Motorcycle Seat Advice

jscheck

jscheck

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I know we've got some seasoned riders on the forum and I'd like some opinions from you. I have a 2002 Road King. I ride alone (my wife can't ride with me due to health issues) but I want a two person seat suitable for touring. It needs to be as comfortable as possible but not break the bank. I was looking at the Saddleman but heard that even after the break-in they're pretty hard. I'd like something that will give me a little leg room, too. I don't do a lot of long distance riding but I've got a few bucket list trips on my mind and with age has come less padding in my posterior so helpful advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
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I had a Corbin seat on a RK of about that vintage. Beautiful and comfortable but expensive.
The stock seat on my Ultra was good for about 40 minutes. I guess HD was more concerned with showroom comfort than distance riding which annoyed me and I determined not to buy another seat from them.
I replaced it with a Mustang seat that was good for 1,500 mile Bun Burner Gold rides. Better built than the more expensive Corbin and better long ride comfort. Consider this a recommendation.
Splurge and get a backrest too, they really add a lot of comfort. Had them on the Corbin and Mustang.
Had a Mustang on a Sportster too, no BR though.
 
I have a Sundowner seat on my 08 Ultra Glide. It's a tad lower than the factory seat and not quite as wide. It's firm but pretty comfortable.
 
I've always had very good results with Corbin seats. People often complain they are too hard, but a soft seat will collapse over a few hours and be more uncomfortable. The Corbins I owned were all excellent for long distance riding, and if I was touring, I rarely did less than 500 miles in a day. Personal record was 1349 miles in 22 hours. Caveat: never owned an H-D or cruiser... I rode mostly sport-touring bikes.

A decent interim solution may be a Bead Rider (wooden beads that go over the stock seat)... I always kind of laughed at these, but ended up buying one for a bike I couldn't get a saddle for and it was a big improvement. Not as good as an aftermarket seat, though.
 
When I got my 2014 Street Glide I hated the factory seat, but loved the looks of it.

I sent it to Mean City Cycles and had them narrow it just a bit, lower it 2" using some kinda memory foam, and had all the seams sealed...I get caught in the rain often.

Their prices are a LOT less than a new seat. I think the turn around time was about 10 days, but I found a seat just like mine on Craigslist and bought it so I'd have no down time.

Still have the spare seat in my closet.

MCC Home of the best motorcycle seat modifications.

Mean City Cycles is home of the custom seat modifications required to make your motorcycle as comfortable as possible without breaking the bank.
www.meancitycycles.com www.meancitycycles.com
 
I put a Mustang on my Vulcan 900. With the stock seat I could go about 1 hour before my tailbone would start in, after that initial hour I would have to get off the bike every 20 minutes or so. With the Mustang I can easily go 3 hours take a 5 minute break and go another 3 hours.
The Mustang is a firm seat but the support is good. I don't have a backrest but the rear seat gives me lumbar support. It was expensive but worth every penny.
 
My 02 Goldwing seat... I had the nose narrowed, side bolsters reduced, bottom lowered, and back support moved forward. It helped me a lot, better access to controls and less hip and butt bone pain. I also bought a sheep skin from amazon that is great to sit on. Have a set of the wooden beads which work ok too. Installed a back rest, which is a wonderful thing to have!
 
jscheck said:
I know we've got some seasoned riders on the forum and I'd like some opinions from you. I have a 2002 Road King. I ride alone (my wife can't ride with me due to health issues) but I want a two person seat suitable for touring. It needs to be as comfortable as possible but not break the bank. I was looking at the Saddleman but heard that even after the break-in they're pretty hard. I'd like something that will give me a little leg room, too. I don't do a lot of long distance riding but I've got a few bucket list trips on my mind and with age has come less padding in my posterior so helpful advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I'm going to second the recommendation for Mustang. They have several models for touring with a variety of ride heights and leg room. Being only 5'8" I had one on my '09 Ultra that lowered the seat height and shortened the leg reach, and when I combined that with the kit that moved the center tour pack back over an inch that not only made me more comfortable but gave my wife substantially more room as well. Plus Mustang uses an dished pan, so you are sitting IN the seat instead of ON a hump.

I bought mine years ago in Daytona at Bike Week when Miller's was a big deal on US1. Mustang not only let me demo ride my choices on my own bike, but when I made my choice they shipped my old seat back to my house in their box so I didn't have to worry about it during Bike Week. Both an excellent seat and great customer service.

EDIT - I've added pics of my 1995 FXSTC Softail Custom and my 2009 FLHTCU Electra Glide Ultra - both with Mustang seats...
1995 FXSTC-1.webp
20210407_150847.webp
 
Last edited:
Corbin allow you to move around more, if that is what you want. I ride sport touring bikes though.
Seat preferences are so varied and personal. Find a good one.

Be safe out there guys!
 
I'm in the firm saddle group. So Corbin. It has a provision for a back support which I don't have. also has an available pillion seat that doesn't get used. FYI you may need to change or at least move your handlebars after the seat change. I put Heritage bars on, it was a common upgrade back then, no cable changes needed. YMMVIMG_5028.webp
 
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