I recently rode something like 10,000 miles across Asia on my already well worn B17 without any padded shorts. Just regular old nylon underwear and pants. Never once had a rash or much in the way of butt pain. Sometimes my crotch did go numb but it was always remediable by adjusting my sitting position or taking a short break. I love this saddle. Try the cut out Imperial if your worried. They hold their value so you can easily sell it for close to purchase price should you end up hating it.