So, I'm looking to buy a seat, could can I get some advice on what is the best seat for high miles? What are the seats everyone uses on these iron butt rides?
Thanks.
Thanks.
What is the best seat for 400 mile plus rides on a 1250GS
speedtoyz1
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So, I'm looking to buy a seat, could can I get some advice on what is the best seat for high miles? What are the seats everyone uses on these iron butt rides?
Thanks.
Thanks.
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4,195 Posts
Others say Russell Day Long, or Saddleman with the cutout if your tailbone is prone to getting sore.
Unfortunately there is no best until you put your rear in the seat for a day with all of them to know which foam density and design works for you best.
Unfortunately there is no best until you put your rear in the seat for a day with all of them to know which foam density and design works for you best.
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Since asses are like fingerprints it’s hard to say what works for me will work for you.
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Thank you for your replies. That helps a lot.
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Stay away from Corbin, bunch of mo-fos. Their customer service is a awful as their seats are beautiful... and if you actually get seduced and get one of their seats and there's an issue, you are on your own. Don't take my word for it, just do an internet search for "Corbin customer service" and draw your own conclusions. Other good companies to choose from.
Just an example out of many... Corbin Pacific - Disgusting company
And if I didn't make myself clear, they suck.
Just an example out of many... Corbin Pacific - Disgusting company
And if I didn't make myself clear, they suck.
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Thanks for that. Sorry you had issues, I reached out to seat concepts really nice on the phone and reasonable price. I might give them a try waiting for a few more comments to see what other members are saying.
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My stock seat is heated which seat concepts can't add element.
Different seats fit different people. However, the human body can adapt VERY well and there are some things you can do that'll make your existing seat way more usable. First up, what kind of underwear do you wear? If you wear sport wear that is tighter fitting and "slippery" that'll help. Second, move around on the bike, don't just "sit" in one position. Sit up straighter, lounge back, sit on the rear seat, stand, move your feet around (balls of your feet, instep, heels), put your feet on the rear pegs, move all the way forward and back into your comfort position. Get some footpegs and stretch out. Keep moving around. And third, every break you take, stretch for 5 minutes - arms legs, torso, squats etc.
I got a Sargent. They're based in Jacksonville, FL. Great customer service. I have a Corbin on another bike but their customer service is terrible and they nickel and dime you on every minor adjust, like thread color. I have four bikes right now so have seat experience. Rode the Sargent on a 90 day/18K mile trip to Yukon/Alaska. Didn't have a sore butt day once. Tired but not sore.
I'd go with the SGT
I'd go with the SGT
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W
Wow impressive, sounds like a great trip and big miles! I will reach out to Sargent sounds like to stay away from Corbin for sure. So seat concepts and Sargent sounds like the two to look at thanks again for the comments.
A $50 alternative to an expensive seat replacement - buy a pair of padded bike / cycling shorts to wear under your riding pants - yesterday’s 4-hour ride was very comfortable wearing padded shorts with the stock seat - could have gone all-day.
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FWIW I tried bicycle shorts and did not like them. When off the bike walking around the pads feel like you have a load of sh!t in your pants flopping around and the pads really did not do much but make the reach to the ground further. Mine made it exactly one ride then was retired to the bin.
I do prefer under armor material boxer briefs as they are snug, the legs don't ride up, seems are minimal and they breathe and dry quickly if they get wet. Cotton under garments are no good as they hold moisture and seems are bulky and eventually irritate.
4 hours in a seat is a decent amount of time but I can tell you just because you made it 4 hours doesn't mean you'll make it all day in the same comfort. Do 12 or 14 hours in the saddle and you may have a very different opinion of what's working and what's not. Personally, I can tolerate almost any seat for a few hours. It's about hour 8 that my ass start developing the real opinion of the seats comfort.
Aho
When I rode the OEM seat FL to WY on its first multi-week trip, it just about killed me. In the latter part of the trip, I had to fight to focus on the ride/safety and not how sore my ass was. I have never had a mc oem seat hurt like a bmw.
Hopefully with these bikes we acquired them for longer trips of days or weeks or months. A good seat makes all the difference.
Just my 2¢
Reality is that one shouldn't buy a seat for 400 miles or 4 hours. Truth is a good seat (often translates to expensive) is for the 400 mile per day, multi-day/week/month trips for greater comfort/safety. Don't plan the purchase for the short ride today, instead for the longer adventure to come.
When I rode the OEM seat FL to WY on its first multi-week trip, it just about killed me. In the latter part of the trip, I had to fight to focus on the ride/safety and not how sore my ass was. I have never had a mc oem seat hurt like a bmw.
Hopefully with these bikes we acquired them for longer trips of days or weeks or months. A good seat makes all the difference.
Just my 2¢
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I have a Corbin on my 2000 R1150GS and rode it back and forth across the U.S. East to West and Canada to Mexico. I weight 170lbs, 5’ 7” so not very heavy and the foam is just hard enough and soft enough. It is a great all day saddle, longest ride was 3 day 8 and 9 hour trip to Mexico. Stopped to eat, stretch and talk to a man about a horse, otherwise all good. It has some wear and I recently wanted to have it reupholstered… not, they have a glue process with the leather to the foam that cannot be removed so new saddle is in order. I got 23 years from it and it is still good. I ride the stock seat on my 2017 R1200GS and I have rode 7 hours longest ride and was tired from the ride but not sore or deformed from the saddle. Keep the stock.
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4,195 Posts
How many Starbucks you going to go to in months long trip?
My 2007 GSA stock seat foam was so soft it was painful after 30 minutes.
I found a used Corbin with a backrest on eBay when I got my GSA and while the shape works for me it is a bit firm, with a sheepskin on it (or bead mat in summer) it works for longer trips.
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2,035 Posts
People never seem to like it when I express my opinion on this but I have found that my all day comfort on the bike is way more related to my core and general fitness than what I'm sitting on. I'm not an iron butt rider but I've done 900 mile days and 400-500 mile days are pretty common on my multi-day rides. I've never felt the need to swap out the OEM seat on my any of my BMWs ('12 K1600GT, '16 R1200GS, '13 S1000RR) and the only seat change I've made on my dual sport and dirt bikes is to swap for a lower seat height due to my short legs.
More important to my all-day comfort is the rider triangle. Even though I've got short legs I enjoy more leg room on the bike so I've been happy with my standard height GS seat. It's a reach to the ground but I like the leg room for my old guy knees.
I'm leaving next week from Annapolis for Calgary - about 2,500 miles. I'm allowing 8 days for goofing around and side excursions but will likely spend 400-500 miles in the saddle most days. I'm objectively in the best physical condition turning 65 this summer that I've enjoyed in the last decade and on days when I'm not with my trainer, I'm doing planks, sit ups, push ups, leg lifts, etc and my wife is happy that I'm fitting in all my skinny clothes.
I'm not saying any of that to brag or be preachy and maybe some of you guys looking for seat comfort are lean fit people. Consider this a PSA to say that if you are the kind of person that would really enjoy long multi-day motorcycle trips you would be much happier with the result if you focused on your own fitness than collecting motorcycle seats that just don't do it for you.
Just thought of another thing - I put Rox pivoting risers on my bars when I was doing a lot of enduro style riding off road in the woods on my GS. Now that those days are in my rear view mirror and most of my miles are not standing on the pegs, I've removed the risers. Without the risers, the GS ergonomics puts me in a more athletic, slightly forward lean in my torso that engages my core muscles and puts my weight a little more on my thighs instead of all on my glutes. It just naturally forces me to engage my core to keep the weight off my hands and wrists and I have more stamina in that position than sitting up straight or slouched back.
More important to my all-day comfort is the rider triangle. Even though I've got short legs I enjoy more leg room on the bike so I've been happy with my standard height GS seat. It's a reach to the ground but I like the leg room for my old guy knees.
I'm leaving next week from Annapolis for Calgary - about 2,500 miles. I'm allowing 8 days for goofing around and side excursions but will likely spend 400-500 miles in the saddle most days. I'm objectively in the best physical condition turning 65 this summer that I've enjoyed in the last decade and on days when I'm not with my trainer, I'm doing planks, sit ups, push ups, leg lifts, etc and my wife is happy that I'm fitting in all my skinny clothes.
I'm not saying any of that to brag or be preachy and maybe some of you guys looking for seat comfort are lean fit people. Consider this a PSA to say that if you are the kind of person that would really enjoy long multi-day motorcycle trips you would be much happier with the result if you focused on your own fitness than collecting motorcycle seats that just don't do it for you.
Just thought of another thing - I put Rox pivoting risers on my bars when I was doing a lot of enduro style riding off road in the woods on my GS. Now that those days are in my rear view mirror and most of my miles are not standing on the pegs, I've removed the risers. Without the risers, the GS ergonomics puts me in a more athletic, slightly forward lean in my torso that engages my core muscles and puts my weight a little more on my thighs instead of all on my glutes. It just naturally forces me to engage my core to keep the weight off my hands and wrists and I have more stamina in that position than sitting up straight or slouched back.
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