BMW Bike Causes Too Much Excitement for One Man

While we're sure it's been a hard 20 months (giggle) for Wolf, medical experts say that medical data does not back Wolf's claims.

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orget about erections lasting four hours or more. One California man claims he has had one that's lasted 20 months—and he's suing BMW America because of it.

Henry Wolf claims that the seat on his 1993 BMW motorcycle has caused him to experience persistent erections for nearly two years. We've heard of priapism—the medical condition that leads to those "if you experience an erection lasting more than four hours, please call a doctor" disclaimers in ads for erectile-dysfunction medication—but this is something new.

One California man doesn't need little blue pills—he claims his motorcycle seat did the same job.

Wolf says the ordeal began with a four-hour ride (no pun intended) on his bike, which has a ridge-like seat. He says that he's had an erection for the past 20 months, and that he's unable to engage in sexual activity. So now he's suing both BMW and aftermarket seat supplier Corbin-Pacific, looking for compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, medical expenses, and what he terms "general damage."

While we're sure it's been a hard 20 months (giggle) for Wolf, medical experts say that medical data does not back Wolf's claims. Dr. Michael Lutz of the Michigan Institute of Urology spoke with WWJ Newsradio in Detroit, giving his expertise on the issue.

"It's been long-known that compression of the neurovascular supply to the penis—if it's compressed for a period of time, whether it be on a bicycle seat or some other device—it can actually cause prolonged numbness of the genitalia," Lutz told WWJ. "Not only in men, but women can also get numbness in that region if they’re compressing those nervous structures to that region of the body."

Whether a court sides with Wolf or BMW and Corbin-Pacific, we're pretty sure this is one of the more unusual lawsuits we've seen in a while. And we may not ever be able to watch an ad for erectile-dysfunction medication the same way again.

Indeed, sounds like Wolf may have found a homemade cure.

[Source: CBS Detroit/WWJ]