Why Replace Your Motorcycle Seat?

Unless the seat on your motorcycle is worn and almost nonfunctional, the decision to replace the seat on a motorcycle is typically based on several things.

First and most important is how comfortable is your existing seat. If you are riding a new or fairly new full dresser chances are you already have a great seat. After paying all that money for a full dresser I would expect nothing less. If you only ride a few minutes back and forth to work, comfort may not be that important to you. If you take rides that are two hours or more, you’ll know if your seat is comfortable or not. If a seat is too hard, too soft, too wide or narrow it can cause discomfort and even numbness in your butt or legs. Long trips on a motorcycle on an uncomfortable seat can be torture.

You may want to replace your existing seat with one that has a backrest or one with a passenger seat with backrest as well. Again, if you take long rides or trips and you have a passenger along, if their seat is uncomfortable you will hear about it. And that can cut your trip short.

Finally, the decision to replace your motorcycle seat can come down to simple economics. Good, well-made comfortable seats are expensive. And unfortunately, not all expensive seats are comfortable. Which brings us to our next topic.

The More I Spend, The Better The Seat…Right?

The simple answer is no. Conversely, an inexpensive aftermarket seat is typically not one you will be happy with. We have ridden dozens of different motorcycles with an array of different aftermarket seats. A good quality comfortable seat will set you back at least several hundred dollars, Most of the more comfortable seats have a core that is made using a combination of a gel core with controlled density foam. If you add a passenger seat with backrests for both riders you can double the cost.

The best tool you can use in judging the comfort of a motorcycle seat is your butt! Ride on as many different seats as you can. Get the opinions of other riders you know and if they will allow you to, take their bikes out for some rides. We’ve ridden for good distances on comparably expensive seats and can honestly say there can be a big difference. One example is a popular aftermarket motorcycle seat company whose seats are know to be a bit on the hard side when new. The maker states they break in after you’ve ridden for a while. After riding on seats from the vendor that were “broken in” (over a year of good use and many miles), I’ve found the seats to be just about as hard as when they were new. Some riders say their butt wore in to the seat, not the other way around!

Aftermarket Motorcycle Seat Makers

There are more than two dozen aftermarket seat manufacturers offering vehicle specific products. Higher quality seats offer better comfort and more options than standard equipment seats that come new on the bike. Some of the aftermarket seats for cruiser or dresser style bikes will change your riding position, usually slightly lower and forward from the standard seats.

Below, are our picks for four of the best options for aftermarket motorcycle seats. They are listed in order of overall quality, comfort and durability.

1 – *Ultimate Seats® are available for a wide range of cruiser style motorcycles and Can-Am® cycles with multiple seat and setup options. One of the most comfortable seat options on the market. The pricing of the seats is comparable to Mustang® and Corbin®, but are a better value. Unfortunately, they do not make seats at this time for any other styles. Pros – Best Value, Superior Comfort and Durable. Cons – Limited to Cruiser Style Bikes.

2 – Two of the largest aftermarket seat vendors are Corbin® and Mustang®. Each offer a large selection of seat styles and options for most cruiser and full dresser style motorcycles on the road. Both offer aftermarket motorcycle seats for most make and model bikes with plenty of accessories with prices ranging from 3-4 hundred dollars to $1,500 plus. If you really want to spend money, you can purchase a heated seat.

3 – Saddlemen® seats are a good quality option when looking for a replacement motorcycle seat, They also offer seats for most make and model motorcycles, Their seats do tend to be on the firmer side based on our research, Depending on your ride, the Saddlemen seats are priced slightly lower than the Ultimate®, Mustang® and Corbin® seats,

*Ultimate Seats® – Full Disclosure… I’ve been riding with an Ultimate Motorcycle seat on my bike for almost 20 years and roughly 50,000 miles. It was and still is today the most comfortable seat I have ever put my butt into. It has weathered extremely well and is only now showing wear on the leather. I have a great handling big cruiser and enjoy long rides with a lot of twists and turns. This seat keeps me firmly planted through the heavy turns. A good description is that I sit in the seat, not on it. I’ve ridden on other expensive seats that let me slide or move a bit on tight turns…they are an example of sitting on a seat.

Ride safe, ride comfortable!