Comfort seat questions

[gnkc]

I have to ride several miles of gravel roads everytime I leave my house. The tacky vinyl material on the stock seats holds dust, then my butt grinds it into the vinyl. The result is wear and marks that just look terrible and don't buff out, even after trying other's suggestions. Others here may not agree, but I also don't find it very comfortable after several riding hours. I'm thinking about a comfort seat.
--Is this seat the same vinyl material as the stock seat. Is it more slippery? Less slippery? More prone to attract dirt? Is it leather?
--Has anyone used their passenger seat bag with the new seat? The shape of the comfort seat kinda looks like the shape of the stock seat, but not quite? I don't recall reading anywhere about how well it does or maybe doesn't fit. thanks.

 

[NancysToy]

The comfort seat material is different, but it is still vinyl, not leather, as far as I can tell (part of it feels like neoprene). The top portion is more slippery, and seems harder, but that may just be the firmer foam padding making it seem so. The sides are a rubbery material, like the sides of the BRP seat skin. That part is stickier, but I didn't notice contacting it anywhere...maybe up by the knees and I just didn't notice. One note, although the seat is a more slippery material, it seems just as difficult to slide your weight over on the seat, because this one is flatter.

One word of caution, this seat has nice pleating and stitching detail. These low areas seem to collect debris readily. I have brushed it off a thousand time in a couple of weeks. OK, maybe I exaggerate, but for your particular needs, you may want to evaluate the possible effects of your dusty conditions, especially on the lighter colored stitching the seat has in places.

Your question on the seat bag was a good one, and made me go check. I had not tried it since installing the new seat. It fit fine with the standard tailpiece. It seems to sit back an inch or two farther, so it overlaps the tailpiece but doesn't touch it. I don't know how it would fit with the sport rack...escpecially with the backrest in place. Someone will have to try it and let us know.
-Scotty

 

[gnkc]

The comfort seat material is different, but it is still vinyl, not leather, as far as I can tell (part of it feels like neoprene). The top portion is more slippery, and seems harder, but that may just be the firmer foam padding making it seem so. The sides are a rubbery material, like the sides of the BRP seat skin. That part is stickier, but I didn't notice contacting it anywhere...maybe up by the knees and I just didn't notice. One note, although the seat is a more slippery material, it seems just as difficult to slide your weight over on the seat, because this one is flatter.

One word of caution, this seat has nice pleating and stitching detail. These low areas seem to collect debris readily. I have brushed it off a thousand time in a couple of weeks. OK, maybe I exaggerate, but for your particular needs, you may want to evaluate the possible effects of your dusty conditions, especially on the lighter colored stitching the seat has in places.

Your question on the seat bag was a good one, and made me go check. I had not tried it since installing the new seat. It fit fine with the standard tailpiece. It seems to sit back an inch or two farther, so it overlaps the tailpiece but doesn't touch it. I don't know how it would fit with the sport rack...escpecially with the backrest in place. Someone will have to try it and let us know.
-Scotty

Thanks Scotty. I can deal with wiping off dust with a wet rag, it's the bad semi-permanent marring of the sticky stock seat vinyl that I have the problem with. At a little over a thousand miles, the seat should not look this bad already. Sounds like the bag will work okay and that it probably won't rub the paint on the tailpiece.

 

[gnkc]

Thanks Scotty. I can deal with wiping off dust with a wet rag, it's the bad semi-permanent marring of the sticky stock seat vinyl that I have the problem with. At a little over a thousand miles, the seat should not look this bad already. Sounds like the bag will work okay and that it probably won't rub the paint on the tailpiece.

An update..I purchased the comfort seat and installed it yesterday. The materials on the seat are first rate; the "sticky" vinyl has an embossed pattern and is only on the lower sides of the seat making it functional. The stock seat vinyl just didn't cut it for my dusty situation. The new seat is definitely flatter and more solid feeling.
The installation was pretty straightforward except for figuring out how to pry the tail light cover off with a screwdriver per the instructions (yikes) and alignment of the seat latch stud which took a lot of time with trial and error. At first, I thought the stitching looked a bit busy but actually it follows the lines of the bike. Time to put some miles on it now.:yes:

 

[NancysToy]

An update..I purchased the comfort seat and installed it yesterday. The materials on the seat are first rate; the "sticky" vinyl has an embossed pattern and is only on the lower sides of the seat making it functional. The stock seat vinyl just didn't cut it for my dusty situation. The new seat is definitely flatter and more solid feeling.
The installation was pretty straightforward except for figuring out how to pry the tail light cover off with a screwdriver per the instructions (yikes) and alignment of the seat latch stud which took a lot of time with trial and error. At first, I thought the stitching looked a bit busy but actually it follows the lines of the bike. Time to put some miles on it now.:yes:

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
-Scotty

 

[QuadManiac]

FYI, the seams in my Levi's were leaving wear marks in the stock seat over time...

With a thousand miles on the new seat, so far, I don't see any equivalent marks.

 

[Smylinacha]

HDX is picking up my comfort seat at the dealer today. I found the same thing - my jeans mark up the seat (I have buttons on the back pockets) and it's all scuffed up and can't be buffed out. And it's not so comfy towards the end of a day's ride. I was riding w/ the air hawk on it for a while but I like to stand on my pegs now and then and the airhawk would fly back and I'd have a hard time getting it back in place to sit on it.

So hopefully the new seat will be worth it!

 

[QuadManiac]

So hopefully the new seat will be worth it!

Smylincha, I think it's worth it, even though it hasn't eliminated my issues completely.

With the stock seat, I couldn't ride for more than a half hour or so before pain and then numbness would set in. With the comfort seat, it's more like an hour to an hour and a half now... My bony butt just wasn't made for this, I guess. It just takes a 5 or 10 minute break before I can go for another hour +, so I'm happy now. I expect doing an iron butt might take it's toll on me, though.

 

[DynamoBT]

I found out yesterday that I don't like the position that the Corbin seat puts you in. It pushes you back and you're in a depressed "well". I know sitting on your buttocks is what people seem to want rather than being up and forward on your seat bones. I've decided that now with the BeadRider on, that I like the stock seat just fine.

I don't know how Dudley rides his with the Corbin sitting you further back and only the 1" BRP riser. I have a whole new appreciationg for the stock seat now since I think the BRP Comfort seat also sits you further back in a scooped out depression. Huh uh. Not for me.

 

[BLACK WIDOW]

Comfort seat

I have to ride several miles of gravel roads everytime I leave my house. The tacky vinyl material on the stock seats holds dust, then my butt grinds it into the vinyl. The result is wear and marks that just look terrible and don't buff out, even after trying other's suggestions. Others here may not agree, but I also don't find it very comfortable after several riding hours. I'm thinking about a comfort seat.
--Is this seat the same vinyl material as the stock seat. Is it more slippery? Less slippery? More prone to attract dirt? Is it leather?
--Has anyone used their passenger seat bag with the new seat? The shape of the comfort seat kinda looks like the shape of the stock seat, but not quite? I don't recall reading anywhere about how well it does or maybe doesn't fit. thanks.

Don't know about the dust issue since I rarely ride on dusty roads; But I can tell you that the comfort seat is far superior to the stock seat in almost any parameter you wish to compare. I don't think you could go wrong should you buy one.:thumbup:

 

[Trickie Dick]

MeanCity Cycles Seat

Anybody had any experience with these people. I ordered one today to be made mid August. I figured for the price, I couldn't go wrong. :dontknow:
http://www.meancitycycles.com/index.php

 

[bjt]

Anybody had any experience with these people. I ordered one today to be made mid August. I figured for the price, I couldn't go wrong. :dontknow:
http://www.meancitycycles.com/index.php

Their ad sounds reasonable. They are doing the same thing that Russell, Bill Mayer and others do to some extent, reshaping the foam in the stock seat. For a little more they upgrade the foam quality and / or amount of foam. Not quite as radical of a change as the Russell seat and it seems like they re-use the stock seat cover so that's how they keep the price down. I also noticed that they had a Spyder in their slideshow.

 

[Trickie Dick]

Their ad sounds reasonable. They are doing the same thing that Russell, Bill Mayer and others do to some extent, reshaping the foam in the stock seat. For a little more they upgrade the foam quality and / or amount of foam. Not quite as radical of a change as the Russell seat and it seems like they re-use the stock seat cover so that's how they keep the price down. I also noticed that they had a Spyder in their slideshow.

Yes, when I talked to them they said they had done 3 spyders including one for a guy that weighs in at 300#s and is 6'4". I dont' weigh that much but the height is close. Anyway they recommended the double decker($140). Said they don't use the gel much anymore. So I figured for 25% of a Russell and 1/3 the cost of a BRP comfort seat I could take a chance. Said they would also make it wider and move the seat position back. We'll see.:spyder:
Dick

 

[j45p3r]

Yes, when I talked to them they said they had done 3 spyders including one for a guy that weighs in at 300#s and is 6'4". I dont' weigh that much but the height is close. Anyway they recommended the double decker($140). Said they don't use the gel much anymore. So I figured for 25% of a Russell and 1/3 the cost of a BRP comfort seat I could take a chance. Said they would also make it wider and move the seat position back. We'll see.:spyder:
Dick

Do you have your send in date yet? Please let us know how you like the seat as I'm seriously considering going this route. I like the seating position of the stock seat, and I'm afraid the comfort seat will put me too far back and in a "hole" as it was put. I like to ride aggressive at times and want to be able to throw my weight into the turns easily.