Wildcat
Guest
Shag - Thanks for the pic! Apart from the height, is there any improvement in general comfort? I was hoping a high seat might have a little more padding!
► Seats (too high, too hard, pillion...) and suspension
- Thread starter BM_donator
- Start date
GSAJohn
Guest
Have you had any luck finding out which seat to buy? I started off on page 1 and had to go through to the last post on page 20 to check I hadn't missed a post on the best after market seat - I don't want to raise the hieght of the seat with an Airhawk or mess about reburbishing the original seat. I've just done 8 hours on 650gs, lost count of the times I had to stand up or move about, worse was to come the next morning - I couldn't sit down.
Sargent has come out with their seat for the F800GS / F658GS.
They claim height is the same, but it is a bit wider so may "feel" taller.
It is not as wide as (say) the Corbin.
It has not won univeral acclaim.
"Read all about it" here:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10308091
They claim height is the same, but it is a bit wider so may "feel" taller.
It is not as wide as (say) the Corbin.
It has not won univeral acclaim.
"Read all about it" here:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10308091
Dave Ett
Registered user
I have a Touratech seat and it's far better than the original, but I still find it a little hard. To be fair I'm used to big plush touring bikes (Yamaha FJ, Blackbird, K1200RS) so it's never gonna compete as it's too narrow.
I have done three hours on it and had a numb bum, unlike the standard where one hour is enough to make me cry.
Have yourself a day trip to Oxfordshire and borrow my seat for the afternoon, see how you get on.
I have done three hours on it and had a numb bum, unlike the standard where one hour is enough to make me cry.
Have yourself a day trip to Oxfordshire and borrow my seat for the afternoon, see how you get on.
ILMV
Registered user
Has anyone tried an AirHawk? It's like an air cushion that sits on top of your current seat.
Not sure what to go for, the Corbin or a couple of AirHawks.
Not sure what to go for, the Corbin or a couple of AirHawks.
lunchbox
Registered user
Digger seats
Not tried an arsehawk but my mate swears by his on his Buell Useless. I had a set of expensive Sargents on my 1200 but I found that the foam they use is very hard and the "saddle" shape, although better than the OE, made it difficult to move around to relieve my skinny bum (skin over bone as someone has said). Also I found (to my cost when I came to sell them) that the vinyl they use seems to tear easily. They do look good though.
Moving on to the F800GS I found a great bike with another wooden plank for a seat which started hurting the old posterior in less than an hour in the saddle. I also wanted a lower seat, being 5ft 8in and liking to get both feet flat on the ground, but the OE lower option I tried at my local dealer was just another plank.
By this time I had found Digger Seats in Newport, just across the bridge from me, as Dave Harding there had fitted the replacement Sargent cover for me last year - for a tenner! I rode over and discussed what I wanted - essentially a lower softer seat without a ridge or scoop because I like to be able to move around on the seat.
http://www.diggerseats.co.uk/
Dave took a good inch or inch and a half off the front part of the seat and put in a half inch layer of soft foam for comfort. He graduated to reduction so I can still move back and forward on the seat, and refitted the original cover - all this for £45!
Yesterday I spent 4 hours in the saddle tearing up some of my favourite back lanes around N Wiltshire and didn't want to stop. The lower profile gave me much more control footing U-turns and the like and got me further down out of the wind, and the new, flatter shape and half inch of softer foam made the seat very comfy indeed.
I have given Digger a couple of plugs on this site today but that just shows how much better my arse is feeling - I am not on commission honest! Digger seats are a good quality, much cheaper alternative than the big name US imports and you can have a re-shape and re-cover like I did or design your own seat and have Dave make it for you for less than Sargent or Corbin.
Note in the pic below that because of the shape I wanted the seat the actual foam is slightly lower than the profile you see, as the stretched OE cover sits half an inch or so off the foam at the lowest point. I guess the cover may stretch in time and sit flat however this is not a problem, its the nature of vinyl and I had the same with my 1200 Sargent front.
Not tried an arsehawk but my mate swears by his on his Buell Useless. I had a set of expensive Sargents on my 1200 but I found that the foam they use is very hard and the "saddle" shape, although better than the OE, made it difficult to move around to relieve my skinny bum (skin over bone as someone has said). Also I found (to my cost when I came to sell them) that the vinyl they use seems to tear easily. They do look good though.
Moving on to the F800GS I found a great bike with another wooden plank for a seat which started hurting the old posterior in less than an hour in the saddle. I also wanted a lower seat, being 5ft 8in and liking to get both feet flat on the ground, but the OE lower option I tried at my local dealer was just another plank.
By this time I had found Digger Seats in Newport, just across the bridge from me, as Dave Harding there had fitted the replacement Sargent cover for me last year - for a tenner! I rode over and discussed what I wanted - essentially a lower softer seat without a ridge or scoop because I like to be able to move around on the seat.
http://www.diggerseats.co.uk/
Dave took a good inch or inch and a half off the front part of the seat and put in a half inch layer of soft foam for comfort. He graduated to reduction so I can still move back and forward on the seat, and refitted the original cover - all this for £45!
Yesterday I spent 4 hours in the saddle tearing up some of my favourite back lanes around N Wiltshire and didn't want to stop. The lower profile gave me much more control footing U-turns and the like and got me further down out of the wind, and the new, flatter shape and half inch of softer foam made the seat very comfy indeed.
I have given Digger a couple of plugs on this site today but that just shows how much better my arse is feeling - I am not on commission honest! Digger seats are a good quality, much cheaper alternative than the big name US imports and you can have a re-shape and re-cover like I did or design your own seat and have Dave make it for you for less than Sargent or Corbin.
Note in the pic below that because of the shape I wanted the seat the actual foam is slightly lower than the profile you see, as the stretched OE cover sits half an inch or so off the foam at the lowest point. I guess the cover may stretch in time and sit flat however this is not a problem, its the nature of vinyl and I had the same with my 1200 Sargent front.
Attachments
Blind Lemon Ade
Registered user
I also went to http://www.vikingvinyl.co.uk/ to get my F800GS seat fixed.
Earlier in the year I went to Morocco and the original seat killed my arse
The guy removed the original foam, hollowed out the underside of the original, filled the hollow with memory foam and fixed it all back together again.
Service quality: Very nice chap who offers up a coffee whilst you wait. He made it very clear that he will fix it if it's not comfortable. He will take your bike at short notice (puts mail order stuff on hold for people who turn up). Job took 1 hour exactly.
Cosmetics: No change. Seat looks EXACTLY the same before and after. No point in posting a photo.
Comfort: Very soft compared to the previous hard seat.
Negatives: So soft, i can feel the seat ribs. Although this is so slight that i will not take it back (even though he offered to fix any problems). Also, the riding position is about an inch or two lower.
Price: £55 for rider / £80 for rider and pillion
Recommendation... this guy comes with my high recommendation. Suggest you ask him to leave more of the original foam so that you soften your seat slightly without feeling the seat ribs below.
Good luck.
Steve.
Dunno about Morocco, going to Rye gave me the terminal arse-ache... and I live in Kent!
So, I'm booked in to Viking to have my seat done next week, as I live about 10 minutes away - unfortunately, too late for this weekend's jaunt to the Shuttleworth Collection
I've got the factory lowered seat, so I'll let yer know how it goes...
smaytum
Registered user
I live in Folkestone if you want to see before you buy. Although in Shropshire right now. Back after the weekend.
Memory foam or gel pad?
Am sorely (no pun intended) tempted to pay a visit to Viking Vinyls and let them loose on the seat of the 800GS.
They have offered to modify the seat by fitting either memory foam or a gel pad.
I've read posts from a couple of tossers who highly recommend their work.
Would I be better to pay the extra and go for gel, or is memory foam the best option?
Am sorely (no pun intended) tempted to pay a visit to Viking Vinyls and let them loose on the seat of the 800GS.
They have offered to modify the seat by fitting either memory foam or a gel pad.
I've read posts from a couple of tossers who highly recommend their work.
Would I be better to pay the extra and go for gel, or is memory foam the best option?
nikp
Registered user
Don't bother going with the Gel. I have it put in my 800GS seat even against the advice of the chap doing the seat, but I insisted and to be honest it doesn't help any. It seems gel is used in rattly v twins to eliminate vibrations and not so much for overall comfort.
After doing some big mileage this year I can absolutley state that the best solution is an Airhawk... without question... a no brainer. I went for the £150 neoprene and I really can ride all day... As I posted previously I did 600 miles in one day and could have done more... they really are that good. If try riding without the Gel seat I can do about 150 miles absolute tops. Again... they really are that good.
Memory Foam only, gel is not needed on the 800, but that’s my opinion. Foam is to ease the butt and the gel is for the vibrations. Also without the gel you will have a saving towards other bling for your beloved. Another suggestion i would make, is to also memory foam the pillion seat, if you lift allot. Hope this helps.
zippygser
Registered user
i had mine done a few weeks ago, just using memory foam, luckily had to travel down to hertford after, so tested it really well. i did notice that my butt was bottoming out a bit(excuse the pun) so went back to get another layer added. definately the best £45 i have spent on the bike so far.
with regards to the gel, i was told it was mainly to soften the bumps in the road and would not really do much more for softening the seat.
hope this helps
Achim
Registered user
Can't comment on gel seats on motorbikes, but I've tried them on pushbikes and found they were useless as far as long-term comfort is concerned. I'd go with foam.
Another recommendation for Viking Vinyl
Visited Lee at Viking Vinyl last Saturday, and had him fit memory foam to the seat of the 800GS. Have ridden over 2,000 miles in the past week, doing a run from Lands End to John O'Groats, and a quick tour of Scotland before coming home yesterday. The seat is absolutely brilliant.
I paid £80 to have the who seat done. Money well spent!
Visited Lee at Viking Vinyl last Saturday, and had him fit memory foam to the seat of the 800GS. Have ridden over 2,000 miles in the past week, doing a run from Lands End to John O'Groats, and a quick tour of Scotland before coming home yesterday. The seat is absolutely brilliant.
I paid £80 to have the who seat done. Money well spent!
divelandy
Registered user
Went to Viking on Sat to get memory foam in my seat - went out today - not good. I'm going to ask if he can put more in, as i'm now bottoming out on the memory foam. Hopefully that will be good - otherwise i've made a mistake 
It's going to be hell when i set off to ride the alps - unless he can correct. If not i'd have been better off with the original.
It's going to be hell when i set off to ride the alps - unless he can correct. If not i'd have been better off with the original.
zippygser
Registered user
Went to Viking on Sat to get memory foam in my seat - went out today - not good. I'm going to ask if he can put more in, as i'm now bottoming out on the memory foam. Hopefully that will be good - otherwise i've made a mistake
It's going to be hell when i set off to ride the alps - unless he can correct. If not i'd have been better off with the original.
Had the same problem after visiting Viking (as i am a bit of a heavy gser)
Went back for a bit more and is now really great to sit on.
An extra layer will certainly do the trick
divelandy
Registered user
With mine, Viking took out almost all the old hard foam and inserted what looks like 2" deep memory foam.
Problem now is that i've gone from one extreme to another - it's now too soft and i can feel the bottom of the seat pan. It's also caused some other issues as well:
- being a little lower, i now have wind directly at my helmet - i stopped using the MM windsield for this reason
- there is a 'horseshoe' of pressure running around the front of the seat - i.e. along the lower front of one leg, passed my tender bits and along the other leg.
- the position of my legs is now more awkward - as i sit lower into the seat, my legs are pushed apart quicker - rather than sitting on the top of the seat.
My uneducated guess would be to leave the memory foam and add 1/2 the original form base
I didn't take my bike with me to Viking, which would have identified the issues sooner...
Problem now is that i've gone from one extreme to another - it's now too soft and i can feel the bottom of the seat pan. It's also caused some other issues as well:
- being a little lower, i now have wind directly at my helmet - i stopped using the MM windsield for this reason
- there is a 'horseshoe' of pressure running around the front of the seat - i.e. along the lower front of one leg, passed my tender bits and along the other leg.
- the position of my legs is now more awkward - as i sit lower into the seat, my legs are pushed apart quicker - rather than sitting on the top of the seat.
My uneducated guess would be to leave the memory foam and add 1/2 the original form base
I didn't take my bike with me to Viking, which would have identified the issues sooner...
Does this help?
I am 14 stone (not sure if that classes me as heavy) and Lee fitted the "standard" amount of memory foam. I haven't felt the need to have more added. Yes, I do sink into it a bit, which makes me sit fractionally lower on the bike. As I said in my previous post, I rode 2,000 miles in the week following having the seat memory-foamed, and had no discomfort whatsoever.
I am 14 stone (not sure if that classes me as heavy) and Lee fitted the "standard" amount of memory foam. I haven't felt the need to have more added. Yes, I do sink into it a bit, which makes me sit fractionally lower on the bike. As I said in my previous post, I rode 2,000 miles in the week following having the seat memory-foamed, and had no discomfort whatsoever.
divelandy
Registered user
I'm ~89Kg, which google tells me is a couple of spoons of sugar over 14 stone.
- however, i'm only 170cm/5'7 which makes me 'chunky'!
Yesterday, i went for a ride to check out the new seat and went from Oxford -> Wantage -> Peasemore -> Hermitage -> Newbury along the smaller roads and back on the A34.
From this experience, i would have been better with the old seat, so at the moment, i am kicking myself before i head to the Alps in a couple of weeks.
Martin: If your available in the evening, would you mind meeting up so i can give your seat a go, incase Lee's cut it differently?
- however, i'm only 170cm/5'7 which makes me 'chunky'!
Yesterday, i went for a ride to check out the new seat and went from Oxford -> Wantage -> Peasemore -> Hermitage -> Newbury along the smaller roads and back on the A34.
From this experience, i would have been better with the old seat, so at the moment, i am kicking myself before i head to the Alps in a couple of weeks.
Martin: If your available in the evening, would you mind meeting up so i can give your seat a go, incase Lee's cut it differently?
