My fugly RDL Tractor Seats have arrived...

[Top_Speed1]

They look good KJ. Your butt will be happy on those long rides this summer, I'm sure!

Did all you guys take your nice pills today or something?

I agree that my butt will thank me, but the seats still look like they should be on a John Deere.

I thought John Deer tractors had yellow seats? They look much more like Deutz tractor seats to me. Ah German engineering at its finest!

You are correct sir, Yeller. And, who thawed yur ass out Mr Timmy?

BTW- You need to get registered for....

Penn Run

SE Ohio Ramble

Also, are you Northerners doing 'Thunder in the Valley' this year? I'm in if you guys are!

 

[Intech]

I think you got it all wrong. The seat looks great, it's the bike that's fugly. Kinda looks like something Beemerdons would ride. JSNS

Or crash...JSNS

 

[Top_Speed1]

I think you got it all wrong. The seat looks great, it's the bike that's fugly. Kinda looks like something Beemerdons would ride. JSNS

Or crash...JSNS

Yowsa, tough crowd here today I see.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I still think those seats look good on that bike. The Big Beemer has enough size that the bigger seat does not overwhelm the rest of the bike. Those bikes have a commanding presence (yes, I am talking nice about a BMW. Just let it go.) and they should be outfitted with a top of the line custom seat. While the Big Beemer is a very good looking bike it is made to be ridden, not to be used as a garage queen. Those seats are built for a purpose. They look good on that bike.

Also, I don't care how fine she is, if she is so hard headed she would "not ride on that ugly seat", she could just stay home. I am more than certain somebody would like to ride back there. (HotRodZilla you can stop volunteering! KJ does NOT want you on the back of his bike!)

 

[Fred W]

After 50 years of riding I get that there are all kinds of folks enjoying the 2 wheel experience, but i have no clue why looks mean jack **** to the experience. For me, and most of the guys I have ridden with, it is always function over form.

But then......

There's guys like me, who want both form and functionality at the same time.

Ah... see there's the problem, KJ. Ain't no such thing. It's the abominable snowman, Bigfoot, the Yeti. You keep hearing about it, looking for it, but it doesn't exist, man. You are still young (and foolish) enough to think that you can still have your cake and eat it too.

KJ, you're right...those seats are fugly. But look at it this way...they make that bike look much better.

Hehe, well I'll rephrase Debbie here...
As she first looked at the seats mounted "you just ruined one sexy ass bike". Her words, and she is also the one who made me NOT take delivery on the "battleship gray" 2013 GT. Debbie is all about style, but this time... I hope to see it differently than her after I ride w the seats ...maybe a few K's? I know there's a break-in period.

Let me make a prediction how this will go...

You'll take your lady out on a ride this summer, and you'll convince her to "Just give it a try."

She'll go along with you, partly because you keep her all liquored up most of the time (so you can have your way with her later. I mean, why else would she be hanging around with a guy like you?).

So, after riding around for a while she'll realize that her ass doesn't hurt as much as normal. (We are talking about after riding on the bike. Not after you "have your way")

Then she'll decide that, "Hey, maybe the seats don't look so bad after all."

Yeah, if I've seen it once, I've seen it a million times.

 

[El Toro Joe]

^^^Like^^^

 

[LKLD]

I'm not sure about that. Remember, women wear high heels, thongs, etc.....it's ALWAYS fashion before function.

Though, they can sure look good wearing them.

 

[clocklaw]

Trust me KJ, if you're riding this bike, the least of your worries is how ugly the seat is. Anyway, if you wanted her approval you should have installed this: https://www.viberider.com/

 

[Bounce]

As she first looked at the seats mounted "you just ruined one sexy ass bike". Her words,

Maybe you misunderstood the punctuation and what she really said was "... sexy ass-bike". After all, it hosts a roundel so that would be more reasonable explanation.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Trust me KJ, if you're riding this bike, the least of your worries is how ugly the seat is. Anyway, if you wanted her approval you should have installed this: https://www.viberider.com/

I thought he did.

Wrong, heated seats.

Bad move KJ...

 

[Madmudder]

They look good KJ. Your butt will be happy on those long rides this summer, I'm sure!

Did all you guys take your nice pills today or something?

I agree that my butt will thank me, but the seats still look like they should be on a John Deere.

I thought John Deer tractors had yellow seats? They look much more like Deutz tractor seats to me. Ah German engineering at its finest!

You are correct sir, Yeller. And, who thawed yur ass out Mr Timmy?

BTW- You need to get registered for....

Penn Run

SE Ohio Ramble

Also, are you Northerners doing 'Thunder in the Valley' this year? I'm in if you guys are!

The sun came out then it snowed again, I feel like a ground hog, another 6 weeks of no riding

I'll register as soon as I get some things determined at home.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Since I spent the big bucks on the seat, of course I think the observation that she'll come around is what I'm hoping for. As said, I knew what I was getting into and knew that the comfort ultimately rules. Debbie can just stay home and polish her Christian Louboutin Shewz.

And all good points^^^^^ from my buds here, mucho thanks for the input, and, I think every comment holds truth. WYSIWYG here and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Top_Speed1]

FUGLY Tractor Seat RR and Update....

I've now got about 3K (mi) on it now (the rear seat however has been on as stock, as it is more flat and holds/straps-on my cooler better).

Positives

Def has loooooooong distance comfort!. No squiggling around trying to find comfort after a few several hundred.

You totally forget about 'sore butt concerns'. Totally out of the equation.

572mi was my longest 1-day run so far. Could of kept going, no problem but I was at my destination.

Pluses all the way around

Now the negatives

- I use to be able to flat foot the K16, no problem. Not anymore.

- If you have a bag (or something) strapped to your rear seat... hooking your leg up n over (to mount the bike) becomes a BIG chore. It's a left leg swivel-twist and right leg up-kick and over. Getting better at it, but I'm 6-4, I can't image a smaller guy doing this.

- The looks. Not sporty at all, but I still have the OEM seat for this, so no bitching anymore about the fugglyness of the seat

Overall, I'm very happy-happy. It's only on for my bike for the long distance stuff. For that situation, and, what it is intended for, my grade has to be a A- (the minus is only cuz I prefer it not as a permanent fixture).

RDL- Only cuddos to them, great build quality and the seat does exactly what it is supposed to do... provide day long comfort.

Cheerz with Beerz

 

[Bounce]

Use the left foot pedal to step on then swing your right leg over. Mucho bettero.

 

[Twigg]

I have a 33" inseam and can easily flat-foot the bike, both sides, while sitting comfortably in my Russell seat.

At 6' 4" I would expect it to be even easier for you. Do you have shorter legs?

 

[Fred W]

re: Flat footing: Before coming to a stop slide your butt forward out of the "tractor seat pocket". This gives your legs a straight shot down to the ground and you should be able to flat foot as easily as you do with the stock seat.

re: Swinging a leg over a bag strapped onto the rear seat: I don't see how that is the fault of the seat. IOW how is this any different when the Russell is on than when the stock seat is on? It is one of the reasons that I am not fond of piling soft bags on the passenger seat on any bikes. When I must, like when camping and such, then I either raise my right foot up in front of me and do the hop while threading the foot and leg over the seat, or else stand on the left peg while mounting as Bounce mentioned. The latter requires you trust your side stand to take the weight.

Mark my words... you may swap your stock seat on a few times early on, but as you become more accustomed to the Russell seat's comfort (and less put-off by the looks), that stock seat will be collecting more and more dust over time. I see you had the good sense to get the back seat done for Debbie. Will be interested in her response after you get a nice full day's ride in on that.

 

[Bounce]

I have a 31/32" inseam and find that "flat footing" a bike isn't a requirement to be in control.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Use the left foot pedal to step on then swing your right leg over. Mucho bettero.

I have done this, but I need a kickstand footprint extender. On some loose gravel I felt kinda uneasy.

I have a 33" inseam and can easily flat-foot the bike, both sides, while sitting comfortably in my Russell seat.
At 6' 4" I would expect it to be even easier for you. Do you have shorter legs?

No, I've got long legs. The OEM seat was easy peasy comparatively speaking.

re: Flat footing: Before coming to a stop slide your butt forward out of the "tractor seat pocket". This gives your legs a straight shot down to the ground and you should be able to flat foot as easily as you do with the stock seat.
re: Swinging a leg over a bag strapped onto the rear seat: I don't see how that is the fault of the seat. IOW how is this any different when the Russell is on than when the stock seat is on? It is one of the reasons that I am not fond of piling soft bags on the passenger seat on any bikes. When I must, like when camping and such, then I either raise my right foot up in front of me and do the hop while threading the foot and leg over the seat, or else stand on the left peg while mounting as Bounce mentioned. The latter requires you trust your side stand to take the weight.

Mark my words... you may swap your stock seat on a few times early on, but as you become more accustomed to the Russell seat's comfort (and less put-off by the looks), that stock seat will be collecting more and more dust over time. I see you had the good sense to get the back seat done for Debbie. Will be interested in her response after you get a nice full day's ride in on that.

Duly noted and done the slide forward dealio, works, but it is kinda strange. I guess I could get use to it.

The wings just take the extra room to St Louis Arch my leg over, I can't side swivel twist and kick like if there isn't a bag on the rear seat. Not the fault of the seat per-say.

Debbie and long distance is an oxymoron, not sure why I got her a RDL back there, she's a 300 miler at max and not b/c of seat comfort or lack of.... ADD. Oh well, maybe 4 my next g/f! hehe.

We'll see, you may be right on the change-outs... right now the OEM is back on her.

 

[Bugnatr]

Who cares what it looks like, can't see it when riding. However I am impressed to see your bike in the house

 

[ionbeam]

....However I am impressed to see your bike in the house

Ffffftttt. That is his garage, you should see the house