My new Russell Seat

[Roadstar]

The only thing i`m worried about is , right now i have the bike set the way i`m somewhat comfortable (seating wise) . I have the stock seat on the low position (which sucks & can`t move after 300mi`s) & installed genmar risers & i do lean a little foward & i`m afraid if i get a Russell seat id lean too much. Yes i have a 32in inseam but i guess my arms are shorter than most. Has anyone run different risers or double them up or something else. One thing that makes me wounder is why do you send in a pic of you sitting on the bike like your riding it & they build a seat 1 to 1 1/2 inches higher than the way you are sitting. <_<

Sorry for hyjack

 

[aroostook]

The only thing i`m worried about is , right now i have the bike set the way i`m somewhat comfortable (seating wise) . I have the stock seat on the low position (which sucks & can`t move after 300mi`s) & installed genmar risers & i do lean a little foward & i`m afraid if i get a Russell seat id lean too much. Yes i have a 32in inseam but i guess my arms are shorter than most. Has anyone run different risers or double them up or something else. One thing that makes me wounder is why do you send in a pic of you sitting on the bike like your riding it & they build a seat 1 to 1 1/2 inches higher than the way you are sitting. <_<

Sorry for hyjack

To be fair I havent tried my new seat yet but I think one of the reasons one has a hard time reaching the ground is that the seat is wider, which is essence creates a bowlegged situtation, which prevents your legs from staightening out as much as the stock seat. The gain you get from the seat is clearly the thick coushining which of course is one of the big reasons its some damn comfy. I think, but not sure yet, that this height also phucks with your relationship to the handle bars,,,,for me that means they are lower, which makes me lean more that I would on the stock seat. The cure for that would be to do what you did and perhaps add a riser as well. That would get things back in shape...it really is a wonderful seat Roadstar. I put 15000 miles since april and my ass would be screaming after a 300 mile trip. I suspect that this will change, even if I have to do a little tweaking with the bars. I have no buyers remorse even though I may not have anticipated some of the changes.

 

[Geezer]

Once you ride with that Russell a few times you'll get into the habit of sliding forward where the seat is narrower when you need to put a foot down.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I am curious though about what folks have done, if anything about the seat/handle bar issue? Thanks in advance.

Chris

Invest in some bar risers. They bring the bars up and back about 1-2" depending on which set you pick up.

 

[roger dodger]

To help w/ my height (5'8"/31 inseam) I moved from motorcycle boots to Red Wing hiking boots. They have a thick sole and heel that adds about 1+" to help me get 1 foot flat. I've seen a ROK (Kawasaki) riding coach (woman about 5'2") wear a full custom boot w/ 3" added to the sole and 4" added to the heel. (she moves the shifter down to make room)

Andy, I looked @ Russell and Spencer seats,(some friends have both) but choose a BMS (Bill Mayer III) seat. It has similar wings for LD, but no springs and does NOT raise you up much @ all. Since I just received it I cannot comment on LD comfort from experience, but research said it's second to Russell. I choose it so I wouldn't need 2 custom seats... 1 for fun, and 1 for touring. So far the fit looks to be a good compromise. (sorry for the competitor tangent)

 

[Bounce]

I've seen a ROK (Kawasaki) riding coach (woman about 5'2") wear a full custom boot w/ 3" added to the sole and 4" added to the heel.

MmMmmMmmm

where's she store the whips and chains when she's riding (the bike)?

 

[aroostook]

I've seen a ROK (Kawasaki) riding coach (woman about 5'2") wear a full custom boot w/ 3" added to the sole and 4" added to the heel.

MmMmmMmmm

where's she store the whips and chains when she's riding (the bike)?

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[Larry33319]

When I received my Russell seat a while back I also complained about the increase in height. Someone suggested removing the black rubber pieces from the bottom of the seat pan. It gave me just enough to get one foot down completly or the balls of both feet at a stop light. After riding it a while, the seat was the best investment I have made short of actually buying the FJR. You get used to the change after a short while and when you ride thru two or three tanks of gas in one day you will indeed love this seat.

 

[Andyman]

I've been looking for a good aftermarket seat. The Spencer Mod seat I currently have works well but not well enough for 1000 mile days I plan on doing this next year. I thought about the Russell but with me only being 5'8" tall with 30" inseam, it may not be the best choice for me. I supposed I could install lowering links as well but then I loose the Sporty side of riding.

Hey Andy, I'm 5'9" with a 30" inseam. When Russell asked for my measurements they wanted to me to measure crotch to floor with my boots on, giving me an inseam of 31". I just want you to know that I can touch the floor but I'm using the "front ball" of my foot as opposed to nearly flat footed as I was before. I can still move the bike around but will need to be careful on slippery sufaces like my garage floor. You should be ok. I will say this.....sitting on the seat my whole ass is supported, nothing like the stock seat. I suspect that in no time at all I will get used to it. Let us know what you decide.

Thanks for the info. More than likely I'll end up getting a Russell. To offset the cost I'd be willing to sell my Spencer Mod seat. The question is how much do I sell it for.....hmmmmmmm....any offers????

 

[Roadstar]

You will need a stock seat pan from an fjr or else they wont cover it. So if you sell yours I hope you have another one to replace it.

 

[El Toro]

You will need a stock seat pan from an fjr or else they wont cover it. So if you sell yours I hope you have another one to replace it.

Actually, they will cover non-stock seats, but they're not guaranteed. If you use an aftermarket seat that uses rivets instead of staples to fix the cover to the pan, you will have an upcharge for the extra labor.

 

[Roadstar]

The only reason I thought that was someone awhile back on the concours web site sent them a corbin seat pan& they wouldn't (but that's many years ago) sorry if im wrong.

 

[El Toro]

The only reason I thought that was someone awhile back on the concours web site sent them a corbin seat pan& they wouldn't (but that's many years ago) sorry if im wrong.

I briefly considered sending in my Corbin seat, and that's how I know. I asked Heather about it, and she said I could do it, but that they would charge me for the rivets, and the buy back guarantee would not be honored. I ended up sending in my stock seat pan for this reason.

I got it back on Saturday, and had a chance to take it for a spin before the bottom dropped out of our weather situation. Its nicer in Brooklin, Maine right now compared to what we're getting here in Middle Tennessee.

FWIW, I am happy with the Russell mods on the stock pan, and I'm glad I did not have them work with the Corbin Solo pan, because I am pretty happy with the Corbin seat too. This bike (my Rocket III Touring) may turn out to be the long term bike that I had hoped so many others would turn out to be.