New Tracer GT owner researching seat options

[metallion]

After 1 month and a little over 500 miles on my Tracer i have realized it's time to start seat shopping. The forward slope of the stock seat is very uncomfortable to me like many others have mentioned. This is my third Yamaha that iv'e had to shop an aftermarket seat for.

I had a Sargent seat on my former FJ-09 that i really liked but the seat they make for the Tracer does not appear to fit correctly. It may still be a nice seat but i just don't get the horrible looking fit at the front. Over the winter i bought a new Corbin cafe seat for my XSR 900 but the seat they make for Tracer looks too tall for me. From what iv'e read the Yamaha comfort seat seems to get mediocre reviews so not sure i want to go that route either. Thinking about going with a Seat Concepts kit but iv'e never attempted any DIY seat work before.

What brand of seat are you running on your Tracer? Open to thoughts and opinions.

 

 

[HGP61]

My 2017 Tracer came with the Yamaha comfort seat fitted by the previous owner. I have had no issues with it and have found it eminently comfortable I don't know if my opinion counts for much because I have nothing really to compare it with. I did have a 10 mile go on my friend's standard seat GT when we were trying to compare the different screens fitted to the bikes and I did prefer my comfort seat.

[johnmark101]

Based on what I have read most seem pretty satisfied with the Yamaha comfort seat, but a few not so much.  I have owned Sargent seats for other bikes and they were excellent.  I was extremely disappointed with the Sargent seat for the Tracer.  The fit was terrible and it did not seem to be near the quality of my previous Sargent seats.

I ended up ordering from Terry Adcox and should have my seat some time in late May and plan on hitting the road for a few days soon after.  Will post a review here once I have taken a trip with the new seat.

[metallion]

HGP61- Thank you for your reply. Right now the Yamaha comfort seat would be the quickest and least expensive option (other than seat concepts) so it may be what i decide on. 

[metallion]

johnmark101- Thank you for your reply. I get what you mean with the Sargent, the photos on the website look horrible. Sounds like you have owned one or seen it in person. I thought about Terry's Custom Seats but not sure i want to wait a month or so. I will be on a trip 1 month from now if things open back up. Corbin is shut down so the Yamaha comfort seat may the pick. 

[duhs10]

I recently switched to a Bagster seat (ready luxe with BULTEX foam). Very pleased.

[metallion]

Hi duhs10,

I've stumbled upon the name Bagster on here while researching seats. Pretty sure they are out of the UK. I will look them up thanks!

[betoney]

2 hours ago, metallion said:

HGP61- Thank you for your reply. Right now the Yamaha comfort seat would be the quickest and least expensive option (other than seat concepts) so it may be what i decide on. 

I have used the Seat Concepts seat(s) and they are a definite improvement - just not a drastic improvement.  🤷‍♀️

For the FJ09 they offer the standard 'comfort' seat and also a taller 'sport touring' version, I tried both and liked the ST version better but the Tracer/GT is only offered in the standard 'comfort' version.  The Seat Concepts products are a simple, relatively cheap and effective solution and very good quality.  

That being said, I am VERY picky, I ended up getting a custom seat built from a local seat builder and still went back 3 more times to get it tweaked and fine tuned to my liking.  That's one of the benefits of a custom seat, the owners policy is "if you don't like it, bring it back and we will adjust it for free".

If you aren't as picky as I am, the Seat Concepts seats are a great upgrade for the price.

[Coop]

You are correct about the Corbin seat being tall.  I've never ridden another brand on my old ST so I'm a Corbinoholic.

[metallion]

51 minutes ago, betoney said:

I have used the Seat Concepts seat(s) and they are a definite improvement - just not a drastic improvement.  🤷‍♀️

For the FJ09 they offer the standard 'comfort' seat and also a taller 'sport touring' version, I tried both and liked the ST version better but the Tracer/GT is only offered in the standard 'comfort' version.  The Seat Concepts products are a simple, relatively cheap and effective solution and very good quality.  

That being said, I am VERY picky, I ended up getting a custom seat built from a local seat builder and still went back 3 more times to get it tweaked and fine tuned to my liking.  That's one of the benefits of a custom seat, the owners policy is "if you don't like it, bring it back and we will adjust it for free".

If you aren't as picky as I am, the Seat Concepts seats are a great upgrade for the price.

betony- I had looked into seat concepts back when i was seat shopping for my XSR900. I thought about them again a couple days ago for an option on my Tracer. It looks like a decent seat but i have never attempted any upholstery work before. It doesn't look like rocket science and i do have a staple gun so it's a possibility. Thanks for your opinion.

[betoney]

9 minutes ago, metallion said:

betony- I had looked into seat concepts back when i was seat shopping for my XSR900. I thought about them again a couple days ago for an option on my Tracer. It looks like a decent seat but i have never attempted any upholstery work before. It doesn't look like rocket science and i do have a staple gun so it's a possibility. Thanks for your opinion.

If you aren't comfortable doing it you could also go to a local upholstery shop (assuming there are any still open)  I'm sure they could have it done in 20-30 minutes, but if you already have the staple gun it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

[BBB]

2 hours ago, metallion said:

Hi duhs10,

I've stumbled upon the name Bagster on here while researching seats. Pretty sure they are out of the UK. I will look them up thanks!

Bagster are French, but I got my seat from the Netherlands. 

BAGSTER READY LUXE YAMAHA MT-09 TRACER 900 2015-2019 BLACK WOVEN SUEDE SILVER BULTEX SEAT - ChromeBurner

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A Bagster seat is a big improvement in both style and comfort for any bike...

 

[metallion]

20 minutes ago, BBB said:

Bagster are French, but I got my seat from the Netherlands. 

BAGSTER READY LUXE YAMAHA MT-09 TRACER 900 2015-2019 BLACK WOVEN SUEDE SILVER BULTEX SEAT - ChromeBurner

---

A Bagster seat is a big improvement in both style and comfort for any bike...

 

Thanks BBB. I actually went on the website and speced out a nice looking seat. How do you get pricing? Must have to pick one of the individual retailers I'm guessing? 

[wordsmith]

2 hours ago, metallion said:

Hi duhs10,

I've stumbled upon the name Bagster on here while researching seats. Pretty sure they are out of the UK. I will look them up thanks!

Having had at least three BAGSTER seats I can only endorse them 1000%.   As I reported at the time "my bum thinks it has died and gone to heaven".  See below:  

LOVE AT FIRST SIT with my GT’s new BAGSTER seat

Short version - my bony bum thought it had died and gone to heaven.

Longer version - after a self-imposed absence from the GT for some time while allowing my very painful bursitis-affected shoulder to have some medical treatment and start to heal, I was eager to get onto the brand-new and as-yet untried BAGSTER seat.  Today it was very unpleasant to be outside, as ravaging bush-fires to the south, west, and north of Brisbane have brought thick hazy air and a strong smell of burning.   It’s been like this for some weeks now, so indoors is the best place to be, air-con on.   Storms forecast for later.

I need to heed my own words when reporting, for as I have said before - “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a new owner of almost anything – motorcycle, car, boat, house, girl-friend, goldfish, BAGSTER seat – will proclaim it to be absolutely the best of its kind ever, never equalled, and unlikely to be surpassed in the future”.   In other words, some self-serving exaggeration may occur!   Thank you, Jane Austen.

The OE GT seat is a vast improvement over the torture-device OE seat on Gen1 Tracers, but it could hardly have been worse – on the Gen1 seat about an hour or up to 80 or so kilometres was more than enough for me.    But the OE GT seat gave acceptable comfort on my recent 4500km circuit over 13 days as I only occasionally felt a need to squirm around to find that ‘sweet spot’, despite long hot days of up to 585km in the saddle.    Even so, I had such fond memories of previous BAGSTER seats that I couldn’t resist the urge to splash out another $500 or so to complete the package.

On today’s test-ride of about 180km/ two-and-a-bit hours, my bony bum thought it had died and gone to heaven, even though the difference in comfort was not huge, but it was certainly detectable.  

When I’m seated the new BAGSTER seat is quite firm, but has some ‘give’ still in it compared to the very firm OE Gt seat, which feels as though I have reached the limit of its compressibility and support, despite my pretty light ATTGATT weight of only around 84kg (185 pounds).    I also seem to be supported rather more along the back of my upper thighs instead of just on the points of my sit-bones.   Whatever – it was plush.   And with the front seat in the lower position, where it is easily and firmly fitted, I can comfortably flat-foot at rest – heels and soles of both boots flat on the ground.

The BAGSTER pillion seat does require a hefty karate-chop to get it to fasten securely into its lock – other than that the two-piece kit it is a superb product and, IMHO, worth every penny or cent or Euro if you can afford it.  

In summary then - on my GT, the combination of the bike’s greatly-improved K-tech very compliant suspension upgrade and the BAGSTER seat gives me near-perfection in terms of plush comfort and day-longability to ride.  

It is indeed “absolutely the best of its kind ever, never equalled, and unlikely to be surpassed in the future”.

 

 

They are beautifully made in France, with the buyer able to make selections of various materials, colours, stitching, logo, etc., from their on-line configerateur.   I purchased my last two - 1 x Tracer, 1 x Tracer GT - from an Italian company <motostorm.it> who both with these and other purchases I found to be very easy to deal with, no language issues, prompt replies, and highly competitive pricing.   I very highly recommend both BAGSTER and MOTOSTORM.it.

Edited April 21, 2020 by wordsmith

[Kenny A.]

+1 with Bagster. I also bought mine from motostorm.it  Very happy with it. 👍