Best Cost Effective (Read Cheap) seat option for the NC...

[Yoda]

I've had an AirHawk R seat on two different bikes. Great product! I can ride ALL DAY with no discomfort. It is cool and comfortable. I recommend highly.

 

[Jguarfn28]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zirconx]

I sent my seat to Spencer last week. It will be here by Friday. I will post an update after I've had a chance to try it out.

Zirconx,
It has been almost two weeks since you posted this message. Accordingly you should have received it back from Frank on the 18th, last Friday.
My question: How did it turn out? Have you given it a test ride? How is the comfort? The fit? In your own words what did Frank actually do to increase the comfort? How would you rate the overall quality and comfort of the seat? The quality of the work? Would you do it again?
Thanks for your opinions. I'm sure everyone is interested in your thoughts.

Yes I received the seat on Friday the 18th. I went for a 3 hour ride the next day. I haven't yet decided if I like the seat or not. When I got home from that ride I could hardly sit because my tailbone hurt so much. But I don't know if that was from the bike or the seat. I just bought the bike a few weeks ago and this was the longest I've ridden it. This is first upright bike I've owned. I've always thought the upright seating position would be uncomfortable, and so far it has been. I've always had sporty or sport-touring bikes, where I sit a little leaned forward. When sitting straight up all my weight is on my tail bone, every bump compresses the spine. I think slightly leaned forward is a much more comfortable position but maybe I'll get used to the upright seating on the NC7000X. I know many people like the upright seating.

I've had many long days on my other bikes, several times almost 1000 miles in one day. I've never been in such bad shape as I was after a 160 mile ride on the NC700X. Hopefully it was a fluke or I'm going to have to sell this bike.

Update - In fact, after my 20 minute commute home tonight, I am ready to get off the bike. Not sure what I am going to do. Very frustrated.

 

[VE258]

OP-what is your problem with the seat? Most of the guys are having problems sliding forward. This can be easily eliminated. Even without changing the slope of the seat. I've proposed numerous very inexpensive solutions in same slope thread. Try them. They cost close to nothing.

 

[ponydrvr]

I'm new on this forum but do have a CTX 700 that has had the seat redone by Seth Laam. I just finished a SCMA US Four Corners Tour totalling more than 12,000 miles portal to portal. I had made a ride-in appointment with Seth and in two hours time my entire seating issue was solved. The cost was $300 but worth it in every respect.

 

[Skeleton]

Here is my priceless solution.

I didn't want to raise the stock seat, as has been popularly done by other forum bikers. That has the effect of raising the overall seat, and thus reducing the amount of leg reach when stopped. Raising the seat is harmless for taller riders, but I am 5'-9" for which I didn't want to loose any leg reach.

My solution is a foam pad inserted into a small pouch. Held in place with long velcro strap that continues underneath stock seat. It is deliberately placed only on the front half of the seat. This has the same effect as raising the front portion only without effecting rear portions of the seat. I no longer slide forward. The rear portion now feels like a depressed pocket for my butt - much more comfortable.

I only use the seat pad on extended rides. Meanwhile, when riding around town, I remove the pad (mainly for asthetics).

 

[pismocycleguy]

Here is my priceless solution.

I didn't want to raise the stock seat, as has been popularly done by other forum bikers. That has the effect of raising the overall seat, and thus reducing the amount of leg reach when stopped. Raising the seat is harmless for taller riders, but I am 5'-9" for which I didn't want to loose any leg reach.

My solution is a foam pad inserted into a small pouch. Held in place with long velcro strap that continues underneath stock seat. It is deliberately placed only on the front half of the seat. This has the same effect as raising the front portion only without effecting rear portions of the seat. I no longer slide forward. The rear portion now feels like a depressed pocket for my butt - much more comfortable.

I only use the seat pad on extended rides. Meanwhile, when riding around town, I remove the pad (mainly for asthetics).

Skelton,
zirconx has already had Spencer's do the gel/memory foam insert to level the seat and increase the comfort. I doubt adding more padding will improve the ride.

 

[pismocycleguy]

Back to the drawing board

zirconx,
I'm sorry to hear about you poor experience with Frank at Spencer's Motorcycle seat modifications. I had spoken with Frank previously about redoing a OEM Honda NC700 seat. He told me at that time he had never worked on an NC700 seat previously, and mine would be the first. I've had too many bad experiences with first time bike model customizers and declined his offer. So I guess you were the first client for a Honda NC700 seat Spencerized! Sorry it hasn't worked out.
Make sure you give the modified seat a fair and long enough test riding, which it sounds you have, before moving on to another option for your riding comfort.
Good luck

Yes I received the seat on Friday the 18th. I went for a 3 hour ride the next day. I haven't yet decided if I like the seat or not. When I got home from that ride I could hardly sit because my tailbone hurt so much. But I don't know if that was from the bike or the seat. I just bought the bike a few weeks ago and this was the longest I've ridden it. This is first upright bike I've owned. I've always thought the upright seating position would be uncomfortable, and so far it has been. I've always had sporty or sport-touring bikes, where I sit a little leaned forward. When sitting straight up all my weight is on my tail bone, every bump compresses the spine. I think slightly leaned forward is a much more comfortable position but maybe I'll get used to the upright seating on the NC7000X. I know many people like the upright seating.

I've had many long days on my other bikes, several times almost 1000 miles in one day. I've never been in such bad shape as I was after a 160 mile ride on the NC700X. Hopefully it was a fluke or I'm going to have to sell this bike.

Update - In fact, after my 20 minute commute home tonight, I am ready to get off the bike. Not sure what I am going to do. Very frustrated.

 

[zirconx]

zirconx,
I'm sorry to hear about you poor experience with Frank at Spencer's Motorcycle seat modifications. I had spoken with Frank previously about redoing a OEM Honda NC700 seat. He told me at that time he had never worked on an NC700 seat previously, and mine would be the first. I've had too many bad experiences with first time bike model customizers and declined his offer. So I guess you were the first client for a Honda NC700 seat Spencerized! Sorry it hasn't worked out.
Make sure you give the modified seat a fair and long enough test riding, which it sounds you have, before moving on to another option for your riding comfort.
Good luck

I talked to Frank, he said I need to let the seat break in. He said the rear part will settle and I will have less slope. I'll post back in a month or so. I've also raised the front of the seat about 1/4" (the most you can go without fabricating a new bracket for the tongue), I think that will help.

 

[OscarCharlie]

I,too, did the Spencer seat modification, and I could not be happier with it. For $75, this is a great value for the money. My trip to Alaska this year would have been a miserable affair, comfort-wise, had I kept the "slope-forward" original seat on my NC. Highly recommended but, as the previous poster showed, we are all different, so YMMV. Definitely worth a try, though, especially if, like me, you are too cheap/stingy/value-conscious to expand $300 of your hard-earned dollars right away on a "custom" seat that may or may not work for you. Happy trails!

 

[itlives]

I talked to Frank, he said I need to let the seat break in. He said the rear part will settle and I will have less slope. I'll post back in a month or so. I've also raised the front of the seat about 1/4" (the most you can go without fabricating a new bracket for the tongue), I think that will help.

Sounds like a back problem to me (from your earlier post). Do you have any?

 

[pismocycleguy]

What make and model of bike?

OscarCharlie,
When I talked with Frank in June he told me he had never worked on a Honda NC seat before, and mine would be the first. Funny he would tell me that if he had already fixed your Honda NC700 seat. So when did you have him do your seat and use it to ride to Alaska? Or was your Spencer seat redo for a different make and/or model of motorcycle? Kind of like comparing apples with oranges.

I,too, did the Spencer seat modification, and I could not be happier with it. For $75, this is a great value for the money. My trip to Alaska this year would have been a miserable affair, comfort-wise, had I kept the "slope-forward" original seat on my NC. Highly recommended but, as the previous poster showed, we are all different, so YMMV. Definitely worth a try, though, especially if, like me, you are too cheap/stingy/value-conscious to expand $300 of your hard-earned dollars right away on a "custom" seat that may or may not work for you. Happy trails!

 

[pismocycleguy]

Sounds like a slope problem to me! It's his butt, not his back!

Sounds like a back problem to me (from your earlier post). Do you have any?

 

[Alabama Al]

Get a Air-Hawk seat cushion.

 

[ziggie]

Those of you who have the beads,don't they hurt to sit on them? I would think with the forward slop a person would slide off them.

 

[zirconx]

Sounds like a back problem to me (from your earlier post). Do you have any?

Sounds like a slope problem to me! It's his butt, not his back!

No, no real back problems to speak of. Yea I think I need to raise the front, Spencer said he removed some of the slope but I still think it's too slopped.