Does anyone have experience with purchasing a custom seat from Mustang or one of the other large retailers? Also, has anyone tried having their stock seat reworked to give it a lower, more "saddlelike" fit? I'm looking for alternatives to getting my feet lower to the ground while enhancing seat comfort for longer rides. Thanks.
I have 2 magnas. One has a Mustang & one still has the stock. The mustang is firmer, seems to sit a hair lower and is definetly better on the longer rides.
The Corbin seat is definitely lower and is cheaper than the Mustang. I really like mine. It is firm too.
I have a Mustang Vintage Wide on my 96 Magna and would not trade it for anything. It will not get you closer to the ground but my bottom has never gotten tired of riding on it. I missed the solo capability and looks of the factory seat up until I went for a week-end ride and what a difference. I am convinced that any bike in my future will have a Mustang seat.
David Morris
MOOT #362
Katy, TX
When last I checked a modified stock seat cost about as much as a Mustang but more than a Corbin.
The Corbin will definitely lower you by about two inches. I'm not too sure it's ideal for long rides for everyone. I've put about 300+ miles on my Corbin in one sitting. But for me, the Corbin is definitely better than the stock seat.
I would suggest swapping out with a local Mootster and riding for at least an hour. It will give you a good idea of what feels well.
I love my Mustang have put many a mile and 2 MOOTmags and 1 MINI mag and many a ride to Gregs house for wrenching my Mustang has been great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If ya want closer to the ground go with a Corbin. They are a bit firmer in the beginning but once you get some miles they are quite suportive.
The Mustang is a softer feel at first and still supportative for the long haul.
Both are great when compared to the stock seat! Known of a few folks who have had their stockers reworked and said it was better but still needed more.
I have a Corbin on my V65 and love it. It is firm but has much more support than the stock seat. I have ridden many 800+ mile days and can ride another 800+ miles the next without any issues.
Corbin is lower, but has ZERO cushion. Because it is scooped out there is more of a back lip for lower back support, but you will feel every pebble along the way. The orignal is softer, so for short, in town rides I prefer it. Out on the smooth highway the Corbin is better. Plus the orginal one seems to slope forward so and I had to keep pushing my rear back all the time. Not to mention it looks a little frumpy, especially next to the gunfighter. dc
Quote from: mkgarvinDoes anyone have experience with purchasing a custom seat from Mustang or one of the other large retailers? Also, has anyone tried having their stock seat reworked to give it a lower, more "saddlelike" fit? I'm looking for alternatives to getting my feet lower to the ground while enhancing seat comfort for longer rides. Thanks.
I have Mustang Vintage Wide on my 2001 Magna that I got a couple of months ago. I could not go 50 miles on the stock seat before I was wanting to get out. The Mustang Vintage Wide puts you 1 inch higher and 2 inches back. Great when your 6'2''. My longest one way trip to date is 200 miles and all I have to say is the seat is sweat. It starts out much harder then the stock but starts to brack in with a little riding. Now it seems to feel and fit like a glove. I do love it but I do like the look of the corbin but I'm at a age where I know looks is not everything.... :)
50 miles on stock and you have to get off. What wimps. Last summer I went on three trips of 600 to 800 miles a day for 3 or 4 days on my '96. On the stock seat. Not as comfy as the '86 GoldWing but not a bun buster.
Guess us Yankees are a little more hardy. :D
Wonder how far I could handle with a Mustang? Do I hear Iron Butt!! 8)
I know your post was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but what matters more than the seat is how you fit it. I love the Mustang seat on my Valk, but have heard of numerous folks that couldn't wait to get rid of theirs.
If you have a stock seat butt, stay with the stock seat. If not, there is no shame in improving your situation.
Curtis
i have the stock seat on my 94 and i personally find it comfortable but as we all know every rider is different. my neighbor has a harley an after sitting on his i am glad i dont own one the seat was like sitting on a brick
Anyone know of a replacement seat for the V30 that will get Tina's feet closer to the ground. I'd like to consider that before I decide to lower the suspension.
Thanks...
I've searched everywhere for a fitment for the V30. Perhaps not in all the right places. Of coaurse that leads me to a search for suspension lowering components, but that is a different thread
If you decide to lower the seat yourself ,let me know and I be glad to walk you thru it. It's not a hard job at all. I've done a first gen, a Super and a third gen all turned out good. and more comfortable. If the seatcover is good it shouldn't cost you anything.
Charles,
Thank you so much for the offer..! I've discussed altering the seat with my wife and I'll need some help when we decide to do it.
One of the first things I did to my magna when I got it was cut down the seat. I am 5'3" and wanted a little more leverage when pushing it around. I cut the seat down about an 1" then recovered it. I kept the original contours of the seat except that I narrowed it quite a bit at the front. I also put risers on the handle bars to pull them back a little. I can slide back when riding but when I am pushing it out of the shed or a parking spot, I can slide forward and get a firmer footing on the ground and better leverage on the bars. The width of the seat can make as much of a difference as the height if you are short. As far as comfort, I have not been out of state on it yet, but on my rides around Texas, it seems a little hard. Toward the end of the day, I am ready for a break every 80 to 100 miles. Of course I have to stop for gas then anyway. I am considering reshaping it a little and adding a gel pad. Several years ago I ran across this site which gave instructions on reshaping a seat and putting in a gel pad. I did this to my husband's valkyrie standard, which lowered his seat some. Since then we has taken a couple of multi state 2 week trips. We don't travel far in a day, usually between 300 and 500 miles a day, but he has been comfortable on the bike. He did mention the foam is starting to compress a little, so I may do a little more work on his seat. You can either have an upholster recover the seat or do it yourself, as I did. I am still in the experimental stages of customizing seats, but so far, what I have managed to do makes a big diference. Here is the site for the modifications.
http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/roodseat.htmJill
Jill, if the Magna is still a bit tall for ya, Progressive Springs makes fork lowering kits and you can order a set of rear shocks that are a bit lower to keep it even.
A thought..
I always like to hear folks looking into ways to make their steeds fit them better!
Has anyone put a Vintage Wide on a first gen Magna?
Having lived with the Saddleskin covers for awhile I am not impressed. The seat is less comfortable than before and now has the annoying habit of allowing you to slide forward even under moderate braking.
I checked the Mustang website and don't have a listing for a 1986 700 Magna. If anyone has previously installed one of these seats on a first gen Magna can they please share the part number?
Thanks
My experience has been similar to DC112675's. I got a fabulous deal on a Corbin Gunfighter on eBay (~$260 on closeout), but I would not have been so happy with it had I paid more for it. Aside from much better looks, the principal advantage of the Corbin to me has been that it allowed me to sit about an inch farther back, alleviating some strain on my lower back I had encountered with the stock seat when riding at highway speeds. On the downside, the Corbin hammers my tailbone every time I go over an expansion joint. However, at the rate I am accumulating integral cushioning on my backside, that might not be a problem much longer.
Of course, every group has to have an oddball, and in this case, I'm the one in this discussion because I would have preferred to sit about an inch farther back and about two inches higher than the stock seat allows while moving the pegs rearward to get a little better sense of control of the bike. I tried to figure out how to do that, but then I realized that rather than make those mods to my Magna, what it's really telling me is that I need an additional motorcycle. I should submit a budgetary approval request to the Household Finance Chair...