1100 seat

tnbill

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Joined
Mar 14, 2022
Messages
306
Location
shady valley Tn
Bike
91 st1100
took the st out this morning for a 120 mile ride with the better half on the back. this is the second ride two up and have noticed a couple of things with the seat, 1st is it feels like it wants to put me close to the front and 2nd the pillion is also wanting to slide forward and more so when on the breaks. so i have been looking at aftermarket seats.( corbin is out) who has tried either the saddlemen or the topsellerie? if so what was your impression of them.
 
I’ve had a Saddleman, I found it worse than the Corbin. I really, really like my Corbin. I modified it by using thicker foam under the decorative stitching. It’s 1/2” foam instead of the 1/8” Corbin uses, so it has more of a pillow effect between the stitching. ( I can ride up to 14 hours if need be and still be comfortable.
 
Russell DAY LONG being the operative words. Your pillion will no longer slide into you either, if the seat is custom built to both of you.
 
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I had the same feeling about the stock seat. Upgraded to a used Corbin Rumbler and find it a bit too hard. Like the other guy im thinking about a pad of closed cell sleeping pad, glued to my sheepskin. That little bit could help a ton i suspect. Keep an eye on the for sale section.
 
The Corbin seats tend to be love hate thing. I had a Corbin - I absolutely hated it - I took it back to the Corbin (close to me) factory twice to make adjustments no luck. I bought a Russell Day Long - it is simply the best seat available for long distance riding. The test of a good seat is how many times you think about your posterior when riding - I never think about it when riding with the Russell seat. I have a Sargent seat on my Africa Twin - It is pretty good and I can ride 8-10 hours without issue - It's not as good as the Russell seat on my ST however.
A great and inexpensive add-on to almost any seat is a Sit and Fly 3D mesh seat cover. I have one on my Africa Twin - keeps your rear end cool and really prevents pressure points. I have used a sheepskin cover in the past and found that the 3D mesh is far superior and is not an issue in the rain as a sheepskin can be.

www.sitandfly.com

Sit&Fly - seat cover -

Sit&Fly - seat cover -
www.sitandfly.com www.sitandfly.com
 
Living in Tenn., you could try Terry's seats somewhere in Tenn. His site is on F-book and I don't do it. I have one of his seats for an 1100 and it's pretty good.

I also have a Saddleman Travelcade (probably 20 years old) that I haven't used for years. As Uncle Phil said, it was good for about 300 miles.

I have found Russell Seats to be the most comfortable. They can get a little expensive but amortized over their life time they're fairly cheap.
 
I still get knee and hip aches and pains, but my RDL reduces them with the position, and eliminates it in my butt.

The factory seat feels like I'm straddling a log instead of sitting on a seat. And that annoying "boys meet tank" tilt!
 
@ ron do you want to part company with the saddlemen seat? I dont see a RDL in my future as i dont do long distance just looking for something that will work for the short days me and her ride around here. We never do more than 175 miles.
 
Ron also just took a look at terrys Facebook page it has not had an update since may 5 lady year but might try to contact
 
tnbill said:
Ron also just took a look at terrys Facebook page it has not had an update since may 5 lady year but might try to contact
Click to expand...

I had an RDL on my ST, great seat, but probably the most expensive aftermarket seat you could opt for.

When looking for other options than OEM and Bagster, both of which I got when I purchased a new-to-me Tracer GT, Terry Adcox had a great rep among friends and Tracer forums. Terry was backed up with orders last year, but he did have time to do my seat in January and I'm looking forward to giving it a test run in a few weeks. Workmanship is excellent, a great deal I think for $260. He responds to email in 2 - 3 days. No idea why his FB page has been dormant for so long.

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Home | terryscustomseats

www.terryscustomseats.com www.terryscustomseats.com
 
The stock seat does leave a bit to be desired, but the fully forward position is reduces my lean and the stress on my arms and shoulders. My biggest problem on trips is my SO's habit of napping while leaning on me. Seems to be normal for her and she hasn't fallen off over the last 42 years. Seems a bit less of an issue on the ST1300, likely the two part seat.
 
I have a Russell, but don’t use it much these days. I use a Saddlemen seat on each bike with the mesh cover. That‘s better for me in that I still sit deeper in the bike vs the Russell where I’m propped up, and the mesh allows air to run under the bum when it’s hot out. So the Russell for me is a better cool/cold weather seat. As far as passenger comfort, the wife likes the Russell best as it actually doesn’t let her fall into me as much as the Saddlemen does, so she’s parked between the front of the pillion seat and my backrest, so she’s more comfy back there. I do like the Russell, it’s just that I feel like I have no mobility in the seat vs the Saddlemen.

For an OEM seat if you don’t want to spend too much, I would recommend the mesh cover or maybe a BeadRider.

I had a Corbin at one time and it was quite hard. I didn't like it.
 
Ok a follow up in this. I have an email with terry about a seat redo, he is still working and told me he is 3 months out but can do my seat for a fair price. In the mean time i bought a saddleman off evil bay for $150.00 so for that money I don’t think i got hurt. It was delivered friday and i took the better half for a short 60 mile test run with it. The things I noticed is 1 i no longer am forced to the front 2 it is flatter under my bum and feels much better than stock 3 it does splay my legs farther apart at a stop so it has made my legs shorter and 4 the boss gave it 2 thumbs up she is not sliding forward and fighting the seat like the stocker. I am still thinking of giving terry a try later though.
 
Hi fella, seats.......who'd have thought they'd be an issue on a bike forum :rofl1:.
The standard seat has its limitations, has discussed a million times. But........whether a replacement will provide all day comfort is as much to do with the rider as the replacement seat. Or that's my opinion anyway.
And.......I think our bodies need to do something regular for our muscles and ageing bones to adjust to the new regime.
I went down the route of sourcing a local bloke in NE England to fit gel pads (home made by him) and non slip re-cover. It went well, I think it was about £200.00 and made a big difference. It's now got that feel that says just sit it out it'll turn out OK. And it does. Where 2 hours was the end of the comfort zone it's now just a time to think it's still OK. Money we'll spent.
Upt'North.
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