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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> sportster seat mod
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Message started by Dice on 05/19/08 at 21:40:48

Title: sportster seat mod
Post by Dice on 05/19/08 at 21:40:48

Just wondering if I really want to do this mod. Is it a big comfort differance than the stock seat. I have a 96 but if there really isn't any differance I'm not sure I want to go through the trouble. Thanks.

Title: Re: sportster seat mod
Post by skrapiron on 05/20/08 at 05:30:05

It is not a direct swap. You will need to either shave part of the seat or build a bracket to hold it up off of part of the frame.

There's a reason so many sportster seats are available on ebay. They're little better than the stock seats on the Savage/S40.

Before I spent $60.00 and a weekend of fabrication on a seat thats not a marked improvement over the stock one, I'd explore other options.

First, look for a direct swap aftermarket. The Saddleman Travecade Desperado is designed to fit the Savage with no mods. It can be found on ebay from time to time. From what I understand, it is a HUGE improvement over stock. Between $150-$250.00

Second, have your saddle professionally reupholstered. Most automotive upholstery shops also do bike seats. Have them shave the stock foam and add a layer of memory foam AND a layer of saddle gel. (This is what I did). If you want to get fancy, have them sew a custom cover. (I patterned mine to look like the Desperado, complete with conchos on the side). Between $250-$350.00

The aftermarket seats for the VL800/Volusia can be fabricated to fit the Savage. Corbin and Mustang seats are the best you can get. Fabrication is not all that hard. The tough thing to swallow is the price. The seats start at $350.00 and go up from there.

Another option, before dumping a mint into the seat, change the rear shocks......

Title: Re: sportster seat mod
Post by Keith_T on 05/20/08 at 05:46:55

7860796A7B627964650B0 wrote:

The aftermarket seats for the VL800/Volusia can be fabricated to fit the Savage. Corbin and Mustang seats are the best you can get. Fabrication is not all that hard.

Scrap, what do you know about the VL800 swap? They appear to have very comfy seats. Your old seat is working well for me but I'd still like something wider. Is your redone seat any wider than stock, or just better foam?

Title: Re: sportster seat mod
Post by FreeSpirit on 05/21/08 at 01:34:12

But they dont make Corbin or Mustang seats to fit the Savage....do they?

Title: Re: sportster seat mod
Post by Coleman on 05/21/08 at 04:52:24

Would a seat from a C50 work? It seems to be the same general shape and size.

Title: Re: sportster seat mod
Post by Gary On A Savage on 05/21/08 at 11:31:13

2A26252C24277B797A490 wrote:

Would a seat from a C50 work? It seems to be the same general shape and size.

You can make almost anything "work". It's just how much effort do you want to put into it. Is it a "bolt on"? Probably not. Can it be made to fit? More than likely if you are willing to make your own brackets/mounts.

Title: Re: sportster seat mod
Post by skrapiron on 05/21/08 at 12:19:03

Yes, its just as gary said. Anything can be made to fit. It is all a question of how much fabrication you want to do.

In the case of the VL800 seat, the guy who did the work welded a second seat pan together to fit the Savage frame. He then marked where the VL800 seat would make contact and attached the seat. Between the pan and the seat, he used rubber plugs, just like the bottle stopper idea you guys came up with. He used the bolts and frame mounts from the stock seat to attach the entire rig to the bike.

It worked very well and it an improvement over stock, especially if you have a wider posterior. It also raises you up about 3" so it relieves some of the leg comfort issues with the stock pegs.

Next time I see the bike, I'll take pictures and post them. I took a few with my camera phone, but the quality is terrible.

HOWEVER. If Bill (never learned his last name) is a lurker here, perhaps he can create an account and post pics of the job......

Title: Re: sportster seat mod
Post by Keith_T on 05/21/08 at 12:57:00

I've got the stock seat from my old Nomad at home. I'll have to see if there is anyway I can adapt the stock seat pan from the Savage to the Nomad seat. The Nomad's pan is not even close to being a direct fit though.

Title: Re: sportster seat mod
Post by Gary On A Savage on 05/22/08 at 08:55:19

The biggest issues I've found with the seat comfort (for me) is the seat angle and leg room.

I'm working on significant changes to my savage (have been for a while but haven't had the time to devote to getting it finished). I changed the fenders out for full classics and am modifying the frame to fit a Sportster seat better. The plan is to use a sportster seat , remove the seat posts on the frame (the 2 fingers that stick up that the fender is attached to) and weld a plate for the seat/fender that is lower and further back. This will give more leg room and change the seat angle so the seat is angled with the front much higher. I'm having my brother (who has built race cars in the past) modify the frame for me. I'll post pics when done next week. Anyway, that's the plan.