Ultimate Vs Mustang Seats

[Desert_Rat]

Does anyone have any feedback on the differences between the Ultimate Vs the Mustang seats? It's time for a new saddle on the Valk. I had a custom upholstery job done on my weathered Corbins seats, but they're still a burn into an hour of riding. I'm leaning towards the Ultimate seats but it would be nice to get some feed from someone who has ridden on both.

[Houdini]

I absolutely hated my Ultimate seat and sold it; I couldn't go sixty miles without extreme pain.  I am currently back on the stock seat which I prefer over the Ultimate and saving my pennies for a Hartco.  The Mustang was more comfortable with a flatter back (less slope) and slightly softer foam; if I had to choose between the Ultimate and the Mustang; I'd take the Mustang.

http://www.hartcoseats.com/

Everything I asked about from Hartco, change the geometry of the seat, colored thread, custom material and designs, no extra charge.  The standard Ultimate is double the cost of what I am going to pay for a customized Hartco.

[BnB Tom]

Houdini, you're DISQUAILIFIED ! ! 
 
 You've had/owned/used more seats than anybody everybody who owns a bike!

                   . . .  but I have to admit, you finally came up with a good one 


                                                       

[RainMaker]

I have both a Mustang and an Ultimate seat.  The Mustang was not comfortable to me, but it was better than the stock seat.  My son tried it and found the stock Interstate seat more comfortable and he has one on his Tourer.  The Ultimate Big Butt Boy seat is the one I have and it is far more comfortable to me than either the stock or Mustang seat.  But then you have Houdini who puts the Ultimate below the stock seat.  So the answer as to which one is best is the one that feels the best and that varies between riders.

The Ultimate has 3 versions, so that also will change your perception.  I hear better comments on the Big Boy and the King Boy over the Low Boy.

The best way to know is to find someone with a Mustang and someone with an Ultimate and see if they will swap out for a ride.  I will tell you that the Ultimate took a while to "break in" - it wasn't instant karma.

[Houdini]

You've had/owned/used more seats than anybody everybody who owns a bike!

I had a Corbin also, it was hard as a brick.  I was saving my pennies for a Russell Daylong until I priced it and the way I want it was almost $1100 ... for a freakin' motorcycle seat!  The Hartco is $629, the way I want it.

. . .  but I have to admit, you finally came up with a good one 

Can I get it in black?   

IMHO, if you want cheap and ride-all-day comfort, get an Airhawk.

http://www.airhawkseatcushions.net/p-591-roho-airhawk-2-seat-cushion-medium-cruiser.aspx

[john]

if your valkyrie is pre 2000 ... find a 2000 model seat ...
way more comfort over the 1999 and earlier models seats ...     
i had a guy offer me a mustang seat one time ...     
he couldn't run fast enuff to give me that seat ...   
the 2000 was so much more comfortable than the 1998 seat that i put off
buying the king big boy  ...       
sugar got  me one for my birthday after about two years...     
corbin ... forget it ... as with the mustang ... my ass is way to big   
also ... i used (forget to turn it off) to ride with the turn signal on ...     
with the blinker buddy in the ultimate seat i can't wait to turn that sucker off     
i would love to try the russel day long ... but why bother ... very (way to) pricey

[RainMaker]

Hey Desert Rat - you are welcome to try the Mustang seat I have and see what you think about it.  It's gathering dust and I've thought about selling it, so if you like it, then we could do a deal.  Otherwise, you'll not like it and not out any money to try it.

However, I'm in Arlington so you'll have to come a ways to get it, unless you plan to ride on Saturday or want to meet at the meeting point (wherever that is).  Let me know and I'll bring it out with me.

RainMaker

[Old Geezer Richard]

Hey RainMaker , how much would be looking to get for that Mustang seat .... just curious .... I have an Ultimate seat Big Boy and I'm not all that impressed .... I'm always seem to be moving my buttski around ... I feel like I'm leaned back too much ... maybe I should have gotten the King Big Boy instead ... I like the old OEM seat for my Butt .... let me know ... Thanks the Geezer

[Dougger]

I have had 3 Diamond Seats on a 1200 and a 1500 GW and now on a 99 Valk I/S. They are part of Hartco, so I assume they are pretty much the same.
Mark is very easy to work with and as Houdini said the price is right. I got a price of $675 for a seat and drivers backrest. I will be ordering another for my new I/S when I get back to Michigan (after the snow melts.)
The also do a velour seat cover that I had on the GW's. The seats are custom made to your height, weight and inseam, the same for your primary passenger.
Ultimate has 3 seats not custom.

Diamondseats.com

[f-Stop]

I have the Mustang seats on my Standard.  Liked them so much that I put Mustangs on my wife's Shadow, too.


Of course, I am always looking to upgrade...

[SANDMAN5]

I love my Ultimate. Never ridden a Mustang on a Valk but I tried one on a
Shadow. Not for me. The Ultimate beat it hands down.

[Sparky51]

Anybody have any feedback on the day- long seats?   Seems like everybody is on the strong side of $600 by the time you get a back rest.  Thanks!

[recall]

I have the Ultimate king..so far, its the best seat I have had on my now 1998 tourer ..that was a standard.. :cooldude:recall

[Houdini]

Anybody have any feedback on the day- long seats?

SteveP, I googled for a week trying to find anyone dissatisfied with a Russell seat and the only complaint I found was from a guy with a dual-sport who said he couldn't hang off of the seat when cornering off road.  Really shouldn't be an issue with a Valkyrie.  I asked the same question you are on the national board over a year ago and all I received was praise on the quality and complaints on the price. 

Seems like everybody is on the strong side of $600 by the time you get a back rest.

You'll be on the strong side of $1000 if you have an Interstate and do rider and pillion seats with a daylong.

[5_19]

Russels-Day-Long for me. I tried a Corbin, had my stock seat redone and tried a Diamond seat. Out of all different seats the Diamond was the better before I bought a RDL. The craftmans ship on the Diamond was poor.

If I had to do it all over I would go to Russel-Day_long seat first. No two RDL seats are the same because the are ALL custom made to fit you and your bike.

I still have a Corbin and a Diamond if you want to try/buy. TJ

[Houdini]

I still have a Corbin and a Diamond if you want to try/buy. TJ

 TJ, I'd like to give the Diamond a test ride.

[Russell Rice]

I am 6'7" and weigh 330 pounds. I have had the Mustang seat and it was harder than a whores heart!
I also have had the stock seat ( pre 2000) and the 2000 seat . I now have the Ultimate King Big boy seat. I know I am a big target but you would have to shoot me to get my Ultimate seats!
I know guys that have bought the wrong Ultimate seat and have not liked it at all then sit on mine and love it. If you buy the Ultimate seat do your research and Call Des @ Ultimate and let him know how big or small you are and let him know what you are wanting in a seat.IMHO Ultimate seats are the best

[5_19]

TJ, I'd like to give the Diamond a test ride.

...Whaaaaaaaaaaaat!!??......From what I have read on this board I cannot believe you haven't already tried the Diamond seat. 

You are more than welcome to try. Do you have any trips planned to Dublin? Ship it? let me know.

TJ

[BuzzKill]

I went from 97 Tourer stock to Ultimate Big Boy 3 Piece, without the rider backrest.  Much better than stock.  Its the only one I've done any riding on so I dont have any opinions of the others.  I will say if you do any kind of day trips or longer, spend the cash for the backrest.  I ended up buying it for myself for my birthday.  Huge difference.  And if money is tight, the rider seat already comes with the slot for the backrest to add at any time.  If your patient, you can get some deals on used seats from Ultimate.

[Dougger]

5-19.
I might be interested in the Diamond.
Drop me an Email
drnieaa@aol.com

[MP]

+1 on Russell Day Longs.  LOVE mine!

MP

[photochaser]

My wife and I sat on someone's Interstate and she loved that the Mustang seats allowed her to see over the top of my head... something she can't do with stock seats on my Tourer. Does Ultimate give a similar height advantage to the passenger that Mustang does?

[Jess from VA]

The Mustang is flat and the Ultimates are raised in the nose (for a more secure cockpit, which I like very much).  Before the Valk, all I ran was Mustang Wide Vintages (except for one big Corbin mistake).  The Mustang is firmer than stock, but medium firm compared to Corbin (and unlike Corbin, the Mustangs do break in a little over time).  The Mustang and Ultimate Lowboy are about the same firmness.  The Ultimate BigBoy is much softer than both, and my favorite.

I bet the Day Longs are great, but not for $1100 and up.

I agree with Houdini on the Airhawk cushion; it can make any seat an all day seat.  I discovered them when I was riding on my Corbin mistake.

As this thread shows, there will never be any consensus on seats.

The first Valkyrie I ever saw had the seat removed and the guy sat on a strip of foam rubber.  He was short, but that looked downright painful.    

[Christbiker]

Mustang is the one that fits this old butt.  Had others and never met an OEM Honda seat I liked. 

TJ did you hold back on me?   jk

Blessings,

Woody

[BigTex]

I recently went from a 2003 std seat to full set of the Ultimate Kings, (with back rests) at 6'5" and 295 it suits me just right.

The stock seat wasn't bad, but after a few hundred miles I was squirming.

Just be careful if you get the pouch that velcro's to the back of the drivers seat, my cell phone was in that pouch late one night, when I got to my destination it was gone.   Dez at Ultimate did send me a free replacement pouch. 

[SideCar]

Man, this is already exhaustive. As you can tell, the key is trying before you buy as everyone is different. Like Houdini, I used to be a serial seater. My ranking is day-long (now that they aren't butt ugly like they used to be), Ultimate, then post-2000 stock.  The only reason I use my 2000 stock now is because you have to move around on it with the sidecar.  The two aftermarket items I like on it are the airhawk and the Harley (yes, I said Harley on this board) seat cushions. The HD one is less cushion and really is for allowing air to circulate. I put it on for long rides.

[Houdini]

I have moved up to a Russell Daylong and may never buy another brand again....

[RainMaker]

... The HD one is less cushion and really is for allowing air to circulate. I put it on for long rides.

Heck, I always "circulate air" into my seat on long rides.  Might enjoy doing that more with an HD cushion 

[Beardo]

Got my full Ultimate Big Boy set yesterday. Seems really comfortable and it really changes the seating position.  I am probably a couple inches higher than I was on my stock flattened 18 year old seat, so I am higher above the windshield now. I actually prefer it, my top helmet vent is grabbing cleaner air now (more and smoother air: cooler and quieter) and I'm not in the buffeting zone, but just above it. Also like how the front comes up, much more connected to the bike now.

Wife loves her new seat.

It's like we upgraded the shocks...you can feel the seat compressing on bumps rather than your ass/spine.

Also, my posture is much more upright, not slouching as bad, should help with the bad back.

I may want some small risers to pull the bars back. I had to screw the backrest almost all the way forward to account for my shorter arms.

[Jess from VA]

I'm 5'9"  and have the same setup, and I always have the backrest all the way up/forward (actually, I shim it a bit farther forward with a rubber widget, than I could with the bolt all the way out anyway).  A perfect fit for me (and my low back) is to have the backrest actually a bit forward of the back of the seat.  And I've always needed taller risers.  At least 4" (over the 3 1/8" stock risers).  I also like how the seat puts my chin at the top of the IS stock shield, instead of my nose.   You can still get down behind it when you need to.   

[Beardo]

I'm 5'9"  and have the same setup, and I always have the backrest all the way up/forward (actually, I shim it a bit farther forward with a rubber widget, than I could with the bolt all the way out anyway).  A perfect fit for me (and my low back) is to have the backrest actually a bit forward of the back of the seat.  And I've always needed taller risers.  At least 4" (over the 3 1/8" stock risers).  I also like how the seat puts my chin at the top of the IS stock shield, instead of my nose.   You can still get down behind it when you need to.   

Not meaning to hijack the thread...it is kinda related...

I did some searching, looks like these work and you don't have to do anything with the cables?

http://www.twistedthrottle.ca/handlebar-risers-honda-shadow-valkyrie-magna-vtx1300-pacific-coast-pc800-with-1-inch-diameter-handlebars

[Gental Gaint]

I am 6'7" and weigh 330 pounds. I have had the Mustang seat and it was harder than a whores heart!
I also have had the stock seat ( pre 2000) and the 2000 seat . I now have the Ultimate King Big boy seat. I know I am a big target but you would have to shoot me to get my Ultimate seats!
I know guys that have bought the wrong Ultimate seat and have not liked it at all then sit on mine and love it. If you buy the Ultimate seat do your research and Call Des @ Ultimate and let him know how big or small you are and let him know what you are wanting in a seat.IMHO Ultimate seats are the best

I'm 6'-6" and 290lbs.... I LOVE my king BIGBOY............