Review: Russell Day Long Seat - 2018 F3-L

[Rharris]

The OEM F3L Spyder seat was causing numbness and aggravating my sciatica issues. With high hopes to remedy the situation, I sent the seat to Russell Cycle Products for a rebuild. I just installed the Russell Day Long seat on my F3-L and went on a short 20 mile ride.

My initial impressions are as follows:
1. The leather is extremely high quality. It’s very soft to the touch.
2. I am approximately 1-2” higher vs stock seat.
3. RDL is firmer than stock, and the first impression was that I would dislike the seat. I was wrong. It’s comfy.
4. Stock seat/backrest combo pushed me forward onto the tank. RDL is sloped rearward to keep me from being on tank. The rear bolster is thinner vs stock.
5. Backrest is adjustable up and down and slightly fore-aft. RDL backrest feels about the same as stock, but the seat build prevents it from pushing me forward onto tank
6. Rear seat room seems smaller, but not an issue to me.

*sorry for sideways pics. I can’t rotate them...

 

[pwm]

Cost?

 

[Orangespyer]

I am seriously thinking of the RDL for the same reasons you mentioned. Now that you have had the RDL for awhile, what are your impressions. Is the patented spring hype? My ride is a '19 F3L. The stock seat gets uncomfortable after a couple of hours of riding.

 

[GaryGardner]

I've had an RDL on my Goldwing for five years. I've put around 35,000 on it. Once you break it for for four to five hundred miles you'll love. Never regretted buying it. I have a 2020 RTL that is going to get the same seat. They are pricey, but if you tour, you will be glad you bought it.

 

[Steve W.]

.... Is the patented spring hype?.....

My first custom saddle was in 1979, on my brand-new KZ1300. I rode it to the Mayer Day Long Saddle shop in California (we lived there, too, so it was only about 150 miles) for a ride-in fitting. Rode home that evening, never squirmed once on the way home. A couple of weeks later, we rode to the Colorado River for a water skiing weekend with friends. Several years later, Mayer retired and sold the business to Russell. A few years after that, I ordered a Russell for my 'new' ZN1300 Voyager. I made the mistake of going with the "heavy-duty" foam, as I was right at their threshhold (225 pounds). Should have stayed with the lighter foam. Other than that, it was comfortable.


Is the patented spring hype? I don't think so. There are others that also build comfortable seats, but RDL is the only one with the spring that forces the edges to cradle you. It worked for me, although on other bikes. No reason to believe that they don't still do the job.

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