Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Toaster on July 09, 2011, 06:32:10 PM
-
Wow!! What a difference this seat mod. has made to my enjoyment of riding my 09 Kawasaki Concours 14.
I bought a custom made seat from another maker this spring, and it was very nice looking, but I still slide forward into the tank and got hot spots on my butt from riding more then a hour.
No more sliding into the tank and NO more hots spots.
Great seat mod and outstanding workmanship. Best $90.00 I have sent on my motorcycle. :)
-
Wow!! What a difference this seat mod. has made to my enjoyment of riding my 09 Kawasaki Concours 14.
I bought a custom made seat from another maker this spring, and it was very nice looking, but I still slide forward into the tank and got hot spots on my butt from riding more then a hour.
No more sliding into the tank and NO more hots spots.
Great seat mod and outstanding workmanship. Best $90.00 I have sent on my motorcycle. :)
Spencer's done a few saddle re-mods for several of my bikes. I've always liked what he's done. Fast turn 'round, great price, excellent fit and finish. Also, Spencer is a class act and communicates with you very well, too. Only down side is the shipping. You have to use just the minimum boxing to get the box to Spencer. Otherwise, the shipping is more than the mod. :)
-
Shipping is always the problem. The mod. was $90.00 shipping was $114.00 both ways back to Blaine WA.
Still very cheep for the amount of comfort. The Custom seat was $748.00 and did not work for me.
-
packing the seat is super important for the cost of shipping. there is a magic number and if you go over it shipping gets very expensive. i think it was 40-60$ for two extea inches.
"When packing the magic number is 54. Try to do everything you can to keep your box size under 54" combined length + width + height. Under this dimension your shipping will be based on actual weight. Over this you are charged "dimension weight". In other words they add weight to compensate for an over sized box and your rate goes up quickly. " from spencers faq page
-
What brand was the custom seat and why didn't it work for you if you don't mind me asking. I am still on a quest for an acceptable seat and I may try Spencers.
-
I 'm going with sargents. just having foam redone front and rear, keeping stock shape and height. $119
-
What brand was the custom seat and why didn't it work for you if you don't mind me asking. I am still on a quest for an acceptable seat and I may try Spencers.
I was wondering the same thing because I'm about to spring for a Russell.
-
Thanks for the review, I've decided to go with Spencer as well. His communication to my questions was excellent.
-
+100 on Spencers I received my seat back about 3 days before leaving for Alaska. All I can say is WOW! What a difference. We have been averaging 400 miles a day, with a couple over 600. I'm comfy on my seat. I wish I could stretch my legs a bit more, but I sure like it!
Heading for Las Vegas tomorrow after visiting the Golden Gate Bridge. Good times!
-
Did you guys replace the seat cover also or stay with the stock?
-
I haven't sent mine off yet, and thought I would use the existing cover. If there are options that improve comfort, I'd be interested to hear them before I send it in.
-
HT MOTO has nice covers.
-
Honestly, other than being a bit lower, I really can't tell the difference between the stock seat and my Spencer modified seat. That's OK; I was fairly happy with the stock seat. $90.00 was a fair price to pay to have my HT Moto seat cover professionally installed. Getting the seat modified was just a bonus.
-
The first couple trips were not as noticeable for me but then it just seemed to work. I am not saying they need to be broken in by any means but that's what happened for me.
-
Are the HT-Moto covers worth it? I still want to be able to move around in the seat, and not have that sticky stuff holding me down too much.
-
Are the HT-Moto covers worth it? I still want to be able to move around in the seat, and not have that sticky stuff holding me down too much.
I think they are worth it. My HT Moto seat cover looks A LOT better on the bike than the stock seat cover. The Stock seat cover reminded me of a MX seat.
The HT Moto traction material is optional (and not recommended by Spencer). I went with carbon fiber edges and standard vinyl on the top w/red stitching. It's actually a little less clingy than the OEM cover.
-
Are the HT-Moto covers worth it? I still want to be able to move around in the seat, and not have that sticky stuff holding me down too much.
I have/had the Non Slip Grip insert on mine and had no problem moving when I want to. In fact it assisted in stopping the slide twd the tank also. It is not sticky by any means, just a different type of material that keeps you in place. There are photos of mine in the classified ad I posted a few days ago.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2424.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=2424.0)
-
I weigh 250lbs and was wondering if anyone of a similar poundage has had their seat done by Spencers. I've tried three different Sargent seats and after about an hour the foam seems to be packed down to the seatpan and stuck up my rear. How much harder does the modded seat feel than the stocker?
-
I weigh 250lbs and was wondering if anyone of a similar poundage has had their seat done by Spencers. I've tried three different Sargent seats and after about an hour the foam seems to be packed down to the seatpan and stuck up my rear. How much harder does the modded seat feel than the stocker?
Haha, that's a bad visual...
I don't think the modified seat is any "harder" than the stock seat; that would kinda' defeat the purpose. I weight ~250lbs and can testify that the foam retains its shape very well and doesn't ride up my crack after 2 hours.
-
I now have just over 1000 Km on the Spencer seat and am loving it. I am 225 lb.
-
I sent my seat to Spencer and had him install his high end foam to both sections of the seat. He did it quickly and it looks just as it did when stock. However, the comfort level is dramatically improved. Well worth the $90 plus round trip shipping. For me though, the comfort level is compromised when stopped as I'm too damn short to adequately plant both feet. I have thus been forced to acquire a low model from Sargent to enable a more comfortable stance when stopped. When moving though, the Sargent is closer to a brick than a pillow. Safety over comfort prevails so the Sargent shall remain my perch. Anyone wishing to take the Spencer modified stocker off my hands can send me a PM or email and we'll discuss an appropriate price.
-
I sent my seat to Spencer and had him install his high end foam to both sections of the seat. He did it quickly and it looks just as it did when stock. However, the comfort level is dramatically improved. Well worth the $90 plus round trip shipping. For me though, the comfort level is compromised when stopped as I'm too damn short to adequately plant both feet. I have thus been forced to acquire a low model from Sargent to enable a more comfortable stance when stopped. When moving though, the Sargent is closer to a brick than a pillow. Safety over comfort prevails so the Sargent shall remain my perch. Anyone wishing to take the Spencer modified stocker off my hands can send me a PM or email and we'll discuss an appropriate price.
Unless on loose ground I find it much easier to just place the left foot down allowing it to be firmly planted. I leave the right foot covering the rear brake and tap it a few times when cars start to get close from the rear direction.
-
I wish I could join in the celebration but about an hour to hour and a half is about all I can take before major squirming sets in. Then when I get back on it starts immediately.
I'm going to tough it out through the fall and then I'm springing for a Russell Day-Long. After two years of ownership I'm tired of dealing with seat issues. :(
The Spencer mod was good for $90 but not what I need. I need all day comfort.
-
I noticed a difference after the Spencer mod, but it wasn't a cure for the long distance burn. I love the seat for commuting and I really like the HT Moto cover that he put on when he did the mod, but I will also be springing for a Russell in the not too distant future.
-
I usually ride for an hour to one and a half hours then get off for a 10 minute break. It makes the ride much more enjoyable for my wife and I and gets the blood flowing. Last month we did a 600 mile weekend trip and the Spencer mod worked fine for me but not my wife. The Airhawk does help but we have not taken another weekend trip since buying it. We will be taking one this weekend but the Mayer seat is on now and another member has the Spencer seat.