First ride after adding seat gel hoping for more comfort, but nope, no change! What do do? Anybody made theirs better?

[AmigoJack]

Today was the first ride of the season on my '22 Sea to Sky, 23C, sunny, beautiful day. Last winter installed a pedal box, man it turns it into a sports car, a whole lot of fun, Last winter I put gel in the seat hoping to make it more comfy, nope, no change, the shape is just wrong for my bony little butt. Don't know what I am going to do about the seat. Anybody made theirs better?

 

[Mikey]

Custom seat, Air Hawk! The hard part of coming on here and asking what your butt would like is hard to answer! I have gone from a stock seat to a Gel pad, to a comfort seat, and now an Air Hawk when my butt's had enough! I am still fighting an unhappy butt at times! I am thinking about going the sheep skin cover next! Or just ride more and get my rear hardened into it.

 

[JayBros]

First ride of the season where you live; what's your backside been doing for the last 4-5 or more months? Unfortunately, only your butt can tell you. The possibly least expensive try would be an Air Hawk.

 

[troop]

Pricey, but well worth the cost. Russell Day Long seat on my 2022 RT S2S.

 

[BamaJohn]

Pricey, but well worth the cost. Russell Day Long seat on my 2022 RT S2S.

View attachment 249037

Plus 1 - my 5th RDL Seat!

 

[cptjam]

Agreed. A custom fit saddle is well worth it!
I’ve had a RDL, and a couple of Laam seats. Only you know what fits you. I’ve had Corbin, Sargent, OEM upgrades, and the ones fitted to me are the best. Joe

 

[ZiggyF]

I have a 2014 RT & did the whole route of seat pads and even tried the special padded underwear. I ended up going with an Ultimate Tall Boy seat, which also gave me an additional 3” of leg room. I’ve had a Corbin, a Day Long, & a locally made custom seat, & the Ultimate was the best choice for me for this particular motorcycle because of the Tall Boy option. First week I had it I rode from Leesburg, Fl to Bike Week in Daytona without a stop and then walked for 2 hours.

I like the fact that they build a new pan & don’t just upgrade the original seat with the plastic pan. I’ve ridden over 1000 miles since I bought it. It was well worth the money.

My friend has a '23 Sea to Sky that came from the factory with an Ultimate seat, but I think Can Am has them built to different specs, because his isn’t close to being as comfortable as mine.

I think you’ll have to bite the bullet and buy an upgraded seat that suits you, be it Ultimate, Corbin, Day Long, or another company.

Here’s the review I did on it.

Thread 'Review of Ultimate Seat':

https://www.spyderlovers.com/threads/review-of-ultimate-seat.162791/

 

[RayBJ]

Airhawk/WildA$$ has been the answer for my butt on all my rides since returning to long days on the bikes/Spyder.
The major advantages are:
- they are far less expensive (~$120) than a custom seat (~$500+)
- can be moved to another ride in seconds
- if it doesn't solve your butt ache you're not out hundreds of your cash
- you can re-sell a 'universal' seat pad to the entire world of makes/models

IMHO, Custom seats are a crap-shoot with no assurance it will solve your aches and then you're stuck with a narrow market to re-sell.

 

[Woodaddict]

Pricey, but well worth the cost. Russell Day Long seat on my 2022 RT S2S.

View attachment 249037

me too, on spyder and 2 wheeler. and spyder stitching as well. my pics are too big to post

 

[Peteoz]

Airhawk/WildA$$ has been the answer for my butt on all my rides since returning to long days on the bikes/Spyder.
The major advantages are:
- they are far less expensive (~$120) than a custom seat (~$500+)
- can be moved to another ride in seconds
- if it doesn't solve your butt ache you're not out hundreds of your cash
- you can re-sell a 'universal' seat pad to the entire world of makes/models

IMHO, Custom seats are a crap-shoot with no assurance it will solve your aches and then you're stuck with a narrow market to re-sell.

Ray, custom seats like Daylong are definitely NOT a crap shoot. They tailor the seat to your height, weight, leg length, arm position etc, and guarantee all day comfort (or refund your money), so they do indeed provide an assurance it will solve your aches. Yes, they are expensive, but it depends how much you want an all-day, comfortable ride. If you source a cheap, second hand seat to send to them to modify, you still have your original seat to sell with the Spyder.

Pete

 

[spyderladyf3]

Custom seat, Air Hawk! The hard part of coming on here and asking what your butt would like is hard to answer! I have gone from a stock seat to a Gel pad, to a comfort seat, and now an Air Hawk when my butt's had enough! I am still fighting an unhappy butt at times! I am thinking about going the sheep skin cover next! Or just ride more and get my rear hardened into it.

I use a sheepskin on my seat, used it on my both my Harleys when I had them, works great. I think I need to get a new one though, it's getting old and the wool tends to come out.

 

[Poasttown]

Some seat company’s will give you a short window to try with the option to return if not satisfied. If you go this route make sure you have a clear understanding of the return/refund details ahead of time.

Poasttown
2019 F3L

 

[Tango]

I agree custom seats are the best way to go. As long as you have the budget for it. If not, as mentioned before, air hawk, sheepskin may work. Or, ask around if any of your locals have used an upholstery shop. Someone that does seat covers, chairs, boats. Less money, and it may work.

 

[Graderman]

As a new owner of a new '24 RTL I'm a bit conflicted on the seat. As for long distance comfort (regular riding is at least 8 hours and longer per day) it's too soft for my liking but a Bead Rider makes it tolerable. My biggest issue is the feeling of sitting on a marshmallow in spirited riding. I prefer to be planted on a firm seat rather than wallowing around from side to side like I do on the stocker.
I've had two Russell's on other bikes, putting on over 100,000 miles between them. I also rode a Vespa GTS scooter with a Corbin for many thousands of miles. The Russell's were both ride-in custom work and the Corbin was off the shelf. It's been quite a number of years since I sat on the Corbin so any comparison wouldn't be fair except to say that both are firm. Seating surface size and shape seem to be similar in pics from what I see. Of course, the build is completely different with the Corbin being a foam build on a proprietary plastic pan, where the Russell uses a spring suspension element, not unlike a sofa spring, along with the foam in theirs.
The Russell is also available in Sunbrella Fabric, which is used for awnings in the marine industry. It'll never get smokin' hot in the sun like vinyl; it's water repellent; and it's nice and 'grippy'. There's a ton of color options available too.
Right now I'm trying to decide between the two. The stock seat will be replaced.

For Russell:
1) Known comfort.
2) Known quality.
3) Price (compared to Corbin)
4) Sunbrella Fabrics are available!

Against Russel:
1) Uses stock seat pan.
2) Can be difficult to book a ride-in appointment
3) May be too heavy for the stock seat strut.


For Corbin:
1) Comfort (if memory serves correctly).
2) One Piece!!! No more lifting the seat for gas! No more weak strut to deal with!
3) Pretty easy to book a ride-in appointment.
4) Custom seat pan! Stock seat is retained for resale etc.
5) Incredible amount of customization available.

Against Corbin:
1) Price, especially considering the $$ beating we Canadians take!
2) Possibly not as comfortable as I recall.

I'm leaning toward the Corbin even though I've had good experience with Russell. I think they look better and the idea of still having the stock seat - for a Russell conversion (if I chose poorly in the first place) or resale is appealing.

Either way I'll have a nice road trip to California!

BTW, I do have a Russell appointment booked for late June and I am in the throes of looking into the Corbin timeline.

 

[Peteoz]

Grader, just a couple of comments on your “against” for Russell. I am am not disputing any of your points as they are all valid, but -

If you buy a cheap second hand seat (it can even have rips in it) to send to Russell, you still have your stock seat to sell with the Spyder. It also means you can continue to ride while your custom seat is being made. Sure, it is an extra cost, but it is well worth it.

Being in Australia, I do not have the luxury of a ride in appointment. In 5 instances of having Russell make me a seat from photos and measurements on 3 different motorcycle brands, I only once had to send one back for adjustment and Russell paid most of the shipping cost. Their remote builds work very well.

Yes, the Daylong is indeed too heavy for the stock seat shock (although mine was built heavy duty to cope with my 300+ lbs - all muscle of course). I used this as an opportunity to remove the seat shock and use a rod to hold the seat up when refuelling. This has 2 added benefits. You create more room to get the pump nozzle in AND you NEVER have to worry about the locking catch failing and preventing you getting at your gas cap.

Pete

 

[vito1943]

Several bikes ago I added a BeadRider seat cover, rider and passenger after trying all sorts of other products including AirHawk, gel cushions, etc. I was skeptical because it seemed that sitting on a mat of hard beads would be super uncomfortable. But to my surprise it was actually a good solution to a hard stock seat. I have since moved those seat covers from bike to bike and they still look and feel brand new. I have them on the Spyder RT and even on long rides I am relatively comfortable. The beads also create a small space between your butt and the actual seat of the bike, allowing for some airflow on hot days and to let rainwater stay below your pants during a deluge. Years ago I spent the bucks on a Corbin seat and hated it. The BeadRider seat covers cost me about $100 for both rider and passenger and seem the best bang for the buck in my decades of riding.

 

[Bangorbob]

I may do this to my current spyder. Most all the bikes I rode, the seats were terrible. I ran across an article that a person cut a triangle out of the seat cushion where his tailbone sat. He put in some softer foam in the cutout. I did that on a couple of seats. What a difference. It's the pressure on the tailbone and the width of the seat at the thigh area that makes it not so comfortable.

 

[Lew L]

Rode most of the day yesterday through a few of the Sierras finest passes. The AirHawk did just great. Borrow one if you have to and adjust it correctly (not as much air as you might think). You might not return it!!!!

 

[troop]

As a new owner of a new '24 RTL I'm a bit conflicted on the seat. As for long distance comfort (regular riding is at least 8 hours and longer per day) it's too soft for my liking but a Bead Rider makes it tolerable. My biggest issue is the feeling of sitting on a marshmallow in spirited riding. I prefer to be planted on a firm seat rather than wallowing around from side to side like I do on the stocker.
I've had two Russell's on other bikes, putting on over 100,000 miles between them. I also rode a Vespa GTS scooter with a Corbin for many thousands of miles. The Russell's were both ride-in custom work and the Corbin was off the shelf. It's been quite a number of years since I sat on the Corbin so any comparison wouldn't be fair except to say that both are firm. Seating surface size and shape seem to be similar in pics from what I see. Of course, the build is completely different with the Corbin being a foam build on a proprietary plastic pan, where the Russell uses a spring suspension element, not unlike a sofa spring, along with the foam in theirs.
The Russell is also available in Sunbrella Fabric, which is used for awnings in the marine industry. It'll never get smokin' hot in the sun like vinyl; it's water repellent; and it's nice and 'grippy'. There's a ton of color options available too.
Right now I'm trying to decide between the two. The stock seat will be replaced.

For Russell:
1) Known comfort.
2) Known quality.
3) Price (compared to Corbin)
4) Sunbrella Fabrics are available!

Against Russel:
1) Uses stock seat pan.
2) Can be difficult to book a ride-in appointment
3) May be too heavy for the stock seat strut.


For Corbin:
1) Comfort (if memory serves correctly).
2) One Piece!!! No more lifting the seat for gas! No more weak strut to deal with!
3) Pretty easy to book a ride-in appointment.
4) Custom seat pan! Stock seat is retained for resale etc.
5) Incredible amount of customization available.

Against Corbin:
1) Price, especially considering the $$ beating we Canadians take!
2) Possibly not as comfortable as I recall.

I'm leaning toward the Corbin even though I've had good experience with Russell. I think they look better and the idea of still having the stock seat - for a Russell conversion (if I chose poorly in the first place) or resale is appealing.

Either way I'll have a nice road trip to California!

BTW, I do have a Russell appointment booked for late June and I am in the throes of looking into the Corbin timeline.

I also debated between a Corbin and Russell Day Long (and Seth Laam). Having used Corbin seats on four (4) past motorcycles, I was never disappointed in comfort. I did have a leather issue with one seat, but Corbin took care of it quickly on their dime. Sadly, I hear and read quite a bit about the decline of Corbin service, so I declined to try one for my RT. I also purchased a Ultimate seat for my 2022 RT S2S, but the fitment was terrible and I immediately returned it. The gaps were terribly big at the front of the seat. I also had Seth Laam rebuild my OEM F3S seat, and I found it much better on my backside than the OEM. In questioning Seth Laam about an RT seat rebuild, he wasn't nearly as forthcoming as he was with my F3S seats. I also asked about leather and he pretty much avoided the questions. When I asked for some leather/vinyl samples, he actually replied "I'll have to see if my wife has any stamps to send some out"!! I never received any samples Nope, not this time.
And this leads to RDL. Jay was ALWAYS prompt to answer questions. I promptly received multiple samples of Sunbrella, vinyl, and leather. He was quick to answer questions re: pro's/con's of each. I quickly decided to go with RDL. Being October (2024) in WI, I booked a February 2025 build date, as I knew I wouldn't be riding until late March at the earliest. This also gave me time to track down a used take off RT heated seat, as I wanted to keep my RT S2S seat as is. I was able to snag a heated take off seat on ebay for $125 so I was all set. I opted for vinyl over leather, as I never could quite warm up to the sunbrella look for my Sea To Sky. I know, but personal preference. Being around 240# geared, I opted for heavy duty suspension. The end result is awesome. I now have about 600 miles on my seat, and the best compliment I can give about my seat is that I never think about it when riding. No shifting around to get comfortable. I just sit and ride without any thoughts about seat comfort.
Now in regards to the seat strut. My OEM strut began crapping out holding up my OEM seat after about 1K miles. I bought the Show Chrome strut, and it worked well. In anticipation of holding up the RDL seat, I bought the Spyder Extras seat lift kit. Now, that said, the Show Chrome strut holds up the RDL seat without issues, and I haven't even used the SE lift, but it will be staying on. Now, after this long winded reply, GET THE RDL!! You won't be disappointed.

 

[BamaJohn]

I also debated between a Corbin and Russell Day Long (and Seth Laam). Having used Corbin seats on four (4) past motorcycles, I was never disappointed in comfort. I did have a leather issue with one seat, but Corbin took care of it quickly on their dime. Sadly, I hear and read quite a bit about the decline of Corbin service, so I declined to try one for my RT. I also purchased a Ultimate seat for my 2022 RT S2S, but the fitment was terrible and I immediately returned it. The gaps were terribly big at the front of the seat. I also had Seth Laam rebuild my OEM F3S seat, and I found it much better on my backside than the OEM. In questioning Seth Laam about an RT seat rebuild, he wasn't nearly as forthcoming as he was with my F3S seats. I also asked about leather and he pretty much avoided the questions. When I asked for some leather/vinyl samples, he actually replied "I'll have to see if my wife has any stamps to send some out"!! I never received any samples Nope, not this time.
And this leads to RDL. Jay was ALWAYS prompt to answer questions. I promptly received multiple samples of Sunbrella, vinyl, and leather. He was quick to answer questions re: pro's/con's of each. I quickly decided to go with RDL. Being October (2024) in WI, I booked a February 2025 build date, as I knew I wouldn't be riding until late March at the earliest. This also gave me time to track down a used take off RT heated seat, as I wanted to keep my RT S2S seat as is. I was able to snag a heated take off seat on ebay for $125 so I was all set. I opted for vinyl over leather, as I never could quite warm up to the sunbrella look for my Sea To Sky. I know, but personal preference. Being around 240# geared, I opted for heavy duty suspension. The end result is awesome. I now have about 600 miles on my seat, and the best compliment I can give about my seat is that I never think about it when riding. No shifting around to get comfortable. I just sit and ride without any thoughts about seat comfort.
Now in regards to the seat strut. My OEM strut began crapping out holding up my OEM seat after about 1K miles. I bought the Show Chrome strut, and it worked well. In anticipation of holding up the RDL seat, I bought the Spyder Extras seat lift kit. Now, that said, the Show Chrome strut holds up the RDL seat without issues, and I haven't even used the SE lift, but it will be staying on. Now, after this long winded reply, GET THE RDL!! You won't be disappointed.

View attachment 249276View attachment 249277View attachment 249278

Plus one. I've been lurking on this thread to see what was decided, and my current RDL is my 5th one on various cycles from Gold Wing to BMW RT to Spyder RT.