Question For Aftermarket Seat Owners...

[JMR]

I've been a fairly good boy and Santa's gonna do me a new seat! (Santa is also ready for some improvement to her passenger pillow.)

I've watched several threads regarding manufacturers, (pretty sure I'll be buying a Russell), my question is about material... Is leather worth the extra bucks? Is vinyl all that uncomfortable (even on a really well made seat)?

Thanks in advance.

[Mr_Ed]

Mine have always been some sort of vinyl material. I've had no issues in the heat or cold. I think the leather choice may just come down to maintenance. I'd like to see a list of why leather is better as I just don't know.

[bakerzdosen]

I got leather on mine for three reasons:

1) The color I wanted wasn't available in vinyl.

2) It wasn't much more at Rich's unlike others.

3) It's not that difficult to take care of.

 

From what I've heard, leather will last longer than vinyl if it's properly cared for. However, how many people do you know that have worn out their vinyl seat cover?

[realshelby]

I have a had a leather Russell, and a leather Corbin. I have had vinyl in several stock seats and I had a Cee Bailey seat redo in vinyl for my RT. I just sent my Russell in for a rebuild/recover. I am going to go with all vinyl for several reasons.

1. I ride with overpants/riding suit all the time. The "breathability" of leather means nothing unless you ride in one layer of pants.

2. I don't want to worry about getting caught in the rain and having the leather get soaked. I ordered my new seat with minimal stitching just for this reason.

3. Every leather seat I have had is slick. I much prefer the feel of vinyl in that you don't slide around.

4. Vinyl is cheaper

5. Vinyl doesn't start showing cracks and stress lines. I think the modern vinyls last longer.

 

I am having the pillion seat custom fitted this time also. I hope it is a big improvement over the stock and Corbin pillion.

[elkroeger]

My two cents is have Rich do your seat up. You'll never regret it. I commute on the ferry here in seattle, so the bike sits on the bow of the boat and gets all manner of wet. Then it sits in the rain all day too. I planned to get vinyl because of that, but Rich convinced me to upgrade when he told me that he does a ferry commute too, and still recommends leather. The main reason is that leather breathes, which allows the foam underneath to dry out. He says the only problems he has are with the vinyl seats that never dry out (water leaks in through the seams). In his shop he has some Iron butt guy's old seat with 250,000 miles on it. It just looked broken in a little bit. The old-boot-at-the-bottom-of-the-lake was a figment of my imagination. Also, since it breathes, leather's better for that monkey butt syndrome. The only down side is, if you want to call it that, that you need to rub a little grease on there once in a while. How much time do you spend waxing the rest of that bike?

[jaytee]

I am a huge proponent of leather. I have found vinyl seats to casue monkey-butt at a far higher rate than leather. Plust leather just feels nice and looks nice. It says you enjoy the intangible about your bike, IMHO...

 

JT

[Jake]

You deserve a Russell, and your butt deserves leather. Grips and breathes well, feels good. Get the sides done in vinyl for looks as the leather will crease and show it after a while. Don't worry about maintenance - seats are a wear item, and rain never hurt my Russell. Still looks great after 6 years.

[JMR]

I ordered my new seat with minimal stitching just for this reason.

Is that the "half-moon" pattern from Russell?

[realshelby]

Yes,it is the half moon pattern. I should have them back sometime next week.

[boatzo]

I have had vinyl on several different seats and now have leather. I love the leather and would never go back to plastic. I bought a rain cover that works well and rub in a leather cream occasionally. I looks good, feels good, and is good.

[JRoadhouse]

I have a had a leather Russell, and a leather Corbin. I have had vinyl in several stock seats and I had a Cee Bailey seat redo in vinyl for my RT. I just sent my Russell in for a rebuild/recover. I am going to go with all vinyl for several reasons.

1. I ride with overpants/riding suit all the time. The "breathability" of leather means nothing unless you ride in one layer of pants.

2. I don't want to worry about getting caught in the rain and having the leather get soaked. I ordered my new seat with minimal stitching just for this reason.

3. Every leather seat I have had is slick. I much prefer the feel of vinyl in that you don't slide around.

4. Vinyl is cheaper

5. Vinyl doesn't start showing cracks and stress lines. I think the modern vinyls last longer.

 

I am having the pillion seat custom fitted this time also. I hope it is a big improvement over the stock and Corbin pillion.

 

I have an '07 RT with the stock seats, both rider and passenger (I am currently riding with the low seat as an experiment), and my wife feels somewhat uncomfortable on the stock passenger seat. Do you anticipate significant improved comfort with your pillion seat custom job?

 

John

[CruisinCruzan]

I have an'06 RT that after the first ride with my wife, she got off, gave me "the look" and said, "Get a new seat for me or a new bike, your choice". Got RM seats for rider and SWMBO and all is well thousands of miles later. Do it you won't regret it.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

I have an '07 RT with the stock seats, both rider and passenger (I am currently riding with the low seat as an experiment), and my wife feels somewhat uncomfortable on the stock passenger seat. Do you anticipate significant improved comfort with your pillion seat custom job?

 

John

 

Having spent this past Thursday with the guys (and gals) at Russell, having the pillion seat reshaped rather than just recovered should significantly improve the passenger comfort.

[tdtflyboy]

I am having the pillion seat custom fitted this time also. I hope it is a big improvement over the stock and Corbin pillion.

 

We bought both of our K-bikes used, and both came with Corbins ... so I don't know what the OEM pillion seat may have been like, so I don't know how much Corbin may have changed that position when redoing the saddle. I've been pretty content with the rider's position on both saddles.

 

We just purchased the RT, and the OEM seats have to go. I think I've narrowed my choices down to Russell or Corbin (despite recent expressions of concern about their customer service). But the quoted remark above about Corbin's attention to the pillion seat raises a new question ... How, exactly, did they mess it up? And did you try requesting any adjustment? If so, with what result?

[realshelby]

I was able to take a short ride with my wife this weekend to see what she thought of the Russell pillion rebuild. It was only about 80 miles but the results are significant. By this time on the Corbin she would have had tailbone pain and was becoming uncomfortable. The Corbin was somewhat better than the stock pillion, I think mostly because it has a slightly wider seating area. The shape of the new Russell pillion makes it feel to me as comfortable as my front seat. Money well spent even if my wife is only an occasional passenger. My front seat feels better than the original Russell, but it was bought used and not "fitted" for me. The new seat seams firm at first but you can feel it give when hitting bumps. The pressure points I felt in the other seat are gone. I am expecting this new Russell to be even more comfortable for all day rides but I will have to put it to the test to be sure. I have spent a small fortune on seats. No seat I have used has been close in comfort to the Russells. That is for longer rides, when you first sit on a Russell it seems a little weird but as the day wears on it just does not allow the tailbone pain (my worst problem) to develop. I have not owned either of the Mayer seats. They may be great seats. If they want to send me one I'll test it!

[realshelby]

But the quoted remark above about Corbin's attention to the pillion seat raises a new question ... How, exactly, did they mess it up? And did you try requesting any adjustment? If so, with what result?

 

The Corbin seats I had simply did not seem to have much thought put into the passenger saddle. They are slightly better than stock. I think you have to design the seat so that it covers as much "surface area" of the posterior as practical. That lowers the amount of pressure on any given area. The Russell easily doubles the amount of butt to seat ratio! I did not try to get any adjustments made on the Corbins. It should have been better to start with.

[Mike]

I've watched several threads regarding manufacturers, (pretty sure I'll be buying a Russell), my question is about material... Is leather worth the extra bucks? Is vinyl all that uncomfortable (even on a really well made seat)?

Thanks in advance.

 

I've owned a couple of custom leather seats and the last time around I decided to opt for vinyl basketweave. I always took a lot of pains to care for my leather seats, feeding them regularly with leather conditioner. I never had any problems with wear or water damage, but this is the first issue you should consider. In order to get the longest wear out of leather, you really should take care of it. It's no big deal, taking only a couple of minutes every few weeks, but if you're the type who might skip this routine I'd choose vinyl.

 

I don't find that that the breathable nature of leaather makes much difference, unless, perhaps, you wear jeans as your riding pants. Once you layer up in leather or synthetic fabric pants, the composition of the seat material isn't going to make much of a difference in terms of ventilation. If anything, vinyl materials like my basketweave may allow a bit more airflow.

 

Leather does seem to absorb and retain less heat, so it's a bit more comfortable after your bike's been sitting in the sun. Also, it tends to conform to your butt a bit better over time, so it may offer some small advantages in terms of comfort. However, having said that, I decided to give vinyl a whirl this time around due to its much lower cost and the fact that it's pretty much a zero-maintenance material. I'm happy with my choice.

[tdtflyboy]

The Corbin seats I had simply did not seem to have much thought put into the passenger saddle. They are slightly better than stock. The Russell easily doubles the amount of butt to seat ratio!

 

Given that the RTs have a dual seat pan setup, has anyone tried mixing and matching between aftermarket providers?

 

I've been pretty content with the rider portions of the Corbins that came on our K1100s. My wife has never complained about comfort in the pillion position, but she's the kind who won't tell you she's dying until it's too late to do anything about it.

 

My 22-year-old daughter and I are planning a two week trip early next summer. She is ... ummmm ... not as reticent as her mother, I think we can say. So "slightly better than stock" could really diminish my anticipated pleasure on this trip.

 

Has anyone tried something like a Corbin rider seat with a Russell pillion seat? I'm pretty sure Russell will rebuild on any seat pan, so if I gave them the Corbin pillion seat pan, maybe I could have the best of both worlds.

 

I realize the black leathers may not be quite identical, but black is as likely to get matched as any color would be. And, as long as the seat pans are compatible, I presume they would fit in tandem without issue. Plus, having Russell redo the Corbin pan means I'd still have the Corbin slot for the pillion backrest, which Russell can't provide with a stock seat pan.

 

Am I missing something? (Besides the obvious expense, of course ... but an uncomplaining off-spring would be worth the investment! )

[JRoadhouse]

I have an '07 RT with the stock seats, both rider and passenger (I am currently riding with the low seat as an experiment), and my wife feels somewhat uncomfortable on the stock passenger seat. Do you anticipate significant improved comfort with your pillion seat custom job?

 

Thanks for the replies to my earlier question re. pillion seat and comfort - and for all the posts on this thread. Very helpful!

 

John

 

 

 

John

 

Having spent this past Thursday with the guys (and gals) at Russell, having the pillion seat reshaped rather than just recovered should significantly improve the passenger comfort.

 

Thanks for the replies to my earlier question re. pillion seat and comfort - and for all the posts on tis thread. Very helpful!

 

John

[realshelby]

I've been pretty content with the rider portions of the Corbins that came on our K1100s. My wife has never complained about comfort in the pillion position, but she's the kind who won't tell you she's dying until it's too late to do anything about it.

 

Pretty content sounds like there is room for improvement! I am sure Russell or others could modify the pillion Corbin to improve it. But why not just bite the bullet and get a front and rear. You really cannot know how much better a good seat can make a long ride if you have not tried one. I have spent long days on a Corbin and thought it was tolerable. I did not know what I was missing! If you have or can get a set of original seat pans just spend the money and have both sets made. The Corbin seats are SIGNIFICANTLY heavier than the stock seat pans. Another reason I would rather redo the stock pans.

[paulcbrowne]

Russell does a great job for LTs if you give them 3 or so tries, lousey for RTs -- sold my seat in a week. Great if you have a 36" inseam. No warranty! They wouldn't even discuss how they had ignored my instructions to make the seat as low as possible.

[gezerbike]

I have a leather Russell on my 98 Rt and I don't think there is a better seat on the market, and I have owned just about all the major brands over the years. I too thought vinyl would be a better choice for all around use and care, but leather really doesn't take that much care and it wears so much better than vinyl, especially if you live in a cooler climate. Sitting on a cold Corbin basketweave vinyl on a 40-50 degree day is not fun. As most vinyls cool, they loose their flexability.....leather doesn't, which is why you see leather that, as it ages, has cracks through out it's surface, which means that the leather surface has dispersed your weight across the whole surface, not just in one area. Vinyl usually cracks in just on area, or a straight line. The exception here might be the vinyl Sargent uses for it's Carbon look....it's great stuff that remains soft and pliant. Good stuff. Oh, basket weavevinyl has a tendency to hold water in those little dimples...very aggrevating.