In Search Of A Better Saddle...

[Louie Louie]

I have a Rocky Meyer seat and I am considering getting a better seat because although this is a good one I think there is room for improvement for long hauls.
Advice & feedback welcomed.. I've heard of Russel and Sargent mostly. :headbang: :roll: :-) :neutral: :shrug1: :cus: :crackup

[GRN]

I've got one of Rick's, and it's pretty good, sheepskin from alaskaleather.com made it a lot better. The only seat that appears to really stand out as a solid favorite from what I have seen is the Russell... but my 29" inseam need not apply! Give the sheepskin a try if you haven't already, cheap fix, and you can always repurpose it to the pillion position and score some points ;)

[Louie Louie]

I believe Rick is Rocky's brother. They are both in the same business but work independently and in different locations.

[GRN]

I believe Rick is Rocky's brother. They are both in the same business but work independently and in different locations.

Add they are both Bill's son's, hate each other and don't speak and you have it down pat. Rick is a pain in the *** to do biz with... good final product, but everything else pretty much sucked.

[Kennedy]

I have just put a sheep skin on top of the Honda seat and it was an improvement. not great but better then with out, good for a few hours at a time.

[Marshal_Mercer]

I have a Rocky Meyer seat and I am considering getting a better seat because although this is a good one I think there is room for improvement for long hauls.
Advice & feedback welcomed.. I've heard of Russel and Sargent mostly. :headbang: :roll: :-) :neutral: :shrug1: :cus: :crackup
Rick Meyer. Ride in. Smile out. 12K miles on mine and counting. Fellow ST'r who has a Bill Meyer seat threw a leg over mine. "Gota get one of those" was all he said. I found Rick, his wife, and his help to be friendly and gracious. Many UPS deliveries and several ride-up customers while I was there. Some had two and three sets of seats to be recovered (they'd had them a while) or newly fabricated. I'll go back when the need arises.

As always: YMMV.

Marshal

[Marshal_Mercer]

PSST13A
Forgot to add, I could ride out to Palm Springs this coming Saturday if you would like to try out my Rick Meyer seat -- remembering, of course, that it was built according to my needs and my build. I am 5"11, 225#, 30" inseam.

My email address is mhmercer@earthlink.net

Marshal

[jeff4912]

Rick Mayer makes a great seat and riding in the best way to do it. He makes you feel a part of his family while he makes you a great seat.

I rode 19 hours straight back to Seattle from there via the coast 965 miles and my butt was fine. A great improvement over the stock brick.

I will be touring northern California next week from Seattle with a couple of my BMW buddies ( I am their support vehicle) and am having dinner with Rick Tuesday.

That said, I would do the ride in and not the mail in route if possible.

[STony G]

Louie,
Did you ask Rocky to rework your seat? He reworked mine after 12k at no cost and it was not even his problem, I changed my riding pants.

I'm trying to talk him into making a seat like his BMW, it kind of has a back rest built into it, very cool looking.

[Marshal_Mercer]

....it was not even his problem, I changed my riding pants.

Tony makes a good point here. One of the things we sometimes overlook: if we change what we wear, the seat "feels" different. If what we wore to get the seat re-done is not what we wear now we should expect a different feel. The seat was cut to our dimensions "then". The "feel" may be better or worse but it will be different. Wearing leathers I have the seat in the middle position. When wearing lighter weight pants I move the front of the seat to the top and leave the back in the middle position.

Marshal

[Lake Cle Elum]

The spelling is: Rick Mayer....I've been to his house twice in Anderson, CA., about 15 miles SW of Redding. He's a great guy. Used to be a nurse and an injury put him out of work, so he took up his dad's old profession and is now in competition with his brother. Makes a great product.

I bought my '04 ST with a Corbin heated seat. It's as hard as a rock, but an improvement over the stock seat. The heating element puts out too much heat, even on the low setting.....Gotta turn in off after about 20 minutes.....

[Marshal_Mercer]

The spelling is: Rick Mayer....I've been to his house twice in Anderson, CA., about 15 miles SW of Redding..
Right you are. Sorry. Got caught in the cut/paste thingee. Been to his home as well. I should live in such a nice area! Interesting animals for sale.

When I was there he had just stopped as a CCU nurse. I used to do something similar. Perhaps that's one reason we got on so well.

Marshal

[CrashTestDanny]

I have a Rocky Meyer seat and I am considering getting a better seat because although this is a good one I think there is room for improvement for long hauls.
Advice & feedback welcomed.. I've heard of Russel and Sargent mostly. :headbang: :roll: :-) :neutral: :shrug1: :cus: :crackup


There's a group buy going on on the Russell seat right now. 10% off - see the thread on the group buys board for details.

[Wal-N2brk]

I had a "Rocky" saddle on my Concours and it was awful. He couldn't make it right and offered a buy-back instead of trying to fix it. The saddle was too small for the human anatomy! My <ahem>'s were getting pinched to hell, and it didn't even feel good. He also built up the rear section pretty high; high enough that a passenger could not safely hold on to the grab rails. I was left with a sour taste, and the impression that he is not a saddle craftsman at all. Rather, he has some great foam butt-moulds from his father and he's cashing in on the name. I would not recommend him.

I had a Russell for a little while on my ST1100. When the saddle came it was "ok" but needed some tweaking. I sent it back and innocently enough, they misunderstood my request (with pictures, chalkmarks, etc.) and did the wrong thing. They apologized and I shipped it back and they made it worse, and the saddle cover was tearing all over because they tightened up the "wings" too much. When it came back for round three, the rips were awful, quality was shot, and I did the buy-back option. Too much of my money spent on postage, and too much time wasted waiting for them to get it right. I just got used to the stock saddle and got some padded bicycle shorts to help.

I'm getting the feeling that if you don't ride in, you aren't going to get a premium saddle made the way YOU want it. If you try to have them adjust it later, it may be disastrous. Either work with what you have on your own (this isn't rocket science) and have a shop cover it professionally, do the ride in thing, or else lower your expectations as you shell out $$$$$$$$$ for a "custom" saddle that isn't really very custom.

Wal

[John Anthony]

I've had my Russell for a couple of years now, and it's been a great addition. Racked up some long miles last summer without any discomfort. Totally recommend them. If you're going to ride in cooler weather, get a tush warmer while you're add it. Well worth the extra $$.

John

[LDD]

I have one of the new Corbin single saddles on the front of my 04 ST1300. This summer I rode from Florida through the northeast to my new home in New Mexico, about 3400 miles, with no complaints. I am short and a tight wad so couldn't bring myself to shell out $600 for a seat that may or may not work out. i did choose to go with leather surface. I found the new Corbin to work best for my pocketbook and my backside.

[BruceP]

Just a few link that you may be interested in.

http://motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/buttpads/

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/seatcomparo02/

Bruce P

[Tor]

I've had my Russell for a couple of years now, and it's been a great addition. Racked up some long miles last summer without any discomfort. Totally recommend them. If you're going to ride in cooler weather, get a tush warmer while you're add it. Well worth the extra $$.

John

John,

Is yours all vinyl, or leather insert on top?

[rljudge]

I can say that the Russell is the best IMO for long times in the saddle. I've had two Russells (ST1100 & ST1300). I have had two Sargents (VTR1000 & ST1300) and they are way better than stock and good for shorter runs. They have more of a stock appearance and seat contour. I've also had a Bill Mayer and it was also good. Also had a Corbin. It was not good, too hard. None come close to the Russell for me. The shape is funky and takes some getting used to when stopped but it sits like a dream. I've got a Rick Mayer coming for the KTM Adventure, so I'll see how they are.

Rick

[805gregg]

Russell's are butt ugly, do you have to sneek up on your bike to install a russell?

[JReviere]

Like some previous writers, I've ridden Russell, Bill Mayer, Rick Mayer, Sargent, and several others. Of the big money saddles, even though one writer did have a bad experience with them, Russell was beyond a doubt the best long distance saddle my "brown eye" has ever seen. Now, someone hinted Russel isn't much to look at. Some consider it really UGLY... but on those over 700 mile days, it's beautiful. As for Corbin, on ST1100 w/Helibars... totally unacceptable... the upright riding position puts the weight on the tail bone and that HURTS in short order. Corbin is just simply TOO HARD... like sitting on a cement slab on an ST1100, was my experience. Now, I've had two Corbin "gunfighter" solo saddles on Honda Magna and they were/are great... hard but the contouring is excellent. Bill Mayer died some time ago. He was the INVENTOR of what is now the Russell Day Long saddle. His son Rick makes a simulation of that design but all in foam of various densities and not containing the patented transverse leaf spring in the seat which is Russell Day Long only. Being an old retireee, short of arm and short of leg, I usually have to end up building my own saddle. It takes patience, a lot of trial and error, and very little money (a necessary item for me).
JR STOC 394

[Wake ForeST]

Anyone have any experience with Oregon Aero?

http://www.oregonaero.com/p86_2001.html

I find it interesting they show an ST1100 seat, and they have the foam experience from aircraft, where pit stops are something that have to be planned for...