Improvement to OEM Seat?

DONCZ

Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
24
Location
OAK LAWN ,IL
Bike
st1300
Hello,
just made 200+ miles on OEM seat . OMG my b... is sour.
Do you guys have any home DIY improvements to make OEM seat more comfortable ?
 
It sounds like you need a little BSC or better known as Back Side Conditioning.
Get your wife a wooden paddle and have her give you 15-20 good whacks on the backside each night before bed.
If after 2 or 3 week this does not raise your BSC you may want to look in to a Russell Day Long seat.
Or maybe skip the conditioning an get the RDL.
 
RDL is the bomb, if you are willing to drop the $$. Talk to Keith about his, maybe it will work for you. I have two RDL (bought both used) First one is pretty close to perfect, second one doesn't "fit" me well.

Spencer is a great value too. I had my stock seat done before I got the first used RDL.
 
I went through some money on my 1100 while looking for a seat. Stock 35 miles, Corbin 200 miles. Travelcade 400 miles, and finally, I gave up and spent the money. The Russell Day Long Saddle is good for 1000+ miles. If the rest of your body can handle it. If you only do the front seat on the 1300, it'll run about $350-$400 (last time I looked).
 
Saltydog said:
It sounds like you need a little BSC or better known as Back Side Conditioning.
Get your wife a wooden paddle and have her give you 15-20 good whacks on the backside each night before bed.
If after 2 or 3 week this does not raise your BSC you may want to look in to a Russell Day Long seat.
Or maybe skip the conditioning an get the RDL.
Click to expand...

This sort of thing could be dangerous. He just might give up motorcycles and stick with the paddle......
 
You could try a cheap gel pad from Wally-world ($20), Air Hawk air pad ($80 or so) or a Bead Rider as alternatives too.
 
sirepair said:
You could try a cheap gel pad from Wally-world ($20), Air Hawk air pad ($80 or so) or a Bead Rider as alternatives too.
Click to expand...

I found the Bead Rider surprisingly comfortable on my stock (Specerized) seat. Have to admit I was skeptical, but am now a born again Bead Rider believer. If nothing else, the cool air flowing through it is a welcome benefit.
 
I have a Freedom Air Sport Cushion and it works pretty well when you get the air pressure set right. It's certainly no replacement for a good fitted aftermarket seat (RDL, Laam) but for $140, it's pretty good.

FWIW, I did try the $20 ATV pad for several thousand miles... did not feel any better than the stock seat.
 
If you are planning on keeping the bike, spend the money on the Russell. It will be the best money you spend for your personal comfort. You can try all sorts of seat 'options' and spend a nice sum of cash doing it, but a Russell solves the problems for most folks if it is custom built for your body. BTW, over the years I've acquired a Alaskan sheepskin, a Beadrider, a Travelcade Gel seat, and also tested the Spencer mod. None of them come close to the comfort of my Russell saddle.
 
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SMSW said:
I found the Bead Rider surprisingly comfortable on my stock (Specerized) seat. Have to admit I was skeptical, but am now a born again Bead Rider believer. If nothing else, the cool air flowing through it is a welcome benefit.

Quick reply to this message
Click to expand...
Beads are the bomb.........ff
 
#3 rave on the Spencer mod. It was great for me on all three of my ST1300s. However, it doesn't work for everyone as not all butts are made the same.

Russel Day Long, Sergeants (in Jacksonville) and others that provide a seat custom made for you . . . as far as I can tell, they're all good. The key word is "custom" meaning tailored specifically for you and not 'off the shelf.' With the exception of Spencer, you get what you pay the big bucks for.

I'll be interested in a follow-up from you after you've put a few miles on the Spencer.

Shuey
 
CPR4LIFE said:
Good to know and I'll be sure to report...just wish I could tell from his website what the modification actually looks like!
Click to expand...

Visually, you cannot tell the difference between a Spencerized seat and a stock one. As the commercial says, "only your butt knows for sure".

+1 on Shuey's comment that all butts are not made alike, our Constitution, notwithstanding.
 
For what it's worth, I had a Spencerized seat on my '07 and that was only good for about an hour for me before I was squirming quite a bit. I never rode on an OEM seat, so they would likely be truly awful for me. Earlier this year, I sent my seat out to Seth Laam and he improved it quite a bit, certainly he made it much prettier. I added on to what Seth started by taking the cover back off, trimming some and adding foam of different shapes and density until my hiney was happier. I wouldn't call it a day long (for me) but I can run through a full tank of gas with no pains now. That's about as far as I've gone at once since modifying the seat. I guess what I learned was once Seth had set up the foundation - widening the seat - I could easily optimize it for me.

I hope you get a comfy seat, that really helps you get to the bike's potential.
 
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I went back and looked and I had my RDL built in 2002. Just this year the cover is starting to come apart, so I plan on doing a 'ride in' next year to have my current RDL 'freshened up' and have them build me another one while I'm at it. That should carry me about as long as I'll be able to ride .... ;-)
 
As stated, all fannys are different. The Spencer mod turned my stock seat from 80 miles and wince to 500 and not think about it.......just me though. For $150.00 (or whatever it was).... 30k later I can say it was damned worth the chance and it was better than I could've imagined.
 
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