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comfort and touring.

5K views 31 replies 13 participants last post by  John Young 
#1 ·
Hello again,

I'm so chuffed with my 78 tiger I've covered more miles on it this summer than I ever thought I would, it really has turned out to be a great blend of practicality and a way of satisfying the classic bike itch!

Myself and a couple of mates are planning a little European camping trip next year, I'll be on the Tiger and my pals will be on a couple of 70's BMW's. I realise I'll be the limiting factor on making progress!! so I'd at least any progress to be as comfy as possible.

My main comfort criticisms of my bike are,
1. Uncomfortable saddle, it's too soft and I can feel the seat pan.
2. Harsh...ish suspension.
3. I'd like to drop the RPM a little at 70mph.

I'll try and source a rack for the back and use a tank bag and some throw over panniers.

Any advice would be great.
 
#2 ·
Evening Tommy - if you want to raise the gearing, 21T gearbox and 45T rear wheel sprockets are a good combination (or 20T/43T gives almost identical gearing if you don't want the hassle of changing the gearbox sprocket). With this combination my TR7 sits at 70mph at 4000rpm, and is ready to shoot off like a rocket in top gear if necessary.

I had the seat on my T3 reupholstered with firmer foam due to chronic bum-ache on long journeys. The old foam had gone very soft; the new foam felt like sitting on a board to begin with and I wondered if I'd made a mistake, but once I got used to it, it was much more comortable on long journeys.

Harsh suspension - I'm with you there, not front, but rear definitely. If anyone has tips on this I'd be interested too.
 
#4 ·
On my 78 T140V I used progressive springs in the forks with ATF for fork oil. As this was a few years ago I installed Koni adjustable shocks. Made for an excellent ride at speed on the highway or secondary roads.
As for the seat I purchased a new seat for an 82 Estart Bonneville. It has always been very comfy on the bum. From what you say you seat foam is shot and needs replacement at the least.
As far as the gearing any of the above suggestions should be good. However I believe if you use the 21 tooth you will have to notch the opening.
If money allows you might want to consider rear sets as I find my feet always on the rear foot pegs when riding.

K
 
#5 ·
Good point about the 21T Kadutz - I did need to notch the opening to get it through.

Also, I think ATF is probably the best fork oil. I swapped mine for 15 weight oil which various people seemed to recommend, but I find it has stiffened the fork action too much. It was fine with ATF on the move but felt wrong wheeling the bike and applying the front brake.
 
#6 ·
If you're reupholstering consider inserting a gel pad inside the seat. They work really well for comfort and vibration.
New, good set of matching tires always improve the ride and well worth the extra money. Plus it's a great opportunity to ensure your wheels are balanced and true.
Consider a windshield. I've yet to ride with one but hear some are pretty good for keeping the elements off the body.
Depending on the distance you're travelling, some of your fasteners may loosen. Consider loctiting some or changing some to locknuts.
Ensure any stock rubber parts on the bike are new(ish). If you have any rubber that is stock, it is most likely dried and no longer flexible which will contribute to vibration.
 
#7 ·
Cheers for the replys chaps some great suggestions.

Will defiantly look into gel seats as my foam is well and truly shot, anyone with any reccomendations in the UK (midlands) that would be great.

I'll put a 43T sprocket on the back and get the rear wheel balenced whilst it's off, the front was done a few months ago.

Maybe I need to load the bike up with my gear before I make a decision on the rear shocks as they might be fine when load with extra weight, I can't work out which type I have, the only markings is a sticker that says 'Devoid of ........' the last word has rubbed off? If no good may consider some Konis.

I find a bike loaded up with gear seems to shake less anyway.
 
#8 ·
you could ring andrew at leightons? Think it's Birminham.

He's done me a good job twice and I will probably get him to do me a custom seat based on my current one that is 25+ and knackered

At Autojumbles there is a guy flogging Enfield based books/travelogues who also sells "strap-on" gell seats. Ooh er Missus'!
 
#9 ·
Re. suspension, Hagon are really very good. The people there understand motorcycles and have had decades of experience with all sorts of Triumphs. They are also honest and keen to uphold their excellent reputaion. All the above is based on my personal experience by the way. If you give them a ring (get number via google) whoever you speak to will give good advice.

I'm a miserable bugger and won't give credit where it isn't due - so rest assured that if I say Hagon are very good, they are very good!
 
#10 ·
Cheers John, when I wrote Koni I actually meant Hagon! my brain is frazzled after a mad week at work. Yes I have read lots of good things about Hagon, good quality/value/advice. I want to have the suspension softer without a too negative effect on the handling but be able to stiffen it up when loaded up, my present shocks are on the softest setting but still are too stiff for me on my own, I weigh about 13stone so I'm not exactly a light weight.

Dave, I've never been keen to have a 'strap on' anywhere near my rear end so I'll give Leightons a bell.

Just a note on the upping the gearing by changing the rear sprocket, does this stress out the clutch at all or have any other possible detrimental effects?
 
#11 ·
:) The missing word on your shocks is "trouble". The maker is or was, Dot. They were not much cop. On my T140 I fitted a set of S&W shocks, which worked very well. I don't think you can still get them, but Koni's are a good alternative. If touring Europe in summer, an oil cooler is a must, as is a re-upholstered seat. Back in the day, I also replaced many fasteners with nyloc type replacements. Well worth the time and trouble for the peace of mind that resulted. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had upped the gearing as well!
 
#12 ·
I'm in the US, but sprung for the extra money (which was not really much) to order new seat foam and covers from Leighton. I ordered for both my '66 restoration project and for my regular rider, a '76 T140V. The 140 seat was original and after a half hour was worse than bleecher-butt if anyone here has spent time watching highschool basketball games.

I was very pleased with the foam for both bikes. You can see the finished seat in my restoration thread and I believe I posted about my 140 seat in the general forum. Leighton disappointed me on the cover for the 140. The cover they make for the 140 uses the top from another year and the result is the stitching does not fall into the molded in groove when used on a '76 and to me, it just does not look right. Quality was top notch, otherwise. I ended up getting a cover at a swap meet that came from John Healy and it fit like a glove and was correct for my year.

So, make sure if you are buying a cover from Andrew, that he confirms it will be correct and identical to your OEM cover. Otherwise, I highly recommend his products.

Suspension-wise, there is another thread hear that askes if cartridge emulators can be used in late model forks and the answer was yes. Emulators do a lot to improve the range of a front fork. The problem with damper rod forks is they use fixed orifices as part of the design. That's fine until you get on a rough road or series of bad bumps. I can't remember my fluid dynamics that well, but the pressure across an orifice is something like the square of the flow. So what that means is when you hit a big bump, the fork becomes a solid piece of pipe. Emulators have a disc valve with a spring controlling it's ability to relieve with high pressure. So you get good damping under normal road conditions and when you hit that mutha speed bump or get on a road that is really rough, the cartridge comes into play and your rider is much more pliable. So, spending whatever they cost in the UK for emulators, is probably worth it if you have one bike and ride it long distances.

Regarding your rack, I wished you lived in the US. I have a 6 pack rack on my 140 that I'd gladly trade for a passenger grap rail in the same (excellent) condition.

I have one more trick for you for long distance riding. Go to a bicycle store and by a high quality pair of bike shorts. These are spandex shorts with a pad in the butt area. I wear a pair for the 3 day Motorgiro that I ride with vintage Japanese bikes and those shorts make a major improvement in comfort.

regards,
Rob
 
#14 ·
Cheers for the rack offer Snakeoil next time I'm 'upstate NY' I'll pick it up. The cycle shorts also sound like a good idea, I used to cycle and cycle shorts made a big difference to comfort on a push bike so I imagine they will help on a motorcycle.

If I may be flippant for a second I have a motorcycle and NY related joke!

Why did the man from New York sleep under his Triumph all night? He wanted to wake up 'OILY'!!!!

Has anyone used one of these gel pads and is there anyone riding there bike in hot climates without an oil cooler? I posted a thread a while ago re oil coolers and came to the conclusion they were not really necessary.
 
#15 ·
The upholsterer I use told me he could put a layer of gel material in my new seat if I wanted, but he personally didn't rate the stuff very highly (he does long tours on his 1200 Suzuki so he knows what he's on about). He changed his own seat back to just a good quality, quite firm foam. So I took his advice and can't say from personal experience.

On oil coolers for riding in hot climates, I'd be keen to get some experienced views on this too - all I do know from experience is that I ruined a T140 many years ago riding around the south of France in high summer temps, but blamed it on the thin oil. All I could find was 10/40, which the engine drank, to the point where I was running on almost an empty tank a lot of the time! That didn't do the engine any good.

(Took me a while to figure the Brooklyn oily gag - chortled when I got it!)
 
#16 ·
I guess that you could list the months and places in Europe and research the temperatures that you might expect.

I know that Darell at Rockerbox runs a NH Bogbrush on his T140 but they are not too cheap for a one off. Plewsy fitted a random cooler to his bike.

Gel pad wise, an external one gives you the option of cutting your losses and bunging it on ebay.
 
#20 ·
Seat comfort

ref the numb bum syndrome, try an 'Air Hawk' seat pad. They are a strap on, sorry, but they do work and for longer than gel pads too. You inflate it yourself (by mouth-no airlines needed) to suit your own preference. I find it needs hardly any air in it-just enough for it to hold its own shape. Like when you first introduce an inner tube to its tyre and wheel:)
They cost about the same as gel pads, but you can get a lower price version that has a supposedly less durable cover, mines wearing well though.
 
#21 ·
Hello "Tommy"

I have converted a 1969 T150 into a serious long distance bike and whilst I realise that you have a different bike, there are many similarities between the two models . The list of modifications that I did to the bike are probably too many to put down here, but the real key to comfort is nothing to do with the seat (I rode a T160 Slippery Sam Replica a few years ago to Russia - padding on seat about half inch !!). It is much more to do with the relationship between the position of your hands, bum and feet !!

Check out this link

http://tr3oc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/2011-IBR-Diary-Part-1a.pdf

There's actually 6 parts to the full story of the build and of the ride, but this first part deals with what I've mentioned above

Regards

John
 
#23 ·
Try google john young iron butt.

tommytiger

Listen to an learn from john young if you want to know how to do it right.

John

:)WELCOME TO THE FORUM! :)

If you should happen to see our mutual friend Roy S who used to have the TR6P electric start please give him our greetings. Also our friend Fran whom you talked to on the cell at the Iron Butt starting line stlll talks about that.

K
 
#25 ·
Thank you K.

Yes I will pass on your words to Roy and I do also remember speaking to Fran as well just right before the start on the mobile phone.

However, you give me too much credit. If ever there was a team effort involved in an Iron Butt finish, it was last year. Yes, I assembled and rode the bike, but without the help of so many people both here and in the USA, the project would have been impossible.

There are too many names to list but they're all given credit in my IBR story.

I'm back again next year in the 2013 IBR - but this time I'll be using my new Explorer. It was a great experience using the T150, but it was just so hard and I had the gods smiling on me each time I needed that bit of luck .....

Regards

John
 
#26 ·
Blimey your that John!

Sorry not logged on for a day or two. I remember reading a thing or two about your trip. I once road from Southern Brittany to Derby on my Trident 900 and that was hard work, god only knows how you did it!!!

I started reading your account of the trip and then kept altering the PDF number so read it all, not only was I amazed how you mangaed I was also impressed by the bike. I'm a bit weird as unlike a lot of people I really like the styling of the earlier triples, if I had the choice I'd have a 69 model as it's the year I was born, did they do one with a five speed box?

I don't intend doing the distances you covered but you've definatly given me a few ideas, I reckon bringing the pegs back and fitting rear sets might allow me to spread my weight between the seat, pegs and bars better and allow a more aerodynamic shape.

Are you going to write a book?

good luck with the next IBR.

Tom.
 
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