I took a 50 mile ride today and my butt died at about 40 miles. It only took about 10 miles to start feeling like I was sitting on a padded 2x4. I had to lean forward and slouch to move the weight off of my tailbone.
So, I need some advice from some other big guys. I'm 5'10", 290 and a 30"-32" inseam. If there is anyone else similar in size tell me what seat works best for you. I can't afford to buy 2-3 different seats to find the right one.
Any suggestions will be appreciated!

You ridin' a 1600 or a 1700? If you are riding a 1600 , buy/get a seat off a 1700 , it's wider and flatter, goes on exactly like a 1600. Much more comfortable for me. If you're already on a 1700............I've tried a lot of them, lets just say I'm still/back on my stock 1700 seat. BB

6'0" & 260 here. I've found that my stock seat works just fine(I'm on a '04 so it's got the larger seat). Now I'm not sure if that means I've got a hard rump or if the seat is that much better. I've been on leisurely all day rides of a couple hundred miles and only toward the end of the day did I start to feel anything uncomfortable.

I'm sure the aftermarket seats that are out there are much more comfortable, but till my butt tells me otherwise I'll stick with my stock saddle.

M7

You might think about picking up a sheepskin seat cover. Adds a little extra cushion and is cheaper than replacing the entire seat. Google sheepskin motorcycle seat covers and you'll get a ton of hits.

heavy,

I'm not so comfortable on my stock seat once I get past the 300 - 400 mile marker in one day. I just bought one of these:

http://www.amspecialtiesusa.com/gelpad.htm

I'll get to test it out for real in early June when I do 650 miles in one day back home to GA and again at the end of summer when me and a couple of buddies cover around 2,000 miles in 5 days through New England.

I previously had an AirVent pad, and it made 500-mile+ days possible, but my arese was still screamin' at the end of the day.

I had the same trouble with the 2006 stock seat. I love my Corbin Dual Touring Saddle. Pricey, but well made. The seat will change your riding position by getting you a little closer to the ground. The back rest is a must. This seat will move you slightly forward, but not significantly different than the stock seat.

My riding buddy swears by his RoHo Airhawk seat cushion. I thought about that too, but they are not cheap either so I decided to invest that money into a better seat.

I still use my sheepskin buttpad in the Summer, but that is mainly to reduce the amount of unsightly butt sweating!

Big,
Have you thought about modifying your stock seat? It's really not that hard (except for getting the vinyl restapled to the seat pan) and, IMO it makes a world of difference in comfort and the way the seat feels. Like you, the stock seat put too much pressure on my tail bone so I bought a Mustang seat. Didn't like it because it moved me too far forward (and we're about the same height; 5' 10" with a 30" inseam.) and didn't give me any "wiggle" room like the stock seat.

If you think this is something you'll want to try, I have a couple of suggestions. 1)If you don't have one already, buy an electric knife to cut the foam. I tried multiple knives and nothing worked worth a crap. Bought an electric knife from Wal-Mart for less than $10. 2)If you are affraid of screwing up your seat, buy a used one off Ebay. That way if you do mess it up, you'll still have a seat. And there are alot of stock seats on Ebay.... I got one (rider only) for $25 plus shipping.

Attached are some pics of how and where to trim the foam off the stock seat to eliminate the pressure on the tail bone.











Good luck and ride safe!

In The Wind,
Aaron

The stock seat killed me after about 30 mins but took allot less than that to be unconfortable. The plastic pan is not stiff enough to do the job.

I first I bought a sheepskin pad, it made no difference in the confort of the seat
I then bought the firehouse backrest which did make it better but not good enough for a long ride.
The most popular seats are probably the Corbin and the Mustang, but there's others. Bottom line is that almost any after market seat is much better or like others have already said you can modify the stock with an electric knife and install memory foam and a gel pad. You can also buy a fibreglas kit to make your own pan.

Only YOUR rearend will decide what's best for you. ebay has some good deals if you're patient but try to sit on a few before you decide.

Thanks for the replies, guys. This is a 1700, btw.
They are all good ideas. Being a cheap son-of-a-gun sometimes, I think I may try 2005Roadstar's idea or combination of his and some of the others.
Thanks again!

2005Roadstar wrote:
Big,
Have you thought about modifying your stock seat? It's really not that hard (except for getting the vinyl restapled to the seat pan) and, IMO it makes a world of difference in comfort and the way the seat feels. Like you, the stock seat put too much pressure on my tail bone so I bought a Mustang seat. Didn't like it because it moved me too far forward (and we're about the same height; 5' 10" with a 30" inseam.) and didn't give me any "wiggle" room like the stock seat.

If you think this is something you'll want to try, I have a couple of suggestions. 1)If you don't have one already, buy an electric knife to cut the foam. I tried multiple knives and nothing worked worth a crap. Bought an electric knife from Wal-Mart for less than $10. 2)If you are affraid of screwing up your seat, buy a used one off Ebay. That way if you do mess it up, you'll still have a seat. And there are alot of stock seats on Ebay.... I got one (rider only) for $25 plus shipping.


Aaron,

Any chance you could write that up for the tech articles? Something like a tools list, materials list (if any) and some step by step directions?

Gram