Sargent seat

[Hollywoodgt]

Well think there has been an epic failure on my Sargent Seat. I was extremely happy with seat until a recent trip. My stock seat just like a lot of other people, just didn't cut it after 100 miles I was in pain. Had a trip coming up and knew the stock seat wouldn't cut it. So I bought a Sargent and it increased my riding miles another 200-300 miles easily.

On my last trip I was back to the 100 mile mark.......so looks like a Laam or a Russel in my very near future. Wish I knew what was up with the Sargent? Has anyone else experienced an issue with their Sargent. I should mention the Sargent has about 4000 miles on it

 

[RadioHowie]

You didn't indicate, or even hint, what the failure is.

Did the seat pan break in half? The stitching come apart? All the magic monkeys fly out? What happened???

And what does Sargent have to say about the catastrophic failure?

 

[garyahouse]

I have a Sargent as well.

Sometimes, it just has a lot to do with how you sit on it. Sounds dumb, but as you know, you can slide forward and backward a bit on just about any seat. Even left/right when ya get desperate. Ever hear of the "Yoda" riding position? Has to do with posture. Sitting up straight, head back, shoulders back, push that tummy forward, straighten up that spine... that works wonders for me. I tend to hunch when I'm not thinking about it. Oddly enough, it also affects how my but feels. However, that said, you cannot compare a Sargent, a Corbin, or any other off the shelf seat to a RDL or a Laamb for that matter.

The failure wasn't the seat. It's just that it works for some, and not for others. Shorter trip? No problemo. But after mucho hours in the saddle, there's no substitute for the best. Costs big $$, but ya gotta ask yourself, is being able to forget about your sore butt worth it to you?

Good luck w/ yer decision.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[stealth1]

I have about 34,000 miles on my Sargent. I find it to be an improvement over the stock seat but not a perfect seat. I think for me it could be a little narrower or more rounded near the front.

For the last few years I have used an Airhawk on the Sargent for long trips, and the combination works great for me. The Airhawk is the medium cruiser size.

 

[Fly Bye]

I don't know how a seat can fail unless it comes apart or breaks into pieces.

One thing I would suggest to all who partake in multi day long range trips is don't cheap out on the seat.

Motorcycle riding equipment can be paralleled to SCUBA equipment, by that I mean it is all about fit and comfort.

I agree that high quality seats are very expensive, so if you can not afford one now my suggestion is to wait until you can, and if possible make a ride in appointment with the seat builder of your choice.

Believe me when I say it is well worth it in the end. Pun intended.

 

[900gc]

I'll take a shot and guess the failure is a perceived breakdown of the foam so you have lost support? I have a Sargent as well and it feels the same to me since day one. Pretty good seat for me but I would make a couple of small modifications to make it even better. Guess that's why people get a true custom seat, ie. RDL. Sounds like you should contact them. Maybe they had a bad batch of foam?

 

[Hollywoodgt]

Well maybe epic was bad choice of words and what I mean was either the foam padding they use or something has drastically decreased my LD mileage. Guess I can relate it to a bed that looses it's firmness, or a car seat that has a indentation in it after time. What ever happen my a&$$$&@ now gets sore like I had my stock seat on it. Doing 200 plus plus on it was fine no issues. Not any more it's back to the 100-150 and I'm glad to pull a early gas stop.

So for me that's epic failure.........

 

[walt.r]

Dang I just received my Sargent seat today. I am wondering if I made a mistake not going with the Russell. Guess I have 30 days to figure it out and return it if I dont like it.

 

[Greg 03]

I've got a used Sargent and have pulled multiple 500-750 mile days on it with relatively no issues. Yes I'll be upgrading to a Laam when I can but I think it's a good saddle.

 

[mojo621]

I've got a SARGENT seat and rode 12 hours on it from Jacksonville to Asheville without issue. Walt, don't let this thread discourage you or change your mind set about your purchase. The foam in that seat is a premium foam and will last you many, many years of service. The foam is firm and as you ride it conforms to your shape. It's a good seat.

Believe it or not this issue could be as simple as the clothes that are worn when riding. If you wear jeans or riding pants with seams it is possible to cause hot spots or cause discomfort, even binding over the long haul.

I learned this first hand on one of my last mountain runs. The first day I rode in my regular riding pants and the temps were a little on the warm side so the next day I wore jeans and had problems next day. The third day the temps changed and I wore my riding pants again and had a full day without issue.

Since then I've picked up a some skiing silks and wear these in addition to the riding pants and I'm here to tell ya it's made a big difference. No seams and I have a little extra mobility on the seat.

On another note. For those riders that feel like the seat is a little wide in the bowl or have issues with leg drop. You can send your seat back in and have them reshape the leading edge of the dish and shave the edge down.

 

[Fred W]

OP, you say that your seat has lost its distance mojo? Much more likely that you are what has changed, not the seat.

Are you wearing the exact same gear now? For instance, I find that my 3 season (not-summer) weight Olympia Ranger pants are more comfortable for extended riding than my summer weight Olympia AirGlide mesh pants. The Rangers are a full 3 layer pant with weatherproof inner layer, and I think that the layers contribute to the increased comfort over a single layer of cloth in the summer pants, but of course they are hot during the summer.

I seldom wear jeans or pants under my riding pants. Instead it's just underwear or in the cold months I add a pair of fleece seweatpants. No seams to cause irritation, etc. Also, what you wear for underwear is important. LDComfort shorts make all the difference. Lycra bicycle shorts are also good, but not as good as LDComfort, which are a dual layer short. Again, those layers add comfort as long as they are not bunching up.

Good luck with your quest for ass comfort.

Oh, and the Russell Daylong is worth every penny.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I called yesterday morning and the build dates for a Russell if you start the process now is in September. SEPTEMBER!

If they are that busy, they must be doing something right. I may just have to find that out for myself.

Having owned a Sargent for my ST1300 I can say that it is a good seat. It improved my comfort level enough to allow me more enjoyment of the bike on long trips. It was worth the money.

I will say that the Sargent is a wonderful seat to have because you will have a seat to use while you are having the OEM converted to a true custom.

 

[Fred W]

I will say that the Sargent is a wonderful seat to have because you will have a seat to use while you are having the OEM converted to a true custom.

Good point. And then you can sell it off for almost what you paid for it, cause you'll never use that seat again.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I will say that the Sargent is a wonderful seat to have because you will have a seat to use while you are having the OEM converted to a true custom.

Good point. And then you can sell it off for almost what you paid for it, cause you'll never use that seat again.

And that is exactly what I did with mine!

Pop knows that we cannot sell his Top Sellerie regardless of which custom seat we get for him. I am hoping to need it for the same purpose myself...Depending on what the '15 FJR and my marital status look like in a few months.

 

[walt.r]

I've got a SARGENT seat and rode 12 hours on it from Jacksonville to Asheville without issue. Walt, don't let this thread discourage you or change your mind set about your purchase. The foam in that seat is a premium foam and will last you many, many years of service. The foam is firm and as you ride it conforms to your shape. It's a good seat.
Believe it or not this issue could be as simple as the clothes that are worn when riding. If you wear jeans or riding pants with seams it is possible to cause hot spots or cause discomfort, even binding over the long haul.

I learned this first hand on one of my last mountain runs. The first day I rode in my regular riding pants and the temps were a little on the warm side so the next day I wore jeans and had problems next day. The third day the temps changed and I wore my riding pants again and had a full day without issue.

Since then I've picked up a some skiing silks and wear these in addition to the riding pants and I'm here to tell ya it's made a big difference. No seams and I have a little extra mobility on the seat.

On another note. For those riders that feel like the seat is a little wide in the bowl or have issues with leg drop. You can send your seat back in and have them reshape the leading edge of the dish and shave the edge down.

OP, you say that your seat has lost its distance mojo? Much more likely that you are what has changed, not the seat.
Are you wearing the exact same gear now? For instance, I find that my 3 season (not-summer) weight Olympia Ranger pants are more comfortable for extended riding than my summer weight Olympia AirGlide mesh pants. The Rangers are a full 3 layer pant with weatherproof inner layer, and I think that the layers contribute to the increased comfort over a single layer of cloth in the summer pants, but of course they are hot during the summer.

I seldom wear jeans or pants under my riding pants. Instead it's just underwear or in the cold months I add a pair of fleece seweatpants. No seams to cause irritation, etc. Also, what you wear for underwear is important. LDComfort shorts make all the difference. Lycra bicycle shorts are also good, but not as good as LDComfort, which are a dual layer short. Again, those layers add comfort as long as they are not bunching up.

Good luck with your quest for ass comfort.

Oh, and the Russell Daylong is worth every penny.

I appreciate the insight you gentelemen have given. I put a little over 200 miles on the new sargent seat yesterday with bluejeans on. I know the seams create problems in and of themselves. My primary complaint with the sargent as of now is the fact that the edge of the seat cuts into the back of my thighs and cuts circulation while causing discomfort. I may need to have the foam shaved to correct.

 

[garyahouse]

Dang I just received my Sargent seat today. I am wondering if I made a mistake not going with the Russell. Guess I have 30 days to figure it out and return it if I dont like it.

Dude, there is NO comparison. If there's even a chance that you'd be interested in a Russel (and can afford it), get one NOW while you still can. I've never heard ANYBODY complain that they shouldn't have bought their Russel. But then I'm guessing now it's too late to return the Sargent?

Gary

darksider #44

 

[Aasland]

Dang I just received my Sargent seat today. I am wondering if I made a mistake not going with the Russell. Guess I have 30 days to figure it out and return it if I dont like it.

There is about 100k on the Sargent seat I put on my VFR and it has not degraded. Granted, that was in 2000 ... in 14 years I suppose they could have changed from using the "atomic superfoam" or whatever.

While there's nothing wrong with the foam, I'm definitely squirming on that seat after 400-500 miles. Still, WAY better than the 70 miles I'd get from the stock seat.

In my opinion, there are better seats out there than the Sargent. Although I've been happy with the Sargent on the VFR and the BeadRider on the FJR, I understand the Russel's are considered the most comfortable of them all.

 

[900gc]

Walt.r said:

"My primary complaint with the sargent as of now is the fact that the edge of the seat cuts into the back of my thighs and cuts circulation while causing discomfort. I may need to have the foam shaved to correct."

That is one of the mods I would make too. It's as if they make the seat for a cruiser with your knees up higher than your butt. I would also add about 3/8 in. of foam to the middle of the bucket. My sitz bones seem to find the thinnest part of the padding. All this being said, the seat feels most comfortable when using my Wild Bill highway pegs due to that my knees are higher and my hips rotate just enough to spread the load out in the bucket more.

As others have mentioned, the right riding gear is important for comfort too. I may give these a shot:

https://motoskiveez.com/