• 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?

  • Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.

    The Election forum is here: Election Forum

Sarget Seat vs. RDL seat

T

TheWizard

New member
Hi All,

debating on going with the Sargent Seat vs. RDL for my 2015 K1600GT, any thoughts? if there's anyone out there that have experience with both of them and can comment on the differences, it would be great.
currently leaning towards the Sargent mainly due to the fact that there's no downtime involved where for the RDL there will be at least 2-3 weeks of downtime.

Thanks!
 
I've had both the Sargent and RDL on my 14 GT, the Sargent was too hard for me to go more than 200 miles without having leg pain. It was better than the stock seat but still painful. Once I bit the bullet and got an RDL seat, the bike was like a different machine to me. I was able to ride as long as my eyes could stay open, no kidding, that drastic a difference.
I'm 6'2" and 240lbs, I got a heavy suspension seat covered with black leather. If I was to do it again, I'd get the sunbrella covering.
There is some adapting you'll have to do at a stop so you can touch the ground but well worth it.
Good luck with your decision. I have about 10k on my RDL seat and it's simply incredible.
 
jonnybow said:
I've had both the Sargent and RDL on my 14 GT, the Sargent was too hard for me to go more than 200 miles without having leg pain. It was better than the stock seat but still painful. Once I bit the bullet and got an RDL seat, the bike was like a different machine to me. I was able to ride as long as my eyes could stay open, no kidding, that drastic a difference.
I'm 6'2" and 240lbs, I got a heavy suspension seat covered with black leather. If I was to do it again, I'd get the sunbrella covering.
There is some adapting you'll have to do at a stop so you can touch the ground but well worth it.
Good luck with your decision. I have about 10k on my RDL seat and it's simply incredible.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback Jon, just out of curiosity, why would you go with the Sunbrella? heat?, also, what color would you choose? how much downtime did you have for the RDL? or you had the Sargent instead and no downtime?

Thanks again.
 
I have had a Sargent seat on every BMW I have owned.
I must be lucky. My butt must match up pretty close to the guy's who designs it.
A buddy of mine just got the RDL and he says its going to take some getting used to.
It sits him up about 1" higher and the seat is very wide.
It looks a bit awkward too. But that said, they are very popular.
I like the Sargent.

Good luck.

Joe
 
I have an 18 GTL and am 6’4”. I went with the RDL after a week out for 2000 miles on the stock seat which was a train wreck. I was too tall and too heavy for stock. RDL added height and suspension, retained the heat, and set it perfectly for both of us. We’ve done a few thousand miles on it and all the pain is gone. I tried the Sargent two piece and liked it but my passenger hated it. It was returned. We are both amazed with the RDL. I had a Corbin on my VStrom and it was amazing. I had a sargent on my bandit and it too was amazing. For the GTl, it didn’t work out. I’m an RDL fan for the GTL.
 
I had my RDL leather seat for my R1100RT re-covered when the leather eventually began to rot. I went with the vinyl covering as it does not require protection from the rain. I have a Corbin vinyl covered seat on my old K100. I've heard folks say the vinyl is too hot but I have never experience that with either seat.
 
TheWizard said:
Hi All,

debating on going with the Sargent Seat vs. RDL for my 2015 K1600GT, any thoughts?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

It depends on the rider's weight and the size of the rider's posterior. The genius of the Day Long Saddle invented by Bill Mayer, Sr. and eventually sold to Russell is the steel spring placed across the saddle and supporting the wings. Since Russell has the patent the other seats with similar wings used varying densities of foam to provide this wide support.

The foam works well for skinny guys and middle-weights but truly big people with a wide contact patch benefit greatly from the transverse steel spring.

This is why there are so many varying opinions about Russell vs other saddles. Bottom line it depends on whether a rider's weight and butt size need the steel spring or not.
 
TheWizard said:
Thanks for the feedback Jon, just out of curiosity, why would you go with the Sunbrella? heat?, also, what color would you choose? how much downtime did you have for the RDL? or you had the Sargent instead and no downtime?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

The sunbrella fabric is much cooler say the friends who have it and I think it looks great. I'd stay with the black but just because my bike is dark.
I have an extra seat so I didn't have down time. The turn around was about 3 weeks.
You won't be disappointed, I can guarantee that
 
No experience with the Sarget, but I can attest to the comfort of the RDL. I have a 2013 K1600 GTL. I received my seat about 2 weeks before I left on a trip around the country. Unfortunately no time for any breakin before I left. Rode for 4 weeks straight with only 1 day off. 9600 miles in total and I can tell you that not once did I experience any discomfort with the RDL. This was a significant improvement over the typical BMW stock seat. I chose the black leather mostly because I live in the north. Others have expressed an opinion about leather in the southern regions, but as far as the majority of my riding in the north, the leather is not an issue. Can't say enough about the comfort of the seat, made all the difference for me.
You won't be disappointed.
 
I had an RDL on my RT and now have a Sargent on my GS.

RDL: Outstanding comfort, shape isn't very conducive to hanging off if that is something you like to do, more expensive

Sargent: Cheaper, no down time, not as comfortable as the RDL but still better than stock, easier to hang off for sporty riding, looks closer to stock and looks better than RDL in my opinion

My verdict: If you put a lot of miles on the GT with occasional twisties the RDL is awesome and worth the extra money and the wait. If you are more focused on aggressive riding where you move around a lot laterally the Sargent will work better and will still be more comfortable than stock. They are both great seats.
 
crna59 said:
The RDL seats just look too much like the seat on a John Deere tractor..... "butt" ugly...
Click to expand...

I sat in those John Deere tractor seats all day long in my younger years and never had any discomfort either. I'll take the ugly. :)
 
An RDL saddle has been Wanda's and my choice for the every bike we have owned over the last 20 years but one (and it wasn't a BMW - Moto Guzzi Quota).

The upholstery spring is tailored to your weight - heavier weight, heavier duty spring; lighter weight, lighter duty spring.

We're tired Corbin (way back when) and a Bill Mayer (Rocky actually) and found the RDL to be a more comfortable seat for the two of us.

Going to RDL in CA is in my opinion the best way to go. We have had good success with mail order, butt riding to the RDL shop and having the saddle made on the spot is the best.

Looks are not the answer, comfort is.

Just our butts' opinions...
 
Seat

I had corbin on other BMW, Sargant on three and no RDL but have ridden on them when riding buddy's bikes. The RDL is very comfortable. As was noted, the Sargant seat is a little harder, but it fits me and my wife fine. In fact two days after we got the new seat for the k16, we rode 900 miles one day. I was ready to get off the bike but I was not fatigued from the seat. No down time on the Sargant and is excellent quality. They will work with you if you want something else in the seat. Very helpful. My .02 but I love my Sargant seat. Incidentally, I'm 6' and 250 pounds of pure muscle. 32" inseam and I got the low or normal height seat.
 
An off the shelf seat like the Sargent will be an improvement over stock, and if you happen to have a Sargent butt you'll sing its praises for years. Folks aren't all shaped alike, however, so take others' experiences with a grain of salt.

I don't have an off the shelf butt and over the years have tried Sargent, Touratech, Corbin, Bill Mayer, and Russell. The Russell was by far the most comfortable on the road, but didn't suit my GSA riding style so I sold it. Unless you offroad with your K bike you won't have that issue. The Russell saddle was also the only saddle I've ever had that did not require a break in period; it was exceptionally comfortable right out of the box.

Pete
 
Funny thing seats and butts. My wife and I went on a trip a few weeks ago, '18 RT, stock seat except I have Beadriders on my end. 2200 miles in 9 days and no complaints. One day we did 500 miles, another 600 miles, a bunch of short ones in the middle.

After reading all the talk on seats I was half way geared up to face the fact that I would need a replacement but my setup is working fine for me.

I have been riding Harleys for 14 years and I ran the stock seats.

Just call me numb butt!:rofl
 
seat

down side of the RDL is, you need your own pan for them to build the seat on. Russells are great if you can stand the down time. Top craftsmanship!
Best thing is to try all of them if possible and see what feels the best. I don"t wear the same shoes as everyone either.
 
I've had Sargent, Bill Mayer, and RDL. There is no comparison in comfort level. I did 950 miles in one day on the RDL ... and I did it because I could. There was zero discomfort with the RDL. The RDL is simply the finest after market seat available.
 
Hey RDL users:

The RDL site, under FYI, has some FAQ’s and one refers to the waterproof capability of their designs. It seems the stitching, no matter what material is used or treatment is utilized, compromises the seat’s water resistance to getting water logged. RDL suggests their seat cover, and seem to imply riding with cover installed during wet conditions.

Anyone with practical experience with this? Is it necessary to ride the RDL with waterproof covers in rain? How wet does it have to get before the seats get soaked through?

Thanks.

(Edited for some typos)
 
GotFog said:
Hey RDL users:

The RDL site, under FYI, has some FAQ’s and one refers to the waterproof capability of their designs. It seems the stitching, no matter what material is used or treatment is utilized, compromises the seat’s water resistance to getting water logged. RDL suggests their seat cover, and seem to imply riding with cover installed during wet conditions.

Anyone with practical experience with this? Is it necessary to ride the RDL with waterproof covers in rain? How wet does it have to get before the seats get soaked through?

Thanks.

(Edited for some typos)
Click to expand...

I sealed each threaded seam with Milk Oil and never worried about it. Every needle puncture could take on water but mink oil seals thing as well as possible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
Low vs normal seat and comfort
Replies
11
Views
2K
Stebe
S
R
Riding position difference of K1600 GT Vs GTL
Replies
9
Views
4K
MedicMikey
MedicMikey
F
Considering buying a 2006 K1200R, What do I need to know / watch out for?
Replies
1
Views
248
lee
lee
C
2004 K1200GT - Ahhh, the clutch
Replies
4
Views
1K
ts888
ts888
mhines
Sunday's Adirondack Swing
Replies
2
Views
1K
20774
20774
Back
Top