BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Brothers (I think) Rick and Bill Mayer both make seats, right? Is either's product considered better made, longer lasting, better fitting, etc?

Can't speak to Bill's product as I've not sampled them. But in my decision making search I looked at a lot of feedback on 3 different BMW forums and concluded that Rick's seats were likely the best solution for my new (to me) R1100S. Bit the bullet and rode down to his shop from my home in Western Washington 4 weeks ago. Watched every step of the process after he carefully assessed my seating position on the bike. The process took a couple of hours of crafting a new foam core with the BMW original foam reshaped and then 2 different densities of foam used to rebuild into a new shape. Once seat was reshaped with some time to let glues cure, the new cover was shaped, perfected and remounted. An interesting way to get a custom seat, and the fit is PERFECT. I'm also pleased with the aesthetics, picked a basket weave vinyl with smooth sides. My stock seat also had a rather large gap between the seat and the tank, and he cut a piece to fill that in a bit without me suggesting it.

All that being said, from the research I did I believe either seat maker can make you a good seat, but perhaps a deciding factor might be whether or not you can do a ride in appointment for a custom fitting. I've had Corbin (Ducati 900SS/SP) and Sargent R1150R) seats on earlier bikes, and liked them both for different reasons. But an actual custom made seat fit specifically to you and your bike is WAY better. At least in my not so humble opinion...

Don't know if that helps much...but at least it's a little more info.

Good luck!

Bill J

This helps me very much. Take a look here:

http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?t ... sc&start=0

The link to Russell Day-Long Touring Saddle is:

http://www.day-long.com/new_pages/bmw.html

Good luck

Robert

NAIAD wrote: Don't know if that helps much...but at least it's a little more info.

Good luck!

Bill J

It helps a lot. I'm inclined to go with Rick also.

Good info. Thanks Robert.

Dude, I have a 2002 1150 R and have a new Rick Mayer seat - it brought the joy back to long rides! I'm no spring chicken...being a lot closer to 50 than 40, and having a little cushion and support for my posterior cheeks is amazing.

RICK ROCKS!

--Steve

I don't see any mentioning of the suspension spring installation like Day-Long has.

sattwood wrote:Dude, I have a 2002 1150 R and have a new Rick Mayer seat - it brought the joy back to long rides! I'm no spring chicken...being a lot closer to 50 than 40, and having a little cushion and support for my posterior cheeks is amazing.

RICK ROCKS!

--Steve

Good news!

Well, TicTac is right...neither of Russell Mayer's sons use springs in their custom seats. The Day-Long seats are unique in that attribute. I'd heard of the Russell seats a long time ago, when the shop was in Fall River Mills, but I've never been able to get past the looks of those tractor style seats. Just not my cup o' tea, but(t) I have heard they are really comfy for long hauls.

And age factors...I'd just turned 60 when I picked up my bike in April and rode it (with the stock seat) 3800 miles in 7 riding days on the trip home. Stocker was okay...but Rick's seat (even with out springs) is far superior to that BMW saddle. Another part of my evaluation with the new seat...the day prior to having Rick build it, I suffered a groin pull after nearly dropping the bike. With the stock seat I could ride only about 30 miles after the injury before taking a break. Felt the same way that next morning, but after the new seat was installed my first "lap" was 165 miles. The stock seat would have had me begging for mercy!

BTW, I think Rick might still be having a special price on his seats through the end of this month. He's NOT paying me for this endorsement either! I'm just quite satisfied with his product. YMMV!

Ciao! Bill J

PS. While I was at his shop there was also another rider there, with a Suzuki DR400 outfitted like a Baja pre-runner machine. That bike was so heavily modified I couldn't even tell what it was without asking...and this guy was from West Virginia! Ya oughta see the off-road seat Rick built for that bike!

NAIAD said:

BTW, I think Rick might still be having a special price on his seats through the end of this month

The RMS website states that the sale price (which is very attractive at 1/2 the regular price) applies only to R11XX RT, RS and GS models. There is language on the site that seems to indicate that they change the models that sale prices apply to regularly, so there may still be hope for us Roadster owners.

Charlie

I have a Bill Mayer seat on my Rockster. I love it.....I dont think you can go wrong either way