Next best seat to Russell seat

[Fred W]

Yeah, I lived on the IL / WI border for 3 (painful) years. And my company's HQ is in Waukesha, so I get (too many) paid vacations to cheeseland. I know exactly what it's like. SW Wisconsin is nice, we used to escape there to go camping.

But the rest of the place is like a friggen pancake!

PS - I think maybe the fact that Trek has it's headquarters in Waterloo has a lot more to do with their team training in WI than the awesome topography.

edit - To bring this back on topic: Yes, one can "get used to" an uncomfortable seat. Or you can change it to be more comfortable right away. We all have the choice. Most who have chosen a Russell come to realize that it is money well spent.

 

[madmike2]

<snippage>

edit - To bring this back on topic: Yes, one can "get used to" an uncomfortable seat. Or you can change it to be more comfortable right away. We all have the choice. Most who have chosen a Russell come to realize that it is money well spent.

Yep!

After months waiting for my aged derriere to adapt from my Concours to the FJR I simply made the decision to adapt the bike to me. It converted my ownership experience from a 250 mile-but burn-for-3-days-recovery to 400+ day-after-day.

An infinitesimally small percentage of aftermarket seat buyers regret the purchase. Some retain a stock seat for local or spirited riding.

There is no wrong answer or solution, simply the one that works for you.

 

[txvoyager]

I am definitely a believer that there is not one perfect seat that will work best for everyone. I did a SS5000 (including a BBG) on my Voyager XII stock seat (modified by Spencer at greatdaytpride.com).

My FJR stock (Gen 1) seat was a 1-hour seat -- at most! My Corbin (2-piece, leather) with an Alaskan Sheepskin just served me perfectly for an 11,000 mile 48 Plus! ride. Day 10 felt no different than Day 1... Gotta allow that Corbin to break in to your butt, though...

 

[RPrice]

I am in the love/hate stage with my new (to me) Russell right now. Need some more days to see which way I end up.

Let me know if you don't want it anymore.

 

[nervous]

I am in the love/hate stage with my new (to me) Russell right now. Need some more days to see which way I end up.

Let me know if you don't want it anymore.

You know. I certainly will. Certainly like new. A few more days and I'll make up my mind. It might now be what I need. Thanks.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I am in the love/hate stage with my new (to me) Russell right now. Need some more days to see which way I end up.

I know there is a 1000 mile breakin period as seat hotspots may be present during that time. If it's something else, take advantage of Russell's good service to sort it out to your satisfaction

 

[steve'o']

I am relatively new to the site and do not have near the seat time as many of you folks have here on the site. One thing I will say about getting a custom seat, is unless you are actually able to try a second hand Russel or Mayer out, before you buy it, you may want to think twice about it. As one member stated earlier in this thread, everyone is different and what fits one well may not work quite as well for another. I personally purchased a second hand Russel off the forum and by jumping the gun too quick, I didn't take into consideration who the seat was actually made for in the first place. Unless you buy a seat from someone who is relatively identical structure and weight, the Russel, more than likely may not work out for you as well as you may think. I found mine uncomfortable and my seating position was changed. That being said, again this was my fault, as the seat was not made for me. I had to quickly sell the seat, and in the process, lost some coin on the deal. Bite the bullet and get a new one. I actually opt'd for a Mayer this time just due to cost. Unfortunately I was not able to do a drive-in, so it was done by mail and over the phone. To this point, I can say that Rick Mayer does an excellent job with custom seats. I am very happy with the product and even though it was not a drive-in seat, I think he hit it on the mark. I did go with the vinyl cover, but hopefully down the road I will be able to recover it with leather. I cannot comment on a Sargent, but I will say I did experience a Corbin, on a different bike, and it was a very good seat as well. With all that being said if you have the ability to have a custom seat made, go for it, as the extra few $ you may spend will be well worth it in the long run.

 

[painman]

One thing IMO about motorcycles that has stayed consistant over the years is stock motorcycle seats from the factory are made in the name of saving money. And that means they use cheap materials (foam) and therefore lack comfort and support making for the dreaded "butt-burn" or hot spots for most riders.

The answer for this problem is to buy a new seat custom or otherwise. And that process should be done in the name of your weight and riding style. If you are really into comfort a nice plush seat with plenty of the right foam thickness and width is the answer.

If your a more aggressive rider one should have this but not too much seat width that would hinder the rider from moving around on the bike, (seat) to create the right weight distribution, (transfer).

So what I am basically saying is one should invest not only money in a good seat but making sure that seat actually is made for "you" and that it fits "you" and "your" shape and riding style. Weather you make it yourself or someone else makes it for you. Do the research first and be involved in the build. And your butt will thank you!

PM. <><

 

[PanAmerican]

Yeah, I lived on the IL / WI border for 3 (painful) years. And my company's HQ is in Waukesha, so I get (too many) paid vacations to cheeseland. I know exactly what it's like. SW Wisconsin is nice, we used to escape there to go camping.

But the rest of the place is like a friggen pancake!

PS - I think maybe the fact that Trek has it's headquarters in Waterloo has a lot more to do with their team training in WI than the awesome topography.

edit - To bring this back on topic: Yes, one can "get used to" an uncomfortable seat. Or you can change it to be more comfortable right away. We all have the choice. Most who have chosen a Russell come to realize that it is money well spent.

"Flat as a friggin pancake" ....

 

[DeltaKappaZeta]

I just changed my seat.

I was looking to get the Russell but didn't pull the trigger for one major reason. I didn't have a spare seat pan and wasn't willing to suffer the down time needed to send the stock seat in. I wasn't willing to pay the price for the Sargent given it wasn't custom. So I went with the Corbin and yes I knew it was going to be a love-or-hate-it deal

I just finshed a tour from around Lakes Superior from the GTA with the brand new Corbin in place. After the first day and about 500 miles I began to fear I had made the wrong choice but sure enough by the 4th day the seat was molded to my butt and each subsequent day got more comfortable. Although I think part of that was getting used to being in the saddle for long stretches but the seat did get better.

Was it perfect? No but to be fair I think only the Russell would have a shot a perfect given I'm 5'11" and on the wrong side of 270 lbs.

BTW - The Smuggler looks really nice too! :yahoo:

 

[El Toro]

I just changed my seat.

I was looking to get the Russell but didn't pull the trigger for one major reason. I didn't have a spare seat pan and wasn't willing to suffer the down time needed to send the stock seat in. I wasn't willing to pay the price for the Sargent given it wasn't custom. So I went with the Corbin and yes I knew it was going to be a love-or-hate-it deal

I just finshed a tour from around Lakes Superior from the GTA with the brand new Corbin in place. After the first day and about 500 miles I began to fear I had made the wrong choice but sure enough by the 4th day the seat was molded to my butt and each subsequent day got more comfortable. Although I think part of that was getting used to being in the saddle for long stretches but the seat did get better.

Was it perfect? No but to be fair I think only the Russell would have a shot a perfect given I'm 5'11" and on the wrong side of 270 lbs.

BTW - The Smuggler looks really nice too! :yahoo:

I think the Corbin's are just about always worth a test anyway. Two of the most comfortable seats I've owned (one for an ST1100 and one for a V-Strom 1000) were both Corbins.

The Corbin doesn't work for me on the FJR, but there's no reason it shouldn't work for others. The company's been in business a long time.

Glad to hear you're enjoying yours. If a Corbin or Sargent does the trick, there's no need to fool with any one else.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

...I run the stocker on my FJR and it doesn't bother me a bit, but my ass is just avarage sized, not XL! B)

As if YOUR butt size has anything to do with seat pain.

Really, it is a function of how much you ride each day on a trip, combined with how many days in a row you ride on that trip.

Other factors may also factor in as well, but your remark was just asinine.

If the size of your ass makes no difference why are there those huge ASS FLAPS on the Russells?

 

[wheatonFJR]

If the size of your ass makes no difference why are there those huge ASS FLAPS on the Russells?

Because those wings would be on that type of seat, no matter how big or small your butt is.

Read up. Russell has a website if you really want to learn something.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

Thanks for trying to sell me on Russel, do you work for them? But as I said, I'm happy with the stocker. I would rather spend the $$$ on gasoline and roadside BBQ joints! B)

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks for trying to sell me on Russel, do you work for them? But as I said, I'm happy with the stocker. I would rather spend the $$$ on gasoline and roadside BBQ joints! B)

Hey, I wasn't trying to sell you or anybody else on any aftermarket seat. I don't care what kind of seat you sit on. However, I do resent your inflammatory statement that anybody who buys a Russell must have a fat ass.

I thought you were misinformed with your statement and thought you might appreciate a little education on the matter that you spoke so dogmatically about.

Sorry that I was wrong.

 

[NMRoadRunner]

You don't have much of a sense humor do you. I really don't care how fat your ass is. I apologize if you were offended.

 

[mrbreeze]

Disclaimer: I am one of the Russell believers. I have drunk the kool-aid and it is good.

I used to have a Sargent on my VFR. It was a lot better than the stock torture device. It would allow me to ride that bike all day in relative comfort. But not all day, multiple days in a row. Then the seat became a limiting factor.

My '05 came to me (used) with a 1st gen Corbin Canyon seat. That seat was an instrument of sheer torture. I couldn't ride the bike more than an hour without lots of wiggling around. I later tried a Corbin modular seat (like the 2nd gen model) and that was much better, good for maybe 5-6 hours.

I later bought a used Rick Mayer seat for the FJR. It wasn't made specifically for me, and maybe that was why it didn't work for me either.

I finally got over the looks of the Russell and decided the ability to ride in comfort was more important than how it looks. I'll never own another road bike that doesn't have a Russell. I even have one on my V-strom which sees a fair amount of off-road use. I do think that the Russell half moon pattern is a bit less offensive looking than some of the other stitching patterns, but only just a little. Here's mine:

With all of the above said, I have heard testimony from some owners that the Bill Mayer seat is (almost) as good as the Russell day long in the comfort department, and it is not quite as offensive looking. But you can only see the seat when you aren't sitting on it, which is really what I prefer to do.

I am doing fine with the oem seat, but I hope to upgrade to the Russell this winter. Where did you get the tank cover?

 

[wheatonFJR]

You don't have much of a sense humor do you. I really don't care how fat your ass is. I apologize if you were offended.

My sense of humor is doing just fine. Apology accepted.

Back on topic: For those out there thinking about seat comfort...OEM or aftermarket seats...whatever works for YOU is fine. Just be advised before purchasing and do your research.

 

[Fred W]

If the size of your ass makes no difference why are there those huge ASS FLAPS on the Russells?

They aren't ass-flaps. They are thigh supports. They work on the same principle as the Craig Vetter Magic Seat board. which doesn't support your ass either. But you have to admit the Russell seat is whole lot more aesthetic than the Magic board.

I am doing fine with the oem seat, but I hope to upgrade to the Russell this winter. Where did you get the tank cover?

That is a Bagster tank cover, part of their tank bag system. Only available from one vendor in the US: Ride Addict Warning: They ain't cheap!

 

[FJRMGM]

To my butt and my pillions butt, the Russell IS a thing of beauty.

Besides, when I'm riding the bike no one sees the seat anyway.

You want something that looks good in the driveway or something that allows you to get off the bike at the end of a 600 mile day and say "man, that was a good ride. shoulda kept going"?