HarleyTechTalk

the explorer model i am looking at comes standard with gel.. they also offer it in leather

any issues, suggestions

gs

I have one on a 07  roadking its good for 650+mile days  I would go with that or a mustang

I put a Saddleman Explorer seat on my '06 Ultra this past spring. I had the original OEM seat and it lacked the back support I wanted. Granted, I don't do a lot of long-distance riding, but my back is not the best and I could feel it even after short rides.

Researching what I consider to be the top 3 aftermarket seat manufacturers (Corbin, Mustang, and Saddleman), I spent a lot of time reading other user reviews. The Corbin is supposed to be the best, but I've read a lot about how hard they are and how bad their customer service has been of late. The Mustang seats are nice (I had one on my Fat Boy) but I don't really care for their overall look. Besides, it may be petty, but I can't stand having their logo melted into the vinyl on the nose of the seat. The Saddleman has lots of good reviews. In fact, I couldn't find anything bad mentioned about them. So the decision was made and I ordered my seat.

When I unboxed it, the first thing that struck me was how heavy and solid it was. It has a rigid fiberglass seat pan formed to match the frame rails of the bike. In fact, it matches the frame rails perfectly, unfortunately revealing areas on the tops of the side covers and on the tank where the old seat overhung and had rubbed the clear coat, dulling it to powder-white in some places. Some 3M rubbing compound followed by some hand glaze and wax took care of that.

The vinyl cover is very thick and is riveted nicely to the pan. The vinyl incorporates some nice stitching and a thin foam layer underneath that gives the seat some character (instead of the plain vinyl you'd see on the Mustang seats).

The shape of the seat is excellent. It incorporates a nice bucket that provides great back support as is. In addition to the foam, the seat has gel inserts that provide additional comfort, allowing the seat to mold to the shape of your, well, posterior.  Sitting on the bike, I estimate the seat puts me a bit less than an inch higher and an inch or so back as compared to the stock seat.  This is fine for my 6-foot height as I like the leg room.

A Velcro flap reveals the slot for the rider backrest. The backrest is fully adjustable for and aft and includes two height adjustments. It also includes a nice map pocket on the back.

I'm sure I'm going to get many miles out of this seat and I highly recommend Saddleman seats as a viable alternative to the more-expensive Corbins or (to me) less-appealing Mustangs.

Excellent customer service

Yarddog

is the saddlemen seat narrower at the front than the stock seat ?
do you sit higher or lower with the saddlemen seat compared to the stock seat?
Thanks
egc

I have had Road Sofas on my last two Ultras. One thing I found is that the gel gets HOT and retains heat when parked in the sun. I discovered this one afternoon in Arizona when I fried myself. The other thing is that in winter it becomes like Blue Ice, a rock hard frozen block. Some folks do not have this issue and perhaps I am the only one one, so your results may differ. I started laying a towel over it and eventually got a lambskin pelt which works great. When I get my next Road Sofa I will forego the gel and stick with memory foam.

Mark