[Pa Pa Smurf]

I'm a little short legged, some thing like 26 inside, I'm looking for the best seat I can get, that would give me a better ride, but at the same time lower me a inch, corbin it to heard, and ultimate seat did lower me, but to heard, when I drop my leggs the bike frame in the way, could not get my foot flat on the ground,,,I know I'm not the only short rider out there...now how about some help out there?????I'm riding a 06 Goldwing :lol: :lol: :chat:

 

[preacher]

seat

The Corbin is extra frim for about 500 - 1000 miles. But it is wonderful for the long haul after the breakin period.

 

[beastie]

Pa Pa Smurf,

The ultimate seat for the shorter rider is on a trike. :lol:

'course it is a little more expensive than a Corbin :wink:

 

[PhoenixRising01]

I'm a 28" inseam on a good day. I do the toe thing and it hasn't been a problem as yet. Once in a while I might lean it just a little to the left so I can flat foot on that side but not often. It does take some getting used to, as I'm sure you know, and makes smooth stops more difficult, as you need to be almost at a complete stop before putting your toe down - no room for mistakes. Biggest problem I've had in the bike world is finding riding pants that are short enough, as I'm one of those "all the gear all the time" guys.

 

[Nando]

Ultimate Seat,
They shafted me...never again

 

[lovetoride]

I often ride with a short person. Had the same issue. The solution was adding 2" to the soles on the riding boots. Almost any good shoe shop can do it.

 

[Rid'nrandy]

Check out Butt Buffer (a company in Pennsylvania). When I had my Yamaha Royal Star Venture I felt I needed to be more planted with my feet (28" inseam, but the Venture sits higher). I sent my seat to them during the off season. They cut it down and narrowed it in the front. They also cut down the back seat by the same amount to avoid having my wife above me more than she already was (we are both 5'8"). Then they imbedded a gel pad in each seat. I was able to touch the ground flat footed and the seats were comfortable. It cost me $270 if I remember correctly plus shipping). Much cheaper than a new seat. I only took a few days to get it back. They were great to work with.

 

[mp06011999]

5' 8" to 5' 10" with a small ass...

I've been looking to change the seating position for my vertically challenged self. I'm about 5' 9", 30" inseam, 34" waist, 185lb athletic build and have issue making a nice smooth secure stop where I can plant my feet flat- smoooothly. I can, but only after forcing the seat's way too much thigh supporting foam down. I know this sounds like an intro to a joke, BUT... the stock seat places too much material between my legs and just under my outer thighs. This causes discomfort when stopping and needing to constantly "re-adjust the boys" after every stop. This is my first NON-cruiser and I loved how my old cruisers sat; IN the bike, leaned back and feet propped up. Are you just not supposed to stop on a Wing? lol I'm surprised at how upright the seating and handlebars make you on the Wing. Isn't this thing suppose to be a recliner on wheels?
BTW, I have removed a bunch of the foam from the thigh and hip area of the stock seat myself, but the pan still feels too wide between the legs.

So, for a new saddle, I'm considering:
Ultimate Lowrider or
Saddlemen or
Diamond or
Corbin and now
Butt Buffer
(Wingsoft and RDL admit they do nothing to make a seat more narrow due to the pan's width so they are no longer considered)

I'm already using the highway pegs (a real help) and will be adding handlebar risers after the seat issue is settled.

Any thoughts from other GL1800 shorter riders? Thanks!

 

[Nando]

mp......
You are man after "my seating arrangement"...I too think this bike sits too much like a crouch rocket and not enough like a touring/cruiser...I took some MC floor boards and chopped them to make a sort of downsize board...this makes pegs lower and more comfy, slightly forward...

also there is a gadget around to make the pegs even lower but you lose clearance....I tried every imaginable shifting gadget...I feel the most comfortable way to shift is with the stock...the way the angle of your knee to your heel works with heel/toe shifter is, TO ME, ergonomically unfriendly...

Ultimate seats rip me off...so I dont recommend to anyone, some just wrote me a long email who had serious problems with them...

From all the treads I have seen on seat the guys who reshape your stock seat makes the most sense and are much cheaper...everyone complains about the Corbin being too hard...hope this helps to give you more options to be undecided about! :wink:
good luck

 

[Smitty]

Big guys seem to like the Corbin seat, but for the rest of us, they are waaay too damned hard. No, they don't break in - same on day one and after 3K miles.

 

[31261]

I would have to agree with beastie on this one. :wink:

 

[dotnetman]

Re: 5' 8" to 5' 10" with a small ass...

Your specifications are almost identical to mine. I have owned my 2007 wing for 2 weeks now and am still getting used to it. Whenever I come to a stop my tension rises due to the lack of really secure footing. I would be very interested in knowing what decision you come to in regard to the seat alteration options.

I've been looking to change the seating position for my vertically challenged self. I'm about 5' 9", 30" inseam, 34" waist, 185lb athletic build and have issue making a nice smooth secure stop where I can plant my feet flat- smoooothly. I can, but only after forcing the seat's way too much thigh supporting foam down. I know this sounds like an intro to a joke, BUT... the stock seat places too much material between my legs and just under my outer thighs. This causes discomfort when stopping and needing to constantly "re-adjust the boys" after every stop. This is my first NON-cruiser and I loved how my old cruisers sat; IN the bike, leaned back and feet propped up. Are you just not supposed to stop on a Wing? lol I'm surprised at how upright the seating and handlebars make you on the Wing. Isn't this thing suppose to be a recliner on wheels?
BTW, I have removed a bunch of the foam from the thigh and hip area of the stock seat myself, but the pan still feels too wide between the legs.

So, for a new saddle, I'm considering:
Ultimate Lowrider or
Saddlemen or
Diamond or
Corbin and now
Butt Buffer
(Wingsoft and RDL admit they do nothing to make a seat more narrow due to the pan's width so they are no longer considered)

I'm already using the highway pegs (a real help) and will be adding handlebar risers after the seat issue is settled.

Any thoughts from other GL1800 shorter riders? Thanks!

 

[doug44]

I'm a little short legged, some thing like 26 inside, I'm looking for the best seat I can get, that would give me a better ride, but at the same time lower me a inch, corbin it to heard, and ultimate seat did lower me, but to heard, when I drop my leggs the bike frame in the way, could not get my foot flat on the ground,,,I know I'm not the only short rider out there...now how about some help out there?????I'm riding a 06 Goldwing :lol: :lol: :chat:

After reading your post and the response to it I also feel your pain in the short inseam. However I have found my stock seat to be lower by quite a bit to my friends 04 ? My 06 does have the factory heated seat and I have found that by wearing a good pair of Red Wing work boots I get along pretty good. I wonder what setting you have the rear set at. Pumping up the rear does raise it just enough that I notice that. Also has anyone checked on the difference between the height of the heated seat vers the normal seat ?

 

[mp06011999]

Wow, this was a really old post I kinda forgot about.

Anyhow, I am reaching the ground pretty well now. I had cut away alot of foam from the stocker and I do always wear thick soled work boots when I ride. However, the greatest improvement was made by simply dialing down the rear spring preloader. Riding solo, it's at a 1 and 2 up it's at about an 8. My weight is about 190 now and the wife's about 130.

We are still planning on a Day Longer seat later this summer though.

 

[dotnetman]

How does the seat look, appearance wise, after the structural modification?
Does it look like it was professionally done or does it look like someone slided/diced and stitched it so it is obviously a rework job?

Do you know of anyone else who has had their seats reworked to lower the effective height and if so what did it look like afterward?

Check out Butt Buffer (a company in Pennsylvania). When I had my Yamaha Royal Star Venture I felt I needed to be more planted with my feet (28" inseam, but the Venture sits higher). I sent my seat to them during the off season. They cut it down and narrowed it in the front. They also cut down the back seat by the same amount to avoid having my wife above me more than she already was (we are both 5'8"). Then they imbedded a gel pad in each seat. I was able to touch the ground flat footed and the seats were comfortable. It cost me $270 if I remember correctly plus shipping). Much cheaper than a new seat. I only took a few days to get it back. They were great to work with.

 

[mp06011999]

I just peeled back the upholstery and cut out foam. I then pulled the upholstery back over. It doesn’t look nice and neat as there’s too much upholstery now, but I didn’t care. I had plans on new leather upholstery anyhow and just wanted to see if I could make the foam more butt friendly. It is, but not as much as I’d like.

Therefore, now that I have the money for it and have tried the cheap route without satisfactory results, I am going to RDL for a new saddle. I’ll be doing a ride in this fall. Sure, I find paying $1,600 for a saddle ridiculous. But I also find paying $21,000 for a motorcycle ridiculous. But we want what we want….