seat

jwilly

Joined
Aug 26, 2018
Messages
1
Location
ne ohio
just got my 2006 st1300. would like to know what everyone likes for a custom seat and if it really makes that much difference. What other add-ons would you recommend for touring 200-300 mi. per day. thanks in advance!
 
Seat-wise, you can't beat a Russell Day-Long. Made to your measurements, extremely comfortable. Good for thousand mile days. I've been sitting on mine for about 130,000 miles. Kind of expensive, but well worth the money.
Winshield: V-Stream.
If you can find them, Motorcycle Larry highway wings (I believe someone's making a similar item now.) Gives you an alternate leg position to un-kink your knees for a few minutes.
A Hondaline or Givi topbox will carry raingear, tools, tire plugs and compressor (and anything else you should always have with you.)
Goldwing pegs are a trifle lower and wider than stock ST pegs.
Grip Puppies - foam sleeves that go over your stock grips.

I think you'll find that 200 to 300 miles per day isn't much. Five hundred is sort of my standard for a full day, but we go farther when we need to and stop sooner if we want to.
 
Welcome to ST-owners!

Everyone is different so customizing one's STeed is usually par for the course. The usual suspects are: seat, bar risers, windshield, highway pegs, lighting, throttle lock (throttlemiester, vista, etc.) or cruise control (Audiovox/Rosta).

I actually have a spare seat (Corbin) and bar risers (Helibar or MCL, not sure which) that I have been meaning to sell but have been too lazy to post. LOL If you are interested just send me a PM and I'll get you some pics.
 
My wife and I have thousands of miles on both our 1100 and 1300. Stock seats are fine for us. They are comfortable and allow us to shift fore and aft for comfort...which several aftermarket seats do not.
 
I bought my bike used it had risers, air horn, modulating brake lights and turn signals. Garmin sumo, driving lights, throttlemeister, battery tender and a Corbin seat. I put a Clearview got small windshield with a vent on it. I can’t think of much more to add. My seat is hard but I like it, i would take my stock seat to an upholstery shop if I wanted gel or a custom seat. I know a guy who rides.
 
Welcome to the forum, congrats on your :bk13:

My first suggestion would be to take 100 mile a ride on the stock saddle. If you come back feeling like you just got :spank1:, then look at the various saddles available and pick one.

For me, I would only go with an RDL.

Not long after buying my first ST1300, I rode 1,200 miles on the stock saddle. My :old1: was not happy with me after about 600 miles, to the point it was just really painful!

Then again, (On a RDL) in June of 2017, I rode from Portland to Crescent City, CA (about 330 miles), then to Murrieta (about 870 miles) over two days (the ride from Crescent City to Murrieta was over 22 1/2 hours.) And I had no PIA at all!

Everyone is different, you'll need to choose your own poison! :wine1:
 
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Like you, 2-300 mile days are my norm, and occasional 4-500 mile days.
Seat: I use a "Spencerized" seat, ( http://www.greatdaytoride.com). For a very reasonable amount, Spencer will mod your seat, and it DOES add miles per day to the bike. On longer hot rides, I use a beaded seat cover. In winter, I sometimes use a sheepskin seat cover as well.
GPS mount: Unless you always ride areas you know ( what fun would THAT be?), you'll likely want to mount a GPS. I tried lots of mounting positions, and ended up mounting Ram balls to the top of the dash, on an aluminum plate. It puts the GPS or iPhone in a very easy to glance at location. I have a "cigarette lighter" style of 12v outlet in my left fairing pocket.
Top Boxes: This is always a lively ( read:eek:pinionated) discussion. I love my BESTEM, and it has many miles on it. No, it is not as nice as a Givi, but for less than the cost of a GIVI mounting plate, you can have a Bestem with LED brake and running lights. It'll hold 2 helmets, ( of most types, ), is easily detachable, and makes commuting or touring MUCH easier. Get a set of hard bag liners if you are going on a multi day tour.
Back rest for a pillion: If you have a top box, you won't need this, but my Pillion HAS to have a backrest.
 
I've got a Spencerized stock seat and it is fine for me. Two hundred, to two fifty mile trips are easy, I've done 5-600 mile days and its not my buns that give out. Its all the other aches and pains and cramps from being stuck in one position for 8 or more hours that kill me. You should know that there are no free lunches - the widely touted RDL is expensive, and if you are vertically challenged, will add roughly an inch or so to the bike's height. The 'wings' that support your buttocks also prevent your legs from going down straight to the pavement when you stop - some guys slide forward, others are tall enough that this is not a problem. I don't own one, but the RDL seems to be the ultimate comfort seat. Other custom seats have their boosters - everyone's bottom is different. My bike came with a Sargent seat which was surprisingly hard and comfortable for me. The problem with it is that this aftermarket seat is wider than the OEM and I was barely tip toeing when I stopped.

Other accessories? Better tail lights, front running and auxiliary lighting up front, a better horn, reflective tape, frame protectors, Bydawg tip over guards, Tony Worrell parking brake, RAM mounts, powerlets for heated gear and gps's, improved shocks, heated grips, taller windshield, LED lamps, extra fusebox to power all this stuff, the list goes on and on (I've noted my accessories only). Others rave about cruise control, some want SPOT beacons (or similar), heated seats, like I said, the list is not quite endless but does go on and on.
 
For me not wearing cotton underwear makes a bigger difference than a new seat. That and riding lot's of miles to toughen up my a$$:biggrin: Last year did a 970 mile day on a stock seat in the rain most of the day.
 
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jwilly said:
just got my 2006 st1300. would like to know what everyone likes for a custom seat and if it really makes that much difference. What other add-ons would you recommend for touring 200-300 mi. per day. thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
jwilly said:
just got my 2006 st1300. would like to know what everyone likes for a custom seat and if it really makes that much difference. What other add-ons would you recommend for touring 200-300 mi. per day. thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Congrats on the "new to you" ST! I am a fan of Sargent seats with the right under garment for rear end comfort. For my wrist, love the Throttlemeister.
Ride Well and Ride Far
Rodney
'94 VFR750 '07 Monster S4RS '06 ST1300
 
Huntington Beach Honda has a custom gel single seat for the Police bike. I have one and its a blessing compared to the oem.
 
Quite a few of us have LAAM seat(s) , Seth Laam also takes measurements & your weight to custom change your seat to your requirements . I paid $385 several years ago for both seats . ( you send in OEM seat(s) - he uses seat pan(s) , I actually took off OEM covers before sending because he changes the foam shape anyway )
link : http://laamseats.com/

As for other Bike Mods , I have quite a few listed in my profile under "About"
 
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