Russell seat

[pmspaul]

This is disappointing news! I hesitated too long and did not get in on the group buy, but still want to upgrade to a Russel Day Long, or so I thought. It escapes me that a quality company that does the volume that they do miss so often! I want to do mine, however I don't want to go thru the hassles of shipping the seat back for adjustments when with pictures and specs it isn't right when completed the first time. Sorry for the tirade, I feel for you. Please advise how the "adjustment" process works out. Thanks

I organized the group buy this year and had over 160 people on the list I submitted to Russell. I got the initial 100 spots filled in a week. If Russell missed that often, I don't think people would be lining up like that to get in. So, as others have mentioned, I think it is definitely a minority of people who need a rework. Russell nailed mine first time. The first time I took a ride on the new seat was 450 miles to a rally, followed by 1100 miles in 24hrs. I didn't notice any typical break in issues either. No hot spots, no sliding forward or backward, no more fidgeting.

One thing I personally did, was see some Russells on other FJR's and have a sit. After seeing some things I liked and disliked, I was very specific and descriptive with my instructions to Russell when I sent my build information in. I think I included the words close to the tank, but not nut smashing close. I didn't just take a few pictures and send them in. I took extra pics, including a pic of a seat I really liked to show them how I wanted the rear section of the seat to be with a pad extended up to passenger seat height to keep me from being too far back.

It would be impossible for them to nail every seat, every time, through the mail. But they will work with you to get it right, and when it's right, there's no better seat IMO.

 

[Full House]

@Full House - There are 19 replies to this thread, that's not a lot in either direction. :lol: Russell does a pretty good job on mail in seats, but sure, sometimes it needs some tweaking. Sometimes no amount of tweaking will do it for some butts. That's just the law of averages. Like Bounce, my mail in seat was great from the beginning. I now have about 120k on that same seat and it's still as comfortable as the first day I got it. I did take an extra pic of how my butt fit the stock seat from behind, (Warchild's suggestion). Some folks are more sensitive to some fitment issues too. I'm not that picky, but I don't think about the seat when riding, which tells me it's doing it's job.

Thanks OCfjr, I do find your words encouraging.

Thanks

again

FullHouse

 

[FastJoyRide]

This is disappointing news! I hesitated too long and did not get in on the group buy, but still want to upgrade to a Russel Day Long, or so I thought. It escapes me that a quality company that does the volume that they do miss so often! I want to do mine, however I don't want to go thru the hassles of shipping the seat back for adjustments when with pictures and specs it isn't right when completed the first time. Sorry for the tirade, I feel for you. Please advise how the "adjustment" process works out. Thanks

Don't overreact to threads like this. Russell seats are built by humans and humans make mistakes, but IMO they are running an extremely high-quality show there, and refreshingly they actually care about customer satisfaction!

My first was built for my 1985 K-75 (in 1987) and it was a ride-in. It did take one other adjustment to make that seat perfect for me. In the 2009 Fall group buy I ordered a seat for my FJR using the mail-in and with lots of pics - and it was perfect out of the box (as most are). Most important: Sylvia now has 1,000 mile bliss on her pillion portion, and as we all know - if momma ain't happy...

Go for it - you won't be sorry!

 

[FastJoyRide]

There is a Russell seat group buy several times a year. You just have to visit multi motorcycle forums.

Best time is around Christmas.

As for my Russell seat I just love it. Really don't know how a surived the stock seat as long as I did. Now if I could ever get to go anywhere.....

Cheer up Tommy - maybe you'll be able to ride all the way to Port Dover - or something - this spring! (if the snow drifts ever melt) :lol:

 

[rfulcher]

Even though I had to send my seat back twice to get it fine tuned I would not have a bike for long trips without a Russell Saddle. I have to say I am the only one I know personally that has had to send a seat back for adjustment, so it think this is a low probability event. My wife recently had one made for her bike and doesn't have any issues.

 

[blufjr]

My break in took longer than 1000 miles and the seat wanted to slide me forward. I went back and looked at the pictures i sent Russell and noticed that I had my toes on the foot pegs. When I move my toes to the foot pegs i don't slide forward. How about that. I have over 75,000 miles on the seat now and it provides two very distinct seating positions. This maybe was caused from me sitting in those two positions. One is tight to the tank and the other is all the way back. I can do both positions for hundreds of miles, doesn't mater. I wouldn't have returned the seat until you had over 5,000 miles on it. Then again, I never wanted to stop riding long enough to send it back.

Last but not least, I bought another 05 to keep the seat. :yahoo: