I am looking to swap out the stock seat on my new Storm for a long haul solo. Anybody have any insight/experience with the OEM long haul solo? Looks pretty similar to to the stock seat (without the pillion) but fabric and gel construction is supposed to be different. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
Solo seat for thunderbird storm
- Thread starter Pmr15
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I just had a look at it Longhaul Rider Seat and it looks very nice but sure is not coming in cheap
Is the stock seat not good enough as I have not heard any reports that it needs changing on long runs yet
I can't speak for the T-bird gel seat, but I know people who upgraded to the (Triumph) gel seat on their Trophys love them.
There is also the sheepskin cover option you may want to consider (just a thought).
There is also the sheepskin cover option you may want to consider (just a thought).
It's funny how different arses differ in how they feel about a given seat. Personally the stock seat to me is about the most comfortable i've ever had. I can ride all day on that thing. I've read several people's thoughts on the long haul and they vary just as much. Some didn't like it, some did. But consider this....there are places that specialize in recovering seats and using gel pads and other types of foam etc etc and can make it however you want. And i imagine the cost isn't going to be any more than a LH seat, at least not if you don't choose leather. It's just a matter of finding a place that has a good rep for creating comfort. This is a generic thing that any forum for any brand might have members who know of places that are good. You might wanna ask as a number of forums and see if theres anyone who the general consensus says is good. Corbin is one i'd probably stay away from even tho it's popular. I've heard a lot of bad stories.
Thanks for the feedback. I was considering having one made using the original seat pan. The problem is that it's high riding season and I don't want to be sidelined for several weeks while it's being made. So I am looking for something off the shelf that's comfortable, quality and sharp looking all at once. I thought the OEM LH would fit the bill but have heard no reviews on it one way or the other. Might have to turn to one of the Corbin-like custom shops instead.
Well, whatever you do consider this....the seat pan doubles as a tuned air duct. If you get something custom made, be sure they do not alter the underside. I and many others have played around with them. Removing the duct to get more air in actually hurts performance. The duct is tuned to smooth airflow so even removing it and enlarging the space makes air flow worse. You lose some of bottom end. On a related note, there is also a rubber seal that surrounds the top of the filter opening and acts as seal between the opening in the seat duct and the filter. That seal is the opposite of the pan...it actually does improve performance when removed.
Funny, i just read yesterday of someone who had a corbin made for his Tbird and just like i said, they have no understanding of the seat duct at corbin and they made it so that the bike was losing performance. The guy had to chop up his airbox to get it to breathe and gain back lost performance. But i'd bet he didn't get it all back. My experience messing with the intake is that it is really engineered for the best power given the state of tune of the bike. Things might be different if the bike was ported and had race cams etc etc.
I really don't understand companies like corbin. How can they look at the seat ducts and not get that they are there for a reason ! This to me shows a company who is all about the almighty dollar and not thier customers. And I HAVE seen a lot of people complain about them in the past so it's likely a company to stay away from. But i think as the seat duct goes, a lot of companies of this type would likely not take it into consideration. It's the way of the world today unfortunately. A company that DOES consider it would be one i'd have a lot of confidence it. If i were in that business, the second i saw the seat pan i'd have discussed the performance repercussions with the customer if he wanted a custom seat without the stock pan. I find it crazy that anyone wouldn't.
I really don't understand companies like corbin. How can they look at the seat ducts and not get that they are there for a reason ! This to me shows a company who is all about the almighty dollar and not thier customers. And I HAVE seen a lot of people complain about them in the past so it's likely a company to stay away from. But i think as the seat duct goes, a lot of companies of this type would likely not take it into consideration. It's the way of the world today unfortunately. A company that DOES consider it would be one i'd have a lot of confidence it. If i were in that business, the second i saw the seat pan i'd have discussed the performance repercussions with the customer if he wanted a custom seat without the stock pan. I find it crazy that anyone wouldn't.
