Vetter Magic Seat Board

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Ignacio

Intramural Culture Warrior
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2005
Messages
9,382
Reaction score
2,687
Location
Tri-Cities, WA
Me, Mr. straight-laced-establishment-man...............Mr. you-can't-rattle-with-a-cobra-in-his-sock-drawer has a confession to make:

[SIZE=18pt]My ass hurts.[/SIZE]
That seems counterintutive for as much as myself and LD types go on about their favorite sport.

But, it's always hurt...no matter how much I fidget and no matter how many times I send my custom Mayer back for adjustment. I added a set of beads to the seat and pretty much accepted I'd start to fidget after a few hundred miles and just live with. And I've put a strong face up about it and kept my mouth pretty much shut...it just wasn't going to get any better.

Well, I just got back from the Iron Butt National event and thoroughly enjoyed the Friday keynote speaker, Craig Vetter, and was mesmerized at his 90 minute presentation on the history of Vetter Windjammer fairings and his life.

Towards the end of his talk he held up a chunk of plywood he'd fabbed up with a band saw and sander...and offered 5 of them to whoever took him up to try the next day. He gave one to Higdon as #1.

So, I looked the next morning expected all 5 to be swooped up, but not that surprised that none had been given away yet. We're a stubborn and vain lot...us long distance riders...particularly at the National event. It's important to look cool.

But, my ass hurt and I wasn't THAT vain. So, I took a chance.

Actually, his wife Carol checked me out on it to make sure I knew how to use the board....I embarrassingly took this chunk to the bar, did various moose impersonations at dinner, and stuck it behind my fuel cell for the ride home Sunday. I justified it by having the two of them autograph it and figured it was a art at that point.

As I cleared Cheyenne with a fresh tank of fuel and began the long drone of I-80 across Wyoming home I remembered the chunk of wood behind me and grudgingly put it under my ass like mom was having me try on a pair of Sears underwear. I knew I wouldn't like it and looked like a dork doing it.

seat-in-place-92.jpg

Mind you it wasn't easy at I-80 nominal speeds and horribly unaerodynamic as I extracted it from it's perch. It almost flew out of my hand! And I also butchered placement by hanging it up in my drink tubes and under the beaded seat. However, when I finally got it placed correctly and sat down I actually went, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh." as weight transferred to the back of my legs.

It was like a new seat!

And I rode in complete comfort...free of any fidget....for about 375 miles until I had to stop for fuel again.

It was that good!

In fact, as I'd come for a stop I'd take the board out and lament the fact I'd be slumped over the bike again developing hot spots on my ischium.

So, now I have this fundamental problem.

Be comfortable and look like a complete dork OR deny it ever happened and don't tell a soul.

Well....we know which way I'm headed with this post. ;)

So, the only thing remaining for me to figure out is a way to remember I have a slab of plywood under my ass before I have to put my feet down at a stoplight, do a bit of trimming to make the board fit the FJR tank a bit better, and figure out how to powdercoat plywood. :dribble:

A bit interested? Clicky here for more info.

[SIZE=18pt]My ass NO LONGER hurts.[/SIZE]
This concludes my 2010 motorcycle confession......THANK YOU Craig and Carol Vetter!
 
Last edited:
So, it's a kickstand pad you can't lose, then . . .

So now somebody need to develop a mechanism to deploy seat-wings at the press of a button, panels come up under your thighs. Auto-retract below 40, so you can put your feet down without fumbling for the damn thing. Just make sure it doesn't grab anything as it retracts!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
So now somebody need to develop a mechanism to deploy seat-wings at the press of a button, panels come up under your thighs. Auto-retract below 40, so you can put your feet down without fumbling for the damn thing. Just make sure it doesn't grab anything as it retracts!
Umm....already done. Read the Vetter Page....about 1983...and picture of his kid. ;)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Magic Seat Board my ass. I think it's half an outhouse seat, and Hickey is about to put it on his head here!

dont-wear-on-head-61.jpg


 
That would explain why my ass feels so much better when i use my slider mounted highway pegs, No weight equals no pain.

R

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dork is as Dork does.

You should have gotten rid of that Rick Mayer seat a long time ago and gone with a real seat - Bill Mayer, or better yet for your ample ass - a Russel Daylong.

Glad you like it, cause I am going to get all kinds of fun out of this!

 
I'm certainly interested in this as well - Matt, would it be cool with Craig Vetter if you pulled dimensions from that board, and published them? I'm thinking that would be a good starting point for some FJR centric mods.

 
....gone with a real seat - Bill Mayer, or better yet for your ample ass - a Russel Daylong.
Even a Russell won't do what the board does. It's about supporting the hamstrings from just under the knee to before the ass starts.

I'm certainly interested in this as well - Matt, would it be cool with Craig Vetter if you pulled dimensions from that board, and published them?
Once I do some cuts I'll trace a pattern and figure out some way to publish. IIRC, Vetter was going to do it on his website as a gift to the LD community.

 
Interesting, and it makes sense. I believe this is one of the secrets to the comfort of the BMS, Russell, and others; additional under-leg support from the seat's wings... well, at least more than the stock seat provides. I suppose in the case of this magic ass board, more-is-better applies.

 
Hate to say but I get it. I've had my Rocky Mayer seat done 2x now - and I still get numb legs after a non CBA-sanctioned ride. It's always the front half that get to hurting - is that the relief point provided by the board?

 
So now somebody need to develop a mechanism to deploy seat-wings at the press of a button, panels come up under your thighs. Auto-retract below 40, so you can put your feet down without fumbling for the damn thing. Just make sure it doesn't grab anything as it retracts!
Umm....already done. Read the Vetter Page....about 1983...and picture of his kid. ;)
Yeah, but I mean powered, push-button deployment, auto-retract below a certain speed. That one on the page looks like something you reach down, set, and latch into place, then have to unlock to get it out of the way.

Soon's I build one, you can have one. If we're still able to ride anything hotter than a powered wheelchair by then . . . .

 
Last edited by a moderator:
So now somebody need to develop a mechanism to deploy seat-wings at the press of a button, panels come up under your thighs. Auto-retract below 40, so you can put your feet down without fumbling for the damn thing. Just make sure it doesn't grab anything as it retracts!
Umm....already done. Read the Vetter Page....about 1983...and picture of his kid. ;)
Yeah, but I mean powered, push-button deployment, auto-retract below a certain speed. That one on the page looks like something you reach down, set, and latch into place, then have to unlock to get it out of the way.

Soon's I build one, you can have one. If we're still able to ride anything hotter than a powered wheelchair by then . . . .
DIBS!!!

 
Me, Mr. straight-laced-establishment-man...............Mr. you-can't-rattle-with-a-cobra-in-his-sock-drawer has a confession to make [some snippage]....and figured it was a art at that point.
A bit interested? Clicky here for more info.

[SIZE=18pt]My ass NO LONGER hurts.[/SIZE]
"This kind of post" is how an owner's forum like this should work. When someone has an idea and posts it to a group of enthusiasts, everybody benefits from the "originators" experience.

However, being the cynic that I have become, I can't wait to "see" who will "capitalize" on this great idea and offer a " new and improved version" of the plywood shingle.

Sorry, I am such a curmudgeon! :angry2:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Say what you want, but I say the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes! I'm not happy with my Russell seat, even after multiple tries to get it right. And I talked with Rocky at the BMWMOA rally and I'm not convinced his (or Rick's) would be any better. And I gave up on Rich's in Seattle long ago after he built the custom seat for my H-D.

My point is that Craig Vetter has it right; something fundamentally different has to happen in motorcycle seats, just like it did when he started adding fairings. I was inspired by his talk and have begun to look at the aerodynamics of my bike in a different way, too. And when I saw his magic seat board I knew he was on to something.

Long ago I owned a BMW 320iS car that came with Recaro seats. These seats were fantastic, but the best part was the adjustable thigh-support bar that functions exactly like the magic seat board.

You peeps say what you want, but my subconscious mind is already working on a solution. And when it comes to me not only will my ass stop hurting but my wallet will be much fatter. And I suspect a few custom seat companies may fold. You saw it here first. And the line will form behind Iggy.

 
So I'm guessing this will work with a stock seat as well. Might be worth a try for us cheap a$$ folks who haven't spent the $$$ for a custom seat. I'll need marine grade for the occasional rain we get on the wet side. B)

Thanks Iggy!

--G

 
It might work to put inflatable bladders along the front/side edge of the seat to take the place of the board. If you have a pump hooked up, you could inflate and deflate as need as you ride. For example you could deflate them to put your feet down, then inflate them when you'll be riding nonstop for a couple of hours.

 
Top