What Is Best Aftermarket Seat for Gl1800

[Calgary]

I'm looking for improved seating comfort on my Goldwing and give me the seating capacity to ride up to 800 mile days. Your recommendations will be very much appreciated.

 

[Chumbly]

Lots of people claim the "Ultimate" is the best. Check it out-
Ultimate Seats: World's Most Comfortable Aftermarket Motorcycle Seats - Enjoy the Ride Again!

 

[ben721364]

Sadly I cannot imagine that there is a universal saddle that will satisfy everyone. It might (possibly could) be possible if all of us were the same size, weight and width. <g> After spending (lots of) money on several off-the-shelf saddles, pads, beads, etc. I found that (for me at least) Russell Day Long was the way to go and have since had RDL custom build 3 saddles for me.

YMMV. Good luck.

 

[Blondie Gal]

Guess we're just lucky! Have GW stock seats with B&G seat covers on. Cooler in summer, warmer in winter. Routinely ride 600-1000 miles at a time without 'numb butt.' Tried gel pads, felt hard after a couple of hours.

 

[Rosy]

Stock seat..Change pressure points so you don't get sore:
1. A real good sheep seat cover..warm winter..cool summer
2. $20 gel seat under sheepskin
3. Change to 1/2" foam pat at point where you get a little stiff, change pressure point
4. Put gel pad/foam together to again change pressure point. We have gone 12 hours in the saddle and feel good when we have arrive.
5. Good saddle backrest with sheep cover is also good to have.
Like it has been said before, Everybody is different so you have to see what fits you..If an $800 dollar seat does the job, Great! But if it doesn't, then what?
I believe in trying things that are out there with out great expense to see if they work, if not $20 isn't much to throw way, not compare to $800. See what I am trying to get at?
I have seen seats with those wooden balls and people say they are comfy, OK, I say, everybody is different, maybe not for me!
Good luck and chime in with what worked for you, so someone else may try it to see if it works for them!

Regards,

Rosy & Janice
From NH

 

[1800 06 Champion Trike]

I have the Ultimate Mid Rider and also the passenger backrest.
Never been happier with a seat.
Check and see if they still have the 14 day try it out period.
If you don't like it , you can send it back for a refund.

 

[Blueribbon]

Hartco seat. I have a Hartco and am very pleased with it, though I've not done a 800 mile day. Go over to GL1800Riders and search seats and you will find lots and lots of postings pros & cons on 1/2 dozen after market seats.

 

[Mr Orange]

Russell Day Long! ThumbUp I don't think you can do any better for any bike. I've bought several custom built seats over the years and while they've all did their job my Russell on my Spyder just does it so much better! I've done many 800+ mile days and I was still able to walk just fine. No they aren't inexpensive but IMO I think they are worth it.

Custom Motorcycle Seats and Touring Saddles - "Day-Long" Touring Saddles and Motorcycle Seats by Russell Cycle Products

 

[Ozarkryder]

We had a Diamond on our GL1500SE Motor Trike and Loved it. Gloria said it was the best money we spent on the trike. When we got the 1800 Champion I found a Hartco on the web. Hartco is made by the same folks that make Diamond. The Hartco is a great seat, but it was made for someone about 30 to 50lbs more than me and with a bit more in the back. (I am pretty thin, my wife says I need a thick wallet and a couple of handkerchiefs to break even.) They run about $1200 for the whole thing with rider and passenger backrest. Got to get around putting it on the for sale board one of these days. We will order a Diamond whenever we get around to selling the Hartco.

 

[Hoghead]

We had a Diamond on our GL1500SE Motor Trike and Loved it. Gloria said it was the best money we spent on the trike. When we got the 1800 Champion I found a Hartco on the web. Hartco is made by the same folks that make Diamond. The Hartco is a great seat, but it was made for someone about 30 to 50lbs more than me and with a bit more in the back. (I am pretty thin, my wife says I need a thick wallet and a couple of handkerchiefs to break even.) They run about $1200 for the whole thing with rider and passenger backrest. Got to get around putting it on the for sale board one of these days. We will order a Diamond whenever we get around to selling the Hartco.

Here is my experience with Diamond seats. I ordered one last fall for a 2012 GL1800 Trike and received the seat and backrest but didn't attempt to install it till riding weather was over because I had been warned of how much of a problem I was going to endure. I probably spent 4-6 hours trying to install this seat with several phone calls to Mark at Diamond and he kept insisting the seat would fit and I kept insisting the seat would not and I was right. He finally told me to send it back to him at MY EXPENSE which I did not do. He didn't make it right the first time so why would he make it right now. I took the seat to a competent upholstery guy and he took a full inch out of the back of the seat AT MY EXPENSE which was $75.00 and it finally installed with not much of a problem after I chased the threads twice on the install holes in the frame. Buying a Diamond seat is one mistake I will never make again. The seat is better than the Original Equipment but it is not $1200.00 better. I would feel comfortable paying $500.00 for a seat of this quality, but not for one that I had to pay to have fixed after I received it. This not only happened to me but a friend in Lebanon Tn. had the same experience. Not bashing Diamond....Just stating the facts.....

 

[Ozarkryder]

Hey Hoghead, I have heard of folks having problems with the fitment of the Diamond and Hartco seats, as they are made by the same company. It seems to be a hit or miss kind of deal - we seem to have been more on the "hit" side of it. The Diamond we had on the 1500 and the Hartco we now have on the 1800 are not drop it on and bolt it up, but I can get it back on in just a hair over the time it takes to put on the stock seat, which is a drop it on and bolt it up proposition. I also took my grinder and made a dull point on the mounting bolts to make it easier to guide them into the install holes in the frame.
We have an upholstery shop in town that specializes in automotive work. I still have the stock 1800 seat, perhaps it would be good idea to let them have a go at customizing it to our comfort and save some $$$ for gas...

 

[Hoghead]

Hey Hoghead, I have heard of folks having problems with the fitment of the Diamond and Hartco seats, as they are made by the same company. It seems to be a hit or miss kind of deal - we seem to have been more on the "hit" side of it. The Diamond we had on the 1500 and the Hartco we now have on the 1800 are not drop it on and bolt it up, but I can get it back on in just a hair over the time it takes to put on the stock seat, which is a drop it on and bolt it up proposition. I also took my grinder and made a dull point on the mounting bolts to make it easier to guide them into the install holes in the frame.
We have an upholstery shop in town that specializes in automotive work. I still have the stock 1800 seat, perhaps it would be good idea to let them have a go at customizing it to our comfort and save some $$$ for gas...

I have been told once the seat is on and rode awhile the remove and put back on is a lot easier. I hope to never have mine back off. I still haven't forgot the headaches I had with this thing and having to pay to get a seat fixed that wasn't made right the first time.....That just ain't right.....I am a Business owner and my business is thriving due to good prices and good customer service. The Diamond seat business may be thriving but their customer service sucks......

 

[Chazzman]

My first Diamond seat was on a 2005 Goldwing, after 40,000 miles it was like new, the most comfortable seat my wife and I have ever owned. When we purchased our Trike she insisted we buy a Diamond seat. Mark built the seat for the same weight and height as well as accommodating my L4 and L5 disc issues. I also added 1/2 in NASA foam on the top surface as my 2005. The seat fit perfect and wasn't too difficult to install on the 05.

The 2012 takes a slightly different mold. I could not get my new seat To install on my Trike. After a little investigation I discovered there was too much padding in the very back portion of the seat. I shipped the seat back and had Mark remove 3/4 in from the rear and the seat fits very well and is very comfortable.

After 30+ motorcycles I have owned several aftermarket seats and for me Diamond is the best. There again it''s all about individual preference. A great seat will take about 1000 miles to break in.

Stock seats are built on a plastic pan and not very dense foam. Hard pans such as steel and dense foam make for a great seat. A great seat will evenly distribute pressure points to eliminate soreness, burning and pain in the buttocks .
I can easily ride a Diamond 700+ mile days in complete comfort.

 

[TouringOn2]

In January when Ultimate Seat had a 20% off sale I bought a 3 piece Low Rider seat and love it. I put a lot of miles and long days on my stock seat and never had a problem. Once I started riding the Ultimate seat I couldn't believe the difference. My wife sits upright now instead of leaning back she loves it. Be safe and enjoy the ride. Larry

 

[Ozarkryder]

I have been told once the seat is on and rode awhile the remove and put back on is a lot easier. I hope to never have mine back off.

Got a chuckle out of me on that line I highlighted, Hoghead. Except riding and filling up with gas it seems the first instruction for anything you do on a 'Wing according to the factory manual is remove the seat.

 

[paws]

We like the Air Hawks.
We found the gel pad to get hard pretty quick.
Doesn't take but a little bit of air in the Air Hawks to make them nice and comfy, otherwise, too much air and they are hard. You just have to play with the air pressure to get to your comfort zone. Plus you can take them other places to use, like to a baseball or football stadium.
Cost isn't too bad either. Had mine since 2008 and NEVER leaked. Bought hubby's last year - no leaks so far.
I use the original Air Hawk design and hubby uses the one with the cut-out down the middle for the men's, uh, "stuff". Carla Paws

 

[rmrc51]

I have been told once the seat is on and rode awhile the remove and put back on is a lot easier. I hope to never have mine back off. I still haven't forgot the headaches I had with this thing and having to pay to get a seat fixed that wasn't made right the first time.....That just ain't right.....I am a Business owner and my business is thriving due to good prices and good customer service. The Diamond seat business may be thriving but their customer service sucks......

Take it from me, it is true that once you get a Hartco seat on the first time, it is very easy to remove and re-install them after the initial installation.

I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I first tried to install my Hartco! I had my wife kneeling on it while trying to bounce a bit to force the back end down. I finally got it to the point where I could line up the last rear bolt. When I had to remove the seat a second time,,, I was "praying" that I wouldn't have a repeat performance to get the seat back on. To my surprise, the seat went back on with little or no effort! It seems that these seat pans do have to conform to the frame of your bike.

 

[Copasetic]

I couldn't be happier with my Russell Day Long!

 

[Mgammon]

Have Ultimate Seat on my 09 Roadsmith. LOVE IT ... Have tried Diamond, Russell, Hartco and Corbin on other bikes. IMHO, Ultimate Seat Rocks ..