Opinions on a Sargent Seat for my R1200RT

[Roadwolf]

After much deliberation (and some recent long rides), I think I am going to upgrade the seat. I had the Sargent seat on my ST1300 and before that, a Rick Mayer seat on the R1150RT...

 

Am leaning towards the Sargent based on my experience with ST, but would appreciate any comments/suggestions on their take on the Sargent. The only thing I have heard that concerns me is that the fitting of the seat on the RT is a little loose, that it doesn't "seat" into the brackets as well as the stock seat. Any truth to that? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[Redbrick]

After much deliberation (and some recent long rides), I think I am going to upgrade the seat. I had the Sargent seat on my ST1300 and before that, a Rick Mayer seat on the R1150RT...

 

Am leaning towards the Sargent based on my experience with ST, but would appreciate any comments/suggestions on their take on the Sargent. The only thing I have heard that concerns me is that the fitting of the seat on the RT is a little loose, that it doesn't "seat" into the brackets as well as the stock seat. Any truth to that? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Not in my experience...Snaps down smartly....

 

Phil..........Redbrick

[Roadwolf]

So, I take it you got one... like it?

[Limecreek]

The Sargent I had on my 1150 was comfortable at first, but the foam padding broke down within 25K. Sargent replaced it at no charge, however the new seat was no more durable than the first and it was wearing out when I sold the bike 20K miles later.

 

On the other hand, the Corbin I purchased for 1200 has remained comfortable and durable for the first 20K miles. For me the Corbin is an 18 hour, multiple day saddle. I love it.

 

[jakfrost]

Hmm, not to confuse the issue but I have the exact opposite experience. Well, not exactly the opposite but the result is the same.

 

I hated the Corbin

I love my Sargent

 

Why? The Corbin is so 'durable' that I was never able to get it to 'break in'...even after 30,000 miles. Mabey I'm just to light at 175 lbs?? It was rock solid even when I sold the bike.

 

The Sargent that I have now on my '05RT is perfect for me, even at my inseam of 32". The best thing I can say about it is I just never think about it. Or, in other words, it never causes me to think about it...like how soon can I get off this thing :-).

 

Jim

[RoadJunkie]

I have the Sarg and love it. I have to say, however, that I've never owned one of the other popular seats. I can't imagine the foam breaking down...it's really pretty firm. I would buy another Sarg and I have about 42K miles on this one (8K on stock seat).

 

 

[Limecreek]

It was rock solid even when I sold the bike.

 

Exactly. My Corbin is very firm to hard and that is exactly what I need for all day comfort. The soft seats give me cramps in places I didn't think you could get cramps.

 

 

 

[Kerry in Mpls]

I have a Sargent seat on my '06, the previous owner put it on so I didn't really choose it. It fits the bike as good as, or maybe even better than, the stock seat. The build quality of the pan is absolutely perfect. The front seat fits snugly in the high or low position, and the back seat attaches solidly as well with no slop at all.

 

Comfort, on the other hand, is just so-so for me. I get pressure points on the back of my thighs, near where the thigh meets the butt. And the foam seems to be slightly concave so the center doesn't give much support at all. In fact, when I am off the bike, I can press on the center of the cover material and see that it is not in contact with the foam underneath in the "rest" position. Can other Sargent owners tell me if this is normal?

 

I bought the bike with only 2000 miles on it, now have about 5500 on it. I doubt the foam is "worn out". Wondering if there is a chance there was a manufacturing goof when they assembled the supporting layers.

[Redbrick]

So, I take it you got one... like it?

 

Yes.......Had it about a year and it suits me....Not a softy, as you know, but with the flat width and no push toward the tank it is comfortable on all day rides for me....I like the compartments on the undersides too....And, as stated above, it's good enough that I don't think about the seat when riding...Very good construction and material quality...

 

Phil........Redbrick

[Illini]

Some butts like soft sitting and some butts like rock hard sitting. Which butt are you?

[Baja 65]

The Corbin is wider at the front ( where the boys hang out at) than the stock seat, I had to go back to the stock seat do to my inseam, the Corbin made me tip-toe. I heard the Sargent is more like the stock seat.

[codougd]

I have the Sargent low seat for my '07 R12RT. The stock seat was too soft and tended to shift me forward over time on long rides. I have used the Sargent on rides of over 1k miles (with bladder and gas breaks, of course) and never felt the NEED to stop because of a tired or sore butt. I love mine and if the cover ever wears out I'll either get it recovered or get a replacement Sargent.

 

FWIW and of course, YMMV.

[swilson]

I've only got about 2000 miles on the Sargent I bought slightly used. On my previous bike (R1150RT) I had a Corbin that I went to the Hollister factory and had fit to me.

 

The two biggest reasons I didn't go with Corbin on the new bike was their HEAVY seat pans and what a pain in the ass they were to get locked in place on the bike. I did always like the comfort of my Corbin though.

 

The Sargent seat pan is a similar weight to the stock seat and the fit on the bike is great. I don't dread taking my seat off like I did with the Corbin because I knew it would be hard to get back on. The storage compartments on the bottom of the seat pans are just cool.

 

I don't think the Sargent fits me as well as my Corbin... but I keep in mind that the Corbin was actually fit to me and the Sargent is an 'off the shelf' seat. My initial impression of the Sargent was that it was very firm (bordering on too firm) but after 1000 miles it had either softened up or broken in to the shape of my rear. I weigh about 200. I have no plans to switch out the Sargent.

 

 

[JustKrusen]

20,000 on mine and I still like it. No problem doing 7 - 800 mile days. Sargent + LD Comfort shorts =

[FLTRI]

I recently put a standard height Sargent on my 05 R12RT, and love it. Things to note, for me anyway:

 

 

• It sits higher than the stock seat. With a 34" inseam, I can still flat foot at a stop. With the stock seat I could flat foot, and still have my knees bent a bit. Sliding forward a bit on the Sargent helps to reach the ground.
• Yes, it's somewhat "loose" on the bike. If you pull up on it, it wiggles. Not an issue when riding, but this surprised me considering how nicely engineered the seat pan seems to be.
• Yes, there is a gap between the cover and the foam on mine too. Again, not an issue when riding.
• IMHO, it's MUCH nicer looking than the stock seat. I don't like the looks of some of the others I've seen; Corbin and Russell come to mind.
• Heating seems "not as hot" as the stock seat, but hot enough for me.
  

 

After putting it on, my wife an I did a 650 trip. We both found it very comfortable. The stock seat was killing both of us after an hour ride... Also, I bought the seat used from a member here that bought it new and didn't like it. I guess in a perfect world, we could all try every possible aftermarket seat for 1000 miles and find the one that fits us. Fortunately for me, the Sargent is working out...

[Roadwolf]

Well, after a delay of 6 weeks waiting for it to be built, I got my Sargent seat and have had it on the bike now for three days. I like it except for one thing...

 

...the seat IS INDEED loose and is creating some headaches. I will be contacting Sargent in the morning to see what they have to say about this... another thread has been posted about the same issue. See below. Will update once I get word from them as to what is going on.

 

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=22&Number=384417&Searchpage=1&Main=31786&Words=sargent+loose&topic=0&Search=true#Post384417

 

[Dave_in_TX]

I've had a Sargent loe seaqt for about five weeks and 4K miles. Although I'm satified enough to keep it, I have a few observations to share:

1. This seat is hard not firm, at least to my 150 lb body, maybe a 250 pounder would classify it as firm.

2. It requires considerable break-in time for a light rider. For the first several hundred miles, I didn't really think of it as being comfortable as much as being slightly less uncomfortable than the OEM low seat. At about 1000 miles, it started feeling like it was actually starting to break in and might be worth keping. It wasn't until about 2000 miles that it didn't fel like sitting on a brick after getting back on after a short break. Now, it's actually starting to be comfortable and I think it's still continuing to break in.

3. A sheepskin makes a difference in comfort, especially during early break-in.

[Roadwolf]

Thanks for the input... actually I have no problems with the softness or firmness of the seat (I actually knew what I was getting into with the Sargent foam build as I had one on my ST1300 and loved it). My problem seems to be that the pan of the seat does not fit the brackets of the bike... that the tolerances of the Sargent seat are looser than the OEM seat. Will see what Sargent has to say about it for sure. Anyone else here have the same issues, BTW?

[Roadwolf]

Update on my situation:

 

I called Sargent this morning and got a gentleman by the name of Mark in R and D and described to him my problem. He said that they were aware of the problem with some bikes. They have replicated the problem on some RTs, but not others. Their solution is this: They are sending out a spacer that supposedly eliminates the shifting of the pan against the rubber risers in the front, thus keeping the back rubber pads from dropping into the lower slot. He said I should receive the part in about a day or so. Will update with the results when I get it installed.

[Dave_in_TX]

Mine took over 1K miles before it started to feel somewhat comfortable. An additional 2K helped a loy. I still think it's too hard (yes, hard, not firm) for optimal comfort but currently, it's as comfortable as any seat I've had in the past oncluding those made for my weight and inseam. I weigh about 150 pounds so that may account for the extremely long break-in.

[drdave39]

I have always liked Corbins for their feel, but I was a bicyclist for many years- compared to a Sella Italia Flite saddle, a Corbin is plush! Agree that the weight and fit(on the RT) were negatives- the fit on the Multi is actually an improvement on stock! Corbin is definitely a "love it or hate it", no one seems lukewarm.

 

I switched to a Rick Meyer on my 1150 and loved it, and like the semi-lower version I had Rick do for my 1200 even better. YMMV...

 

Dave

[rainrider]

Hi Rick

My experience with Sargent is all positive. I have a06RT and the stock seat just killed my back. The Sargent seat was comfy fron the start, however after a 1000 km. its really comfy. I can ride all day and not even think about it. As far as the fit goes it fits better than the stock seat,not loose at all.

 

Bruce