seat getting real hot

[DenyP]

I am on my trip from central Minnesota to Salt Lake City, Utah and am in Utah now. The ride has been great except that the seat on my bike gets really hot. I can ride about an hour in 90 deg heat then have to stop for a break to let it and my butt cool off. Any one thought of a way to force air under the seat bucket to help this. Seems like it is traping heat from the engine.

Deny

[TopCatGr58]

In the hot seat!?

Hey DenyP,

The seat has rubber bumpers that space it away from the frame, the intake snorkel also is under there, so air does flow around there. But I don't recall, do you have a fairing? The engine heat will defiinitely flow backwards, and a fairing can keep air from getting under the tank, seat area as much. You could try pushing your legs apart when riding to try to grab more air and divert it around the seat. Otherwise, might need to get a set of those BEAD things to sit on on the seat that may help provide some ventillation and cooling!?
T.C.

[Pat Kelly]

On my recent ride to/from Idaho I found the seat area getting hot too. I would stand-up on the pegs for a few seconds (try doing that with forward controls) and both surfaces would cool right down.

[wa407mpp]

It's not the heat from your seat that is the problem it is the heat from your body that is trapped in your crouch area, by the vinyl seat cover, try setting on a towel or a slip on sheep skin pad or cover , or you can try a pair of bicycle shorts. You can also stop by a WalMart and pickup a roll of those white terry cloth shop towels and lay one over the seat when you park in the sun they will reflect a lot of heat and help keep the seat cooler.

[BigDick]

I seem to remember a story somewhere about a guy whose seat was grounding to the battery. . . I doubt it's your problem but you could always check *shrug*

[DenyP]

I do have a Vetter fairing. I pulled my seat off after starting this string to see If anything stood out. I have added a Saddleman King/Queen as my old seat covering and padding was shot. I didn't dress down the cover tight to the pan leaving some covering streached out accrost the front of the pan. Looks like it would block air flow. I picked up some 3M Super Weatherstrip adhesive, releaved some of the streached material with a couple of cuts and glued it all down tight to the pan. We will have to see how much this helps.
I have tried spreading my legs appart and also standing on the pegs. Seems to help the butt. The seat seems to stay hot. I do have a pad with sheep skin. It's not a gell pad but simular to it. It was pricy, but made a major differance with iron butt fategue.
I am starting the return trip tomarrow. Wish me luck.

Deny

[wa407mpp]

If you have done all that and it's still a problem, what you have is probably Monkey Butt, a common problem for long distance riders and it is a medical problem, kind of like saddle sores, not something wrong with the bike, and there are creams for it. check at a bike shop. No! this is not a cruel joke, check it out.

[DenyP]

I have the problem only when it is really hot out. The last leg of my trip was from Laramme WY to SLC a little over 400 miles. It was a little cooler and lots of cross wind. I will keep the cream sugguestion in the back of my mind.

Thanx

Deny

[SFSPECBIKER79]

heat

you could try glueing some aluminum foil to the bottom of seat pan with the shiny side towards the frame it should reflect heat away from pan. just a idea i have not tried it but often wondered if it may help on my dirt bike if you try it let me know how it does.

[Cobia]

Hot Butt

Iron Pony sells Monkey Butt Powder, that's supposed to help with that. Creams would probably make it worse by sealing your pores and not allowing your skin to breathe.

[wa407mpp]

Cobra! You are probably right, I was just remembering something I read in a magazine, about someone coming out with a cream that one of the testers was using. You could probably use any unscented powder like plain old corn starch, just to name one, with the same results and less money.

[XJOK2PLAY]

I recently found & bought some shirts & shorts for hot weather riding from Wal-Mart that are white, mesh. They're tight fitting and lightweight... and boy do they breathe! $10 ea. I like 'em, especially in the "seat area".

[trbig]

I don't know where the main fuse is on the XS, but the XJ's is right under the seat on the left side. I was having this problem, and it ended up being a bad connection at this point that was actually getting so hot it was melting the wires. I could feel this through my PLASTIC seat pan. I would imagine the metal pan would be even worse.

I know it's a PITA to pull the seat, but when it's getting hot feeling, you should probably check with it running to see if it's you, or the bike that is "Hot stuff".


Tod

[fredintoon]

If you have done all that and it's still a problem, what you have is probably Monkey Butt, a common problem for long distance riders and it is a medical problem, kind of like saddle sores, not something wrong with the bike, and there are creams for it. check at a bike shop. No! this is not a cruel joke, check it out.

HI wa407,
Monkey Butt eh? I'll have to look that one up. I do remember many years ago a friend getting a cyst on his tailbone that the doctor called "Jeep Bum" so "Monkey Butt" is perhaps a similar condition?

[wa407mpp]

Look at the backend of a Baboon and you will see where it got it's name.