stock seat comfort?

I have one of those crazy double seats on my 78 kz1000a (which the foam doesn't really anyway.) I want to replace the seat and am considering my options.

The main question is how comfortable is the stock, flat type seat for long haul rides? I am starting to do some long distant rides and want to be as comfortable as possible.

The other option is the corbin seat, nice but EXPENSIVE!

Thoughts on the stock seat configuration?

Mine has the stepped LTD seat. It's pretty good, and the step keeps you from sliding back when you accelerate.
But you can't move back on the seat. I think the flat ironing board seat gives you more riding positions. Nice if you've got a long ride.

Flat is the only comfortable seat for long distance rides. Take my word. Any seats that sit you in a position you can't move around will not work for long distance.

RonKZ650, i assume your four corners rides where on relatively flat seats, no problems with sore butt (other than what would be expected)?

RonKZ650 wrote:

Flat is the only comfortable seat for long distance rides. Take my word.

Ummmm, thanks, but no thanks.

For some-odd thousands of years, saddles have been designed with contour-fitting features that spec out as being *anything* but flat. Otherwise, the Romans would have strapped a 2x4 to a horse's back and been done with it.

More recently, and in the realm of motorcycles, cop bikes of any variety and (gasp!) classic H-D saddles all the way back to the turn of the last century were designed with long distance riding in mind, and they're *anything* but flat.

Far from being a one-size or one-shape fits all kind of answer, the solutions are about as diverse as the kinds of asses there are to fit them.

Padding, contour and lumbar support are all items for consideration. Beyond that is seating position - handlebar and footrest placement can be equally as if not more important in overall comfort on long hauls.

...Any seats that sit you in a position you can't move around will not work for long distance.

That's true enough.

SuperTrey wrote:

RonKZ650, i assume your four corners rides where on relatively flat seats, no problems with sore butt (other than what would be expected)?

The stock seat that's in the picture is the one I used. I might have gotten a sore butt, but not bad because like anything it takes getting used to. The part I have trouble with is my neck getting stiff which was much worse than the rear. I've ridden many a bike with various degree of step or bucket including a 1984 Honda Goldwing that my butt is not happy with and a 1990 Yamaha FJ1200 that was downright torture. The seat looks and feels comfortable on it, but only for 20 miles then the problems set in quickly. Even a new Kawasaki Concours did nothing for me thanks to it's seat sloping forward. I spent a small fortune on bikes over the years, but after that FJ1200 I definately knew what *not* to use for a seat and stepped seats, buckets, sloping forward seats or seats that set you in a V type thing between sloping forward then backwards are all no good.

Pterosaur wrote:

RonKZ650 wrote:

Flat is the only comfortable seat for long distance rides. Take my word.

Ummmm, thanks, but no thanks.

For some-odd thousands of years, saddles have been designed with contour-fitting features that spec out as being *anything* but flat. Otherwise, the Romans would have strapped a 2x4 to a horse's back and been done with it.

More recently, and in the realm of motorcycles, cop bikes of any variety and (gasp!) classic H-D saddles all the way back to the turn of the last century were designed with long distance riding in mind, and they're *anything* but flat.

Far from being a one-size or one-shape fits all kind of answer, the solutions are about as diverse as the kinds of asses there are to fit them.

Padding, contour and lumbar support are all items for consideration. Beyond that is seating position - handlebar and footrest placement can be equally as if not more important in overall comfort on long hauls.

...Any seats that sit you in a position you can't move around will not work for long distance.

That's true enough.

I believe he is talking about longitudinal flatness, not the transverse "flatness" of the seat.

I just replaced my stock seat with a Corbin and it's flat and firm, I like the support of the firm flat seat plus it's lower in the frame than the stock seat making the seating position more comfortable. My wife and I enjoy a long ride and this seat has made the ride better. Here is the url if you want to see one.

corbin.com/kawasaki/73kz.shtml

Pterosaur wrote:


Far from being a one-size or one-shape fits all kind of answer, the solutions are about as diverse as the kinds of asses there are to fit them.

Yup! Ya bunch of sore asses!! NICE! I've had 2 Gold Wings. One had a nice looking double bucket. It didn't look rediciliously oversized and fit my but to a T (and thats a big job). It sucked. The first 10 minutes were heaven but then you were locked into one spot and it quickly became torture. The next Wing had a big ugly bucket that could almost fit two of me. I could have rode that seat cross country turned around and rode back. My butt would have been whistling all the way. Of course some other parts of my body would have revolted and 86'ed me. And all the good was because I could change my position on the seat. Thus changing the hard points in my sitting. But looking at the seat made you wince. It wasn't pretty.
Now today I have a few bikes. One is a KZ650 with a stock flat seat and it is very comfortable. Not a touring seat but comfortable. I can change positions from my butt to my thighs and that helps. I also have a 76900LTD with a stepped seat and 10 minutes is fine and up to 20 is er.. ok but after that get me off this thing.

PT wrote:Padding, contour and lumbar support are all items for consideration. Beyond that is seating position - handlebar and footrest placement can be equally as if not more important in overall comfort on long hauls.

Amen: Sitting up straight or leaning back: Having to hold yourself up because a 65 mph wind is trying to push you back off the bike will build you a nice set of Popeye arms but do you really want Olive Oil as a main squeeze? It also puts you on your tailbone and compresses the lower back into a great position to absorb those highway jolts.(sic)
A little lean into the wind will help greatly. It wll take a lot of pressure off your arms. It will allow you to adjust more of your weight onto your thighs and reduce the compression pressure on your lower back.
If all you do is highway sizzeling it wont hurt to get a little more forward. The wind will help float you and reduce arm fatigue. Good for the butt cause you will mostly be on your thighs. But large jolts will get to your back a little more in a displacement sort of way and around town riding will not be real comfortable. Doable but not comfortable.

My uncle had an old Harley Dresser with the biggest saddle seat I have ever saw. It was a single saddle made for 2. He rode everywhere in this great country. While cleaning out his barn I came across 5 of those seats with the rails. I had people calling me for months asking for those seats. They were 2 feet across, about to 2.5 long and I bet I could have sold 100 of them. Then I have a friend with an old Panhead with a seat that looks like it came off an old bicycle. It reminds me of a baseball glove from the 1920's. Just a leather pad really. He loves it but I don't see him touring. In fact I saw him hit a bump once that threatened to launch him. It has some heavy springs under it!

So it's really is a lot of factors that gos into long riding comfort. Don't be surprised if what makes you big butt happy is also butt ugly and don't forget your whole body position. Of course you could just tough it out beat yourself to a pulp and walk like an orangatang when you get older. OOOK!

Post edited by: ambergrismooon, at: 2006/07/27 08:17

Very insightful posting fellas...and some good stuff in RED!

Pegs and bars can make a world of difference to the way a seat feels...especially bars...not the saloon kind!

I have an old H*nda that had and uncomfortable seat until I installed some old Scuzuki bars off a 74 GT500 which are like superbike bars and now the seat is comfy. I am leaning farther forward and feel mucho more balanced and have better control of the bike too.

I think my GPz seat seems very comfy cause the riding position is overall...right on. Good bar and peg design.

Excellent responses and all valid points. Thanks guys. I lost an auction on a really nice stock seat on ebay this morning so now i am going to build my own from the comments above. I am going to experiment with shape and my butt and add a little memory foam in there to help with the pressure points.

If one of you kzriders won that seat this morning, enjoy it! It was a beauty!

Designing your own seat is a GREAT option, just make sure you ride it plenty before you get it covered, so its absolutely perfect for you.