K1200LT Custom Seats/First Long Trip

[cjklemp]

I'm getting ready to ride from Vegas to Wisconsin and back in July. I have to do something about the stock seat. It is killing me. I was wondering if anyone has some expertise they could forward on this. I have been looking at the Rick Meyer seats as well as the Russell Day Long seats. They are all quite expensive but I figure if I can get the right one it will be worth it. This will be my wife and I's first long trip (July 10th to Aug 2nd). I would love any heads up and suggestions for lighting, packing - etc. We are going to hit Yellowstone and then work our way across. If you live in Vegas maybe I can meet up with you and learn from someone who has been there. Thank you in advance.

[rodgtc]

Hi Chris, I love my Rick Mayer seat and he has been great to deal with. Are you planning to camp or motel it? The LT shines on long trips you will enjoy it. Try and take your time and take frequent short breaks.

Have a safe trip
Rodger

[steamboatjohn]

I had the dealer put on suburban peg relocaters before I took delivery on the bike.. Also, a Backup brand backrest really helped for me. I've tried several different "highway pegs", jpegs (in XL size, because I'm 6'4" with long legs) are the best for me. The above additions really helped out, taking pressure off my back. However, I am still planning on splurging for a seat, from Ron at KonTour seats. You can find him on this board..
Good luck on your trip, if you get to Steamboat Springs, COlorado, give me a shout!
I'm getting ready to ride from Vegas to Wisconsin and back in July. I have to do something about the stock seat. It is killing me. I was wondering if anyone has some expertise they could forward on this. I have been looking at the Rick Meyer seats as well as the Russell Day Long seats. They are all quite expensive but I figure if I can get the right one it will be worth it. This will be my wife and I's first long trip (July 10th to Aug 2nd). I would love any heads up and suggestions for lighting, packing - etc. We are going to hit Yellowstone and then work our way across. If you live in Vegas maybe I can meet up with you and learn from someone who has been there. Thank you in advance.

[Lee510]

I have a Corbin on my LT. The previous owner put it on. I have the original factory seats. I thought one day that I might put the factory seat on, just to compare. Someone here said I would switch back to the Corbin quickly. Made sense and I haven't switched yet.

[sleepwalker]

I bought a Russell day long saddle. It is a huge improvement over the stock seat. Yes it was expensive, but 800 mile days are no problem with the Russell, while 200 was a problem with the stock seat.

I have mixed emotions about the back-rest. I bought one but it feels confining so I don't use it.

YMMV

[Bumpa2]

I just got my Russell daylong about 2 weeks ago, rode about 500 miles on it and just luv it!!!! Worth the money if you are doing LD driving. Second the back rest and j-pegs, even with the stock seat they really improved the amount of time in the saddle. Also just installed Don Muddlemans armrests for the SO, and she just loves them(now when she falls asleep I'm not so concerned about her fallen off). :D

[Tallyho]

I would suggest you do a little conditioning ride before your long trip by making a ride-in appointment with Rick Mayer up near Redding, Ca. You'll get custom fitted and a saddle made on the spot with whatever materials/colors you prefer in about four hours. You will find this to be the single best improvement to your LT and on the ride home wish you had done it a long time before. I also recommend the Bakup but get a used one and don't worry about the condition of the pad. Rick will custom cover it to match your seat at the same time. Don't spend $200-300 trying different pads or skins or beads, etc. Put it all towards a custom seat. He gets real busy this time of year so you need to make an appointment a few weeks in advance for a Saturday, less for a weekday.

I have had great success with Rick's saddles and highly recommend them but also ride with guys that find Russell and Bill Mayer to be of similar quality. Russell, in the Lake Shasta area, also makes their own very cool backrest system. If you do go with Rick, do the ride-in experience versus mail order.

[GolfGuy]

Here's my question.........do all the custom seats have to look like tractor seats to be comfortable for the LT??
For crying out loud ...you can't tell me that a seat has to look UGLY to be functional!! :rant:
I am done now. :D
Thanks for listening.

[Tallyho]

One could say the same thing about wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt with a pullover vest plus plaid pants, saddle shoes, a visor, and one glove on your left hand. ;)

The tractor seat on our farm was metal that had a couple of scoops for your butt cheeks in the back and perch for your balls in the front. It wasn't especially comfortable. :eek:

I can't believe you are concerned with a high quality leather cover so it must be the wide back seat area.:confused: It's going to look like an oversize bicycle seat no matter what. If you want to displace the weight off your groin/prostate area its going to have to go somewhere. This also takes the pressure off your tailbone. I would hardly call a custom saddle a tractor seat, though. Creative styling coupled with custom fit and finish will keep it from looking like a tractor seat.

[sorchilla]

I have about 15K miles on a Bill (Rocky) Mayer seat. It is a significant improvement over the so called upgraded BMW stay soft seat. If I had it do over I would go with Rick Mayer. His workmanship & customer service is better. Rick's seat are also much better looking. Back Up back rest is also a nice addition. The absolute best investment for all day rides was Mick O Pegs. Having a way to comfortably stretch your legs without feeling like you were in an obstetrician's office makes those long days more enjoyable.

[bmwusmc]

Hey, Chris, I've got a 2005 LT with a Bill Mayer seat on it. I've got about 30-35,000 miles on it now and it is head and shoulders above the stock seat for sure.
I live in Henderson, NV so if you'd like to meet up and look it over you're more than welcome to..
PM me and we'll set up a meet.

Roy

[dandkwright]

I've never had a custom seat...do they really make that much difference? Have almost 50K miles on my 'LT now and haven't taken much issue with the stock seat. I did install jpegs which I like very much.

[meese]

Any of the main custom saddle manufacturers will be miles ahead of the stock LT seat. Once you get a custom seat made to fit you, you'll wonder why you waited so long. I put 60K miles on my Bill (Rocky) Mayer Saddle (http://www.billmayersaddles.com/) including many 1,000+ mile days. I like the fact that there are no seams on the top surface of the seat which helps for comfort as well as shedding water. I was so impressed that my GT went to get a Rocky Mayer seat fitted the day I picked it up from the dealer. After 36K on that saddle, I can say that I just don't think about my seat, even when riding all day.

There's lots of info on this website about the different seat vendors. Near the top right of every page is a Technical link, look under that for Accessories (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/faq.php?faq=bmwlt_net_faq#faq_accessories_faq), then find the Ergonomics (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/faq.php?faq=accessories_faq#faq_accessories_faq_ergonomics) link. Scroll down and you'll find info on the Airhawk, Corbin, Kontour, Rick Mayer, Russell, and several back rest options.

For comparisons, look at these threads: link (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2854), link (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1543), link (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2178), link (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1038), link (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158). That should get you started.

[Smith]

Last year I took a 6K trip on my '05. I put Corbin seats on the bike (front, back, backrest, passenger back rest) the package cost about 1.5K but in my opinion, it's well worth it. The Corbin is very firm, but this is a good thing on a long trip. The Corbin seats ( the whole package) looks great and makes the stock seats seem unsubstantial and look and feel cheep by comparison. The Corbins are heated and the switches are easier to get at.

I have a "Back-Up" back rest that is literally brand new that I'll sell along with a pre-'05 seat. I have an '05 and I thought the wider older seat would be the answer. I found the seat on ebay and bought the "Back-Up new. This was an improvement but doesn't come close to the Corbin. Of course everyone's ass is different and comfort is going to be different for different people.

The "J-Pegs" give me the impression of being in stirrups on a very wide horse, my wife says it's like a pelvic exam at her OB-GYN Dr. The Mic-O-Pegs are great, although you have to be careful not to drag your heels on sharp turns.

The stock seat on a long trip is definitely going to be a big problem that could sour an otherwise great trip. Comfort and fatigue are also a major safety issue.

Smith
'05 Dark Graphite
Greensboro, NC

[LAF]

Last year I took a 6K trip on my '05. I put Corbin seats on the bike (front, back, backrest, passenger back rest) the package cost about 1.5K but in my opinion, it's well worth it. The Corbin is very firm, but this is a good thing on a long trip. The Corbin seats ( the whole package) looks great and makes the stock seats seem unsubstantial and look and feel cheep by comparison. The Corbins are heated and the switches are easier to get at.

I have a "Back-Up" back rest that is literally brand new that I'll sell along with a pre-'05 seat. I have an '05 and I thought the wider older seat would be the answer. I found the seat on ebay and bought the "Back-Up new. This was an improvement but doesn't come close to the Corbin. Of course everyone's ass is different and comfort is going to be different for different people.

The "J-Pegs" give me the impression of being in stirrups on a very wide horse, my wife says it's like a pelvic exam at her OB-GYN Dr. The Mic-O-Pegs are great, although you have to be careful not to drag your heels on sharp turns.

The stock seat on a long trip is definitely going to be a big problem that could sour an otherwise great trip. Comfort and fatigue are also a major safety issue.

Smith
'05 Dark Graphite
Greensboro, NC

+1 on the Corbin. I have all four pieces and I love it. Yes I was in the 1600.00 range but for all 4 pieces in Leather with Royal Blue Piping which came darn close to my bikes color, it is a low, and it fits very nice on the bike.

I can say the passenger back pad from Corbin weighs more then all three of the stock pieces together!

The longest I have sat it is 4 hours or so and no issues. Have about 5000 miles on it total.

Switches are way handy as you said.

I added a "butt pad" sheep skin in charcoal in a small I think. This just is all that and a bag of chips, with salsa too! If you never rode on sheep skin you don't know what you are missing.

If I lived on the left coast I would have had one built, just because I have never ridden on a custom seat and am sure it is the bomb. But I also think you need to drive it in to the maker to achieve a true fitting.

The Corbin is a great seat and I rode one on my Sporty for 30,000.

Some say too hard but I don't think those people ride them in enough, but then again, everyones "cheeks" are different :)

[GolfGuy]

+2 on the Corbin. I have had them on all my Harleys. They are the most comfotable seat I have ridden on....and...good looking to boot!!
I bought one this Winter for my LT. Took one ride with it on...now it is For Sale. I need to get the low version. I could barely touch the ground. :(
It was extremely comfortable though!
So if anybody is looking for Corbin rider, passenger and both backrests all heated. Let me know they are For Sale for $800.00. They are a dark grey in color. They really look good with my Black bike.
Then I can order another Corbin. :D

[hifiman]

I have a reg Corbin seat in great shape I am selling. Heater works great too. Go to the classifieds section to see it. Or I would be wiiling to trade for a low version Corbin. Im 6' and the Corbin Reg is just a hair to tall for me. Its black if interested.

[rcminella]

Hi Chris, I too am planning a SoCal to Missouri roundtrip in September 07. I have a Bill Mayer Saddle with a backrest and it is very comfortable. However, the hind quarter and knees would cramp when I rode for an extended period of time. So I purchased a sheep skin seat cover and the XL j-pegs (highway foot pegs) and it has made a world of difference. The other thing that will help the lady is to get her foot boards to enable her to reposition her feet/legs during the ride. Good luck and ride safe!! Most of all enjoy! Bob

[rattler50]

I'm getting a KonTour seat next week. I hope it works out. The weather here is HOT and I'm thinking it should be better than a solid leather seat. I don't like the way the other seats look like a tractor seat. I'm hoping this KonTour does the job. I've tried Corbin and you couldn't give me one and Mustang doesn't make a seat for the LT. My wife loves her stock seat. I'm not changing it..................... :D

[nctarheels]

I'm thinking about a Kontour seat too, let me know what you think about it. Thanks

[swa_plt]

Please consider a backrest. I was rearended when I has hit by a DUI driver. My speed was about 70 and his was fast enough that it totaled the bike. If I would not have had the backrest I am certain that the collision would have pulled my hands off the controls. The backrest limited the extension of the backlash and I was able to keep control of the bike and lived, If my hands had left the controls I am relatively certain I would have tested the abrasion resistance of the riding suit and at 70 mph it probably would not have been a good thing.

[MTGMAN]

I have a Kontour seat and love it! I can stay all day in the saddle. When it's hot you can feel the air moving underneath.
I also have a set of J-Pegs AND Mick-O-Pegs. Now I have 3 leg positions for the long rides. My tail bone was getting tender with the stock seat. The Mick-O-Pegs allow me to rock my hips forward thus taking the pressure off the tail bone. The J-pegs put pressure on the tail bone, but make for a nice change of position, and it's much cooler as the wind comes up your legs.
Back to the Kontour, I got my IBA saddle sore within a couple of months after installing it. You better book early, you may not have enough time for July as they get busy in the summer.

[mrbiker]

I'm selling the Kontour seat that came on my 2005 LT. It's gray.

It's plus one, and I need a minus one. I weigh 150 lbs. and this is for someone who is 210-275 Lbs. From their web site:

Minus version is designed for riders under 170 lbs. and utilizes a softer ½" layer of visco foam.
Plus version is designed for riders from 210 to 275 lbs. and utilizes a firmer ½" layer of visco foam.

This seat has heat built in. As part of the sale, I'll need your old seat. Must be from a 2005 or newer with heat.

I'm asking $350 for the seat delivered to you. You pay me $450. I ship the new seat to you and when you get it, send me back your old one (your expense). You'll never be without a seat. When I get your old one, I'll send you back the $100 the same way you sent it to me.

As of today, I have a 333 rating on FleaBay, so if your worried, ask and I'll send you my ID. You can see what others say about my honesty - that includes several people here.

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I was just about to post this in classifieds, and if none of you are interested, that's what I'll do.

Here's a pic - there are more in the photo gallery under Mr. Biker.

Thanks.

NOTE: Any variations in color on the fabric is from the nap of the fabric being rubbed. THIS SEAT IS INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM NEW. If you run your hand across the seat, you change the colors - it's like suede. See more photos of the seat and this phenomenon in my picture gallery - under Mr. Biker.
http://www.bmwlt.com/gallery/files/1/5/8/6/7/IMG_0259.jpg

[nctarheels]

I've sent you a PM.

[ben1364]

I've never had a custom seat...do they really make that much difference? Have almost 50K miles on my 'LT now and haven't taken much issue with the stock seat. I did install jpegs which I like very much.

Consider yourself blessed. You are among the fortunate few for whom BMW saddles work!

[Ylbill]

I have a 2005LT with heat and am about to order a Russell Day Long Seat. I'm interested in the Kontour seat you have for sale, do you still have it? I would like to talk to you on the phone if you have it so I can ask a few questions. 972-412-5769 off 214-883-0140 c or give my your number and I'll call you.

Bill

[Ylbill]

I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts regarding the Kontour seat. I'm in a quondry , I don't want a Bill Mayer (so many neg comments), thought about a Corbin, and put my name on production list for Russell Day Long. While getting on this board for the first time I hear about the Kontour and went to their sight, I too don't really want a tractor type seat if I can help it. Please email me as soon you feel you have enough miles to lend a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

Bill

[ben1364]

I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts regarding the Kontour seat. I'm in a quondry , I don't want a Bill Mayer (so many neg comments), thought about a Corbin, and put my name on production list for Russell Day Long. While getting on this board for the first time I hear about the Kontour and went to their sight, I too don't really want a tractor type seat if I can help it. Please email me as soon you feel you have enough miles to lend a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

Bill

I can't speak from experience about the Kontour or the Bill (Rocky) Mayer saddle. I can tell you that I have had Rick Mayer and Russell Day Long saddles on previous bikes and would not hesitate to buy either again. In fact, I will be placing an order next winter and scheduling will determine which I order. Both are quality products in my opinion based on my experience.

Bill Mayer, Sr. (Rick and Rocky's late father) designed the seat suspension used by Russell and Rick uses the same design philosophy and techniques as did his father when he went back into business several years after selling out to Russell.

[cjklemp]

I have just knocked out a 1000 miles in less than 24 hours and have done several 600 mile trips in a day since getting my new seat completed by Rick Mayer. I am extremely happy with the my Rick Mayer seat. I haven't had any fatigue or soreness like I did with the stock seat. I did a ride in appointment and was thrilled with the hospitality and quality I received. I am easily a lifelong customer.

[BecketMa]

Last time I checked on seats, there was a long wait for a new seat.

Maybe Ron has a shorter waiting list?

Bob

[tonygret]

I ordered a breadrider for my stock 2005 LT. 35.00 & shipping and handling. I have not gone more then 2 hours on it yet but it already makes a big difference. The first think you notice with the bead rider is the air circulating under your butt. I think that makes the biggest difference for those in just a pair of jeans. Sitting on the stock seat you end up sticking to it and get chaffed when moving around. No such issues with the BR. The bike also had a back rest which virtuially eliminated my back problems. Last I added the lowering pegs which seemed to help some also. I need to go on a longer ride, but a custom seat may still e in my future.

I posted a thread about this with images of all the mods if you are interetsed. http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36377

[yair1956]

+1 on the beads, already put about 25K, mostly, long trips and, it's funny, but they works great , got the Floorboards with the reallocators from darios and they are superb, I'm not so toll, 5'11 172lb, but got long legs, with those floorboards I can drive for hours with no strain to my knees.
Pay attention to the gear:
Learn about
Riding Cool
Riding Warm
Go to:
Mixed MEDIA/Soundrider
http://store.mm411.com/
I tried the ANDIAMO! Men's Padded Skins,I just came back from 350Miles ride, and it is amazing what a difference. Rider, traditionally, focusing on the bike, and we do tend to forget our body physiology, we can and, should take advantage of the new technology that is already out there for us

maybe I'll see u at the Yellowstone, I'll be leaving June 20 O.C CA & will cover the North West & the Canadian Rockies

Wish u a great and safe trip !

Yair