upgraded seats

jim6540

Joined
Dec 3, 2025
Messages
6
Age
63
Location
Alabama
Bike
06 ST1300
I have an 06 ST , eliminated the pillion seat to put on aux fuel tank . Im looking for best long distance after market solo seat , ideas ?

thanks
 
Phil , you did a nice job on those . I didnt know they did ride-ins , I was planning a CC50 this year so can kill 2 birds 1 stone . thanls
 
Bottom line, (pun intended) is there are many custom seats because there are many different fundaments. Just like most other major purchases, you will do better if you go to a rally or STOC event and sit on different brand seats. Of course, an RDL made for a 6'4" 290# guy will not fit a 5'6" 160# rider, but you will see the differences. I found a Sargent seat to be very flat and hard and surprisingly comfortable. I sat in a couple of RDL's and the wings pushed my legs outward too far - I'm short - and I could not reach the ground. Some folks here have said that RDL's were not comfortable for them, and I have no doubt other brands have the same characteristics. Custom makers want pictures of you sitting and riding your bike (a broadside shot in a parking lot was sufficient for me when I had my OEM modified).

A ride in is better than long distance mail, especially if you will be in the area long enough to pick up the seat and try it out for a few hours. I probably should have started this post with, "what do you mean by best"? I'd define that word as whatever seat is comfortable for you, whether it costs $300 or $1100. And no, to my knowledge, none of the seat makers requires a plaster cast of your bottom. :rofl1:
 
"the best" many people will ask that question without realizing as you said that best for me may not be best for you. I must admit I used it as a conversation starter just to get some fresh ideas. As someone may say "if you do a search you can find allot of comments" very true , but , I wanted actual conversation like this. thanks to you all for the comments.
 
jim6540 said:
Phil , you did a nice job on those . I didnt know they did ride-ins , I was planning a CC50 this year so can kill 2 birds 1 stone . thanls
Click to expand...
As I noted, they only schedule 1 rider per day for a ride-in - and you've got to get on the schedule early - as in January. ;)
You are the only one in shop that day.
I did my original RDL by pictures and then my next two by ride-ins.
My last one was the best one of the three - and they are all great seats.
IMHO, it is a lot easier for the builder to see you on the bike in person than to look at pictures.
Also, once they build the 'mat', you sit on it and have them make any final adjustments you want before they upholster it.
Things like sitting further back or forward, any up or down, etc.
 
Uncle Phil said:
As I noted, they only schedule 1 rider per day for a ride-in - and you've got to get on the schedule early - as in January. ;)
You are the only one in shop that day.
I did my original RDL by pictures and then my next two by ride-ins.
My last one was the best one of the three - and they are all great seats.
IMHO, it is a lot easier for the builder to see you on the bike in person than to look at pictures.
Also, once they build the 'mat', you sit on it and have them make any final adjustments you want before they upholster it.
Things like sitting further back or forward, any up or down, etc.
Click to expand...
WOW Phil, that is the kind of service they had back in the last century .. LOL .. Im glad to see there are still some companies that provide that kind of service rather the one size fits all we have today .. I saw a shirt the other day at walmart that had no size , one size fits all .. LOL
 
jim6540 said:
WOW Phil, that is the kind of service they had back in the last century .. LOL .. Im glad to see there are still some companies that provide that kind of service rather the one size fits all we have today .. I saw a shirt the other day at walmart that had no size , one size fits all .. LOL
Click to expand...
Just be aware of custom seats - at least in the case of RDL seats - unless the person it was built for is your physical twin - inseam, weight, height, reach, etc. - it could be uncomfortable because they are built for a particular person. And here is no cost advantage of buying a used RDL and then having them rebuild it as it's the same price. I've bought a few used Russells over the years and the only one that worked was the one from a feller that could have been my physical twin. ;) Each seat has a serial number and they keep the information for a few years before they pitch it.
 
If you look around you'll find used customer and aftermarket seats for sale. Don't you feel for the guy that forked out the dough for a magic seat only to find it didn't deliver the magic? For me the best seats have been Sargent, Corbin, Mayer and stock. A $100 Airhawk or $75 sheepskin didn't do a thing for me but some riders find them transformative.
 
dduelin said:
If you look around you'll find used customer and aftermarket seats for sale. Don't you feel for the guy that forked out the dough for a magic seat only to find it didn't deliver the magic? For me the best seats have been Sargent, Corbin, Mayer and stock. A $100 Airhawk or $75 sheepskin didn't do a thing for me but some riders find them transformative.
Click to expand...
And then there are those who did fork out the dough for a magic seat and it delivered the magic and then some ... ;)
In many cases the seller has sold the bike and is selling the seat separately to hopefully get a bit more cash out of the deal.
Or the purchaser did not want the seat because it didn't fit him. YEMV.
 
Laam and Mayer seats have been the best I've ever had. However, Corbin have been a very close 2nd place. So much so, I get them rather have have any downtime sending my oem seat in and it gives me the option to put the oem back on and sell the seat if I sell the bike.

I've had good results with Sargent seats as well.
 
Seats are bit like mattresses - some like them firm some like them soft.
The best deal is to go to a 'meet up' and check out the variety of seats that are there.
For me, I wouldn't ride on a Corbin across the street but for some it works out quite well. ;)
The whole custom seat 'story' is really quite an interesting tale to say the least.
I think a key component is how big you are physically (i.e., are you a baby water buffalo or a dainty hummingbird or somewhere in between).
Years ago I tried a Spencer solution that many folks said was great and because it was very reasonable priced.
After about 100 miles I was ready to throw that seat as far as I could.
I came to the conclusion that it worked great unless you were a sizable feller like me.
I talked to one of the experienced seat builders at Russell about seat construction on one of my ride outs.
He'd been there over 14 years and his take was quite interesting.
Regardless of the foam or gel used, over time it will compress and that is what cause the 'pain' or pressure points.
That time frame has a lot to do with your weight and the type of material used in construction.
Where the RDL is different is it has a patented 'cross spring' suspension in it that greatly reduces that compression.
It is a 'butt bucket' like the old tractor seats that farmers sat in for hours at a time.
 
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Uncle Phil said:
Seats are bit like mattresses - some like them firm some like them soft.
The best deal is to go to a 'meet up' and check out the variety of seats that are there.
For me, I wouldn't ride on a Corbin across the street but for some it works out quite well. ;)
The whole custom seat 'story' is really quite an interesting tale to say the least.
I think a key component is how big you are physically (i.e., are you a baby water buffalo or a dainty hummingbird or somewhere in between).
Years ago I tried a Spencer solution that many folks said was great and because it was very reasonable priced.
After about 100 miles I was ready to throw that seat as far as I could.
I came to the conclusion that it worked great unless you were a sizable feller like me.
I talked to one of the experienced seat builders at Russell about seat construction on one of my ride outs.
He'd been there over 14 years and his take was quite interesting.
Regardless of the foam or gel used, over time it will compress and that is what cause the 'pain' or pressure points.
That time frame has a lot to do with your weight and the type of material used in construction.
Where the RDL is different is it has a patented 'cross spring' suspension in it that greatly reduces that compression.
It is a 'butt bucket' like the old tractor seats that farmers sat in for hours at a time.
Click to expand...
You ride a lot Phil. Most riders don't and expect magic from a set or risers. Most of your miles are on one bike type that you have dialed in to your needs. That unfortunately limits your sphere of experience to what works for you on a bike that's been around for 35 years.

I don't know how many different bike forums you have been in over the years but it's not just seats from sold bikes that people are trying to recoup sunk costs.
 
Uncle Phil said:
Seats are bit like mattresses - some like them firm some like them soft.
The best deal is to go to a 'meet up' and check out the variety of seats that are there.
For me, I wouldn't ride on a Corbin across the street but for some it works out quite well. ;)
The whole custom seat 'story' is really quite an interesting tale to say the least.
I think a key component is how big you are physically (i.e., are you a baby water buffalo or a dainty hummingbird or somewhere in between).
Years ago I tried a Spencer solution that many folks said was great and because it was very reasonable priced.
After about 100 miles I was ready to throw that seat as far as I could.
I came to the conclusion that it worked great unless you were a sizable feller like me.
I talked to one of the experienced seat builders at Russell about seat construction on one of my ride outs.
He'd been there over 14 years and his take was quite interesting.
Regardless of the foam or gel used, over time it will compress and that is what cause the 'pain' or pressure points.
That time frame has a lot to do with your weight and the type of material used in construction.
Where the RDL is different is it has a patented 'cross spring' suspension in it that greatly reduces that compression.
It is a 'butt bucket' like the old tractor seats that farmers sat in for hours at a time.
Click to expand...
This has been my experience as well. The more you weigh, the more critical the seat design and tailoring matters. For the record, I am closer to the water buffalo than the hummingbird
 
dduelin said:
You ride a lot Phil. Most riders don't and expect magic from a set or risers. Most of your miles are on one bike type that you have dialed in to your needs. That unfortunately limits your sphere of experience to what works for you on a bike that's been around for 35 years.

I don't know how many different bike forums you have been in over the years but it's not just seats from sold bikes that people are trying to recoup sunk costs.
Click to expand...
Oh well, I can only speak from my 'unfortunately' limited experience. ;) I don't ever presume that what works for me will work for anyone else but I much rather prefer experience as advice whether something will work or not. YEMV. What often happens with Russells is someone buys one used and it doesn't work out. Done that 3 times - twice it didn't, once it did. In the times that it didn't I sold them to someone who it worked out nicely for. That's my experience. I know a few riders who ride machines other than ST1100s who have Russells and have been super pleased with them. And I know a couple of riders who were not happy with them - but in both cases they did it by pictures instead of a ride in. Probably just coincidence ... :biggrin: BTW, the Spencer 'experiment' was for a ST1300 seat I was using for rental ST1300s. I have a few miles on those also.
 
All butts are different, and all postures (and spines) are also different. No one seat fits 'em all. YBMV*

*your butt may vary
 
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