Another Seat Question

[Peteoz]

So.....I have put my deposit down on a 2016 F3 limited in "go-fast" red, but as a bigger rider, stock seats, legroom and screens present a problem.

In regard to seats, the stock does not feel good, Ultimate don't make one, Mustang are unable to give an availability date for theirs, Corbin (I have never had one) are invariably reported as too hard, and RDL are very, very expensive once you add the purchase price of an old seat and a $300 ship cost to Australia.

There have been some reports on the Cannonball, but not for some time. Are they any better than stock ?

Pete

[Tango]

Pete someone posted about the other Can Am seats. Said they were no better. We have found the Air Hawk R model pads make a difference. Tom

[bboley]

My 2015 F3s came with a Cannonball on it so I can't compare it to the stock seat, but I have rode for seven hours in one stretch and never had any comfort issues. Oh and I am 5'8" and weigh 210 and have a bad lower back if that helps

[Peteoz]

Pete someone posted about the other Can Am seats. Said they were no better. We have found the Air Hawk R model pads make a difference. Tom

Hahaha.....and Bboley says that he finds his Cannonball very comfy, Tom...........
aaaarrrrrgggghhhh. I should have known better than to start a seat thread.......everyone has different shaped bums......

Looks like I might just have to bite the bullet and get a Daylong built, like I have on my last 3 bikes......although one of those experiences was verrrrry expensive when Daylong didn't get it right the first time, and I had to add the cost of shipping it back to the US for modification, which meant the bloody thing cost around $2500aus.

Pete

[Colin]

I am a bigger rider, and I have the SM6 with stock seat, I find it to be very comfortable. The one time I found
I had a numb bum was on the last day of a 10 day 4500km ride around the South Island and back to Auckland.
The last day was a long ride from Wellington to Auckland approx 7 hours in the seat obviously with stops along the way.
Maybe wait until you actually get your Spyder and try riding it for a while with the Stock Seat before throwing money at a new one.

[Peteoz]

Thanks Colin......that's probably sound advice. I have never had a stock seat that was comfortable for me in the past, and the stock F3 one didn't feel great on my short test drive which is why I am looking at options at this early stage
Pete

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Motorcycle Dave ( a Vendor here ) sells GEL INSERTS for the RT seats and people have reported they like the way the seat feels afterwards ..... I have seen his instructions on how to put them in and I don't see why they wouldn't work for the F-3 seat......PM Him direct and ask ...... His price is about $80.00....................Mike

[Adam Jamka]

The Mustang seat is like night and day compared to the stock seat. There is a big difference between the two.
Check Value Accessories for the mustang seat. I ordered my seat and received it in one week. Plus they had the best price for one also.

[Upstater]

I installed the gel inserts over the winter. I have ridden about 1,200 miles now on the modified OEM seat with the inserts. For me and the wife, the seat is almost harder and we both actually prefer the original seat. After a few hours I can't wait to get OFF the machine. I'm 5'11" and 180 lbs. (she is a lot smaller). Others have reported good results with the inserts, so to each their own. It is a personal choice. If I had to do it over again, the cost and installation hassle was not worth it.

I will be trying the Air Hawk pads next.

[_..stiffler..]

I'm 6' and 230. I can ride on the stock seat all day. Only issue I have is my hip flexors. Get really stiff. I'd invest in highway pegs to stretch out your legs before a seat. Just my 2 cents.

Stiff

Sent on Note 5 in Taptalk

[Motorcycledave]

Hi Dave here
I have custom made seat GEL with memory foam they will fit your seat no problem....
The good news you DO NOT have to spend hundreds of $$$$$$$ to make your seat
a nice comfy seat. check my website at www.motorcycledave.com click on seats there
you will see how easy it is to do it yourself my seat kit is only $79.95
Just call me and it is on the way to your door 209-887-3283
Ride Safe
Dave

[Peteoz]

Thanks everyone for your replies. They have been extremely helpful.

I have tried gel inserts in the past and they have not worked for me either, Upstater. Every bum is different.

The dealer has done the right thing by me and given me a deal that is too good to pass up on the display model Cannonball. I was also able to sit on it for 30 minutes in the showroom and it fits me very comfortably, and even more so with a backrest, which I find makes nearly every seat more comfortable. Only time will tell.

Just for interest, Mustang have emailed me saying that their F3 seats will be available for shipping again within the next 3 weeks.

Pete

[bigwhammy]

Thanks everyone for your replies. They have been extremely helpful.

I have tried gel inserts in the past and they have not worked for me either, Upstater. Every bum is different.

The dealer has done the right thing by me and given me a deal that is too good to pass up on the display model Cannonball. I was also able to sit on it for 30 minutes in the showroom and it fits me very comfortably, and even more so with a backrest, which I find makes nearly every seat more comfortable. Only time will tell.

Just for interest, Mustang have emailed me saying that their F3 seats will be available for shipping again within the next 3 weeks.

Pete

I have had the cannonball for 12 months.
i feel that the cannonball is definitely better for the person with a larger bum.
My wife likes the cannonball passenger section bigger a softer.
I have both BRP back rests and found that getting the long reach bars was the best investment out of all 3.
With all three eg seat,backrest and bars I have done Sydney to Brisbane in a day (560 miles) Sydney Melbourne (530 miles) in a day at 60 years old with past back surgery with no problems. Stop every 3 hours. I also have foot pads . All the gear is expensive BRP stuff. I also have the BRP stage 5 rear shock adjusted very nicely ie high and low speed damping etc
I can quickly adjust it for twisties, 2 up cruising or to the ride I am doing. This shock like the oh lens is expensive but you get the suspension the f3s should have come standard with.

[Peteoz]

I have had the cannonball for 12 months.
i feel that the cannonball is definitely better for the person with a larger bum.
My wife likes the cannonball passenger section bigger a softer.
I have both BRP back rests and found that getting the long reach bars was the best investment out of all 3.
With all three eg seat,backrest and bars I have done Sydney to Brisbane in a day Sydney Melbourne in a day at 60 years old with past back surgery with no problems. Stop every 3 hours. I also have foot pads . All the gear is expensive BRP stuff. I also have the BRP stage 5 rear shock adjusted very nicely ie high and low speed damping etc
I can quickly adjust it for twisties, 2 up cruising or to the ride I am doing. This shock like the oh lens is expensive but you get the suspension the f3s should have come standard with.

Thanks whammy........I have also bought the BRP backrests. Backrests make such a difference to seat comfort. I have bought the 2016 F3 Limited, which comes with boards and the airbag rear shock and bigger front shocks, so that should be OK, I hope. I have stayed with the standard bars for the moment as they had the nearest feel, with the cannonball seat, to the Vic. Vision that I currently own that is all day comfortable (but it DOES have a Russell Daylong seat ! . )

Regards,
Pete

[PrairieSpyder]

I rode to Deadwood and back with my Mustang seat last week. It was about 1400 miles all together. It was really better than the stock seat. I bought mine from iMotorsports, a sponsor on this site. Their price is much better than from Mustang directly.

[bigwhammy]

Thanks whammy........I have also bought the BRP backrests. Backrests make such a difference to seat comfort. I have bought the 2016 F3 Limited, which comes with boards and the airbag rear shock and bigger front shocks, so that should be OK, I hope. I have stayed with the standard bars for the moment as they had the nearest feel, with the cannonball seat, to the Vic. Vision that I currently own that is all day comfortable (but it DOES have a Russell Daylong seat ! . )

Regards,
Pete

Hi Peter
a bit off topic
the short reach bars are a totally different shape for me I can now also see both mirrors as they also allow for about 30 degree up and down(I think all the bars have this capacity)
plus the chrome looks good.
get your dealer to set you up on the ufit system.
David

[Dmartin]

Just Installed the CannonBall. will test tomorrow with the Wife. Let you all know..

[fritzer1]

Thanks whammy........I have also bought the BRP backrests. Backrests make such a difference to seat comfort. I have bought the 2016 F3 Limited, which comes with boards and the airbag rear shock and bigger front shocks, so that should be OK, I hope. I have stayed with the standard bars for the moment as they had the nearest feel, with the cannonball seat, to the Vic. Vision that I currently own that is all day comfortable (but it DOES have a Russell Daylong seat ! . )

Regards,
Pete

Speaking of backrests, I am badly in need of one and am debating between the Ultimate driver's backrest and the BRP - $294 for the Ultimate from Lamonster and $460 for the BRP. Has anyone had experience with both, to compare?
I'm hoping a backrest will be a cheap fix, as the F3T seat is killing me (actually, I have the 2015 F3 seat on my 2016 F3T - dummy me decided it looked nicer than the stock one).
If the backrest doesn't work, I'll be back to square one - Cannonball, Mustang, Corbin, Coast to Coast, RDL, etc.???

[Peteoz]

If the backrest doesn't work, I'll be back to square one - Cannonball, Mustang, Corbin, Coast to Coast, RDL, etc.???

You'll be amazed at the difference a backrest can make, Fritz, but since you are in the US, and you want something that is guaranteed to work for your particular body shape, RDL is really the best solution rather than suck it and see. I would use RDL every time except for the exorbitant shipping costs to Australia.

Forget the BRP backrest and put that money towards the cost of an old seat (or save a few bucks and use your current seat if you can live without it for a couple of weeks) and cut your losses now. Daylong will guarantee the seat will be all day comfortable(they will mod it if it isn't comfy from day 1).

No, I don't work for RDL, but I have had hit and miss with all the brands except RDL. Not that the brands are bad, but everyone's shape and weight is different, so a stock seat will not work for everyone. RDL is tailored to YOU !

Pete

[CA Railwhale]

So.....I have put my deposit down on a 2016 F3 limited in "go-fast" red, but as a bigger rider, stock seats, legroom and screens present a problem.

In regard to seats, the stock does not feel good, Ultimate don't make one, Mustang are unable to give an availability date for theirs, Corbin (I have never had one) are invariably reported as too hard, and RDL are very, very expensive once you add the purchase price of an old seat and a $300 ship cost to Australia.

There have been some reports on the Cannonball, but not for some time. Are they any better than stock ?

Pete

I just had a pair of custom seats built for my 2015 F3 by Bill Mayer Seats in Ventura California. I wasn't satisfied with any of the commercial seats so I looked at custom ones. They built the seats to exactly fit my wife and I and I couldn't be happier with them. The price was reasonable, less than $1200.00 for the pair. If you want to see what they look like, Rocky, the owner. has a photo of my bike on the home page of his website. We were able to go to the shop, but they do mail order seats as well as working remotely on the rally circuit. This is the website: http://www.billmayer-saddles.com. Hope that helps.

[hawkiii]

Just got done putting my new Russell Day Long on the F3. Arrived about 20 mins ago. Looks great, feels great but I can't get a ride in until tomorrow. Don't even have a picture yet. Will post pics tomorrow.

[Tango]

I just had a pair of custom seats built for my 2015 F3 by Bill Mayer Seats in Ventura California. I wasn't satisfied with any of the commercial seats so I looked at custom ones. They built the seats to exactly fit my wife and I and I couldn't be happier with them. The price was reasonable, less than $1200.00 for the pair. If you want to see what they look like, Rocky, the owner. has a photo of my bike on the home page of his website. We were able to go to the shop, but they do mail order seats as well as working remotely on the rally circuit. This is the website: http://www.billmayer-saddles.com. Hope that helps.

The home page shows an RT seat. Can't access the gallery. Tom

[Tango]

I just had a pair of custom seats built for my 2015 F3 by Bill Mayer Seats in Ventura California. I wasn't satisfied with any of the commercial seats so I looked at custom ones. They built the seats to exactly fit my wife and I and I couldn't be happier with them. The price was reasonable, less than $1200.00 for the pair. If you want to see what they look like, Rocky, the owner. has a photo of my bike on the home page of his website. We were able to go to the shop, but they do mail order seats as well as working remotely on the rally circuit. This is the website: http://www.billmayer-saddles.com. Hope that helps.

Me bad. Just saw your F3 seat. Looks great. Tom

[jcthorne]

Been extremely pleased with my RDL on my F3. I could not stand the stock seat for more than about 2 hrs.

We just completed a 5239 mile trip to Durango the Deadwood Rally, Yellowstone, Santa Fe and back to Houston. Seat was GREAT the entire 3 weeks. Can't wait to head out to the Red Rocks Rally next month!

20151218_151859.jpg20151218_151845.jpg

[Peteoz]

I just had a pair of custom seats built for my 2015 F3 by Bill Mayer Seats in Ventura California. I wasn't satisfied with any of the commercial seats so I looked at custom ones.

Thanks Railwhale......looks good......BUT....
BMS still requires you to send aN OLD seat, so it's just as complex and expensive for Aussies as RDL. I'll probably go with RDL unless I decide to choose the easy option and try a Mustang off the shelf, as one of theirs has worked ok for me in the past. The Cannonball is OK for an hour or so, but just doesn't cut the mustard. I'll keep it on for a couple more weeks to see if it beds in, but I'm not hopeful.

Pete