• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

R1200RT aftermarket seat

dockeithdc

innate need to improve
I'm ready to replace the stock heated seat on my 08 R1200RT. My wife and I are tired of tailbone pain. Please tell me your experience with your seat of choice.
 
Corbin

I have a Corbin seat up front and a Corbin Smuggler's Trunk on the back. Seat took some getting used to at first. It is very firm and required a 1000 miles or so to break in. The Smuggler's trunk is the best thing since brakes. My wife rides her own bike and having the trunk provides room for tools etc. that are hard to find on the RT. All Corbin products are very high quality in my experience. This is my second Corbin seat.

I think you'll find that most folks will say they are happy with their aftermarket seats because they all seem to be well built. My advice is to buy one from the maker that is closest to you so you can go to the shop, see what they have to offer first-hand and have the seat fitted to your and your wife's personal tastes.
 
AKBeemer gave you some good advice -- ride in for a seat if you can.

Also, use the search feature and you'll find many threads about this topic.
 
Another option to consider is sending your OEM seat to Spencer Mods for modification that includes replacing the original foams with better quality materials based on your weight, height and how you sit on your bike.

He is very well known in the Honda ST crowd.

I had him modify my RT seat. I would recommend trying him before investing approximately $700 on a new seat. Spencer's mods cost me $75. plus shipping and I am completely happy with his work and very quick turn around.

Here is his link http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php
 
I've got a Bill Mayer (Rocky Mayer). I can't say enough good things about this seat. When Rocky built the seat, he was able to maintain the stock heating system, which is just a thin membrane that lays under the cover and on top of the foam.

For the rear, he built a shallow bucket with wings on the rear to provide a broader range of support. For the front, he built a bucket that is angled and placed to fit me perfectly.

I had the opportunity to ride down and have the seat fitted, which has worked out tremendously well. It took a few hours, but the results have been fantastic. We've run days of up to 700 miles two up without difficulty, thanks to the seat.

That's an RTBMR.com backrest, which is removable. We use it for camping with our gigantic Mag's Bags Ubag. We covered the top of the saddlebags with that clearmask stuff they put on the front of cars. We can carry enough stuff to camp two up comfortably now.

342689666_pniAf-XL.jpg
 
Has anyone used Rick Mayer Cycle for their custom seat?

Four times now. The latest is my '07 R1200ST, but the one with the most sMiles on it is for my '94 R1100RS. That seat went about 150k miles before a seam started to open up, and the foam was a bit sacked at that point. I made an appointment with Rick and he rebuilt it, from the pan up, including a new cover, and did it all for free. The new seat has about 50k miles on it and is doing fine.

Here's my ST:

PB205063_resize.JPG


All my previous Rick Mayer seats have been made with a basketweave vinyl cover, but this time I sprang for the leather. It's very nice and seems to be softer and fit my butt a little better than the vinyl. I only had the rider's seat built; as I ride solo, I just had the passenger seat covered to match.
 
I have a heated Corbin on my R12RT. I love it. I found it comfortable from the first mile. They are very firm, but they grab a large portion of your butt and spread out the your weight. I also sold my stock seat and recovered some of the cost. I also agree that nearly any aftermarket seat will be good, and all are better than stock.
 
I put a Cee Bailey seat on mine, but I'm not happy with it. It is better than stock, but still gets uncomfortable after a while. I think I should have spent more money to get a Russell. I've had two Russell seat owners tell me that they are not even aware of the seat - even after a very long ride.

I had a Corbin on my Guzzi and for me, it was better than stock and better than the Cee Bailey, but I'd still like to try a Russell one of these days. A lot probably depends on size, weight, leg length, etc. I'm sure some have been very happy with the Bailey seats.
 
I also have a Rick Mayer (low) heated seat in leather and am very pleased with it. As I purchased only the rider's seat, I can't comment on his passenger seat.

Prior to the Mayer, I had a low Sargent seat which was much better than stock, but not quite as comfortable over the long haul as the Mayer. Of course, everyone's posterior is different, so what works for one may not work for another.
Tom
 
Has anyone tried a Sargent seat, I ordered on for my GS and cant wait to try it.

I installed a Sargent World Sport seat on my R1200RT two years ago.

Several 750 mile days from WI to Gatlinburg, TN, as well as an Iron Butt to the Gillette Rally this July has made me (and the SO) a loyal believer in this product.

I think you will be quite pleased.

Ride Safe.
 
Another option to consider is sending your OEM seat to Spencer Mods for modification that includes replacing the original foams with better quality materials based on your weight, height and how you sit on your bike.

He is very well known in the Honda ST crowd.

I had him modify my RT seat. I would recommend trying him before investing approximately $700 on a new seat. Spencer's mods cost me $75. plus shipping and I am completely happy with his work and very quick turn around.

Here is his link http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php


Thanks for the tip. I sent him an e-mail with a few questions, like would he retain the heating of the stock seat -- yes), and he replied very promptly and thoroughly. I think I'll give him a try when I put the bike away for winter.
 
Has anyone tried a Sargent seat, I ordered on for my GS and cant wait to try it.

I have a Sargent low seat that was custom made (no welt, top-stitch only, no tri-color and symphony vinyl). I have done a couple of thousand mile days on it and it worked for me. Took a little while to break in.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0076.jpg
    DSC_0076.jpg
    80.2 KB · Views: 363
We've got two Sargents at our house; on the VFR and on the R11RS. They're both wonderful and allow you to ride pretty much as long as you want.

As a plus, they look pretty decent, too.
 
R1200Rt Seat

I to had issues with the stock seat and ended up purchasing a Tourtech heated seat that i'm very happy with.
Gookd Luck
 
I've had my Russell Day Long for almost 2 years now. It was comfortable from the start. The aches and pains of long rides don't include a sore tush anymore.
 
+1

Has anyone used Rick Mayer Cycle for their custom seat?

Another happy customer. The stock seat was miserable after about two hours. After the RM saddle broke in I never thought about my butt again. Nonstop fillup to fillup comfort.

TC
 
Rick Mayer

I look forward to getting my saddle from Rick Mayer. I have heard many good things from customers and prefer to do business with someone that seems like a regular small business guy.
 
Back
Top