Let's start with a gratuitous pic taken from inside the back lobby. This was after a pre-breakfast petrol run.
But the business of the day was fitting a new saddle. Doesn't quite seem right to call it a seat?
Fitting was a major faff. You have to put bolts and washers
inside the springs, which can only be done by bending the whole spring and they are quite strong springs. Old screwdriver held in a vice as a lever, two hands to bend the spring enough to edge a bolt head between the coils with your third hand? Then slip a washer over the bolt except you can't get at it and if by luck you get a washer to engage then as soon as you tip the spring to move the bolt to where it needs to be the bloody washer falls off again . . . . but at least I won't have to do
that again. And forget using a spanner to tighten the nut on the front fitting, which has to go inside a frame bracket - only managed to get it beyond finger tight by pushing it round with a long screwdriver. However . . .
Visually, the new saddle looks huge and cobby. Ungainly even. Oh well, having come this far, let's at least try it out.
The test ride showed a number of differences. First, and obvious even before you climb aboard, the new saddle puts you higher. It's only a few inches but as we all know a few inches can make
such a difference.
Riding the bike, sitting higher makes the bike feel smaller, very small in fact.
Oddly, and I hadn't expected this, it made the handlebar more comfy. Up till now I've felt that the bars make my wrists bend too tight but with the new higher position, they felt better. So if I go back to the other saddle, I'll try rotating the bars back and down a bit.
Also the tank rubbers make more sense. Before, they weren't in a natural position to grip, but now they are. I guess my legs will benefit from being less bent, but today's test was too short to say for sure.
However, the new saddle is a
lot plusher. As well as having padding, the whole seat area is backed by springs. It really is a spring-interior motorbike seat.
It's won me over. On looks and ease of fitting, the old one wins. But for comfort, that's wrists and legs as well as posterior, the new one stays.