Another alternative is to change your butt. Learn how to spend all day on this
and the stock Yamaha seat will seem like a Barcalounger.
Not really. Now... I'll admit that it was a few years ago. I was a younger guy, and weighed a bit less (like 50 lbs), back then. But I was once one of those guys that was perfectly comfy on a perch like that, for full day rides, multiple days in a row, etc. But that is a completely different set of physical parameters. On a bicycle seat the vast majority of your weight is on your pedals. It has to be, or else you won't be going anywhere. You end up standing fro most decent climbs, which means you are up and down all day long (unless you live in flatlandistan).
I know that some of sporty rider guys say they support a lot of their weight on their foot pegs on a motorcycle and don't really sit on the seat. Maybe they do (I'm skeptical) but I know that the majority of
my weight is borne the majority of the time by my derriere. Yes, I pressure the pegs during turning, but not like you do while riding a bicycle. And only in the tight twisties, not the rest of the time.
As for sliding off the seat for fast turns: You really don't have to move your ass sideways to move your center of gravity. Most of the guys I see ass sliding are doing it wrong anyway. They slide their butt, but then keep their head and shoulders up straight. That doesn't accomplish very much. Your weight high above the seat is more important to COG than your butt is down low. You can shift a good amount of weight just by moving your torso and head to the inside (kiss the inside mirror) and pressuring the pegs.
And, if you really want to, you can still slide inside on a Russell and put your weight on the wing. It's actually easier to slide across a Leather Russell than a sticky vinyl seat cover. But I generally don't and prefer to just move my upper body if I'm weight shifting at all. Try it yourself and see. Get into a fairly long sweeper and feel how much lean it takes to turn without doing anything. Then shift just your upper body to the inside and put your head behind the inside mirror. You'll be surprised how much the bike straightens up. That is all that you really are after.
Aesthetics are 100% subjective. If you think something is ugly, it's just in YOUR head. I think my Russell seat looks great. Better than the stock seat which looked cheap. YPMV
Disclaimer: I do not pretend to be the fastest rider around the turns. Far from that. But then again... neither is an FJR the fastest bike around the turns. We both do good enough to have fun at the right times.
PS - @NMRoadRunner - Your buddy should make a list of his issues and send them along with the seat back to Russell. They have a 100% comfort guarantee. I had to send my seat back one time when I first got it because it made me slide forward into the tank too much. I sent it back and they scoioped out the rear of the seat more and it made all of the difference in the world. If they can't get it right for him I believe that they will refund his purchase price.