Mail in custom seat service.

[Cruizin]

I am talking to a really good Seat guy here in Idaho. We are talking about partnering up and offering a seat redo service and I'd like to gauge your interest and thoughts. 

 

This guy does awesome seat jobs for any motorcycle, snowmobile, ATV known to man. He also ships out seat repairs for Catapiller tractors all over the world, and his customers sing his praises. 

 

Idea one. You send us your seat, and we send it back with new/better than stock foam and cover. 

 

Idea two. We buy the plastic seat pans, send ya a completed seat and if you send us back your old seat or pan, we refund a core charge back to ya. 

 

We are not interested in sending out "DIY' seat kits. Somebody already does this and they have to deal with too many people who phuck up the stapling/install and magically want their money back. Too much of a hassle. 

 

If interested, what would you pay for option one? What would you pay for option 2? We are looking for ball park numbers. 

 

 

Our price would be much lower than Sargeant and the other big seat companies. 

 

And our seats will be much much more comfortable than stock. We will also probably offer high and low seat options for those who are vertically challenged. 

 

I appreciate your input on this. If we launch this, we will hold a preorder and offer a discount for the pre order bunch. 

 

-Rob 

[shinyribs]

I'm not comfortable with the idea of giving up the stock seat until I know the replacement will be something I want to keep. That's a not a knock on the builders craftsmanship, just that seat comfort is extremely subjective. 

 

I would lean towards the exchange/core system to minimize down time, or have the option to just buy outright and keep my stock seat "just in case". 

 

Also, for sake of market research, I am 6'2", 33" inseam and 230lbs geared up. I actually don't have any comfort complaints, but would like a taller seat, so the tall seat option sounds great to me. 

 

Mark me down as very interested. I would think I'd be in the market for something like this around the $100 price range. I know that's extremely cheap, but without being able to test ride a product like this first, I can't bring myself to invest several hundred dollars on a gamble. I'm thinking $100-150 max. Very curious what the upholstery material will be. Very few stitches, I hope?

[Cruizin]

It will be more than $100. I mean, Seat Concepts sends out seat kits that you have to install and staple with an air compressor yourself and their kits start at $159. 

 

Plus, everyone who orders seats is getting a seat that they have no idea how comfortable it is. Sargent's seats are like $400-$500 and they sell hundreds per week. 

 

We would pick one lucky rider, give them a free seat with the understanding that they will write a review. 

 

I find the FZ07 and fz09 seats to be painful after one hour of riding. This can be corrected with good foam and fitment.

 

It will be a bit more than the $159 DIY kits, but much less than Sargeant. We would like to make at least a small profit, or why do it. 

[tavisb]

I'd be interested in a taller seat. Already have an extra stock seat if you'd like me to be your guinea pig. Could post a review on my blog and on YouTube :). 

 

[r1limited]

I personally have no issues with the seat.  You want uncomfortable sit on a ducati for a few hours.  I even like the R1 seat.  Personally why not opt for both offer both options?  if I had that skill I would probably offer both and do what Corbin does, ride in and get em done right there

[shinyribs]

True, companies like Sargeant sell a lot of seats at very high prices, but you also get an adjustment that goes along with that price in case the initial seat doesn't suit you at all. So for that $400 price you are basically paying for two seats. I think that's why their prices are so high. They're insuring themselves. 

[patrolus]

i would be interested in a raised seat as well (and more comfy of course) as my legs are on the long side for the mt 07. I just had a look at the yamaha comfort seat last week and decided against it as it doesnt seem to be much of an improvement for $390AUD..... - My concern would be the postage to and from the USA to AUS though......

[Cruizin]

I'm not wanting to start a war with Sargeant.  We are not getting into the $400 seat business. 

 

For those who ride longer than an hour, most on here report that this seat sucks. And the guy Im working with has been doing this for 30 years. His seats are better than those "DIY" kits, alot better, but fall under the premium seat price. 

 

He did my KTM seat and the difference is amazing. We will take into account each riders weight and height to ensure maximum comfort.

 

It's a void that I intend to fill. 

[Cruizin]

46 minutes ago, r1limited said:

I personally have no issues with the seat.  You want uncomfortable sit on a ducati for a few hours.  I even like the R1 seat.  Personally why not opt for both offer both options?  if I had that skill I would probably offer both and do what Corbin does, ride in and get em done right there

Id rather sell to the entire world, instead of only the people who can ride to Idaho.  Thanks for the input though. 

 

I guess I should add that this thread is for the people who want more comfort than the stock seat. 

[Cruizin]

48 minutes ago, tavisb said:

I'd be interested in a taller seat. Already have an extra stock seat if you'd like me to be your guinea pig. Could post a review on my blog and on YouTube :). 

 

@tavisb   Offer accepted. When we do this, you are the free seat recipient. 

[tavisb]

Sweet! That's awesome.

 

[shinyribs]

35 minutes ago, Cruizin said:

I'm not wanting to start a war with Sargeant.  We are not getting into the $400 seat business. 

 

For those who ride longer than an hour, most on here report that this seat sucks. And the guy Im working with has been doing this for 30 years. His seats are better than those "DIY" kits, alot better, but fall under the premium seat price. 

 

He did my KTM seat and the difference is amazing. We will take into account each riders weight and height to ensure maximum comfort.

 

It's a void that I intend to fill. 

I understood you guys weren't gunning for Sargeant and the likes, it was just an example on the pricing. 

 

Like patrolus mentioned, I looked at the Yamaha Comfort Seat, too. My local guy can get me one for $225, but I thought it was too much. Especially not knowing how much, if any, it raises the seat height. 

 

I haven't done any multi day tours on my seat, but I do have a few 300-400 mile days on it. 

[Cruizin]

$225 is a good price, actually. I mean, people gotta make a profit. 

 

Of course, its only a good price if ya dont like the stock seat. 

[stevebtx12]

I have some interest in this.  I already purchased a comfort seat which is better than stock but not great, so I have a stock seat I could send in.  Let us know when the details and prices are ironed out.

 

[grefshk]

I find that after about an hour to an hour and a half the stock seat kills! I'm 5'7" and 120 pounds if that helps at all. I would be interested in option two. Receiving a new seat and then sending in the old seat for a refund. Or maybe even having that be an option as well. If you don't want any kind of refund, being able to keep your old seat. I know some people like to put the stock seat back on if they choose to sell it and then sell the custom seat by itself. 

[VertigoTX]

In my limited experience so far, I've only had some minor discomfort after about 2 hours on the bike.  I'm sure I can go much longer, but a more comfortable seat would be nice.  I'm willing to try DIY projects sometimes, yet I don't really want to mess with a DIY seat kit.  The other problem I have, is I truly do not understand why custom seats tend to cost so much.  What is it about upholstery foam, cover and staples that is expensive?  Not saying this to dig at anyone or the industry, I honestly don't understand.  I think everyone should be able to make a profit and run a business.  But what is it about a seat that makes it worth more than $150 - 200?

 

I'd prefer not to spend more that $200 on a new seat.  I'd also prefer the 2nd method you listed.

 

 

[DewMan]

Since you asked for opinions @Cruizin,

I just want a seat that's comfortable for more than an hour at a time. I'm not a skinny man and the OEM seat make me feel like I've got a boney butt. 

 

Other currently available  options I feel, while most are likely better than stock, may not offer the amount of long ride comfort I'm looking for. I'm close enough to Corbin that I can shoot over there and get it customized for my 30in inseam 230lb 6ft frame. If they'd just offer a single saddle for the FZ-07 along the lines of the one they have for the FZ-8 (unable to currently add link) I'd be good to go.

 

For the right long ride comfortable drop in solo seat, $200-400 depending on color/leather options, isn't an unreasonable price for me.

 

I'd prefer your guy offer a 3rd option of a drop in replacement that doesn't require me shipping anything to Idaho or any place else. If they want to raise their price accordingly I'm fine with that. The lack of two way shipping charges will help offset the price increase.

 

Thanks @Cruizin for trying to get us a better seat at a reasonable price. I for one really need one. 👍

 

[patrolus]

11 hours ago, shinyribs said:

I understood you guys weren't gunning for Sargeant and the likes, it was just an example on the pricing. 

 

Like patrolus mentioned, I looked at the Yamaha Comfort Seat, too. My local guy can get me one for $225, but I thought it was too much. Especially not knowing how much, if any, it raises the seat height. 

 

I haven't done any multi day tours on my seat, but I do have a few 300-400 mile days on it. 

It doesn't raise the seat height at all. Its not thicker foam, just a tad more firm. That's why I couldn't get myself to lash out for it....

[Zephyr]

I would be interested in another option, though I am weary of the "bang for the buck".  I'd love to add ~1inch to the seat height to unkink my legs a bit.  The stock seat can feel hard and uncomfortable after a long ride.  I have found myself shifting quite a bit after a long ride and even on some short rides.  Materials, longevity, ease of care, aesthetic, etc all figure into a replacement seat, which can make it a hard market to get into as each rider would have their own preference.  That is probably why the aftermarket options can get expensive real quick.  I would be interested in something $200-250 range depending on specs.  Shipping my stock seat in may not be worthwhile depending on how the numbers pan out.  I would rather pay $20 more and keep the stock seat than hassle with shipping, etc.  If on the other hand it worked out to be $50 less, then we're talking real numbers.

[nick13]

I'd go for that too. Either option, depends on time of day, lol. But good idea though. Thanks.

P.S.

Third option to buy your seat with your pan and keep mine, how much that will increase the overall price?

[digitalsteve]

8 hours ago, DewMan said:

my 30in inseam 230lb 6ft frame.

 

You're 6 foot with a 30 inch inner seam!?

[DewMan]

3 hours ago, digitalsteve said:

You're 6 foot with a 30 inch inner seam!?

Yep.

[Cruizin]

10 minutes ago, DewMan said:

Yep.

I am the same.  Sucks on tall dirtbikes but I make do. 

[faffi]

Short inseams and long torso means plenty of testosterone while you were growing inside your mum's belly. Opposite for those with long legs. 

 

But that's a derailment. The stock seat is too soft primarily, and it also slopes too much towards the front, reducing the area of support. So butt-burn appear sooner rather than later. 

 

For us abroad, returning anything is basically out of the question due to shipping cost. So it would have to be complete. A Corbin 1-piece seat is 475 or so, and they are a known quantity. Right now, our Kroner is very weak against the dollar (used to be as low as 5.5 NOK to a dollar, now it is 8.5) so it would have to be rather low priced for me to consider. But if the exchange rate goes back to 7-7.5, I would pay 400 for a one-piece seat (preferred) and 250 for a front seat replacement. Provided good reviews, of course.

[kbob2000]

I'm interested in the 2nd option as well.  I've done some 300 mile days several days in a row, sometimes I'm okay and sometimes my ass hurts.