Time for a new seat...

[West_Coaster]

I have been struggling with seating arrangements on my bike for the last year. My bike came with a Russel Day long seat, it's very comfortable for my wife but for me it makes the bike a bit tall when stopping on off camber surfaces, and also makes my riding position a bit too high for me. I've tried both the high and low positions, the low position is not that much better for me.

 

 

 

To address the height issue, I bought a stock front seat so now I use the stock front seat for me and the wife sits on the RDL rear seat. Kinda looks wonky, but we do what we need to.

 

Next, my wife feels that the stock passenger handles are too far down and she won't use them, and she feels like she can fall off the bike. She's a height challenged woman lol. This has her grabbing onto the back of my jacket to feel a little more safe, which we all know is pretty dangerous for us both. So I buy a rear backrest and install that, and it's a little better, but she still tends to hold onto my jacket. Another problem is that she moves around a lot on the seat, every time I shift up in the lower gears she moves, every time I brake, she slides forward. It's just not that safe and if I have to do an emergency maneuver she might push me forward. 

 

I really want her to feel safe and enjoy riding because it's an "US" thing, not a me thing. 

 

To make matters worse, I rent a Harley street glide in Las Vegas to ride the valley of fire, and it has the tour pack which is a huge couch for a back seat. Of course she loves it and tells me she has the best experience ever, feels safe and want's something like that for our bike. Really though, she starts liking a Harley because of the seat. My riding buddy has a Harley and his wife is sandwiched in the rear pretty tight, my wife is jealous.

 

I like my bike, I like the lower weight, the nimbleness, brakes, the more sporty feels of the bike and the gizmo's that it has. I don't want the rear touring pod, I think it takes away the sporty look. 

 

So my next step is to get a driver back rest which I did. We went for our first ride last weekend and now she feels safe because she's wedged in between the 2 backrests. 

 

Problem is, I hate it. The backrest is uncomfortable and pushes me forward. I have bent that rest up so it's as far back as I can get it to go, and it still pushes me forward. Pushing me forward pushes the family jewels into an uncomfortable part of the stock seat, and after about 30 minutes I am in pretty bad discomfort. At every light, I am adjusting the wedding tackle. 

 

That brings me to today. I need a better seat that works for both of us. It has to have a drivers backrest integrated, and one that is pretty far back so it doesn't always push me forward. The only one I've found that can do this is the Corbin.

 

 

I like the look of this seat, and how it makes the bike look. 

 

Anyone have experience with Corbin and their backrests? 

 

Any other vendors offer an integrated drivers backrest like this, and not the cheap metal bracket that slides between the front and rear seats?

 

I figure dropping a $1k on a seat is cheaper and safer than buying a Harley. 

 

I should be able to sell my RDL seats, just have no idea what they are worth.

 

Thanks for looking.

[Pappy35]

Try the Russell Sport Seat. Here are a couple of pictures of mine installed. I have 29" inseam and this seat, coupled with the low suspension, make ground reach just fine and, having just finished a 1,450 mile round robin through the Dragon, it's also very comfortable.

 

 

[Skywagon]

1 hour ago, West_Coaster said:

Anyone have experience with Corbin

 

I had a Corbin on a different BMW...not a 1200RT.  It was on a R100RT.  It had the drivers and passenger backrest.  Three things about the Corbin.  They don't put a lot of foam in the seat so I found the seat rather hard.  That was ok.  The backrest which I hoped to use pushed me too far forward as you described so I just never used it.  The material held up really well.  I lived in CA at the time so I rode in and they made it on the spot.  I know it was a different bike but that was my experience

 

 

[Rinkydink]

+1 on the sport seat

 

 

[szurszewski]

You realize that you wife wants you to buy another motorcycle and you’re foolishly fighting her, right? I think you should seize that opportunity, but...

 

The sport seat would probably be good for you, but isn’t going to help your wife. Corbin backrest work well, but stock are only adjustable for height. You’re only a few (ok, 400) miles down I5 from them - it might be worth taking a ride up there to try on a saddle to see if it works, and then have them make you one if it does. 
 

The nice thing about the Corbin backrests is they are easily (ish) removable when you’re riding alone. 

[dduelin]

Put her on a Goldwing seat and you’ll get a new bike for two up riding. 

[TEWKS]

Love my Sargent seats! 

[West_Coaster]

 

Appreciate the comments.

 

I decided to call Russel and talk to them about my seat, to my surprise they do make an integrated driver backrest. I'm going to find the paperwork for the seat I have (old owner kept everything nicely organized) and call Russel back, they can tell me how they built the seat and if they can modify it or if I have to buy a new one. I did mention how I didn't like riding so high up and he said they can fix that and make the riding position suit what I want. Sounds promising so far.

 

Think I will go this route, been reading the Corbin is a little hard for some people.

 

This is what I was looking for, thought the diamond pattern is not for me. Same color bike and everything. Should look nice with the DUSAK passenger backrest I have.

 

 

[West_Coaster]

On 8/2/2021 at 5:34 PM, Pappy35 said:

Try the Russell Sport Seat. Here are a couple of pictures of mine installed. I have 29" inseam and this seat, coupled with the low suspension, make ground reach just fine and, having just finished a 1,450 mile round robin through the Dragon, it's also very comfortable.

 

 

 

Nice bike and nice seat. Is that a vinal or leather covering?

 

[Pappy35]

10 hours ago, West_Coaster said:

 

Nice bike and nice seat. Is that a vinal or leather covering?

 

 

It all vinyl. 

[West_Coaster]

Spoke with Russell today and decided on a Sport Seat with drivers backrest. I was able to find the serial number on my seat and they looked it up. My current russell day long seat was built for a much taller guy, that's why it is raising me up too high and making for an uncomfortable riding position. He rode cross country and wanted comfort over a long period. I usually only ride an hour or 2 between stops on weekends, so they said the sport seat would be fine. Think I'm going to go vinal, I really like RinkyDinks and Pappy's seats. 

 

I have a spare drivers seat, but trying to find a spare passengers seat to use for the 3 months while I wait for the new seat. Let me know if you have one you'd like to sell.

[Pappy35]

You don't have to send your seat in until a free days before you date. My seats were gone for about two and a half weeks total.

 

[West_Coaster]

15 minutes ago, Pappy35 said:

You don't have to send your seat in until a free days before you date. My seats were gone for about two and a half weeks total.

 

 

Good to know, thanks.