Seat Recommendation?

I have something called the Airhawk R that seemed to help out quite a bit but did not totally solve my problem. My seat bothers me right in my groin area, this air bladder takes some of the pressure off so it's a work in progress since the bladder is adjustable. I just need to find the right setting that works for me.

I have a Rick Mayer seat and would recommend it. I, too, did not like the stock seat and after about two hours it start to hurt. However, while the Rick Mayer is not nirvana, it does allow me to ride 8+ hours at a time with little discomfort. The craftsmanship is first rate and it looks good, to me anyway, on the bike. The seat seemed to break in after a few thousand miles. i also had a Russlle Daylong on my 98 VFR and while comfortable the looks are acquired. I would recommend the Rick Mayer over the Daylong for what it's worth.

I have something called the Airhawk R that seemed to help out quite a bit but did not totally solve my problem. My seat bothers me right in my groin area, this air bladder takes some of the pressure off so it's a work in progress since the bladder is adjustable. I just need to find the right setting that works for me.

Thanks mikep. Are you able to shift your body weight/position around the corners without the cushion obstructing your movement or moving out of position? Thanks

fcaprilia
It's funny we both had or have Aprilia's and switched to Honda DCT's. I went from a pain in the a__ clutch to no clutch at all. To answer your questions yes that is the same one and it fits fine. You just have to mess with the straps a little bit to make it fit under the seat. No problem shifting your weight around so don't worry about that. If I get around to it I'll take a picture later on tonight.

Hope this helps. There probably are several ways to mount the airhawk, this is just the way I have it installed.


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YoshiHNS

What Sargent do you have? We have one on the RWB and it doesn't seem to weight any more than stock. Surely not 10lbs heavier.

Stock seat on 2012 and Sargent on 2010 are not much different weight wise. I'd throw them both on scale but bikes are stored away for the winter. :sad:

EhViffer

YoshiHNS

What Sargent do you have? We have one on the RWB and it doesn't seem to weight any more than stock. Surely not 10lbs heavier.

Stock seat on 2012 and Sargent on 2010 are not much different weight wise. I'd throw them both on scale but bikes are stored away for the winter. :sad:

It was on the bike when I bought it. Not sure of model, etc... Every time I take that seat off I am blown away by the weight. Maybe the stocker is a cow too?

My understanding is that for the VFR1200, both Sargent and Saddlemen offer services to refoam and recover over your stock seat pan. So any weight difference is not likely to be significant, even if they use a lot of gel or some heavy polyurethane foam. I was told Saddlemen offers a special package for the VFR1200 for less than $200. Not sure what it includes.

http://www.sargentcycle.com/Seats-Accessories/Sargent-Seats-Honda-VFR-1200-Premium-Foam-Upgrade/

http://www.saddlemen.com/products/k2mart/seats/sport-bike-seats/stealth-seat/stealth-seats.html

Corbin and Sargent also offer aftermarket seats you can buy outright. Those they do use their own seat pan, I'm sure.

Volfy

Corbin and Sargent also offer aftermarket seats you can buy outright. Those they do use their own seat pan, I'm sure.

My Corbin came on its own seat pan and it weighs a TON! But it's extremely comfy once they got it right.

I've been tossing around the idea of getting my seat re-done through LAAM seats. The price is reasonable and free return shipping saves some more $$$.

Corbin and Sargent are nice, but they seem to have a one-size-fits-all mentality. If I'm dropping a few Benjamins, I'd like to have something built to my dimensions.

crakerjac

I've been tossing around the idea of getting my seat re-done through LAAM seats. The price is reasonable and free return shipping saves some more $$$.

Corbin and Sargent are nice, but they seem to have a one-size-fits-all mentality. If I'm dropping a few Benjamins, I'd like to have something built to my dimensions.

FWIW, Corbin will do a custom seat, it's just hard to get them to listen to what you want done. They also offer one free alteration as long as they don't have to make a new cover for it...then they charge you. Had they actually listened the first time, they would have gotten mine right the first time.

I have installed the Russell Day Long and after a short (250 mi) break-in, it is truly comfortable and an all day ride. Not the sleekest looking, but I do not care as I do not have to look at it while I am riding.

Still have the stocker and might modify it slightly for use around town as it has a shorter reach to the ground.

I had a Corbin and went with a Russell Day Long and love it. The Corbin was better than stock, but no comparison to the RDL. Of course they cost different, but I love the RDL. If I bought another bike, it would probably be the first thing I ordered for it.

vulgar1

I had a Corbin and went with a Russell Day Long and love it. The Corbin was better than stock, but no comparison to the RDL. Of course they cost different, but I love the RDL. If I bought another bike, it would probably be the first thing I ordered for it.

When i shopped them for my 1200, the RDL was only $20 more than the Corbin.

I've had quite a few of my many Corbins ordered "my way", and they've been very good seats with no need to be sent back for a tweak.

They typically lower the seat pocket forming their standard 'dish', and I usually want a slightly taller seat that takes a bit of bend out of the knees for those 800+ mile days.

The stock seat on the VFR1200 was pretty good, I only felt like I wanted more leg room when I got past 600 miles in a day...

I also wanted to be able to use a passenger back rest for the better half.

I ordered mine with the .75" dish brought back to the normal seat height, plus another 1/2". I always worry that my request will make the seat goofy looking, but it hasn't yet.

The seat on my ZX-14 looked great and was taller than my VFR1200 seat.

The VFR seat they built me is perfect for long days in the saddle.... perfect shape.

I was in the market for a replacement seat and was going to purchase a sargent until I came across Laam Seats by a recommendation from a buddy. It was truly a great buying experience, his customer service skills are fantastic!

I should be receiving it any day and will post pics of the seat off and on the bike. It's winter here so I wont get to report of how comfy it is until the spring but I can sit on my motorcycle and make vroom vroom noises :)

I'll post it up in a new thread when the time comes.

Cant wait! I've heard good things about LAAM and as soon as my old lady opens up the pocket book, this is on the short list of things I want for the VFR.

EhViffer

Volfy

I'm okay with the '10 OEM seat shape and firmness. It just seems a bit slipperier than typical. For a sport bike, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but as a touring rig, it's a bit too easy to move around. I sat on the '12 and the seat surfaces felt a bit tackier, but I never did get a chance to ride a '12. Can anybody comment on their experience with '12 OEM seat?

My experience with aftermarket seats is mixed. Some worked well but others felt worse than the OEM. I would be very hesitant to shell out a big wad of cash without some serious butt time first.

On my '10 the OEM seat was fine for around the city but for touring it turned into three weeks of agony. It was the first thing I switched when I got back. My wife was on the same ride and was quite comfortable throughout the trip. I have ridden my wife's '12 many times and the seat is markedly more comfortable. It's tackier and cushier in the right spots and huge improvement over the '10. Comparing her OEM '12 seat to my Sargent seat however I would take my Sargent every time.

The hardness of the stock seat was too much for me after about 3 days on a long-ish solo trip this summer and although I rarely have a passenger, the slipperiness of the seat makes it a real pain whenever my wife is with me as she is constantly sliding forward off her perch. So I am at the point of either ordering a 2012 seat or sending my 2010 seat in to Sargent for a re-foam. It looks like the costs are about the same, other than shipping to Sargent from and to BC, which is not insignificant. EhViffer, after another summer of riding, would you still take the Sargent over the 2012? Since your wife also rides, you may not carry a passenger very often but I was wondering if you could comment on Sargent's claim that they have levelled off the passenger area of the seat so that sliding forward has been addressed/eliminated. Is the Sargent seat material also less slippery enough to help deal with this? How much more comfortable is the foam under the rider's backside? Finally, do you think the 2012 OEM seat has properly dealt with any of these issues?

It is hard to shell out ~$500 without ever sitting on either and there is certainly no dealer in my area that has a 2012 for me to even go and have a look at. I appreciate your thoughts...

rubbersidedown

EhViffer

Volfy

I'm okay with the '10 OEM seat shape and firmness. It just seems a bit slipperier than typical. For a sport bike, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but as a touring rig, it's a bit too easy to move around. I sat on the '12 and the seat surfaces felt a bit tackier, but I never did get a chance to ride a '12. Can anybody comment on their experience with '12 OEM seat?

My experience with aftermarket seats is mixed. Some worked well but others felt worse than the OEM. I would be very hesitant to shell out a big wad of cash without some serious butt time first.

On my '10 the OEM seat was fine for around the city but for touring it turned into three weeks of agony. It was the first thing I switched when I got back. My wife was on the same ride and was quite comfortable throughout the trip. I have ridden my wife's '12 many times and the seat is markedly more comfortable. It's tackier and cushier in the right spots and huge improvement over the '10. Comparing her OEM '12 seat to my Sargent seat however I would take my Sargent every time.

The hardness of the stock seat was too much for me after about 3 days on a long-ish solo trip this summer and although I rarely have a passenger, the slipperiness of the seat makes it a real pain whenever my wife is with me as she is constantly sliding forward off her perch. So I am at the point of either ordering a 2012 seat or sending my 2010 seat in to Sargent for a re-foam. It looks like the costs are about the same, other than shipping to Sargent from and to BC, which is not insignificant. EhViffer, after another summer of riding, would you still take the Sargent over the 2012? Since your wife also rides, you may not carry a passenger very often but I was wondering if you could comment on Sargent's claim that they have levelled off the passenger area of the seat so that sliding forward has been addressed/eliminated. Is the Sargent seat material also less slippery enough to help deal with this? How much more comfortable is the foam under the rider's backside? Finally, do you think the 2012 OEM seat has properly dealt with any of these issues?

It is hard to shell out ~$500 without ever sitting on either and there is certainly no dealer in my area that has a 2012 for me to even go and have a look at. I appreciate your thoughts...

I would still take the Sargent seat over the 2012 OEM though the 2012 OEM is vastly improved over the 2010. Her seat has more padding than the 2010 and is much tackier. The major difference between our seats is the Sargent, for want of a better phrase, cups by ass better. It is also lower from less foam than the OEM seat on her bike and feels different to me. I feel like I'm "on" her seat and "in" mine. Neither one of us on our second trip across the country had any issues at all with sore rumps from all those miles over three weeks.

As to the passenger area being more level and a person not sliding forward I can't say. We both had loaded 40 litre waterproof Givi bags strapped to the passenger area the whole trip and they did not move forward at all so that may speak to the issue a bit.

There are many things we have added to the bikes but the single most impactful thing to improve my riding experience has been that seat. When we have switched bikes she still prefers her stock seat and Givi bars and I still prefer mine so I guess we have set our bikes up to suit what we like which is where you want to be. Hope that helps.

I traded my '10 stock seat with a '12 VFR1200 lady rider that was going to send in her stock seat to get redone anyway. I spotted her $50 plus shipping both ways, so it was a good deal for both parties. If it were any more expensive, I would definitely not have bothered. The difference is worth $80, I'd say.

I weigh 175 lbs and don't do cross country trips, so my standards and expectations may be different than others. For most of last year, I rode on the Honda low seat and had no problem doing 600 mile day rides. The low seat cover feels less slippery and is an improvement over the '10 stock. I'm waiting to do a long day ride with the '12 stock seat. If it works well, I may use it for long trips and keep the low seat for around town duty.

EhViffer

rubbersidedown

EhViffer

Volfy

I'm okay with the '10 OEM seat shape and firmness. It just seems a bit slipperier than typical. For a sport bike, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but as a touring rig, it's a bit too easy to move around. I sat on the '12 and the seat surfaces felt a bit tackier, but I never did get a chance to ride a '12. Can anybody comment on their experience with '12 OEM seat?

My experience with aftermarket seats is mixed. Some worked well but others felt worse than the OEM. I would be very hesitant to shell out a big wad of cash without some serious butt time first.

On my '10 the OEM seat was fine for around the city but for touring it turned into three weeks of agony. It was the first thing I switched when I got back. My wife was on the same ride and was quite comfortable throughout the trip. I have ridden my wife's '12 many times and the seat is markedly more comfortable. It's tackier and cushier in the right spots and huge improvement over the '10. Comparing her OEM '12 seat to my Sargent seat however I would take my Sargent every time.

The hardness of the stock seat was too much for me after about 3 days on a long-ish solo trip this summer and although I rarely have a passenger, the slipperiness of the seat makes it a real pain whenever my wife is with me as she is constantly sliding forward off her perch. So I am at the point of either ordering a 2012 seat or sending my 2010 seat in to Sargent for a re-foam. It looks like the costs are about the same, other than shipping to Sargent from and to BC, which is not insignificant. EhViffer, after another summer of riding, would you still take the Sargent over the 2012? Since your wife also rides, you may not carry a passenger very often but I was wondering if you could comment on Sargent's claim that they have levelled off the passenger area of the seat so that sliding forward has been addressed/eliminated. Is the Sargent seat material also less slippery enough to help deal with this? How much more comfortable is the foam under the rider's backside? Finally, do you think the 2012 OEM seat has properly dealt with any of these issues?

It is hard to shell out ~$500 without ever sitting on either and there is certainly no dealer in my area that has a 2012 for me to even go and have a look at. I appreciate your thoughts...

I would still take the Sargent seat over the 2012 OEM though the 2012 OEM is vastly improved over the 2010. Her seat has more padding than the 2010 and is much tackier. The major difference between our seats is the Sargent, for want of a better phrase, cups by ass better. It is also lower from less foam than the OEM seat on her bike and feels different to me. I feel like I'm "on" her seat and "in" mine. Neither one of us on our second trip across the country had any issues at all with sore rumps from all those miles over three weeks.

As to the passenger area being more level and a person not sliding forward I can't say. We both had loaded 40 litre waterproof Givi bags strapped to the passenger area the whole trip and they did not move forward at all so that may speak to the issue a bit.

There are many things we have added to the bikes but the single most impactful thing to improve my riding experience has been that seat. When we have switched bikes she still prefers her stock seat and Givi bars and I still prefer mine so I guess we have set our bikes up to suit what we like which is where you want to be. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the quick response. That is indeed very helpful. I will likely go for the Sargent - especially since it is (sadly) several months before it is riding season again so there is time to get it done. Cheers!

EhViffer

rubbersidedown

EhViffer

Volfy

I'm okay with the '10 OEM seat shape and firmness. It just seems a bit slipperier than typical. For a sport bike, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but as a touring rig, it's a bit too easy to move around. I sat on the '12 and the seat surfaces felt a bit tackier, but I never did get a chance to ride a '12. Can anybody comment on their experience with '12 OEM seat?

My experience with aftermarket seats is mixed. Some worked well but others felt worse than the OEM. I would be very hesitant to shell out a big wad of cash without some serious butt time first.

On my '10 the OEM seat was fine for around the city but for touring it turned into three weeks of agony. It was the first thing I switched when I got back. My wife was on the same ride and was quite comfortable throughout the trip. I have ridden my wife's '12 many times and the seat is markedly more comfortable. It's tackier and cushier in the right spots and huge improvement over the '10. Comparing her OEM '12 seat to my Sargent seat however I would take my Sargent every time.

The hardness of the stock seat was too much for me after about 3 days on a long-ish solo trip this summer and although I rarely have a passenger, the slipperiness of the seat makes it a real pain whenever my wife is with me as she is constantly sliding forward off her perch. So I am at the point of either ordering a 2012 seat or sending my 2010 seat in to Sargent for a re-foam. It looks like the costs are about the same, other than shipping to Sargent from and to BC, which is not insignificant. EhViffer, after another summer of riding, would you still take the Sargent over the 2012? Since your wife also rides, you may not carry a passenger very often but I was wondering if you could comment on Sargent's claim that they have levelled off the passenger area of the seat so that sliding forward has been addressed/eliminated. Is the Sargent seat material also less slippery enough to help deal with this? How much more comfortable is the foam under the rider's backside? Finally, do you think the 2012 OEM seat has properly dealt with any of these issues?

It is hard to shell out ~$500 without ever sitting on either and there is certainly no dealer in my area that has a 2012 for me to even go and have a look at. I appreciate your thoughts...

I would still take the Sargent seat over the 2012 OEM though the 2012 OEM is vastly improved over the 2010. Her seat has more padding than the 2010 and is much tackier. The major difference between our seats is the Sargent, for want of a better phrase, cups by ass better. It is also lower from less foam than the OEM seat on her bike and feels different to me. I feel like I'm "on" her seat and "in" mine. Neither one of us on our second trip across the country had any issues at all with sore rumps from all those miles over three weeks.

As to the passenger area being more level and a person not sliding forward I can't say. We both had loaded 40 litre waterproof Givi bags strapped to the passenger area the whole trip and they did not move forward at all so that may speak to the issue a bit.

There are many things we have added to the bikes but the single most impactful thing to improve my riding experience has been that seat. When we have switched bikes she still prefers her stock seat and Givi bars and I still prefer mine so I guess we have set our bikes up to suit what we like which is where you want to be. Hope that helps.

I'm about to do one or the other. Does the Sargent allow you move around in the saddle? In the twisty bits I will often slide left or right to adjust my weight into a corner. I don't expect it to be like stock or a track seat but my previous Corbin's at least let you move around a bit even though you could feel the cup if the seat under your ass. Hard to explain. Most of the time I like the cup of the aftermarket seat and sliding around isn't easy on them but at least you still can...

luvtoleanit

EhViffer

rubbersidedown

EhViffer

Volfy

I'm okay with the '10 OEM seat shape and firmness. It just seems a bit slipperier than typical. For a sport bike, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but as a touring rig, it's a bit too easy to move around. I sat on the '12 and the seat surfaces felt a bit tackier, but I never did get a chance to ride a '12. Can anybody comment on their experience with '12 OEM seat?

My experience with aftermarket seats is mixed. Some worked well but others felt worse than the OEM. I would be very hesitant to shell out a big wad of cash without some serious butt time first.

On my '10 the OEM seat was fine for around the city but for touring it turned into three weeks of agony. It was the first thing I switched when I got back. My wife was on the same ride and was quite comfortable throughout the trip. I have ridden my wife's '12 many times and the seat is markedly more comfortable. It's tackier and cushier in the right spots and huge improvement over the '10. Comparing her OEM '12 seat to my Sargent seat however I would take my Sargent every time.

The hardness of the stock seat was too much for me after about 3 days on a long-ish solo trip this summer and although I rarely have a passenger, the slipperiness of the seat makes it a real pain whenever my wife is with me as she is constantly sliding forward off her perch. So I am at the point of either ordering a 2012 seat or sending my 2010 seat in to Sargent for a re-foam. It looks like the costs are about the same, other than shipping to Sargent from and to BC, which is not insignificant. EhViffer, after another summer of riding, would you still take the Sargent over the 2012? Since your wife also rides, you may not carry a passenger very often but I was wondering if you could comment on Sargent's claim that they have levelled off the passenger area of the seat so that sliding forward has been addressed/eliminated. Is the Sargent seat material also less slippery enough to help deal with this? How much more comfortable is the foam under the rider's backside? Finally, do you think the 2012 OEM seat has properly dealt with any of these issues?

It is hard to shell out ~$500 without ever sitting on either and there is certainly no dealer in my area that has a 2012 for me to even go and have a look at. I appreciate your thoughts...

I would still take the Sargent seat over the 2012 OEM though the 2012 OEM is vastly improved over the 2010. Her seat has more padding than the 2010 and is much tackier. The major difference between our seats is the Sargent, for want of a better phrase, cups by ass better. It is also lower from less foam than the OEM seat on her bike and feels different to me. I feel like I'm "on" her seat and "in" mine. Neither one of us on our second trip across the country had any issues at all with sore rumps from all those miles over three weeks.

As to the passenger area being more level and a person not sliding forward I can't say. We both had loaded 40 litre waterproof Givi bags strapped to the passenger area the whole trip and they did not move forward at all so that may speak to the issue a bit.

There are many things we have added to the bikes but the single most impactful thing to improve my riding experience has been that seat. When we have switched bikes she still prefers her stock seat and Givi bars and I still prefer mine so I guess we have set our bikes up to suit what we like which is where you want to be. Hope that helps.

I'm about to do one or the other. Does the Sargent allow you move around in the saddle? In the twisty bits I will often slide left or right to adjust my weight into a corner. I don't expect it to be like stock or a track seat but my previous Corbin's at least let you move around a bit even though you could feel the cup if the seat under your ass. Hard to explain. Most of the time I like the cup of the aftermarket seat and sliding around isn't easy on them but at least you still can...

Yes it allows me to move side to side. I'm certainly not stuck to the seat but has enough grip to keep me in place if I don't want my butt to move.

Excellent, thank you.

As promised some pics of my custom seat by Seth Laam www.laamseats.com. Great customer service and quick turnaround.

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It's winter here so I'm not able to get any miles on it for some time. However with that being said it's night and day difference between stock.

Great looking saddle. Did you have the passenger section modified too, or did you leave it stock?

I don't know about comfort but it looks better ..

That seat looks great. the "dished" section looks like it'll be great comfort on long runs. Pillion section looks like stock foam recovered, which is what I would do too, since I only ride solo. His prices are pretty good too.

Did you keep the rider section stock height?

I had Seth do what he calls a "Solo Modified" Essentially the passenger section is stock with the exception he added some more comfortable foam in that area.

I went up about 1/4 inch, and moved back about 1/4 inch as I'm very tall. This will decrease the bend in my knees and should help in the long run.

If the seat isn't quite what I expected from a comfort/fit perspective it's as simple and send it back and he will make it right.

Thankfully I was able to purchase a ripped stock seat on ebay and had him customize that, so I still have my stock "just in case"

P.S - I'm the first VFR1200 seat he has done.

I just sent mine off to Seth today. I hope to have it back in the next week or two. Merry Christmas to me :cool: