zhukov1942 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 got a Sargent to replace the stock nadbuster, it's sweet Link to comment
SPX Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Have you rode very far on it? If so, how do you like it? Link to comment
zhukov1942 Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 Just got it, short trips so far. Initial thoughts are it's wider at the back, and the foam is denser and thus firmer. It's contoured to fit your body. I was never comfortable with the stock seat; I tried adjusting the height high and low. The stock seat is simply a poor design (sorta like sitting in between the humps of a Bactrian camel) which puts all of your body's weight right on your (ahem) family jewels. It's awful. The Sargent spreads your weight around and you don't sink into the seat. It just feels right. Pity BMW can't figure this out on a $20,000 bike. Can't wait for an all day trip. Link to comment
Runnor Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Please let us know how you like it on longer rides. I just took a 1.5 hour ride to Sedalia and My butt bones were quite sore. The stock seat on my 2010 RT doesn't hurt the family jewels, just the bones. Anybody find a seat that solves this problem? I need something soon. Thanks for any ideas. John Link to comment
SPX Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Agree, please keep us posted! I tried a Bill Mayer saddle on my RT and it was horrible; far worse than stock. Disappointing considering it was custom made for me and how I sit on the bike, etc. I sold/traded the Bill Mayer Saddle, and went back to stock. I now run an Airhawk R on top of the stock seat, and I am surprisingly happy with it. I've done up to 400 miles in a day on it with no discomfort, and routinely do 250 mile days on it. That being said, if I could find a seat with equal or better comfort to the Airhawk, I'd consider going to it, as I am not completely fond of carrying an extra item for the bike to remain comfortable. Link to comment
Guest Kakugo Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Nice call, one of the best things you can fit to the bike. I have a Kahedo seat (sold by Touratech) and it's simply incredible... eight hours in the saddle and no problem whatsoever. Link to comment
RTinNC Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I got a Sargent seat about 2 years ago and LOVE it! Much better than the stock seat IMHO. While I have not tried all the aftermarket seats and some may be as or more comfortable .... I really like the Sargent!! Link to comment
ully211 Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I have a Sargent on my RT as well ... it's awesome! Link to comment
Dave_in_TX Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Agree, please keep us posted! I tried a Bill Mayer saddle on my RT and it was horrible; far worse than stock. Disappointing considering it was custom made for me and how I sit on the bike, etc. I sold/traded the Bill Mayer Saddle, and went back to stock. I now run an Airhawk R on top of the stock seat, and I am surprisingly happy with it. I've done up to 400 miles in a day on it with no discomfort, and routinely do 250 mile days on it. That being said, if I could find a seat with equal or better comfort to the Airhawk, I'd consider going to it, as I am not completely fond of carrying an extra item for the bike to remain comfortable. I'm suprised about your experience with the Bill Mayer saddle, I ued an airhawk for several thousand miles but eventually went to a Bill Mayer saddle, which for me is an improvement over the AirHawk. However, the Airhawk was a big improvement over just sitting on the stock seat. Link to comment
BFish Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I have a Sargent on my RT as well ... it's awesome! ditto Link to comment
Albert Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 My Sargent is pretty much identical to that one. I've had it on my 06RT for 3 years. Quite comfortable. We're happy. Link to comment
Tool Man Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Hope you have better enjoyment from the Sargent than I did. I tried Corbin, then Sargent, then modified stock seat. Nothing worked until I sent my seat to Rick Mayer. I couldn't believe how this guy can make a seat that feels like you sat in a mold and let it cure. I was so impressed with the results, I immediately pulled the seat off my GS, took the required pictures and filled out the dimension form, then sent my GS seat in the same box the RT seat was delivered in. No more hot spots or discomfort in the boys room. Should have listened to other posters suggestions in the first place. Bottom line is, if your happy, then your done. Every one's geometry is different so you got lucky. Link to comment
DiggerJim Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Please let us know how you like it on longer rides. I just took a 1.5 hour ride to Sedalia and My butt bones were quite sore. The stock seat on my 2010 RT doesn't hurt the family jewels, just the bones. Anybody find a seat that solves this problem? I need something soon. Thanks for any ideas.I think you'll find nearly as many opinions as there are butts out there. I have a buddy who loves the seat on his 09RT even for 600+ mile days. I on the other hand tried beads, sheepskins, gel, AirHawk and finally got a Bill Mayer seat and 1000 miles is good. Hated the stock seat. OTOH, if you're much over 200lbs (220ish +) Bill's (and his brother Rick's) seats won't do it - heavier people need springs and the springs are only to be found in the Russel Day Long. Foam can't provide the support bigger people need and that's why Bill Mayer (Senior) created the Day Long. Unfortunately, you've got to try various solutions - and that's not cheap. The solutions differ too as to whether you're looking for 500 mile comfort or 1000 miles or 1000 miles/day for 2 weeks. Prices go up in direct relation to how much time you want to spend in the saddle. Simple rule of thumb is that if you're looking for Iron Butt type mileage capability, go custom as you're most likely to find the solution there. I should have started with that because the cost of my initial attempts at fixing the problem cost nearly as much as the custom seat. As always though, YMMV. Link to comment
zhukov1942 Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 Here's another nice thing about the seat; there's storage compartments under them. The rider seat has a rectangular, but shallow compartment suitable for credit cards and cash. The pillion seat has a cylinder for other valuables. The only negative is that the heated seat plugs do not fit the BMW, you have to chop off the factory plugs and sub them with the ones that come with the seat. Living in Fla., heated seats don't matter so I haven't hooked them up. Link to comment
zhukov1942 Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 There is no doubt the Mayer bros make great seats. Russell, Corbin, etc also have great reputations. I chose Sargent because they are in Fla and if I had a problem I could drive to their shop and resolve any issues. I'm 6' with average build so I didn't need a custom seat. Link to comment
Albert Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 That tube in the rear seat is a nice place to keep a spare alternator belt. Link to comment
Quinn Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 It would really help if everyone who is satisfied with their seat brand could include their height, weight, and a picture of their butt so I could better figure out what would work for me. Thank you. ----- Link to comment
zhukov1942 Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 That tube in the rear seat is a nice place to keep a spare alternator belt. since it's an RT I plan to keep a spare FD there Link to comment
Rinkydink Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I have a Sargent on my 800ST. I love the seat. The tube is great for carrying extra oil. If I could only figure out what oil is best...any suggestions?? yuk yuk Link to comment
SPX Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 There is no doubt the Mayer bros make great seats. Russell, Corbin, etc also have great reputations. I chose Sargent because they are in Fla and if I had a problem I could drive to their shop and resolve any issues. I'm 6' with average build so I didn't need a custom seat. Seats are so subjective.. what one person swears by, the next person swears AT. From my research, Rick Mayer has much better customer satisfaction than Rocky (Bill) Mayer, BUT Rick Mayer isn't as easy to reach by phone, etc. That being said, I am told that both Mayer brothers use "junk" materials for their seats.. like $5 max of foam. I don't have the expertise to confirm or deny that. People also tend to complain about the customer service for Corbin, though "ride in" appointments seem to get treated OK. With Sargent, people tend to have "neutral" feelings about their seats. Nobody makes a point to share their dislike, but they also don't tend to share their overwhelming love for the comfort. Truthfully, the one who I've heard the most success stories from, and by far the fewest horror stories is Russell Day Long. Also it seems that Kontour had a rough start a few years back, but lately, people seem to be very happy with them. I am wondering if at some point, Kontour will move ahead of Russell as the seat to have. Link to comment
Dave_in_TX Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 From my research, Rick Mayer has much better customer satisfaction than Rocky (Bill) Mayer, BUT Rick Mayer isn't as easy to reach by phone, etc. That being said, I am told that both Mayer brothers use "junk" materials for their seats.. like $5 max of foam. I don't have the expertise to confirm or deny that. Before getting my Bill Mayer saddle three+ years ago, I also conducted some research and came to the opposite conclusion that Rocky had better customer satisfaction than Rick. Rick had some very satisfied customers but also had too many "horror stories". As for using "junk" materials, I've`seen Rocky's seat cores at rallies and samples of the foam Rick uses. Neither of those are junk materials. Link to comment
SPX Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Before getting my Bill Mayer saddle three+ years ago, I also conducted some research and came to the opposite conclusion that Rocky had better customer satisfaction than Rick. Rick had some very satisfied customers but also had too many "horror stories". As for using "junk" materials, I've`seen Rocky's seat cores at rallies and samples of the foam Rick uses. Neither of those are junk materials. Again, I am not an expert at materials, so I cannot confirm that the info below is a fact, but this comes from someone who knows seat materials very well, and is in reference to the materials that the Mayer brothers use: Mayer seats are made from a generic mold which is injected with 50 cents worth of commodity polyurethane foam: soft, medium or hard. Then a $5.00 vinyl or $15.00 leather covering is installed. That's it. Link to comment
myshkin Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 The stocker did not work for me. I could barely walk after 50 miles so I got a Sargent seat which was a little better but as it broke in it was not much different than stock. I finally broke down and got a Russell Day long. I have done 1000 mile day and had no discomfort. But as one of the posters said everyone is different. Link to comment
zhukov1942 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 From my research, Rick Mayer has much better customer satisfaction than Rocky (Bill) Mayer, BUT Rick Mayer isn't as easy to reach by phone, etc. That being said, I am told that both Mayer brothers use "junk" materials for their seats.. like $5 max of foam. I don't have the expertise to confirm or deny that. Doubt this very much. Mayers wouldn't stay in business for very long with "junk" materials. I think the main point is to ditch the stock seats and find something better that works. There are several solid alternatives, most which are listed herein. Link to comment
tallman Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Before getting my Bill Mayer saddle three+ years ago, I also conducted some research and came to the opposite conclusion that Rocky had better customer satisfaction than Rick. Rick had some very satisfied customers but also had too many "horror stories". As for using "junk" materials, I've`seen Rocky's seat cores at rallies and samples of the foam Rick uses. Neither of those are junk materials. Again, I am not an expert at materials, so I cannot confirm that the info below is a fact, but this comes from someone who knows seat materials very well, and is in reference to the materials that the Mayer brothers use: Mayer seats are made from a generic mold which is injected with 50 cents worth of commodity polyurethane foam: soft, medium or hard. Then a $5.00 vinyl or $15.00 leather covering is installed. That's it. Anonymous derogatory quotations serve no one. If true, the ads for Mayer would be totally false and... Same AirHawk the past 200,000 miles here. Link to comment
SPX Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Anonymous derogatory quotations serve no one. If true, the ads for Mayer would be totally false and... Same AirHawk the past 200,000 miles here. Info came from Ron at Kontour Link to comment
tallman Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Anonymous derogatory quotations serve no one. If true, the ads for Mayer would be totally false and... Same AirHawk the past 200,000 miles here. Info came from Ron at Kontour Was not questioning you, but if he is right big issue, if he is not, and maliciously speaking, big issue. You've id'd yourself as a witness. Good luck when this plays out. Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 "Mayer seats are made from a generic mold which is injected with 50 cents worth of commodity polyurethane foam: soft, medium or hard. Then a $5.00 vinyl or $15.00 leather covering is installed. That's it." Who cares if the prime material cost $5.00 or $50.00, If the end product is worth $500.00. Link to comment
SPX Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 "Mayer seats are made from a generic mold which is injected with 50 cents worth of commodity polyurethane foam: soft, medium or hard. Then a $5.00 vinyl or $15.00 leather covering is installed. That's it." Who cares if the prime material cost $5.00 or $50.00, If the end product is worth $500.00. Well said... Worth mentioning is while the Bill Mayer Saddle didn't work for me, the rider who I traded it with LOVES it. Just goes to prove, every person is different. What one person finds to be terribly uncmfortable, the next person finds to be so comfortable, they never want to get off of it. To each their own... Link to comment
BFish Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 actually it just goes to prove we have more different asses on this board than theories on oil! asses should be used in the literal sense. nothing negative meant by the above. Link to comment
Albert Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 actually it just goes to prove we have more different asses on this board than theories on oil! OK guilty! Link to comment
RedMac Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Not that these are the same, but... I had a Sargent on my K1200RS and it was MUCH better than stock. I went with a Corbin on the RT because I was able to test ride it at the BMW National rally a few years back in West Bend. After having both, I prefer the Corbin. Stayed a bit stiffer after break-in. I've done 1200 mile days on it and still been able to walk. Link to comment
Tippy Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Agree, please keep us posted! I tried a Bill Mayer saddle on my RT and it was horrible; far worse than stock. Disappointing considering it was custom made for me and how I sit on the bike, etc. I sold/traded the Bill Mayer Saddle, and went back to stock. I now run an Airhawk R on top of the stock seat, and I am surprisingly happy with it. I've done up to 400 miles in a day on it with no discomfort, and routinely do 250 mile days on it. That being said, if I could find a seat with equal or better comfort to the Airhawk, I'd consider going to it, as I am not completely fond of carrying an extra item for the bike to remain comfortable. I have been using Rick Mayer custom built seats for several years. I find them first rate and good for an all-day ride. Link to comment
Davo Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 +1. Year and a half, and a happy fanny. Did 10 hours and 450 miles today on it. Link to comment
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