[JackFlack]

My wife and I took a long ride earlier this summer (Silverdale WA to Provo UT) and learned a few things about us and the stock seat:

1. Seat beads are not for us. We cut them off and threw them away in Orofino, ID. It was more comfortable for us without them despite the heat once we dropped down into Idaho Falls.
2. We only want to ride about an hour on the stock seat before both of us are ready to get off for a while. We can live with that as for us it is about seeing things along the way and not covering tons of miles. We are prepared to live with the stock seat if we can't find something that suits us more. However, it would be nice to have something more comfortable for us.

I'm hesitant to buy a custom seat because I would hate to buy something that is so expensive only to find out we don't like it any better than the stock seat. As the RDL comes with a money back guarantee, that is what we are considering. However, I have one question I can't find the answer to.

I have read all the threads here and read about the seat on the RDL site. It appears that the RDL raises you (at least the driver, not sure about the passenger) about an inch. That isn't a problem for me since I am on the taller side. However, I can find no info on whether it moves the driver back in the standard configuration. It wouldn't work for my wife if the driver moved more back into the passenger space.

Can anyone here answer? I can always contact RDL and chat with them if not.

 

[El Toro]

The RDL is customized for you. They ask for several measurements and pictures. They build the seat with a target “pocket” over the springs for your own personal derrière.

The seat does raise you about an inch because of the sprung suspension. But there is generally a range of front to back positions that you can shoot for.

Tell them what you want. They will do their best to give it to you.

 

[El Toro]

As for the guarantee, it is like most seat guarantees. That is, they guarantee that they will work with you to make adjustments until it works. Usually the cost of shipping back and forth is more than the customer wants to bear multiple times, so if you don’t like the seat, you may just offer it up for sale.

 

[El Toro]

I can always contact RDL and chat with them if not.

By all means call them. They are friendly, helpful, and know their product.

This is a small scale operation. You walk in, there is a counter and a receptionist. Behind that area there is the work area. The “technicians” are regular guys ... not a lot of them because it is a skilled job.

It almost makes me wish the stock seat disagreed with me (kidding of course). Maybe it will in a multi day ride.

 

[Dick Czmowski]

RDL seat?

I just got an RDL seat in just the rider section done and had them add their backrest. I did the Sunbrella material. They asked me if i wanted to be moved back and i said no as i like the reach i have to the bars. I have the "18" wing in pearl white. I had them do the sides in black vinyl and the top in the lightest gray sunbrella. I like the new adjustment on the backrest. I did a ride in for the extra $80. I left Redding and did several runs of 200 miles at a time. I was out for 17 days and covered 3700 miles. The RDL performed great. The seat raised me about 1 1/4" but it hasn't been a problem. I have an 34" inseam so i reach the ground just fine. It works for me. Good luck and best wishes.

 

[wingman05]

I have been riding on Russell Day Long Saddles since the 90s. Its the only seat i have ever been comfortable on, and I've tried Corbin, Harley air seats, gel cushions, beads, and air bladder inserts. Russell, by far, is the most comfortable for me. You can have your saddle built to your specifications. If you want the seat raised an inch or so, they can build it accordingly. If you want to retain the same sitting position for both rider and passenger, they will build it accordingly. As for me, my seat is built two inches higher, and the rider portion is built to give me two more inches of seat space - at the expense of the passenger portion of the seat. I rarely ride with a passenger so its no problem for me. I prefer a leather saddle covering. To me, leather is cooler and softer than vinyl. I have the half-moon pattern, and there is less stitching than the rectangular or diamond patterns. I bought their rain cover, which fits well and covers the rider, rider back rest, and passenger portions of the seat. I also sent the passenger back rest off to Russell to have it re-covered in the leather half-moon pattern. It's a personal thing, but I wouldn't ride on anything else. And I am not in any way affiliated with Russell Day long, other than the fact that I am a VERY satisfied customer.

 

[laen]

I dont have a RDL seat( not yet anyway) but people who have them are extremely happy. I would say they are the best

 

[hojo in SC]

I have two bikes with RDL seats, if I had 3 bikes I'd have 3 bikes with RDL seats...


I've had Corbin and Sargent and won't go back to them.

 

[rmw]

+1, I have had the RDLs on all my bikes for many years and will not have a bike without one.

Regarding more space for your wife. I believe I saw a post showing a trunk relocation kit here sometime back. That might also help.

Here is a post that shows my seat right after it was completed.

https://gl1800riders.com/forums/193-2018-goldwing-board/436215-russell-day-long-backrest.html

 

[20 20 vision]

I've had 3 RDLs' on bikes over the years. I am riding in next Tuesday for my 4th and first on a GW.


The seats for me are unbelievably comfortable. Well worth the time and $ to get one of their seats.



RDL has one customer who has had them do 23 seats for her on her bikes over the years. they must be doing something right

 

[El Toro]

I like RDL ... don't misinterpret the note below. It's a great company, and I've used them for many seats over many years.

The worst seat I got from them was actually constructed in a ride in appointment, which should have been the best since I had a say in the fine tuning midway through the build. So I'm not blaming them, it was my own incorrect input, i.e. it was the fact that I misinterpreted how something felt and gave advice to change it.

The best seats I've had them make were for Rocket III Tourings. The Goldwing seat is large, like on a R3T, and I think the larger the stock seat is, the better the RDL will likely turn out. RDL makes big seats.

I did not like the seats I got from RDL for either FJR, R1200GS, or K1600 GTL.

I was willing to roll the dice and have them make me a seat for my F6B, but then traded the bike before I got around to it.

All in all, RDL is a good company, but seats are so personal, that it's hard to please everyone.

The biggest complaint I've seen about RDL seats on forums is that the extra bit of height is too much to allow flatfooting the bike if you're inseam challenged. There is a maneuver humerously called "the Russell Shuffle" which involves sort of hopping forward when you come to a stop so as to get your crotch into the narrowest part of the seat so that you can drop your boots to the pavement more easily.

In the case of my K1600 GTL, the problem was that the rider seat was just not long enough to suit me, and the build space was not enough to allow them to really make it work well for me. We discussed it before and during the build, and they did their best. I do not fault them.

On the R3Ts and on my Tiger Explorer, the Russell seats were well worth their cost. On the R3T, they did not look goofy. That's the other complaint about Russell seats ... they look out of place on smaller bikes. On an R3T or a Goldwing, they generally look just fine.

I think most Goldwing riders would probably enjoy a Russell seat if someone else were paying for it. If you're coughing up the dough yourself, you've got to do some soul searching and decide if the cost to farkle, which includes the cost of coming up with a seat pan, and the cost of round trip shipping of a very large box, is worthwhile. In my own case, I've bought on the order of 10 RDL seats over the years, so obviously there is something about them that draws me to them.

YMMV.

 

[Brian_Fenner]

Had a RDL on my BMW K1600 for 4-years and loved it.....
Just received my RDL for my '19 DCT Tour and so far its awesome......love the Sunbrella and the color combination I picked turned out even better than I thought.
At 32" inseam I can still easily flat foot the Wing.

Absolutely zero regrets on getting the RDL....

 

[Desert John]

I, too, am a frequent flyer at Russell. All three of my current bikes have the the Russell's and I've had them on at least a dozen bikes (some seats, like my BMW R1200GS which just got recovered after being on four GSs for more than 120,000 miles!). When the seats don't fit they fix them quickly.

You really cannot go wrong with a Russell.

 

[wagge]

I do not have an RDL but Corbin. I would bet the RDL is the most comfortable seat on the market today just reading the positive post. If my Corbin does not suit me 100% then I still have the stock seat and will have an RDL. I will know this week as I am headed to Big Bend, and will post feedback when I return.

 

[Largeandy]

I have a RDL on my 2017 Indian Roadmaster and it is an excellent seat. I had RDL do driver, passenger and passenger backrest..all excellent. I am 6’4” so zero problem with walking that bike when I need to. I just put a new Corbin on my 2018 GW and so far, I love that seat too....the Corbin is also a very high quality seat Material wise....I like leather seats the best so only time will tell. I originally had Wing Soft re work my OEM GW seat, it was better but that still did not work for me, my azz still burned after rides of even just 100 miles. I do not care for the material Honda uses on their OEM seats although great for in the rain. RDL does a great job and I would definitely buy another one but on my GW so far, this Corbin is doing it for me. RDL takes time and patience to get the seat rebuilt on your seat pan properly and unlike some folks, I also think the RDL’s look great. My Indian RDL is a work of art IMHO.

To me, your butt is like your feet, you want to be comfortable. I would not hesitate to buy whatever feels best on your personal azz. My 2 cents....

 

[El Toro]

The two most comfortable seats I ever had were both Corbins. One on an ST1100 and the other on a DL1000 (V-Strom).

 

[johnhunter44]

I have an RDL seat and their backrest. I have a 30" inseam and am 5'10". I, too, did not want to move back any. I had already installed helibars risers to correct the pain I was getting by reaching for the bars and did not want to change that. On the work order I stated to keep me the same distance from the bars and they did that perfectly. I love the seat, I love the backrest, and I love the looks. You can't go wrong and so much more comfortable.

 

[Captron]

Go to Walmart (or any seat cushion maker) and purchase a cushion that fits your stock seat (usually under $10.00) and place that cushion on your stock seat and ride away, with a smile...
Just last night i went to the car races, and brought along my seat cushion and placed it under me while watching the race......Aaaaaaaaaa I thought to my self, I couldn't do this with a $1000,00 seat

*just trying to save you a few bucks here*

Ronnie

 

[JackFlack]

Thanks everyone! It sounds like if I do go with RDL, I won't have any problems with getting the seating position how I want it. Now the question is whether to take the plunge!

 

[OldAge]

Purchased a trike with a leather RDL seat. Although it wasn't made to my specs the previous owner was about my size. On our first trip I hadn't given the seat much thought until near the end of the day I realizied that " I hadnt given the seat much thought". That was when I became sold on that seat. It is the best I have had and I have a 28 yr. old Corbin on my 86 Aspy. As far as reach, no problem on the trike. :wink2: