New seat - vinyl or leather?

[lfmn16]

I ordered a Bill Mayer seat today. They gave me the 25% October discount even though I'm a day late. The woman I spoke with indicated that the leather would require motr care than the vinyl and that it's not good to let it get wet. I travel a lot on my bike (and I'm pretty lazy) and am concerned with the extra care that leather would require. I was thinking about going with the vinyl and an Alaskan Leather seat cover (which I already own).

Any opinions?

Thanks.

 

[Ignacio]

Asked and discussed many times before including here when searching on terms like +vinyl +leather. It seems a perennial subject about this time of year.

 

[rushes]

Velour...

An the chicks dig it....

:thumbsup:

 

[ionbeam]

Velour...

An the chicks dig it....

Well, ya know... I'm considering having my pillion's Russell seat recovered with Velour. She has been sliding around too much on the leather seat cover so I have put some (ugly) anti-skid liner on the seat; after that she has been much more comfortable. Heck, my eventing saddle has suede knee rolls to help keep me stuck in the saddle and it works real good, so it should work on the motorcycle seat too. I don't want my seat done because I do move around in the saddle to help cornering and the suede will stick too well.

 

[lfmn16]

Velour...

An the chicks dig it....

:thumbsup:

I put 45,000 miles on a velour seat on an Ultra. It was sweet, but this time around I'm going to go with vinyl or leather and an Alaskan Leather sheepskin.

Asked and discussed many times before including here when searching on terms like +vinyl +leather. It seems a perennial subject about this time of year.

Thanks for the link. And it's good to know I'm carrying on an annual tradition!

 

[lnewlf]

Recently got a vinyl Corbin...I had a leather Corbin gunfighter on my FJ1200. Never again! Anytime the bike sat out overnight in the rain the leather soaked up water and into the foam too-like sitting on a sponge all day. This always seemed to happen on a multi-day ride when the bike sat outside a motel. I did constantly treat the leather with water repellants to no avail. For me vinyl is finyl.

 

[RaYzerman19]

Nothing feels better than leather..... I use nothing but saddle soap on it, mainly to clean and to condition. Do not use topical treatments, only conditioners that are absorbed into the leather. Rain cover might be advisable. Don't park the bike on the centerstand if it's going to be wet. I've never had a soggy bottom.

 

[lfmn16]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I think leather wins the vote count (after looking at other threads).

 

[ScottyUSN]

It's not that much work, especially if the bike is garage kept. Get a bottle of Lexol, keep it with your riding gear and you'll remember to use it. Rub it into the saddle once a month or every other month. Use a seat cover on rainy days.

 

[tmc]

I've had both and I prefer the ease of use of the vinyl - especially a patterned surface vinyl. The pattern serves 2 purposes - airflow and grip.

My *** don't know the difference through my riding pants or suit. Something about having thick layer or Cordura between me and the seat methinks.

When I do get down to BMS to have my saddle done, it will be vinyl all the way.

 

[SacramentoMike]

To the OP: despite your committing the faux pas of asking a previously-asked question (gasp), I'm glad you did. It happens to be timely for me and I wouldn't have researched it otherwise. I had my mind made up on leather--it's just classier.

Nah, really I've always thought it feels better, holds up better, looks better--at least that's been my impression. But all this discussion does have me thinking more about it, and I'm not so sure anymore. And I'm heading down to Bill Mayer's Thursday. I'll see what they say and decide on the spot. Thanks for the alternate views.

Maybe I'll add one more post to this thread with their comments and reasoning.

 

[SilveradoSlick]

I've got the leather but I think that if I had it to do over again I'd get vinyl. The leather isn't that hard to care for but vinyl's cheaper and you don't need to worry about its getting wet. Maybe I'm insensitive but I haven't noticed any advantage for leather.

 

[Bounce]

i've had leather since 2004. no worries about it getting wet. the cover's easy to slap on. if the back seat is to be loaded with gear, install the cover over the passenger area and roll up the rider area underneath it. if it starts raining, unroll the rest and slap it on in a minute or two. treat 2 timesa year with Lexol and you're good to go. MUCH better than either vinyl or velour (had both).

 

[lfmn16]

I'm heading down to Bill Mayer's Thursday. I'll see what they say and decide on the spot. Thanks for the alternate views.

Maybe I'll add one more post to this thread with their comments and reasoning.

I would be interested to see what they say.

 

[El Toro]

I've had both. I think the differences are subtle. The Marine Grade Vinyl that Sargent uses will stand up to just about anything. The leather that Corbin uses is pretty tough too.

I have never treated a seat with any compounds. I have never used a seat cover.

However, as some folks may know, I tend to keep my bikes for less than 3 years, and less than 12,000 miles (multiple bikes are ridden in any given year). So YMMV.

A seat is generally the first, and often the only, farkle that I add to a new bike, so I've been through countless Corbins and Sargents, Corbins always with leather seating surface, Sargents always with marine grade vinyl.

As I think back on it, the seats that felt the very nicest on my butt, through Vanson pants, or through kevlar reinforced jeans, have been fully broken in leather.

Funny to draw a distinction because I do think the differences are subtle.

I had to make the decision recently about what to choose for the seat I am splurging on for the Rocket III Touring. I've decided to experience the Russell seat first hand (first butt). As I thought about ordering, I decided to spring for the leather, and to order a cover.

Corbin has a statement they use in their advertising, and it basically says "Our seating surfaces are leather. You wouldn't buy vinyl boots, would you?"

I guess this subjectively has some influence on me .... but .... my head knows that the differences are subtle.

 

[SacramentoMike]

I'm heading down to Bill Mayer's Thursday. I'll see what they say and decide on the spot. Thanks for the alternate views.

Maybe I'll add one more post to this thread with their comments and reasoning.

I would be interested to see what they say.

OK, and here it is: I got back today after my installation at Bill Mayer's in Ojai on Friday--a 400-mile ride one way. I've heard a new seat needs some kind of "get acquainted" period before you really know, but I DO know already--I like it. Of course, I've been on a stock seat, and that's not hard to beat. Maybe I'll keep liking it more and more as I get more used to it. Hope so, but it's already very comfortable for me.

As to the material, I went down with an open mind. They offered both smooth leather covers or vinyl in either smooth or basket-weave. Pros and cons: vinyl is hotter and "sweatier" than leather, with the basket-weave being cooler under you than smooth. Leather is the coolest choice.

Durability: he said it really was a push. Barring vandals with knives, the seat isn't going to wear out, whatever cover you pick. Whatever you choose, you'll be living with while you have the bike.

Maintenance: the vinyl is maintenance-free, period. Leather needs to be conditioned occasionally. He gave me a bottle of stuff to rub on every few weeks, more in the first couple months. No big deal. It's about as complicated as rubbing on hair gel or something, just give it time to dry, like at the end of the day. Apply it and let it dry out of direct sun. Easy enough to do. If the leather seat gets wet, don't let it dry in direct sunlight either. Drying too fast could make it get stiff.

I thought the leather looked and felt the best, and that's what I bought. I keep my bike covered so it won't be sitting in the rain, or even sun. Overall, I don't think it really matters very much in practical terms--just your preference.

 

[cali_rider]

As to the material, I went down with an open mind. They offered both smooth leather covers or vinyl in either smooth or basket-weave. Pros and cons: vinyl is hotter and "sweatier" than leather, with the basket-weave being cooler under you than smooth. Leather is the coolest choice.

I had one of is seats in the basketweave. Never again. Not comfortable to sit on and super slick. Worst material I can think of for a motorcycle seat.

 

[Happy Rider]

I have a leather seat with vinyl sides from Russell and I love the seat. The seat has about 15000 miles on it since new last year. If you ride with very rough gear you might want to go with the leather. I ride 100% of the time with a Cycleport Kevlar mesh suit that is very rough and hard on paint and the vinyl parts of the seat. As you can see from the not so good photo below, the stiching where the vinyl meets the leather is starting to show some wear. The wear is on the vinyl portion and not the leather. If and when it gets too ugly I will have Russell recover the entire seat with leather. Leather is easy to care for and I only oil it a few times a year with mink oil. Hope this helps.

 

[lfmn16]

OK, and here it is: I got back today after my installation at Bill Mayer's in Ojai on Friday--a 400-mile ride one way. I've heard a new seat needs some kind of "get acquainted" period before you really know, but I DO know already--I like it. Of course, I've been on a stock seat, and that's not hard to beat. Maybe I'll keep liking it more and more as I get more used to it. Hope so, but it's already very comfortable for me.

As to the material, I went down with an open mind. They offered both smooth leather covers or vinyl in either smooth or basket-weave. Pros and cons: vinyl is hotter and "sweatier" than leather, with the basket-weave being cooler under you than smooth. Leather is the coolest choice.

Durability: he said it really was a push. Barring vandals with knives, the seat isn't going to wear out, whatever cover you pick. Whatever you choose, you'll be living with while you have the bike.

Maintenance: the vinyl is maintenance-free, period. Leather needs to be conditioned occasionally. He gave me a bottle of stuff to rub on every few weeks, more in the first couple months. No big deal. It's about as complicated as rubbing on hair gel or something, just give it time to dry, like at the end of the day. Apply it and let it dry out of direct sun. Easy enough to do. If the leather seat gets wet, don't let it dry in direct sunlight either. Drying too fast could make it get stiff.

I thought the leather looked and felt the best, and that's what I bought. I keep my bike covered so it won't be sitting in the rain, or even sun. Overall, I don't think it really matters very much in practical terms--just your preference.

Thanks. I've decided to go with leather, but your post really seals the deal.

Thanks for the report!