I am planning on taking a long trip in Aug, and I plan on just going ahead and putting the seat cover on before I leave and leaving it on the whole trip so I won't have to mess around doing it on the road if/when I run into rain. I have the cover that has the space for a rider's backrest. My question is, how well does it stay in place while riding? I don't want to have to be re-installing it every time I stop for gas. I never could figure out why they didn't just use a type of material inside the seat that can get wet so we don't have to use a cover. That's my only complaint about the RDL...
Question for those of you who have an RDL seat with a cover
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Joined
·
2,157 Posts
Yeah me too…. I have a Corbin on both my bikes, ….both leather. I just roll.
Cover the bike at night only. Some times, not even that.
Joined
·
2,190 Posts
Had the RDL seat and cover on my ST1300. Never found any good use for it. Bike was always inside when not being ridden except on overnight trips. Halfsie cover on bike at night (maybe) and/or wipe the seat with a towel and go.
Joined
·
3,263 Posts
I have a RDL seat cover and used it once......to see how it fit. Never used it again.
I use 303 protectant on my Sunbrella RDL and it's like water off a ducks back.....never seen a need for a cover when riding.
If staying overnight, I cover the bike anyway........to keep the people that have a compulsion to touch everything off my bike.
I use 303 protectant on my Sunbrella RDL and it's like water off a ducks back.....never seen a need for a cover when riding.
If staying overnight, I cover the bike anyway........to keep the people that have a compulsion to touch everything off my bike.
Joined
·
1,313 Posts
The seat cover is for the stitching, not the leather. One of the ways they increased the comfort was by removing the layer of plastic that normally protects the foam and heat wiring. If you don't have a heated seat, no issue, but their warranty for the heated seat does not cover a seat where it's apparent the cover was routinely not used during rain riding. I struggle with the same issue and have settled on only putting it on when I think I'm going to be riding through a deluge. Otherwise my jeans will soak it up and I cover the bike at night when traveling.
I only use the cover while on road trips if it's going to be a rain ride where it's raining continuously or if the bike is parked out in the rain.... if you need rain gear on I put the seat cover on...if it's just a quick summer shower I just keep rolling. It only takes about a minute to put the seat cover on the seat
I appreciate the replies, but no one has really answered my question. How well does the cover stay on when riding the bike with the cover on? And to those who said they applied a sealer to the seat, the guy at RDL said a sealer wouldn't work on my seat because it has too much stitching...it would be impossible to seal all of the stitching holes...I'm wondering what is so different about the RDL that it needs to be covered in the rain when the OEM seat doesn't. They're both vinyl covered, they both have stitching, and both have the heated elements...
Joined
·
1,313 Posts
I've never had mine come off until I took it off. It snugs up under the seat all the way around. Hardest part is finding the front of it.
The OEM seat does not have any stitching...it's a one piece cover molded to look like stitching.
The seat cover with my RDL fits the seat loose..but it has a elastic ring on the bottom and tucks under the bottom of the seat and holds the cover on the seat...besides your sitting on the cover and it will go nowhere
I didn't know the OEM seat didn't have stitching. Honda tricked me! That explains the difference in the skins, but what's inside the seat that isn't supposed to get wet? Is it the heating apparatus? I can't imagine rain would damage the cushion material...then again, I don't know what material RDL uses there either...
Joined
·
9,131 Posts
If the foam gets soaked, it would take a long time to dry out. If not completely dry, it could rot. Both of my Ultimates are heated but regardless, I'd do my best to keep them dry.
Joined
·
274 Posts
I do not use a cover, ever. The bike has a garage to live in so is only outside on trips. I do not cover the seat then either. If it gets wet, I put a towel under me for the next days ride to keep my butt dry and it seems to dry the seat out also as it is always dry later. It's just not a problem.
If the seat gets soaked you get a wet butt when sitting on the seat the next day...I guess some don't mind a wet butt, but for me it's not very enjoyable so I use the seat cover if I'm riding in steady rain...which is like 1% of my riding...enjoy your RDL and don't over think this...you will hardy use the seat cover, but for those road trips that you do get caught in rain be glad you have the seat cover.
Joined
·
47 Posts
I've only ridden with the cover on a couple times without my wife on the back, and those couple times the cover didn't stay down very well for me. It seems air got up under it both times and was kind of flapping around in the back. That could have just been my mistake in not tucking it under the seat properly.
Joined
·
2,025 Posts
I have the RDL seat & rain cover. The rain cover as mentioned earlier by other posters stays put with the elastic cord. I don't take chances with this expensive seat, so I tuck roll the seat cover (Driver & Backrest) and leave the passenger part of the seat covered. I use my cargo net to keep it in place. This allows me quick access to simply unroll and have the driver section and the backrest covered in thirty seconds. Once I start loading my Veskimo Cooler which occupies the passenger area. I will pull it from under the cooler and protect the seat-backrest.
I'm not concerned about getting the passenger backrest wet, it's OEM, only the seat...
Here's what Jay from RDL replied to me about why they recommend not getting the seat wet:
"Our seats are built a bit different than stock. They have a bucket shape that requires more stitching and will puddle water. There’s a steel spring inside as well. Keeping the seat dry will extend the life of it."
It sounds like the major concern is this spring. I was actually more concerned about the padding getting wet, but that doesn't seem to concern RDL as much as the spring does...I guess I can try riding with the cover on, and if it gets to be too much of a PITA, I'll just take it off...
"Our seats are built a bit different than stock. They have a bucket shape that requires more stitching and will puddle water. There’s a steel spring inside as well. Keeping the seat dry will extend the life of it."
It sounds like the major concern is this spring. I was actually more concerned about the padding getting wet, but that doesn't seem to concern RDL as much as the spring does...I guess I can try riding with the cover on, and if it gets to be too much of a PITA, I'll just take it off...
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Join the discussion
