Kawasaki Concours Forum
Riding => Rides and Stories => Topic started by: Tele130 on June 09, 2012, 09:40:47 AM
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and I'm nine different kinds of sore. When I pulled into my driveway I was so glad to put it away. The fact that I felt that way was/is very disheartening. I'm not that old (54). It was sunny, 87 degrees and about 57% humidity...........not that hot and muggy. I've got risers, grip puppies, throttlemeisters, & hwy bars. I'm not that out of shape. I dont work out as much as I should but I do exercise at least twice a week.................(That doesn't include the "Pint sized" elbow curls more than twice a week ;D). I've gone back to the stock seat and that's the one area on me that feels good. My wife made a passing comment that maybe I needed to check this out..............(http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj287/Rexrated/100993562_1thumb_550x410.jpg)
She's such a jokester :loco: :rotflmao:
Although I do like it ;).
So the point of this thread? I don't know. I'm just sitting here at the computer with my coffee and ibuprofen sharing my pain ;D.
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Research based on a number of years and bikes:
1) derriere gets sore after an hour and I need to get off and walk around a bit
2) after 250 miles in a day, it stops being fun
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Research based on a number of years and bikes:
1) derriere gets sore after an hour and I need to get off and walk around a bit
2) after 250 miles in a day, it stops being fun
That's exactly what hit me..........and it was like "All of a sudden". Last year I could ride 500 miles and not bat an eye. So far this year, that's not the case. :(
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Since you're a C10 guy, I have no idea where you live or how much you've been riding lately, but if this is your first longer day of the year, it probably is no big deal. As we grow up, getting our sports muscles ready takes a bit more warm-up time, and that includes riding muscles.
OTOH, if you've been putting in a number of 50-100 mile rides recently with the bike in its current configuration, then you might want to evaluate changes. If going back to the stock seat altered your riding position, that could explain why other things hurt even though your rear was okay.
edit> It could have been a simple case of dehydration. It's easy to overlook that on longer rides.
Sometimes an aspirin at the start of the riding day can help ward off the pain later in the day as well.
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I go 750 miles one-way to the meet spot and then ride. These behemoth bikes are like recliners compared to sport bikes.
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/kneedragvl3.gif)
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One tip I have is to stop regularly and stretch your legs. With the C-10's huge gas tank, my bike can easily go 300+ miles on a tank of gas, which can be very hard on the back and derriere, especially if you straight shot most of this mileage.
So, I tend to stop every couple of hours (120-150 miles or so), and top off the tank if the gas is reasonable. This gives me an excuse to walk around, rehydrate properly, snack on a granola bar, etc. Also, I do some quick stretching exercises before climbing back on the bike, to loosen up the leg and back muscles a bit.
I'll often pull off at a convienent exit between these stops and take a second to rehydrate properly and stretch my arms.
I haven't done the 750 mile thing as stevewfl alludes to, but I've done 450-500 miles in a day over a dozen times now. I definitely need to 'get in shape' first, doing some regular riding before embarking on these longer rides.
One thing that I get teased about a lot but that does seem to help is putting beads on the seat. This seems to stave off butt numbness for about an extra hour or so.
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shoot, I'm 29 and we plan stretch breaks every hour or so. I even plan them into my trip. 4 hour drive i make three stops, usually one i'll pick up fuel.
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I am starting to believe that it is a matter of "bike conditioning".
This spring I went on several 120-150 mile rides and was feeling the same way as you.
Last Saturday I rode 580 miles. I was extremely happy to see the hotel. I was aching as I popped the tylenol.
The following morning I got back on the bike and rode about 600 miles. Although it was 90-100 most of the day I did not feel too bad.
The following day I only went 400 miles in the 100 degree heat. Besides being dehydrated, the body felt fine.
I took a day off and then pulled on the padded bicycle shorts, geared up and rode 1050 miles back home. Surprising the next day my hamstrings were a little sore, but other then that I felt pretty good.
During the first day I needed to stretch before the bike needed gas. By the last day the biked needed gas long before I needed to stretch.
I must admit that I could have never have done the miles without cruise control. The bulged disc in my neck will have my hands tingling so I am alternately right, left, no hands, for most of the ride.
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So far this season I've put on over 2k miles. Here's the sad part. Out of the 350 miles yesterday the longest distance in the saddle was 78 miles. I was out on a "Rummage Sale" ride ( You can find some really cool stuff at these sales that are out in farm country). I was on and off the bike all day with long breaks in between rides. That's what I'm really disheartened about. I've done 500-600 mile days in the past stopping only for gas and food and repeating it the next day feeling great. It took everything I had just to get home yesterday. I feel fine today ( minus a slight headache and sore knees........nothing out of the norm :-)).
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If the wife if giving you the hint.... go for it... I agree, I have a Yamaha RSTD and with highway pegs and a driver backrest on a Mustang Seat..... I can go all day long! Anything over 300 miles on the connie and I am feeling it
Hooray for the barcalounger on wheels!
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Did my first 200+ ride on my 2008 Connie. Went from Diamond Bar CA to Castaic Lake to Lake Hughes to Lake Elizabeth to Palmdale Lake...was into lakes this trip. Man can this bike handle in curving mountain roads! Being 60 this year decided to take lots of breaks and still my hands were the worst off of the whole trip. Used to ride HDs but I am never going back! Really like this forum too...will post a pic or two soon.
FX
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Instead of focusing on miles we should be discussing hours in the saddle and type of riding. I can do 600+ miles on the super slab and feel less tired than 400 miles of backroads and twisties. Kind of what stevewfl was referring to I think.
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Instead of focusing on miles we should be discussing hours in the saddle and type of riding. I can do 600+ miles on the super slab and feel less tired than 400 miles of backroads and twisties. Kind of what stevewfl was referring to I think.
yeah freeway miles are forever. My longest day of nonstop riding was from Tampa, FL to Ft Smith, Arkansas. 1105 miles.
Many on this forum have went a lot further than that in a 24 hour period.
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We did 520 miles yesterday. 90-105 F during the day, and we didn't leave until afternoon.
Cooler on the return leg, but never chilly. A few short breaks, but pretty steady all the way up. 90 minutes for a meeting at the halfway point, then back down 395 toward home.
It was the GF's second ever 500+ miler, and she was pretty much fine with it.
"Bike conditioning" is certainly a relevant topic, but so is attitude. We were
GOING, and we had stuff to do, and we were gonna get it done.
My longest day came at the end of a three-day rally. 4286 miles in 72 hours, so over 1400 miles each day and 2020 miles the last 30 hours. Pretty tired after that one...but not really sore. Corbin seat on the Concours, bike shorts, etc. Slept it off and then did another 650 miles to get home the next day. Having a goal/destination/deadline seems to help, at least for me. Bicycling helps too. Makes me appreciate the MC seat!!
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My longest day came at the end of a three-day rally. 4286 miles in 72 hours, so over 1400 miles each day and 2020 miles the last 30 hours. Pretty tired after that one...but not really sore. Corbin seat on the Concours, bike shorts, etc. Slept it off and then did another 650 miles to get home the next day. Having a goal/destination/deadline seems to help, at least for me. Bicycling helps too. Makes me appreciate the MC seat!!
Wow, now that's impressive. :o :thumbs: :hail:
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ZG, there were two guys that went farther than I did in 72 hours...a little. My riding partner bailed out and got a nap in the middle of it, but he wasn't on schedule to make it to the end of the rally any more, so he just rested up a while and went home instead.
A full tilt run like that requires a lot of concentration, and the willingness and awareness to pull the plug on it if you are not up to it that day. It is the hardest thing to know and do. I had an excellent run, no terrible times with fatigue or anything like that. A whole lot of stuff has to go just right, all at once.
That stretch included half a dozen side trips for bonus collecting, fuel, food, and all that. Heat. Rain. A cold night hauling the mail through Colorado, Wyoming, and into Utah. And a fair amount of doing what the Concours does best. I run a 2 Litre Camelbak, food in the tank bag, and a 3.5 gallons aux. fuel tank. I like to twist it, but at absolutely NO TIME was I going fast enough to get into serious trouble with the law. Just a a matter of staying on the bike and staying alert.
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^^^^nice :D
Its great our bikes eat miles!
I'm going up to Maine for lobster (excuse to ride backroads and twisties of canada and new england) and I'll do 1100 miles first day just to get out of the area I always ride.
And again, 1100 miles a day on these C14 behemoth bikes "ain't braggin' rights" be any means =)
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Yes, the Concours is a real mile eater. Had two early GWs, a BMW K100, Guzzis, a HD, three Buells, and some other stuff. But this Kawasaki is the best for chewing up all kinds of road terrain.
Mine is a C10. Not as fast, but I like it. I don't seem to be able to find a road where I can actually ride as fast as the bike can go.
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My longest day came at the end of a three-day rally. 4286 miles in 72 hours, so over 1400 miles each day and 2020 miles the last 30 hours. Pretty tired after that one...but not really sore. Corbin seat on the Concours, bike shorts, etc. Slept it off and then did another 650 miles to get home the next day. Having a goal/destination/deadline seems to help, at least for me. Bicycling helps too. Makes me appreciate the MC seat!!
:hail: I did 870 miles from Austin TX to Monument CO on Friday. That was enough for me.
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:yikes: 54yrs old :yikes: My god Doug did they even have motorized bikes when you were younger :deadhorse: :stirpot:
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:yikes: 54yrs old :yikes: My god Doug did they even have motorized bikes when you were younger :deadhorse: :stirpot:
All right. That's about enough from the peanut gallery.
What up Chris? Got your emails. We gota talk, been awhile. ;D
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snarf...
You might be outnumbered by the 54 year olds here...and no, we had to push 'em back then. It was tough gettin' them stone wheels round enough to roll decent, lemme tell ye...
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snarf...
You might be outnumbered by the 54 year olds here...and no, we had to push 'em back then. It was tough gettin' them stone wheels round enough to roll decent, lemme tell ye...
LOL I respect my elders with the highest regard :hail:
Thats just a joke between Doug and myself. Besides I did some checking and found that Doug did actually ride when he was younger.
(https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/?ui=2&ik=e8841f7aa0&view=att&th=137e1ff0c54f4062&attid=0.18&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1)
As it would turn out he has been riding damn near his entire life
(https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/?ui=2&ik=e8841f7aa0&view=att&th=137e1ff0c54f4062&attid=0.19&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1)
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LOL I respect my elders with the highest regard :hail:
Thats just a joke between Doug and myself. Besides I did some checking and found that Doug did actually ride when he was younger.
(https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/?ui=2&ik=e8841f7aa0&view=att&th=137e1ff0c54f4062&attid=0.18&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1)
As it would turn out he has been riding damn near his entire life
(https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/?ui=2&ik=e8841f7aa0&view=att&th=137e1ff0c54f4062&attid=0.19&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1)
:rotflmao:
I was going to intervene on the subject but it makes for such a great story...........if you haven't had the pleasure to meet Chris then you'll never get it.
And yes, I've got a few miles under my belt ;D At the age of 17 I bought a brand new 1976 KZ900 off the showroom floor. That bike taught me a few lessons. ;)
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:rotflmao:
I was going to intervene on the subject but it makes for such a great story...........if you haven't had the pleasure to meet Chris then you'll never get it.
And yes, I've got a few miles under my belt ;D At the age of 17 I bought a brand new 1976 KZ900 off the showroom floor. That bike taught me a few lessons. ;)
Like how to scream in fear! ;)
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At the age of 17 I bought a brand new 1976 KZ900 off the showroom floor.
Are you sure that wasn't 75 or earlier? I bought a brand new 76 KZ1000 off the showroom floor, which was the first year for that model. It replaced the KZ900. I also learned a few things about power when I twisted the grip on that beast.
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Are you sure that wasn't 75 or earlier? I bought a brand new 76 KZ1000 off the showroom floor, which was the first year for that model. It replaced the KZ900. I also learned a few things about power when I twisted the grip on that beast.
Oh yea. Never forget your first. ;)
"The original generation of Z bikes ended in 1975.
The next year, Kawasaki retagged the bike KZ900, and while it was much the same machine as its Z1 predacessors, the bicentennial edition featured some modest changes. Tuning alterations and smaller carbs shaved a few watts off the powerplant in an effort to refine the bike's raw grunt, but riding a KZ900 today precipitates a case of adult-onset deja vroom."
Here's the review in it's entirety:
http://www.motorcyclingmag.com/1976_kawasaki_kz900 (http://www.motorcyclingmag.com/1976_kawasaki_kz900)
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Well, I stand corrected. I was thinking my KZ1000 was a 76, but now I realize it must have been a 77. When I think about it now I realize it had to be a 77 since I bought it my second year out of college. I went from a KZ400 to the 1000. I quickly realized you can't grab a handful of throttle in a corner and just let the rear wheel drift a little bit like on the 400. :yikes: