GL1800Riders Forums banner

Saddle Seats Everywhere- oh what to do

3K views 31 replies 25 participants last post by  joe_flash 
#1 ·
If you’re a glutton for reading you can read this entire post or just skip to the brass tacks in the last 2 paragraphs.

I have been reading so much on saddles it’s not funny. A few things I’d like to share from my findings:
1. Damn near EVERY POSTER loves the Russell Day Long (original patent by Bill Mayer Sr.- deceased).
2. Damn near EVERY one of these posters is over 6’ 2" and well over 250lbs.
3. That leaves an inconclusive consensus of the ride improvement from a Russell for guys that DO NOT NEED MORE SEAT or ass room than the stock seat offers.
4. Russell admits on their site and on the phone that it is unrealistic to expect better ground reach with their saddle as they actually raise the seat from stock and they keep the same width- catering extremely well to big boys.
5. Ultimate claims they can get you better ground reach, but there are enough negative posts about their saddles to cause reservation.
6. Saddlemen is the same situation as Ultimate with a little more negative posts.
7. Corbin is loaded with negative posts about their comfort level and anyone charging that much for a saddle really needs more accolades for me to get a cozy feeling to spend it.
8. Wingsoft has very positive reviews, but again, from those big ass guys needing more seat and leg room.
9. Diamond/Hartco has enough negative posts like Ultimate, but may be the best runner up for my needs.
10. Bill Mayer, now owned and operated by Bill Mayer Jr, (Rocky) has very little information about his seats and a crappy web site. People keep confusing him with his Dad and brother (below). There’s way too little info on his seats to know.
11. Rick Mayer seats are suspect as there have been a few really bad posts and pics indicating he makes crap and yells and insults customers who complain.

So, one would deduce from all this that the best bet for quality is the Russell Day Long, but will it fit anyone other than big boys? Pricing it out on their site it would cost just over $1500. That’s more than a nice leather home sofa: Definitely priced more from its demand than the cost to make it. They don’t even tool a new pan for that- WOW! I really hope they read this.

:arrow: So, being 5’9”, 34” waist, 30” inseam, 185lbs athletic build with a little ass, what saddle will make it comfortable to my crotch, by not crunching my boyz and pinching my outside hips, every time I put my feet down at a light? I need to avoid moving back in the seat as the bars are already too far forward for my reach (REG risers are on the list of “to add”). I’d really like to see the freaky built dude Honda made this bike for. He’d have the arm reach of someone 6’ 4”. His inseam would be 34”, but with only 10” of it above the knee so his knees don't hit. His ass would be a 38” waist but he’d only weigh 185lbs. Geez, what am I complaining about. I’ve got that one and surgery to my $21,000 motorcycle will cure the rest. :a13:

Sure I’m being comical, but honestly, besides having to personally visit every one of these guys, how does a NON-BIG guy get the right seat and not pay to regret it? Educated opinions welcomed.
 
See less See more
#3 ·
First of all, I got a real kick out of the compiled results of comments.

I have had the Wingsoft modification for almost a year now and I wouldn't trade it for any other seat and/or modification. I am a little bigger than you (6', 195 with a 33" inseam and short arms, had to install reg risers) I didn't get the modification to give me anymore seat room and I sure didn't want to go any higher. Before the modification, 200-300 miles and my butt and hips were killing me. Since I got it, I do 800-900 miles a day and no discomfort. When I first got the seat back and rode back and forth to work, I thought I had made a terrible mistake, it just wasn't comfortable. I took a couple of 500 mile rides, got it broke in and it has been fantastic ever since. I highly recommend you give it a try. John stands behind his work and says he will put the seat back stock if you are not happy with it.

Randy
 
#4 ·
Hopefully this will help as I'm about the same build as you: 5’8”, 33” waist, 30” inseam, 180lbs and athletic build.

I have the Russell Seat and love it. When I originally bought my '04 GL1800 I ordered a Corbin seat because I loved it on my GL1500. Not so on the GL1800. I've had the Russell seat for over a year and it is still the best seat I've used. Here's a link to a picture of my seat on my black bike. http://www.gwrra-txh.net/vikmisc/vik_gl1800/pics/russell_seat.jpg

I was clear to Russell when I bought this that I needed better reach to the ground with my short legs. They cut it just right. As I stop I slide forward on the seat slightly and am closer to the ground than with the Corbin or stock seat.

Good luck!
 
#6 ·
mp06011999 said:
...Sure I’m being comical, but honestly, besides having to personally visit every one of these guys, how does a NON-BIG guy get the right seat and not pay to regret it? Educated opinions welcomed.
I can relate to your problem as I'm only 6" and weight less than 180 lbs. While I do have a 34 inch inseam, my torso and arms are just a bit short for the length of my legs.

I sent several pictures on me on my GL1800 including several extras measurements to help Russell figure what I was trying to accomplish. The first try was pretty close. The "wings" of the saddle were too high as though they were made for wide loads. A single adjust by Russell for no charge got the seat perfect for my skinny back side (I guess I should have sat on a photo copier and provided them with a pic of that too).

Now I have more then 10,000 miles of it with no more issues!
 
#7 ·
From What I have read, People love the Russell once they get past the initial cost. Also it seems that those who drive in, really get it right the first time.... I just don't like the additional charge for driving in.
 
#9 ·
I would think the ultmate seat would be about perfect for someone your size. Not the mid-rider or the big boy. The seats really ARE well made and comfortable; they just don't offer custom fit.. On the up side, you can order one from them and take two weeks to try it out. If you don't like it, you can get a refund.
 
#10 ·
I'd like to know what negatives there are about Ultimate. I have one on my VTX I wouldn't trade for anything, and Des was great to work with. Quality is first rate, and price is competitive. So what's so wrong with Ultimate?
 
#11 ·
Reddwing said:
I'd like to know what negatives there are about Ultimate. I have one on my VTX I wouldn't trade for anything, and Des was great to work with. Quality is first rate, and price is competitive. So what's so wrong with Ultimate?
Yea, that's what I would like to know??? I got one on my wing and love it. Maybe if it was just a tiny bit softer I would love it more???? :lol:
 
#12 ·
The Ultimate on my VTX-C is a WONDERFUL seat. The one on my GL1800 (Big Boy) is a bit skimpy on the padding and a good bit too narrow for "ultimate" comfort. Its hard to figure why he designed the VTX seat with such a nice generous seat pan and then made the GL1800 seat so damn skinny. I only have a 40" waist (6'-4", 235#) and a relatively small ars and I still hang over that skimpy seat pan - needs a good 3 to 4 inch widening at the rear; but its still far better than stock for comfort.

But your build seems to be taylor made for the stock seat! It was made for small to medium sized folk Why change? If you are scooting too far foreard, you may need new front springs to get the bike level again.

prs
 
#15 ·
Corbins are just too hard and their customer service sux. But some folks really like them.

Travelcade seats aren't any better--had 2 of them, and won't go there again.

Can't comment about Hartco, but I had a Diamond on a GL1500 and liked the seat. Took a long time to break in, but then it was good.

I've had several Russells on different motorcycles and they are, IMO, a geat seat. The ride in is the best way to go as you can get a truly custom fit right then and there. My current Russell fits well, but I think they got the foam a bit too firm for me. The ride-in fee of $80.00 isn't out of line, considering that by the time you get done sending in your stock seat via UPS or FedEx and paying for the return postage, you will have spend darned near that much anyway. The only thing saved will be the cost of the ride there, but, then, that's part of the fun.

Russell will customize your seat to fit YOU, whatever your needs may be. Just tell them what you want and they will make it so.
 
#16 ·
WOW, I’m impressed with all the replies. Thanks!

The summary of my findings that started this thread isn’t my opinion of the quality or comfort of the different saddles as I’ve never tried any of them- yet. The negative comments I refer to about the Diamond, Corbin or any others are from the several web searches on each of the companies mentioned. If you do the same, you’ll see an unusually high number of positive comments about the Day Long: So much so that the negative comments about the others stand out. Russell was/is the only saddler maker I could find with only about 2 or 3 negatives out of at least a hundred. Wingsoft was next followed by Diamond/Hartco and then Ultimate. Most of those comments came from this board weeding through several posts from the last 3 years. And if I hadn’t done that I would have just gone with the Travelcade Saddlemen as it claims the best ground reach with lowering and narrow modifications. But the negatives about quality workmanship just kept popping up.

The only comment about the seats that’s purely my opinion is about :money1: - Russell at around $1500 and Wingsoft at around $500. That includes just about everything they both offer. Which, when you really look at it, is only adding foam & backrest and refitting your own vinyl for Wingsoft AND adding foam, springs and new leather covering & backrest for Russell- all on your own seat pan? That means that $300 of my $500 ($200 for the Utopia backrest) I get foam and labor from Wingsoft and my seat looks the same with no change in the vinyl cover. For $1300 from Russell ($1500 minus the $200 I’d pay for a backrest anyhow) I get foam, springs I don’t need, limited design with leather and labor. That’s such a huge mark up that I just cannot justify it- at least not at this time.

So, I ordered the Utopia and the REG risers Sunday during HDL’s holiday sale. I’ve been carving up the seat foam myself. And when/if I get it where I want it, I’ll be taking it to a car upholstering shop and having it recovered to my liking with some nice custom leather and stitching and such figuring no more than $300 for that service. This route should help me avoid the “motorcycle up charge” we all get hit with when doing anything bike related. Seriously, $1300 for foam, springs and a yard of leather? Come on! Then again, we have paid more for these bikes than a lot of cars cost, so why stop now? I’m jokin’, kind of.
I know, motorcycles, especially Wings & Harleys are like boats and planes. If you’ve too much time or money just buy one and they’ll take ‘em both of your hands.

Anyhow, I may get lucky with the Utopia and risers and it seams that the seat itself may just turn out to be fine for my size if I do that. What I did want to get clear was that most of the demand for the Russell does seem to be from the bigger guys (and they love ‘em).
But big guys always seem to get stuck paying more for everything, don’t they? When’s the last time you saw a clearance clothes rack at Target carrying 4X?

Thanks again for the posts and the PMs. I’ll post an update on the mods as I get ‘em done.
And BTW, if YOU are considering buying any of the four saddles mentioned above (Russell, Wingsoft, Diamond, Ultimate) and spending that kind of money for a seat sits well with you :lol: , the odds are very good you’ll be happy.
 
#17 ·
MP.

You put a lot of thought into your seat options, and I can appreciate that.

I just finished work on a seat mod that lowers the drivers seat and allows you to better reach the ground. I will have more information about this on December 1st when I get the web site updated with details and pictures. It sounds like what you are looking for.

If you choose to do the work on your own seat I would highly recommend you dont loose any of the white plastic clips that hold the vinyl down. I dont know of any source for those, and if you loose then, you are SOL unless you decide to buy another seat.

Take Care
John
 
#18 ·
seat

The goldwing egonomics are designed for a person 5feet7 inches to 5feet10 inches in my opinion. I am 6feet1inch and 180lbs and I never could get comfortable on the goldwing. I tried everything from pads to wingsoft without success. I refused to pay $18000 for a luxury touring motor cycle designed for comfort and then have to buy a custom seat. Sold the sucker and miss the performance but not the egonomics. For my money the goldwing was one uncomfortable cramped ride.
 
#20 ·
I am 5'10" and 220#. I had a terrible experience with Russell. I am out about $1000 plus I made two trips to Shasta so they could custom fit the seat for me and it was the worst seat you could imagine. I only wish I had taken pictures of it so you could see the sh*t they tried to pass off as a quality product. A large gap at the seat-shelter junction and on the sides it left the tops of the side panels exposed. It was truly, without any exaggeration, the worst fitting seat I have ever sat on, on a motorcycle. Period. Money back? Yeah, right, I sure didn’t see any money back. I finally gave it away and don’t know what has happened to it! Caveat Emptor!
 
#21 ·
Here's your answer

You need to go to this site. www.richscustomseats.com. He comes highly recommended from the Long distance rider forums and I have one of his seats. I have a 30in inseam but I'm 6'3". So I can empathize with you about the inseam and comfort issues - even the handle bar reach. This guy is customer friendly, he has a multi-density foam structure and it is comfortable. I used to have the issue of circulation in the nether regions to and I was able to have this guy make a relief for the area in question and I have had not issues with them since. I would recommend this guys work whole heartedly. If any thing, the cost you'll find to be very good.
 
#25 ·
REBELEE said:
Reddwing said:
I'd like to know what negatives there are about Ultimate. I have one on my VTX I wouldn't trade for anything, and Des was great to work with. Quality is first rate, and price is competitive. So what's so wrong with Ultimate?
Yea, that's what I would like to know??? I got one on my wing and love it. Maybe if it was just a tiny bit softer I would love it more???? :lol:
Hey Lee :wink: :wink:

Fancy meetin' you here... heh heh heh. Check the Traxxion threads. Good stuff!
eXtra
 
#26 ·
I'll put in my vote for both Russell and Rick Mayer as both make excellent saddles.
My Russell was on my former bike, a GL1200, and it served me very well for over 80,000 miles. I had Rick Mayer build a saddle for my GL1800 and it may be somewhat better than the Russell, IMO. The Mayer has a leather cover vs. the cloth on the Russell, if that matters.

By the way, I'm a very athletic 5'11" and 260 pounds with a very tight butt!

:wink:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top