28 rider and therefore my warm apologies to you (mean it !!!) Thought you youtube guys make big bucks. Anyway, wonder why you switched from FJR to KTM.
I recently purchased a gel seat pad for my bike, it's amazing how much it smooth's out the bumps. Now I'm thinking about getting my 36 year old seat rebuilt using modern materials.
Will be getting a Saergent seat and still using an old sheepskin. Never throw anything out. Crampbuster on both bikes. Works great when your older and wrists are worn out. Got cruise control, but use these more often.
Good stuff - especially about “fitting” the stock bike to you - that can make a world of difference.👍
When it comes to seats, I went through all the normal ones out there for after market for my Tiger 800. Turns out they all sucked and none of them would integrate with my built in heat controls. I ended up looking around and shipped my seat out to Russell Cycle Productions in California, to have them rebuild it. I won't lie, it wasn't cheap, but I can tell you it was worth every last penny. I tried the sheepskin and a bunch of other things before hand with no success. Save your time and money, just have them rebuild your seat. (This is not a paid endorsement, but if you ask my ass, it is totally worth it).
Great list! Depending on the bike you are riding, I would include upgrading the foot pegs. On an adventure bike they are usually too small. Getting larger pegs like the IMS Adventure makes all the difference both sitting and standing.
Yeah, they make a huge difference. Wished I had them on my 990 on the MABDR trip.
As you say, fit the bike to you! I don't do quite the hard-core touring you do, and what I do would probably be considered sport touring, but I had no trouble at all riding to Nashville several years back (about 12 hours or so, rain from Johnson City off and on, some heavy). Double bubble windscreen helps a lot, as do the Heli Bars and Corbin saddle (MUCH better than the stock seat), and Race-Tech suspension. Last summer's 800-mile WV weekend was no trouble either. And I get by with just a tail bag, tend to travel kind of light.
On the crampbuster, I had a large plastic one like you show and had an issue once with a large cruiser on gravel where the front started washing out. When the bars were to the left, the crampbuster ended up making me give more throttle due to my lack of reach. Obviously, it ended up being a pretty ugly oscillation which ended with the bike on its side.
My point in bringing this up is that the Kuryakyn universal throttle boss is a much smaller all rubber version which still does the job, but is small enough to not cause the debacle I had with the large plastic one.
Thanks for the vids- I enjoy them!
Yeah, the crampbuster can interfere with the throttle control if you are not careful. I have learned to move my hand to the far left when making minor slow speed adjustments in steering just to ensure I don't give it a shot of throttle that can be dangerous. Work great as long as you watch out for that....
All good points! I recently bought a sheepskin seat cover and it is pretty awesome!
You didnt mention you've written book(s) about touring as well...dont forget to let them know you're a published author on traveling on two wheels. :-) Also, great vid and advice.
Yea, I did miss that.
Great video, great suggestions. Thank you Mario
Another great video. I had never thought about using a cramp buster the Roadmaster since it has cruise control, but I think I'm going to throw one on it anyway...cost is minimal, and when out on the twisties, no real opportunity to use cruise and might relieve fatigue when rolling on and off the throttle. And, I am so happy to learn how to pronounce "Puig," lol (not Pweeg)
Yeah, the Crampbuster is great in those sections you mentioned (twisty) so get the hand relaxed for a few seconds before getting back into a turn. The Puig pronunciation is all the Europeans I listen to in MotoGP every week 😂
Another great video Mario!
Thanks again!
at 6'4" and 58 yo, highway pegs are a must. imho, the ktm bags on my '16 1290 SAT are good, but the the release mechanism is pure crap. I wish that the high end bikes would come with an electric seat height adjustment like cars, easier to get on then raise it up to ride. I dont like the adaptive ride height idea as forks are complex enough, one more thing to require expensive dealer service. im keeping my 07 gsa and my 16 1290.
KTM Powerparts Ergo seat is the way to go on the 1290 SA. It makes 1000 mile days a breeze. Hard bags are definitely the way to go on the street. However, soft bags work much better if doing any offroad riding.
Great list! Tx!
Throttle rockers (or cramp buster) are a major upgrade if you don't have cruise control. Sounds simple.. but 6 hours into a ride you'll really appreciate being able to take your grip off the throttle once in a while.
Great video! Was thinking about getting a sheepskin for an upcoming trip, may be a dumb question but do you take it off in the rain?
Nope, just leave it on. As long as you're sitting on the bike it won't get wet. I will throw a half cover over my bike at night if it's calling for rain tho.
Good video thanks for sharing
Nice video Mario, Have you never consider the Lonerider luggage?
Thanks and no, I haven't. My last 3 bikes (FJR1300, 1290 SA and 990 ADV) all came with either factory bags (Yamaha had saddlebags and factory option top case, 1290 Factory Saddlebags and added the factory option top case) or aftermarket bags (990 has Tusk aluminum panniers) already on them. I couldn't justify the added cost when they all worked/work fine for my purposes.
I have been looking all over but haven't been able to locate the liners for the OEM hardcases. Where did you get yours? Thanks in advance and love the content!
I bought them in 2016. Not sure if they are available any longer. The part numbers are 603.12.924.060 and 603.12.925.060. Maybe that will help
The Airsoft Hawk inflatable seat is a winner as well. Used it for years on cheaper bikes for complete comfort
PS: I have always wondered why you can pay big bucks for a top line bike and without failure, they come with a crappy seat ! Even the cheapest car has a decent seat..
Eh…people complain about seats but I’ve done multiple Iron Butts and countless cross country (and multiple country) trips on stock seats; never had an issue.
@@2WR So lucky. I only had one bike of the many that I have toured with that came with a good seat...Yamaha Venture. Other than that, always had to make some mods to handle those 1500 km days...guess my butt is too sensitive....:))
My aux lights have stopped so many vehicles. Often I see cars start to pull out infront of the bike and then stop.... I'm convinced it's the lighting
You can always get the airhawk seat cushion. I can ride all day with it.
Ride all day without one but to each his own
Really don’t want look through the windscreen but over it, especially with the new helmets having the internal smoked visor that drops down it puts a big strain on your eyes and you fatigue faster. If you’re just looking over the top of it you’ll still get the wind protection benefits but not having to look through multiple lenses.
Hi, where did you buy the pillow on topcase?
Assume you mean the backrest. It’s a KTM Powerpart. Think is around $50
Great list, I agree. My honorable mention is heated grips. I just got my first bike with heated grips and I like them. I always sucked it up before and had to stop when frost bite became a concern.
His KTM comes with it and a heated seat, so guessing it wasn’t a must have.
I had heated grips on my short list but ultimately left them off. Figured most people would be touring during warmer weather so went with those items/upgrades instead. I do like my heated grips though.
Why do you ride an adventure bike? Looks like a Goldwing is more your style…😉
As I've stated in numerous videos before, I use my 1290 for touring. I do sometimes put more aggressive tires on and take it off--road but my 990 is what I use more for ADV riding.
@@2WR I put the rottweiler intake on my 990, but decided to not put it on my 1290 because of the additional noise it makes.
Figures...I'm just the opposite at the moment.
@@sparkyobrian6417 yea, the factory air box is loud enough.
I was ready to order the Rottweiler Intake, then backed out
Way overpriced stuff here. I buy sheepskin for 29 bucks a peace and mount a strap, makes 58 for both seats. You pay 240 for both seats. Well, you make money with the videos
No, I paid about $100 when I bought to over ten years ago (they now sell for $120 for a full sheepskin). I then trimmed it down into 2 originally for my FJR1300 and then for my KTM1290 years later. As for making money making videos…this video has made a total of $36 since it was posted 😂
@@2WR My mistake as an FJR RP28 rider and therefore my warm apologies to you (mean it !!!) Thought you youtube guys make big bucks. Anyway, wonder why you switched from FJR to KTM.