Yes!  My long awaited package from Bill Mayer Saddles arrived, and the new seat is installed.

First photo in front of the waterfall across from the golf course in Forest Park:



From the other side, with the Forest Park Boathouse Cafe in the background:



And with the World's Fair Pavilion in the background:



Initial impression:  It's GREAT!  No longer am I sitting on a combination of the tailbone and the scrotal region.  Now the weight is where it belongs -- on my butt cheeks!

Very nice!!!
This appears to be a one piece. Did you have to change mounting points?
I notice that you have removed the sissy bar pad...much cleaner look (IMHO). What can you tell me about the luggage rack above the tail light?
Very clean look!!
Thanks for the pics.

To answer your questions:

The seat was done by Rick Mayer:

http://www.rickmayercycle.com/

I sent him the original stock seat, and he worked his magic on the original pan.  Since the pan was unchanged, I didn't have to change around the mounting brackets.  Because of the leather "throw over" part of the saddlebags, I did have to trim the rear rubber pieces to compensate.  There was still a bit of a wrestling match to get all three screws started, but it fits great.

I sent the seat to Rick on Jan 15.  I remember the date because he extended the winter special that the web site said had to arrive by that date.  I just got it back Wednesday May 6.  Rick does all the custom work himself -- it's a masterpiece.  Being that he extended the special, I sprung for the leather.

Since I had already tried the cheaper upgrade of the pillow top gel seat from Suzuki, I managed OK!  (I have a friend with a Savage -- if she doesn't buy that seat from me, it will be offered to you guys.)



(If you only see a Sportster, "slide" the picture over.  There's a Savage in there, too!)

Why Rick Mayer?  I owned BMW's for about 20 years and have seen his seats on a lot of long distance riders' bikes.  I liked the looks and the reputation.

He is just outside of Redding, California.  If that's within riding or trailering range for you, you can schedule a ride-in appointment.  That will let you break in the new seat on some incredible riding!

As for the luggage rack, that's a standard Suzuki rack.  You need the sissy bar to mount it.  I got mine from Oneida Suzuki http://www.oneidasuzuki.com/store/home.php
They usually discount Suzuki's list price and sometimes even put them on sale!

And I wasn't real pleased with the way the sissybar pad looked.  Once it was off, there are the two holes for the screws.  I stuck the Suzuki emblem back on the back side, and put a "dash plaque" from the BMW Owners of Japan on the front side.

Thanks for all the positive feedback!  

alcoa wrote on 05/08/09 at 04:07:57:


Actually the golf course is on the other side of the street and around the waterfall in the first photo.  The big swath of green is the lawn in front of the World's Fair Pavillion at the top of the hill.  You can rent it from the park for all sorts of events:  weddings, art shows, and I think the police auction was held there one year.

I live about four blocks from the park.  My favorite workout is two laps of the 6 1/2 mile perimeter bicycle path.  I won't be doing that today -- rain -- so you'll just have to catch me in the gym!  

I must me the odd one here, but I like the stock seat, plenty comfy for me, of course I got my own padding ...  
Now sport bikes most of their seat suck ... Heck all of them suck.
Cool.
Srinath.

That seat is thing of beauty! I want one of them!!

drharveys - FSO wrote on 05/07/09 at 15:22:20:


I am gonna hold your babies ransome for that seat lol