I got my Russell Daylong seat.

[bscrive]

I finally got my Russell seat, and all I can say is holy crap, it is nice.  I even got my Utopia backrest done as well.  The crappy Canadian dollar got me in the you know what, but it was worth the huge exchange rate. 

Now, I really can't wait until spring to try it out.  With my electronic cruise I installed, and this couch of a seat, I may never be home this summer.   

The only problem now is that I an going to have to redesign my passenger backrest because the one I have now won't work with the new seat.   

[dans2014]

  Is your old passenger backrest a Honda OEM?, I'm looking for a used one

[_Sheffjs_]

Looks like it will be really comfy for the passenger as well as you.  Me thinks you will be quite happy. Maybe you might get a freak weather break   

[_Sheffjs_]

Better yet, pop that thing on a trailer get down here you can use our cottage and we will pop up for a Saturday ride with you.  And you can get away from old man winter. 

[bscrive]

Is your old passenger backrest a Honda OEM?, I'm looking for a used one

No, it is a custom backrest that I made.  I will be modifying it.

[dhaile]

The seat looks real nice!  I had a Russel on my concours that I sold and it was awesome.  Russel is probably the most comfortable seat made.  BTW, if you get a chance can you take a picture of your handle bars showing all your mounts?   

[havoc]

beauty...that just might fit my fat a$$ 

[bscrive]

Better yet, pop that thing on a trailer get down here you can use our cottage and we will pop up for a Saturday ride with you.  And you can get away from old man winter. 

I wish could, but my wife is taking a course at a local college until April.  Thanks for the offer though.   

[dinosnake]

OK, honest question:

As most people have posted here...a lot of guys are pretty, uh, large    I'm average height 5-8 and all of 150 pounds (right now, which I consider "fat"!).  I'm usually quite trim, now just a touch under that. 

I'm really interested in the Russell but the stock seat is too wide now, if I sit back it puts uncomfortable pressure on the inside of my thighs from the seat's width.  Would you say that the Russell is better or worse in this regard, versus stock?  It seems so wide.

Thanks in advance. 

[Kidd]

It's wide  , even the Russell folks say it is
But , they can customize it to fit most

[ledany]

@dinosnake : I'm 5' 7" and 143 lbs, the stock seat is fine for me (shape, softness etc.), I can ride for hours (10 ? let's say the trip last summer from Paris to Spain north coast) and have no problem at all.

[bscrive]

OK, honest question:

As most people have posted here...a lot of guys are pretty, uh, large    I'm average height 5-8 and all of 150 pounds (right now, which I consider "fat"!).  I'm usually quite trim, now just a touch under that. 

I'm really interested in the Russell but the stock seat is too wide now, if I sit back it puts uncomfortable pressure on the inside of my thighs from the seat's width.  Would you say that the Russell is better or worse in this regard, versus stock?  It seems so wide.

Thanks in advance. 

The Russell seat is a lot wider than the stock seat.  The way that they make it, I cannot put my feet on the ground while sitting all the way back.  I will have to slide forward a bit to get past the wings that they put on each side.  But, when I sit in the seat while riding, it cups my butt all the way around.

I never had that problem with the stock seat, I just found to weirdly shaped and hard as a rock.  I do have a 32" inseam.

Russell has you send in pictures of you on the bike in your preferred seating position and then they make the seat to your situation.  There is another guy on here that got a Russell seat and he is sitting much closer that I do.  He has a picture of the seat as well.  Sitting closer like he does would alleviate you thigh problem.

Brian

[six2go #152]

OK, honest question:

As most people have posted here...a lot of guys are pretty, uh, large    I'm average height 5-8 and all of 150 pounds (right now, which I consider "fat"!).  I'm usually quite trim, now just a touch under that. 

I'm really interested in the Russell but the stock seat is too wide now, if I sit back it puts uncomfortable pressure on the inside of my thighs from the seat's width.  Would you say that the Russell is better or worse in this regard, versus stock?  It seems so wide.

Thanks in advance. 

You might be a candidate for their "sportbike option". Take a looksee on the website.

[Kidd]

A stupid person story

In 2005 , I sat on a used ST1300  at a bike shop and thought it was  the most amazing/comfortable  bike in the world , never  experienced  any thing that felt so nice to sit on, not even my chairs  at home were that nice  !!

So ,  it was my mission to buy a ST1300 because of that wonderful seat  ,and the search commenced ,  one year later I bought  a  2006 ST1300 with 500 miles for $10K  in Phx area

Rode home to Sedona area , it took me  a month to realize , to figure it out that  the seat from that first ST1300 I sat on was a custom, I felt really stupid  , at that point I did not know about custom seats  and all the companies that made them , thanks to the internet  and St-owners.com I quickly learned  what I was missing .
Still , to this day , that first ST1300 with the Russel  day long seat  is the nicest  seat I have ever experienced .

But then , my experiences have been one Corbin and the rest were stock .

Still , the  many forums I have been where they mention the Russell  , NEVER a bad word  'bout them .

Can not say that for any of the other  custom seats  .  

[dinosnake]

Thanks guys, thank all of you for your feedback.  I guess I shouldn't be afraid to call Russell and see what they can do for me.

I like the Corbin Gunfighter but I'm afraid that they simply won't get it right for me, considering all the feedback I hear about the seat as designed.  Sure, they can probably get it right if I rode in for a fitting...if they weren't on the complete opposite side of the country from me, that is.

[blakebird]

Seat looks comfy....I used to live in Redding, CA - close to where they were made in Fall River Mills back in the Bill Mayer days. Now they're made just up the road from there in Shasta Lake.

But IMO with the seat/backrest and tall windscreen the bike no longer looks like a Valkyrie.
It has lost "the look" that attracted me to the bike in the first place and resembles just another touring cruiser.

All personal opinion of course, everyone has their own tastes.

Lucky for me I find the bike extremely comfortable as is and there's not a ton of aftermarket for it.
I've spent enough getting my Super Tenere set up the way I want it - don't need a second money pit

I tour on the Tenere but could see the Corbin Fleetliner bags being an eventual addition to the Honda

[dinosnake]

You're not alone, Blakebird, I'm totally feeling it and think the same way you do.  I'm outfitting my Valk with stuff more on the "standard" end of the equation, rather than "cruiser".  I'm hoping to find a seat maker that keeps the overall size of the seat as stock, but reshaped in more of a "tractor" bucket form, more taper in the front-middle, and maybe just a touch cushier.

[six2go #152]

" I'm hoping to find a seat maker that keeps the overall size of the seat as stock, but reshaped in more of a "tractor" bucket form, more taper in the front-middle, and maybe just a touch cushier."

dinosnake, did you see my post earlier about the Russell "Sport" option? Sounds like what you might be looking for. It's on their website.

[Kidd]

Goes something like this

Father and 2 sons had a motorcycle seat shop , split up due to disagreements and  each opened their own  custom seat shop .

2 Mayer brothers  and the father who owns Russell seats , 3 different  motorcycle seat shops  in California

You can read some reviews here as I have many times

https://www.google.com/#q=rick+mayer+seats+vs+russell+daylong

Yhis is who I was gonna use for my BMW , never did,,,,,, but I will for my Valk ,
http://bill-mayer-saddles.myshopify.com/products/the-bms-custom-motorcycle-seat?variant=9781972355

I just came across this , one of the Mayer bros , sad , really sad
http://www.dontbuyrickmayercycle.com/

[bscrive]

I bought a Bill Mayer seat for my old I/S from a forum member.  It was the worst seat I have ever sat on.  It was so freakin hard and mis-shaped that we only used it for one ride and then put the OEM seat back on until I bought my Corbin.  My wife kept sliding forward and my butt hurt after only 30 mins on it.

[dinosnake]

dinosnake, did you see my post earlier about the Russell "Sport" option? Sounds like what you might be looking for. It's on their website.

Yes I did, thank you!  I will try to call them when I get the time.

[Kidd]

First, let me write  that seats are very, very subjective.
And I am not wanting to start a seat war
The way you felt about the Mayer seat is the same way I felt about 2 Corbins  that came with 2 different bikes  I had  bought  , they were rock hard  and I slid all over the place , Corbins are a joke of a seat , in reference to my experience  , although , it seems many do like them
https://www.google.com/#q=corbin+seats+suck


It's  fun to look at them this way
https://www.google.com/search?q=bill+mayer+seats&biw=1536&bih=755&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjF5qqemfHKAhUKz2MKHduyDiEQ_AUICSgE

https://www.google.com/search?q=russell+day+long&biw=1536&bih=755&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8gfW7mfHKAhUW8mMKHcKxAtsQ_AUICCgD

I bought a Bill Mayer seat for my old I/S from a forum member.  It was the worst seat I have ever sat on.  It was so freakin hard and mis-shaped that we only used it for one ride and then put the OEM seat back on until I bought my Corbin.  My wife kept sliding forward and my butt hurt after only 30 mins on it.

[blakebird]

The Rick Mayer saga has been going on for years and is well documented in quite a few bike forums.
A lot of the seat business has ended up in Redding and nearby - naturally after I've moved away 

Some good local seatmakers on the front range, though in the 73 bikes I've owned since the late 60's I have had at least two dozen Corbins, and remain a big fan.
Pretty happy with the oem seat on the Valk though.

[havoc]

Brian - what did you get charged for shipping and duty?

[bscrive]

Hi Havoc,

I had mine sent to an address I use in New York.  I then went over and got it since I am less than an hour away.  I had to pay HST on it when I brought it over.

[barney fife]

Great looking seat.  I finally have my Corbin broken in and its fine.