Early seat or later seat?

[Knapdog]

From what I can gather, the later seats, I think from 2000 on, are more comfortable.
I've seen this pair for sale.
Can you tell if they're an early set or later set please?
I'm aware that the driver's set needs recovering.
Also, can you tell if the underside has any damage, in the picture?
It's described as coming off a "2000" but I'm wondering that due to the fact that the passenger seat says "Made in USA" suggests it's an early. Still, I may be wrong.
Thank you

[steveB (VRCC UK)]

pre 2000. Don't pay much Partzilla has new post 2000 (the thick one) part no 77200-MZ0-A80 for $121.76

[Chrisj CMA]

Ya that’s an early one for sure and not very at that

[h13man]

$209.50 for both seats. Some places charge a "O.S." shipping fee. My latest order (Saturday) from these folks was $9.95 but...

https://www.servicehonda.com/oemparts/a/hon/506cb764f870023420a41ad3/seat

[Knapdog]

pre 2000. Don't pay much Partzilla has new post 2000 (the thick one) part no 77200-MZ0-A80 for $121.76

Thanks, Steve. Doing a bit of Googling there's a company called "Bikebandit" selling them for $106.95. Does anyone know if they're a reputable company or actual Bandits  ?
Also, would the newer seat fit in place with the older pillion seat or should i even be considering purchasing the later pillion seat as well just for a final match up. It's rare that I carry a passenger. They're about the same price. Presumably the original bracketry remains.
This all sounds as if I've got money to burn but I saved a shed load by my Spain/Portugal trip being called off this year so I'm not worrying too much about the cost but $106 compared to $121 is a bit of a saving.

Update:   Bikebandit $381.59 with Sales Tax and Shipping ( for two seats)

             Partzilla   $320.53 with Shipping and Handling ( can't work out if this includes a Sales Tax)

[Knapdog]

$209.50 for both seats. Some places charge a "O.S." shipping fee. My latest order (Saturday) from these folks was $9.95 but...

https://www.servicehonda.com/oemparts/a/hon/506cb764f870023420a41ad3/seat

Sorry, just noticed this. Thanks.

Good prices but there doesn't appear to be the option for shipping overseas.

[Jess from VA]

The old pillion will fit fine.  If you rarely take a passenger why change it? 

[hubcapsc]

The old back seat says "Made In USA" on
it. I run my bike solo, and occasionally with
an Ultimate back seat, but if I was going to
have an OEM back seat mounted to my bike
all the time, it would be the older one  ...

There's (I think) a reason to run a back seat if
you use a separate backrest for the front seat:
leaning back on a separate backrest with no
back seat might bend your fender. On my solo
bike I run one of those unobtainable useless
curved fender racks and think it offers the
same protection against bending that a
rear seat does...



I tried a russell on my bike for a while, here's
a picture of it with a Utopia back rest... the Utopia mounts
to the same two front holes as a rack or a rear seat.
The bending danger occurs when you run solo without
the curved rear fender rack, or a seat, to spread the load.



-Mike

[Bagger John - #3785]

Slight thread hijack:

...one of those unobtainable useless curved fender racks...

I have two of them. Both bought new, back in the day. One was occasionally run on my first Tourer when I felt like doing the solo thing.



(That bike went through a LOT of changes before I reverted it to stock and sold it.)

The first rack (which was on the '00 Tourer) sat in my parts stash for many years before I powdercoated it black a couple of seasons ago - this to run on my all-black I/S if I get in the mood. The second - new, in box - awaits a 2003 Standard I've in mind as a project.

[Chrisj CMA]

When I solo the Cobra bike I have that rack and a seat rail. I can tie stuff down on the rack and block it up against the seat rail and it works quite well.


 

[Knapdog]

The old pillion will fit fine.  If you rarely take a passenger why change it? 

That's great. You're quite right. I only take a passenger when my daughter stays with us a couple of times a year. She lives in Sweden and is already in love with the Valk. I just thought there may have been a mis-match with the fittings. All the better as my cost is just the one seat. Thank you.

[98valk]

rear pillion seat with USA on it is rare only made the first 1-3 yrs.

[Knapdog]

Post 2000 seat now ordered. Thank you all for your input.

[Jess from VA]

May it arrive before the Easter Bunny.   

Mikes advice on backrests is good.  If you run a backrest to the forward pillion mounts, it's good to have some other thing mounted with it to spread the load.  It may make no difference if you are not a load, but no matter how you ride, a bad event with brakes and squealing could bend/kink that rear fender.