Fitted new Seat Concepts Touring seat...

[betoney]

I couldn't wait, I ordered one last week.  I have several multi-day road trips coming up in the next 6-weeks and wanted it installed before the trips. 
On their website they claim a 10 to 14 business day lead time to get it made plus shipping time.
 
"During our busy season, our production lead time is approximately 10-14 BUSINESS DAYS as most of our covers, kits, and complete seats are made to order. This does not include weekends or holidays as we are likely out testing our products to better serve our valued customers! The lead time is a bit longer during our busy season and we will do everything we can to get your order to you as quickly as possible."
 

[kiwicanuck]

I couldn't wait, I ordered one last week.  I have several multi-day road trips coming up in the next 6-weeks and wanted it installed before the trips.  On their website they claim a 10 to 14 business day lead time to get it made plus shipping time.
 
"During our busy season, our production lead time is approximately 10-14 BUSINESS DAYS as most of our covers, kits, and complete seats are made to order. This does not include weekends or holidays as we are likely out testing our products to better serve our valued customers! The lead time is a bit longer during our busy season and we will do everything we can to get your order to you as quickly as possible."

Awesome, more people means more reviews, looking forward to after ride reports guys

[betoney]

I sure hope it is an improvement over their standard seat. I currently have the standard Seat Concepts foam and gripper cover, it is fine for a few hours, but definitely not all day comfort. I just got back from a 2-day ride, 10 hours each day and just short of 900 miles. My ass is killing me!
I try to stop for a "walk around and stretch" break about every 90 minutes as well as stand up for a few seconds at a time while riding to get some blood flowing, but the standard seat foam is just not good for longer rides.
When I get the S/T foam installed, I will sure let you know my impressions, though I'm sure Wordsmith will have a verdict before me.

[wordsmith]

Without going into huge detail (for once!) I took a short-ish non-stop ride today of about 120km, taking about 90 minutes (guesstimated), thinking to get some more impressions of the new seat.
 
Interim verdict: it’s an improvement on stock (what wouldn’t be?) but not the giant leap forward that I’d hoped for. I certainly wasn’t squirming after an hour as in the past, but neither was I fully comfortable, butt-wise.
 
Further assessment will take place later this week as I take a 440km ride north on Tuesday, then return a couple of days later after a day off the bike. Each 440km leg should be done with only one stop along the way, giving me a good opportunity for a full appraisal of the seat. Stay tuned!
 

[betoney]

I got shipping notification on mine this morning, it should be here on Wednesday. Hopefully soon after I will get it installed and take it out for an evaluation ride.

[kimmie]

Oh Wordsmith you crack me up 
 
Glad you finally got the seat and have had a couple of short rides out to test.
 
Stay-tuned to the Wordsmith Station......
The pressure is on mate to deliver on this verdict.....mens "butts" are in the sling waiting on the outcome of the testing.
 
Enjoy your ~400km round trip and I will (like others) look forward to your in depth report.
 
 
 
 

[wordsmith]

Oh Wordsmith you crack me up   
Glad you finally got the seat and have had a couple of short rides out to test.
 
Stay-tuned to the Wordsmith Station......
The pressure is on mate to deliver on this verdict.....mens "butts" are in the sling waiting on the outcome of the testing.
 
Enjoy your ~400km round trip and I will (like others) look forward to your in depth report.
 
 
 

It will be 440km EACH WAY, plenty enough already.   Sorry it wasn't such good news, but lots of time and road left.   I wonder if any of the Kardashians would donate a bit of booty...

[kimmie]

So Wordsmith........How'd the seat go???
 
 

[kiwicanuck]

For those looking to order reminder you can get different foam depending on your wieght, so much sure you get the right one when you order.

[wordsmith]

For those looking to order reminder you can get different foam depending on your wieght, so much sure you get the right one when you order.

Didn't know that - it's not mentioned (unless I missed it) on their website, nor did my local (Oz) distributor tell me.

[stevesweetz]

Looks like you have to ask for it specially. kiwicanuck kind of made it sound like they have a bunch of foam options, but their standard foam is good for 160-240lbs, so unless you're close to or outside either of those extremes, you got the right one.
 
 
This is from their FAQ:

Q: Are there different density foams available?
A: Yes, our standard foam density works well with a weight range of 160-240lbs. If you are below or near the lower, or higher side of the weight range, please contact us for a consultation and we will help determine the correct density for you. There is no additional charge for a density change, but please note that any adjustment to the foam density would be considered a custom seat, and is not a returnable item.

 
 
I have a Sargent, but I'm still interested in this seat. The Sargent is great for day-rides, but for multi-day touring its hardness gets to me I need to add an air pad on top. Having a seat that's cushier by default might be nice and if I end up liking it I should be able to recoup some cost selling the Sargent.

[wordsmith]

I have just ordered from the Sydney (Oz) distributor one of the GOLD GEL seat pads from LUIMOTO, as discussed and illustrated by kiwicanuck in his recent posts. Regrettably, I found the new Seat Concepts Touring seat kit less than satisfactory during my ~860km trial circuit last week.
 
I have an ~4500km trip north planned, departing August 10th, so I hope it arrives in time - if not, trip will have to be be deferred.

[madeuce216]

Been waiting on the final verdict on this.  Guess it's off to Sargent for me.

[wordsmith]

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF IT ALL...

I have been intrigued for a very long time about why some motorbike seats work well, others not so. My latest foray into the murky underworld of options has led me to believe that the problem is less that of the seat itself, more the rider’s anatomy.
 
Out last week for two lengthy rides of about 440km each on my new SEAT CONCEPTS Touring seat, about which I had very high hopes, I came up with a pretty good mental description of how that seat felt: it was as if two halves of a golf ball were placed across the seat a few inches apart, lightly covered with a thin towel.
 
Within a short time the two pressure points on my butt became uncomfortable, then unbearable. It seems that the structure around our hips has two protrusions called ischia (see pic), aka in the biking world as ‘sit bones’, as these carry all the body’s weight when we are seated. Yes – as a doctor I’d make a fine plumber!
 
Any rider well-endowed with flesh and/ or fat in that region might find it perfectly acceptable. I imagine that Jennifer Lopez or those Kardashian gels might be pretty comfy! With me, being very skinny and having at best what feels like about a half-inch of cover on those bony protrusions, not so.
 
So unless I’m seated on very thick foam, or something more resistant to localised pressure points, it will always feel that I’m actually sitting on the hard seat pan itself. This is certainly what my experience on the OE seat and now the SEAT CONCEPTS Touring seat suggests.
 
At the same time, I have to say that the SEAT CONCEPTS original replacement seat kit that I had on my previous Tracer was a distinct improvement over stock. I guess that I expected the newer Touring kit to be a step up again, but alas for me it is not - $275 down the drain.
 
I now await delivery of the LUIMOTO Gold Gel seat insert, which I’ll fit into the OE seat foam, as that gives me less of a (minor) height issue than the Touring seat, which is a little taller. And as I scribe this it does remind me that one of the most comfortable seats on any motorcycle I have owned was an OE gel seat that was standard on the mighty Yamaha MT-01.
 
I’ll report back on the impact of the LUIMOTO Gold Gel insert once fitted. It needs to arrive here from Canada within the next ten days to give me time to install and then test it, or my trip north will have to be deferred or cancelled.   Stay tuned!
 

 

[betoney]

Well, I got the new Sport-Touring foam and cover installed today and I just got back from my first ride.
As a comparison, I had the Seat Concepts standard foam, I call it their "sport" foam as it feels like it came straight from a sportbike.
The first impression was it feels taller, quite a bit taller. I'm not sure of the exact dimensions but would guess that the middle and rear portion of the foam is at least 1/2 inch taller, like switching your seat to the higher position.
The next immediate realization is that it is softer/squishier (less dense or firm) than their standard foam. Someone on here wrote that they moved around a bit more on the S/T foam and yes its true, if you rock your hips side to side, you move much more than the standard foam. Some may not like this, it took a while to adjust to it but I didn't mind it, I was able to hit some fast sweeping corners and tighter twisty roads and still felt firmly planted thanks to the gripper cover, but if you want a taught, dense feel for sportier riding then stick with their standard foam.
I wasn't out very long, 2 hours at the most, but I didn't feel the need to stop for a break, re position or change anything for more comfort. Tomorrow I plan on a longer 300 mile ride to get a better evaluation, but between getting new tires(Pirelli Angel GT), upgraded suspension (Forks by Matt/Penske shock) and now this new Sport Touring foam, the ride today was definitely the most comfortable ride I have taken on this bike.