No sore butt!

100.000 kilometre (62.000 miles), that is how long our possible route is. From Amsterdam to South-Africa, then the complete Pan-American Highway, a tour in Australia and from Asia back home to the Netherlands. A long way! And all those miles we sit on the bike. Reason enough to pay some attention the a proper seat in our surge for the perfect travel bike!

Travelling by bike is different from travelling by car as far as sitting comfort is concerned. No heated seat or comfortable bucket seat for us. The stock CRF is sold with a dazzling, bright red seat that is soft and very narrow. It is a fine seat for shorter trips. The stock-seat is however not suitable for longer trips. That became clear during the first real test ride we made in the Netherlands. The first day we got off the bikes with a wooden butt. We both had to dance before blood flowed through the gluteus maximus again.

For new seats we travelled to Midlaren in Drenthe (the Netherlands), to Raymond (www.rayz.nl). Raymond is a keen motorcyclist himself who made several very nice trips. He now uses all that travel experience to make really great seats. We were existing customers of Rayz. In 2012 he designed new seats for the Africa Twin and Transalp. We had tested and approved those seats during our trip to Morocco. A sore but never once was a reason to get off the bike.

Raymond uses the existing plastic underground of the stock seat to build the new seat. The seat is adjusted to the personal preferences of the rider: higher, lower, narrower or wider. He also ensures that the seat is perfectly in line with the colours and lines of the bike.

In July we took one motorbike and two standard seats to Raymond. When we arrived in Midlaren we first walked in circles around the new CRF. The enthusiasm of Raymond about our lighter bike was contagious. With new energy and a good feeling about the new seats we drove back to Amsterdam.

A week later the seats were ready. Peter had to work, so this time I drove alone to the north to pick up the bike and the seats. Until the very last moment it was a surprise what the seats would look like, as Raymond allows himself some artistic freedom for the design of the seat. Freedom you can give him without any hesitation, because the result was great (again)! Upon arrival in Midlaren my bike was awaiting me with a beautiful new black and white seat with red stitches. The seat was harder what – how contradictory that might sound – is much more comfortable than the original soft seat. Furthermore, it was widened at the bank and more narrow in the front. Perfect! After a cup of coffee and some more motor talk, I went back home.

We have already tested the new seats and rode the first 4,000 km (2.500 mile) sore free! On to the next 100,000 miles without a wooden butt!

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