Question on seats

[bluebaiyou]

Okay I've been on the forum for 15 minutes and I've already spent $150 ($20 for cruise control? Sweet! What, they have a blue insert for the Givi V46? Sold!). Let me ask my question before I max out my card...

I want to get a more comfortable seat, mostly for my gf. I heard Russell is the most comfortable, but I'm not diggin' the looks of them. Appears that Sargent is the closest to stock in terms of looks, so I'm leaning that way. Question is, how much softer are they? On a scale from 1 - 10 where 1 is a pillow and 10 is a rock, and let's say for argument's sake that the stock seat is a 6 on this scale, where would the Sargent fall? Thanks in advance for input.

 

[ionbeam]

...I heard Russell is the most comfortable, but I'm not diggin' the looks of them. Appears that Sargent is the closest to stock in terms of looks...

There are two basic approaches to motorcycle seats, and this is related to your not liking the looks of the Russell. Some motorcycle seats like the stock and Sargent seat are saddles that you sit astride. The other type, like the Russell is a cup you sit in. Yup, the Russell wings are pretty ugly, and they interfere with hanging off in corners. The Butt Cup shape is an integral part of what makes the Russell a Day Long seat. I did keep a second more conventional seat set for shorter or more sporting rides.

Don't be beguiled by a soft, comfy seat seeming to be an all day comfortable seat. My Russell seat is not real comfortable when I initially sit on it, but it is not uncomfortable either, and it stays just like that all day. For me, the factory seat is softer and more comfortable than the Russell when I first get on it, but it sure does not stay that way all day. When I first got my Russell seat and went for my first full day ride I wanted to stop and reflect on how comfortable it was at several points during the day. At no point did I suddenly stop and say to myself what a comfortable seat this is. In fact I never gave the seat a thought at any point during the day because it never gave me any reason to notice it.

Which is the longest way possible to say that a soft seat and a comfortable seat can be independent of each other. Certainly Corbin seats do not equate soft with being comfortable, they embrace that firm is comfortable. Just be aware that a quick sit can't tell you how a seat will feel at the end of a long day. In all likelihood, any seat that immediately goes AAAHHHHHH probably won't feel that way in a few hours.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Russell rider and passenger

It's not how it feels at the beginning of the day that matters...it's how it feels at the end of the day. I echo ionbeam's remarks.

BTW, when I'm "ripping" around on the twisties, I move up closer to the bars anyways and my body is able to slide left and right ahead of the "wings". Of course my "ripping" around is someone else's "stroll" in the park, butt...I am still able to move left and right as I'm forward on the bike.

 

[motoxr124]

My Sargent seat is much more firm than stock. 8 on the scale that you mentioned. Stock is great for about 5 minutes. So soft that it gave me hotspots. Even though the Sargent is firm it works great for me all day. Did a 700 mile loop a couple weekends ago. No issues. Never looked back.

 

[bluebaiyou]

Interesting. Thanks for the quick replies. I'll need to think on this some more. If I had the money I'd just get a Russell for the long trips and a Corbin for canyon carving.

 

[Tree Doc]

Interesting. Thanks for the quick replies. I'll need to think on this some more. For the Russell you have to provide the pans, right, and for Sargent you don't?

Correct.

IMO, Soft = BAD! You don't want to sink in to a seat. It will create pressure points and not allow you to easily adjust your position. Every ass is different but in the case of most OEM seats on different bikes I have had, OEM fails big as I can only last an hour before the pain sets in.

When I first saw a Russell that I heard so much about, I said there was no way in hell I would EVER put one of those fugly things on my beautiful FJR! A few long distance rides later on my Corbin and I HAD to do something. I went for the Russell. It is the most incredible seat I have ever had on any bike! The wife and I can roll for days and days. The seat comfort factor has been completely eliminated from our lives.

I'm 6' and hover at 200#. I have no problem with the wings and aggressive twisty riding. My natural position is up pretty close to the tank and the Russell is built for me. It's nothing for me "hang a cheek" when necessary in the turns. Best money I have spent on the FJR out of all my farkles.

 

[ionbeam]

In my first post I mentioned 2 types of seats, saddle and butt cup. Now I will add Off The Shelf, Custom Fit and Ride In Custom Fit.

You can certainly sit on an off the shelf seat but you will fit into a custom seat. It is also common for the custom aftermarket seat fabricator to make a tweak to the seat to really get it to be all it can be for you. An aftermarket seat will usually be better than a stock seat. A custom fit seat should be better than that, no matter who makes the seat.

There is nearly the Library of Congress amount of info on seats in this Forum, you will find most lean toward custom fit seats. One particular brand seems to be the last seat that they experiment with and they stay with it over all the others.

Walk into Walmart and buy a sport coat and slacks -- how do you look? Walk into a tailor shop and buy a suit and have it fitted -- now how do you look?

 

[Drew]

Just for info... there is typically a 'Group Buy' for a Russell seat that gets underway in the fall. Keep an eye out if interested.

 

[azitlies]

very good timing for me too, this thread I mean.

Could anyone comment on the bead-rider things? do they help a little? a lot? not at all?

I just ordered some hoping they would help in the long distance department. My stock seat I've already lowered and narrowed, so can't do the spencer mod on it. And dang hate the idea of spending some large bucks on a corbin or sargent and then having it not fit the bill...

damn nuisance I tell ya!

 

[Fred W]

Beads only help alleviate butt sweat issues (resulting in monkey butt). If that isn't your problem, look elsewhere for an answer.

Prof. ionbeam tells the comfy butt story exactly right. The answer to buttock nirvana is a wider seat that cradles your behind in support, regardless of how soft they are. Why do you suppose that those metal tractor seats have been adequate for so many decades? You think those farmers are into S&M? :huh:

A soft seat is almost always a painful one. YLOPTMV But it WILL catch up with you eventually.

A hard seat that does not exactly mimick your own posterior is also a painful experience (read Corbin). If you happen to fall into the .0523 % of the population whose butts do mimic a Corbin, then you are golden.

Do yourself a big (finacial) favor:

Spend the money now and get a Russel custom made for your butt. You will not regret it and if you want to hang off for the gnarly corners, you still can. Like Wheaton said, it's not that difficult.

 

[Spud]

Beads only help alleviate butt sweat issues (resulting in monkey butt). If that isn't your problem, look elsewhere for an answer.

I disagree. I use a bead-rider on the stock seat and for me they make it more comfortable on long rides. Not saying they'll work for all, but for me they do. After about 4 hours in the saddle I'm hurting on the stocker--but I'm good to go all day with the bead rider. The only downside to them for me is lack of grip on the seat.

 

[Outlaw]

I see all the post for the Russell seat; what about Mayer seats?

 

[TWILKIN650]

+1 on Ionbeam's description. Best description of the logic and wonderfulness that a Russell seat is for many of us. I couldn't have said it better. I had five years with the stock seat and the last couple with the Russell. How your backside feels after many miles simply becomes a non-issue with the Russell.

 

[beacher]

On the Rich Mayer. . . I went from a stock seat (man, 125 miles and I was going "WTF?") to a Corbin, and the Corbin fit me pretty well, and I didn't find it as hard as the stock seat, and being short, it definitely put me lower to the ground. About a year on the Corbin, and I was looking for something else, but couldn't afford the added height of going to a Russel. One of the guys here had a Rich Mayer, and he wanted to go to a stock seat, so we did a switch, and man, I gotta tell you, I'm in heaven! And, even better, it put me still lower to the ground! And, should I ever need work done, he's just up I5 about 45 miles!

 

[FastJustRulz]

FJR Pilot: Are you talking about Rich's seats over in Kingston? That is different from Rick Mayer.

 

[Bounce]

I took a gel pad and a beaded pad with me on my first BBG. That was in addition to a 3rd party seat (Road Sofa) i'd bought 2nd hand. Even swapping between the 3 options, by the end of that ride I was in serious pain and hated to get back on the bike to ride out that next tank of gas. From the list of items you can see I'd tried a lot of ways to avoid paying for a Russell. In the end it cost me more and the results still sucked. On my next bike (and then the FJR after that), I went straight to Russell and haven't looked back. Multiple SS1K, BB, BBG, rallies and the 03 IBR and not once was the saddle a concern of discomfort.

Who cares what it looks like. If you can see it, you're not sitting on it, so you're not riding.

 

[Drew]

I had the Spencer mod done to a stock seat and it helped a little, but not enough for any real distance. I have an Alaskan Buttpad also, nothing noticeable there for me. I picked up a used Corbin and just rode about 2800 miles with it - but I had a foam pad on top of it, otherwise, no way I would have been able to ride near that far with it. The foam was pretty dense and cut to go under my thighs a little (with a doubled thickness in that area) to help with more surface area coverage while I was seated ($10 for the foam). The Corbin provides more surface area for my bottom, which helps, but the firmness is just too much.

Roughly $300-400 in different seat combinations so far and I'm not happy with what I have. A Russell in the fall. I've seen one on an FJR and the look is better than I expected. Besides, as already stated, you're going to be sitting on it, so it won't get noticed while you're going down the road.

 

[azitlies]

I'd like to say...

All of the comments are appreciated! those of you with experience (or should we say expense?) in this area, your input is invaluable to others of us.

Maybe... it seems like anyways... that the options available could be categorized in something like Butt Miles

1) Russell: unlimited butt miles?

2) Corbin: how many butt miles you think?

3) Sargent: similar to Corbin butt miles?

4) Spencer LD Mod: same as Sargent butt miles?

5) Bead Rider: add 100 to your stock butt miles?

The reason this is suggested is because... well... some of us aren't Iron Butt riders. No offense intended, more power to you, just that in my (and probably others) case, long distance riding is limited. I ride a long ways to get to the twisties and then hang off the seat.

Maybe we could use some form of the above to rate different seats? "Butt miles" is really a kind of joke, but it does seem appropriate

 

[ionbeam]

I'd like to say...

All of the comments are appreciated! those of you with experience (or should we say expense?) in this area, your input is invaluable to others of us. Maybe... it seems like anyways... that the options available could be categorized in something like Butt Miles

To get a good answer you have to ask a good question. You just asked a GREAT question!

We, pillion 'n me, aren't Iron Butt people. But(t), to get to the places we want to go slow, shoot pixs and tour it often involves 10-12 hr days in the seat. We may only travel 300 - 450 miles in a day but we are on the seat for 8 - 10 hrs on that day.

I'd like to say...

All of the comments are appreciated! those of you with experience (or should we say expense?) in this area, your input is invaluable to others of us. Maybe... it seems like anyways... that the options available could be categorized in something like Butt Miles

To get a good answer you have to ask a good question. You just asked a GREAT question!

We, pillion 'n me, aren't Iron Butt people. But(t), to get to the places we want to go slow, shoot pixs and tour it often involves 10-12 hr days in the seat. We may only travel 300 - 450 miles in a day but we are on the seat for 8 - 10 hrs on that day.