[Goodwolf]

I don’t want this to come off like a “rag on a vendor” post but I got my new Ultimate seats delivered today and wanted you all to be aware of an issue in case it happens to you.

They did a very nice job on the build and I ordered mine with the red stitching to go with the red paint. After installing, I took the bike for a short ride and noticed both the passenger and rider heater lights were fast blinking on the dash. Tried turning the bike off, tried disconnecting and reconnected both plugs thinking maybe they didn’t seat properly when I re-installed. Nope, didn’t correct the issue and I had to call Ultimate for guidance.

Spoke with a nice guy in their tech support and he said that most likely the pins in the plugs were incorrectly placed when assembled. He said that this has been an ongoing problem with the supplier of the plugs. I asked why they wouldn’t test a seat before being sent out to a customer, especially for 1850 bucks. He told me they don’t have the ability to test the heater function there at the shop and basically, to test it is to install it on the bike and see if it works. If not, then you got a bad plug and have to arrange a return.

Again, this isn’t a post to beat up on Ultimate, they make a nice product. But I do feel that sending out untested or unverified product is unacceptable.

I also asked if he could instruct me how to place the pins properly as I was willing to do it myself but he said that required a special tool and if done incorrectly, the entire seats garbage. So, if you plan on ordering from Ultimate the first thing you wanna do is verify your heater functions operate upon installation.

Ultimate already sent a return shipping label and I’m totally confident they’ll take care of it, so other than going thru a little bit of a hassle, it’ll get worked out.


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It's not surprising that a company doesn't check their product out before shipping it out.
What's surprising is that a small seat , with a heating unit costs $1850 !
I've purchased a couch and love seat with heat and reclining for less than that .
The other issue would be, if they don't have a way of testing them before they ship it, then how are they going to do it when you ship back to them?
I know some people will take offense and defend the price, but it really does matter to me as long as you are happy with your seat .

 

[shooters1380]

It's not surprising that a company doesn't check their product out before shipping it out.
What's surprising is that a small seat , with a heating unit costs $1850 !
I've purchased a couch and love seat with heat and reclining for less than that .
The other issue would be, if they don't have a way of testing them before they ship it, then how are they going to do it when you ship back to them?
I know some people will take offense and defend the price, but it really does matter to me as long as you are happy with your seat .

No, I’m with you on that. To me 1850 is a stupid amount of money for the seat. I paid 1000 for my Corbin in 2012 on my last Wing and that seat was horrible. Never had pain in my lower back and tailbone like what I experienced with that seat. But I guess if the market commands those prices and people are willing to pay, then it is what it is.

I’m usually fine with paying for, or over paying for a product or service if it’s something I really want and makes my life easier. But I get pretty upset when I pay for an item and it turns out to be garbage.

As for what will I do when I get the seat back; pray it works. If it doesn’t then I’m going to be demanding my money back which will be interesting because it was a custom order and Ultimate doesn’t refund anything they consider custom. Custom being the red thread they used to stitch.

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[SeaDogActual]

Having the customer be your Q.A. (Quality Assurance) Dept. seems to be the business model of today; it saves the manufacturer a lot of money and makes those spreadsheet lovin' bean counters happy!
A long, long time ago (1974) in a galaxy far away (Downers Grove, IL) I worked for a manufacturer who would thoroughly “wring-out” their products before they shipped them.

 

[Goodwolf]

Having the customer be your Q.A. (Quality Assurance) Dept. seems to be the business model of today; it saves the manufacturer a lot of money and makes those spreadsheet lovin' bean counters happy!
A long, long time ago (1974) in a galaxy far away (Downers Grove, IL) I worked for a manufacturer who would thoroughly “wring-out” their products before they shipped them.

No, I’m with you on that. To me 1850 is a stupid amount of money for the seat. I paid 1000 for my Corbin in 2012 on my last Wing and that seat was horrible. Never had pain in my lower back and tailbone like what I experienced with that seat. But I guess if the market commands those prices and people are willing to pay, then it is what it is.

I’m usually fine with paying for, or over paying for a product or service if it’s something I really want and makes my life easier. But I get pretty upset when I pay for an item and it turns out to be garbage.

As for what will I do when I get the seat back; pray it works. If it doesn’t then I’m going to be demanding my money back which will be interesting because it was a custom order and Ultimate doesn’t refund anything they consider custom. Custom being the red thread they used to stitch.

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Of course if someone really wants to buy a newer seat and wanted to sell their old ultimate seat ( 2012 - 2017 ) I would gladly pay a fair price for it.
It just seems that goldwing seats are four times more expensive than the HD seats . Could it be that the market says that goldwing riders have more money than harley riders? You have to be honest with yourself, about how you invest in your safety and comfort riding any brand of motorcycle. There must be limits that a person is willing to accept . One of the biggest reasons I sold my harley davidson, and came back to Honda goldwings is the quality and reliability and amenities or options if you please.
The harley was the most comfortable seat I have ever ridden on , but it almost stops right there.
You had to change the handle bar, the grips and radio compatible bluetooth, gps , etc.
The term H D meaning hundred dollars fits well.
Everything was a minimum of a hundred dollars, everytime you walked through the door.
However, you could purchase an aftermarket seat for max $800 ,and a darn good one for just under $400.
I just don't see how anyone can charge the amount they do with after market goldwing seats.
I even modified my 2002 goldwing seat years ago, and it was nothing for me to ride 800 - 900 miles without having any discomfort.
It took me about 4 hours total to get it right. Approximately three different tries and it was perfect for me.
Although I do have experience in rigging and sewing parachutes ( military) its not that difficult.
The worst part is getting the correct length of staples and air pressure, to reattach the cover to the pan.
Seems like every company has their own like recipe or nitch to sell why their seat is better than the other.
The real challenge is fitting to the diverse shapes, sizes and weights of as.... that set on those seats.

 

[laen]

If $1800 is too high for you don't buy an Ultimate seat. Choices is what it is all about. Personally for me Ultimate seats and Traxxion upgrades are SOTA. Each person makes their own choices.

For me the biggest laugh is those who add PLASTIC CHROME

 

[Brian_Fenner]

No, I’m with you on that. To me 1850 is a stupid amount of money for the seat. ...

My RDL for $1200 doesn't seem so crazy expensive by comparison.
Well worth the expense IMHO, if I'm not comfortable for the long haul rides, then it's no fun any longer.......keep me smiling the whole ride.

To spend the kind of money the OP did and get that kind of response to a simple issue that should never happen is ridiculous.....personally I'd shop elsewhere.

 

[shooters1380]

If $1800 is too high for you don't buy an Ultimate seat. Choices is what it is all about. Personally for me Ultimate seats and Traxxion upgrades are SOTA. Each person makes their own choices.

For me the biggest laugh is those who add PLASTIC CHROME

I bought one didn’t I? You kinda like to bully don’t ya Laen? This post isn’t about what people can or cannot afford and by your comment you obviously don’t get it.


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[Ultimate Seats]

Good morning, everybody -
Sorry that I'm late to the thread on this one - I would have loved to deescalate this situation before we got to this point. However, if you've got the time to read - let me try to make one post to address all of the issues that have been brought up in the previous 45.

First and foremost - Shooters - my apologies for the frustration that you've endured up until this point. It is our goal to provide you a perfect product out of the box the very first time.

Next, to clarify product testing during production. We actually do bench test every element, and we actually try to do it twice as a fail safe. I will try and add a picture of one of our test harnesses that we made to be used easily with a multimeter to verify resistance as well as continuity to make sure we are within the readings that the Honda Service Manual dictates. I wasn't on the phone, nor did I hear the conversation - but I believe we miscommunicated that we don't 'bike' test every seat on our 2018 Goldwing that we have (and is the owner's daily ride).

As far as suppliers and past product failure are concerned:
There is, and only has ever been one supplier for the 2018 and Newer Honda Goldwing heating element systems (that work with OEM controls). We never changed suppliers. There have been different suppliers in the past for the 2006-2017 Goldwing. Now, we did have a very limited production run of seats have an issue. By limited, it was approximately 3% of last years heated 2018 goldwing sales - and it was limited to one 'lot' of elements that have all been accounted for and completed. These items, too, were bench tested - but to make a very long story short - the heat sensor for the back seat was plugged into the heat sensor in the front seat, and vice versa. So, you guessed it - all the values read correctly on the bench - so we shipped them out - and only found out there was an issue on the bike. Again, those customers have been taken care of at our cost, as it should be - and those issues resolved. Since that time, we now have included in our testing heating up the front and rear sensors to measure resistance at the plug to make sure we meet company and customer expectations of a perfect product.

So, as to the issue at hand, we will 100% absolutely make it right as soon as we possibly can. Again, I'm sorry that I was left as unaware as I was about this issue, but I can assure you that I am fully aware now - and will expedite and guarantee a positive outcome.

If anyone has any questions or comments - please e-mail me [email protected] or call me directly at the office 877-672-0288.

Best regards,

Dave Frank
V.P. of Operations
Ultimate Seats

 

[shooters1380]

Good morning, everybody -
Sorry that I'm late to the thread on this one - I would have loved to deescalate this situation before we got to this point. However, if you've got the time to read - let me try to make one post to address all of the issues that have been brought up in the previous 45.

First and foremost - Shooters - my apologies for the frustration that you've endured up until this point. It is our goal to provide you a perfect product out of the box the very first time.

Next, to clarify product testing during production. We actually do bench test every element, and we actually try to do it twice as a fail safe. I will try and add a picture of one of our test harnesses that we made to be used easily with a multimeter to verify resistance as well as continuity to make sure we are within the readings that the Honda Service Manual dictates. I wasn't on the phone, nor did I hear the conversation - but I believe we miscommunicated that we don't 'bike' test every seat on our 2018 Goldwing that we have (and is the owner's daily ride).

As far as suppliers and past product failure are concerned:
There is, and only has ever been one supplier for the 2018 and Newer Honda Goldwing heating element systems (that work with OEM controls). We never changed suppliers. There have been different suppliers in the past for the 2006-2017 Goldwing. Now, we did have a very limited production run of seats have an issue. By limited, it was approximately 3% of last years heated 2018 goldwing sales - and it was limited to one 'lot' of elements that have all been accounted for and completed. These items, too, were bench tested - but to make a very long story short - the heat sensor for the back seat was plugged into the heat sensor in the front seat, and vice versa. So, you guessed it - all the values read correctly on the bench - so we shipped them out - and only found out there was an issue on the bike. Again, those customers have been taken care of at our cost, as it should be - and those issues resolved. Since that time, we now have included in our testing heating up the front and rear sensors to measure resistance at the plug to make sure we meet company and customer expectations of a perfect product.

So, as to the issue at hand, we will 100% absolutely make it right as soon as we possibly can. Again, I'm sorry that I was left as unaware as I was about this issue, but I can assure you that I am fully aware now - and will expedite and guarantee a positive outcome.

If anyone has any questions or comments - please e-mail me [email protected] or call me directly at the office 877-672-0288.

Best regards,

Dave Frank
V.P. of Operations
Ultimate Seats

Not worried that it won’t be taken care of. Never was. Thanks for your detailed explanation. I have that kind of luck that if there’s one bad unit out of a million produced, I’ll be the guy who ends up getting it.


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[Ultimate Seats]

 

[shooters1380]

I probably know of 8 people with a ULTIMATE seat on a 2018 + so I question your comment on "that this has been an ongoing problem from the supplier of the plugs " Good luck

So Laen, looks like Ultimate got the seat back and did a bit of troubleshooting. They confirmed that there is an issue and were able to duplicate the problem I had experienced. You have a retort since you seem to be an expert on most things Goldwing? I mean I must be making it up right, since you know 8 people with trouble free Ultimate seats?


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[grampi]

Sending out ANY seats with non-functional heaters is unacceptable. They need to figure out how to test them before sending them out. Are they paying for all of the additional shipping charges? They should be...

 

[shooters1380]

Sending out ANY seats with non-functional heaters is unacceptable. They need to figure out how to test them before sending them out. Are they paying for all of the additional shipping charges? They should be...

Grampi, they are definitely looking into the issue and I have faith they’ll make things right.

I was contacted today by Dave from Ultimate and he said they in fact DID test the seat and everything checked out. Until they installed it on their shop bike and then reproduced the same issues I had. So really unless they installed each and every seat they manufactured on a test bike, I guess they’d really not be aware of an issue. So perhaps something else is going on with that seat other than connector plugs. He was at a loss and wasn’t sure what was happening.

They’ll do what they can to figure it out and Dave assured me that either way, even if he needed to have a complete new seat built, he’d get it taken care of and I believe him.


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[dkleiner]

The amount of vitriol exhibited against Ultimate Seats here is immature and ranks up there with conspiratorial theorists. I took delivery of an Ultimate seat about two weeks ago, and it is perfect.

So, there is an issue with one seat, and everyone here goes ape shite crazy. Ulitimate Seats is standing behind their product and will correct the problem. What more do you want?

 

[TravelingMan]

Ditto

 

[valkyrie62]

Read all of the posts! vitriol !?? are you serious the op was just letting people know his seat heaters where non functional a after he received his seat . nothing wrong with that your comment
"get a life" is inappropriate! Im sure everyone is glad "YOUR" seat was perfect.

 

[Brian_Fenner]

The amount of vitriol exhibited against Ultimate Seats here is immature and ranks up there with conspiratorial theorists. I took delivery of an Ultimate seat about two weeks ago, and it is perfect.

So, there is an issue with one seat, and everyone here goes ape shite crazy. Ulitimate Seats is standing behind their product and will correct the problem. What more do you want?

Wow, now that was pretty much totally unnecessary....

The original OPs post indicated he had an issue with a brand new delivered seat that cost $1850 and called Ultimate. He also said the person he talked to at Ultimate stated they do NOT test the seat heaters and basically ship them out for the customer to test/troubleshoot. If it doesn't work the customer needs to immediately turn around and send the seat back to them.
Ridiculous in anyone's book for a seat approaching $2K.

That's what most of the comments are based on........so your flames are completely out of line and unnecessary. You're the one spewing "vitriol".
A little over the top defensive comments to support your purchase, I suspect...

It took until post #48 from Ultimate to correct some of the information provided.......I still question why the OP was told what he was by Ultimate.
If it was indeed tested why does it still need to go back, seems like a poor testing system.

Anyway for $1800 for a motorcycle seat I would expect better........Glad they are stepping up to take care of the issue.

 

[Mysterious Mod]

One thing this forum doesn’t tolerate is members taking pot shots at each other and making snide and derisive comments about a member. Offending posts have been deleted/edited to remove those comments.

 

[ssncob]

Remember guys, the post started out as a heads-up for everyone. The OP was rightfully perturbed his new seat had an issue. A bit of miscommunication occurred between him and the mfr. The mfr stepped up to make it right. The mfr provided clarification on the issue.

No need to bash anyone. Guy had a problem. Let us know about it and reminder to check your items out. Vented a bit of frustration. Life goes on. I've had to do rework for customers in the past, not fun but it happens.

Be kind to one another. Life is short, enjoy the ride...

 

[dkleiner]

Okay. No excuses. I apologize for my post.