Super low reach seat
#1
08-12-2010, 10:46 AM
Super low reach seat
I just got the super low reach seat and installed it on my Fatboy lo (the one in the pic). Here's my feedback on it
Brief recommendation: It didn't work for me but may work for you. I'm giving it a neutral rating. I would recommend it again DEPENDING on the type of bike and size of the rider. Read below for more details.
Detailed Recommendation: I am about 5'2, 200 lbs. I ride the Fatboy Lo. With the stock seat, I had 3 problems.
1. My tailbone would hurt after about an hour of riding.
2. The reach was just a "little" too long (about 3-4" or so). I felt like I was leaning too far forward to reach the handlebars.
3. I would burn my thigh on the engine head.
Problem #3 was solved with Captain Itch's crotch cooler. Perfect!
The height of the bike for me was perfect. With boots, I was flat footed, though had trouble raising the kickstand (floorboard would get in the way). Not a problem with the kickstand, just raise the floorboard and go. However, I wouldn't mind a few more inches lower so I could easily get the kickstand up.
The reach for the foot controls was perfect. My legs/knees was at a 45 degree angle, maybe more, not quite 90. It was comfy for long rides and short rides.
The reach for the hand controls was problematic. I was leaning too far forward and it was putting strain on my shoulders. It just wasn't comfortable.
So I was going to go with pullback handlebars and saving up the money for them. Then, I saw the new super low reach seat released and decided $200 for a seat was better than a few more hundred for handlebars and the labor to install them.
The service dept. installed the seat yesterday when I my husband and I had our bikes in for regular service (oil change, etc). They didn't put the crotch cooler on since it was a "temporary" fit. I couldn't even ride the bike around the parking lot. The seat, having been moved forward, placed my crotch and thighs directly over the engine instead of just behind it. Ok I thought, not a problem, that's why I had the crotch cooler. When that's installed problem solved.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good feel for the seat but it "felt" better as far as reaching the handlebars.
Service was finished, time to head home. I live 150 miles from the nearest Harley Dealer (I'm in rural Florida). I drive about 5 miles before I realize the seat is a no go.
The crotch cooler worked perfectly. No problems with the engine burning my legs.
The problem was the seat. The new low reach seat did exactly what it said. It moved me forward and lower. The problem was this:
1. I felt squished up. Sure, my reach was better but now I had the gas tank (literally) shoved between my legs. Not comfortable.
2. The foot controls were waaay too close. My legs were at a near 90 degree angle and I couldn't shift as easily as before. It was almost like having mid controls - not comfy for me.
3. My jeans leg kept getting caught on the rear shift lever due to the close proximity of everything.
4. The seat was waaay too small for my butt. I have a biiiig butt. If I shifted forward in the seat to sit in the "bucket" my pelvis bone would start hurting. This was due to the added pressure placed on my pelvis from the thiner neck of the seat. I had this same problem whenever i would ride bicycles with banana or traditional seats. That was much more painful then my tailbone hurting with the old seat!
It was a very long, uncomfortable 150 miles home. We would have turned back but it was rush hour in Ft. Myers and the traffic was murder. I was already aggravated not more than 5 miles from the dealership, I just wanted to get out of traffic and get home. If we turned back, we would have to wait out the rush hour and risk hitting a storm that was moving in.
I called the dealership today and fortunately they are accepting the seat return and giving me a credit. My old seat with the longer reach was waaayy more comfortable than this. So, now I'm getting the 6" pull back risers instead (on order).
Additional Thoughts In My Opinion Only: This seat is made for a petite woman or small, slim or semi-slim rider. If you have trouble riding bicycles because of the narrow seat throats, this may give you the same problem.
This seat would probably work great on a road king, electra glide, or one of the other large bikes where a shorter person would have trouble reaching the hand and foot controls.
I think it would also work good on a sportster (not the new lo) or any other bike where the gas tank is tapered near the rider.
On the fatboy lo, unless the rider is shorter (5'0 or less) or thinner than me, it probably won't work. On a regular fatboy, this seat would probably work. I'm thinking this seat would be great if I was to ride my husbands Street Bob (the other bike in my sig pic) since I can't really reach his controls. However, I would probably still have the problem of the narrow neck of the seat putting too much pressure on my pelvis. We didn't try it though since I didn't want to risk hurting the seat.
If you are thinking about getting one, definitely try it out at the dealers first. Really give it a good ride. Look at the placement of the engine to your legs/crotch, gas tank, foot controls, etc. The seat really DOES move you forward a good 2-3 inches due to the added padding in the back part of the seat.
The neck of the seat is a LOT thinner than the stock fat boy seat so it really does help you with the height. However, it does put added pressure on your pelvis inner crotch since you don't have as much padding there (due to the narrow neck of the seat).
Other Thoughts: I had the sundowner seat on my Nightster I owned before I got the Fat boy. The sundowner was comfy, but raised me up too high. I definitely don't want that for the Fatboy.
The stock seat is pretty comfy. I think the problem with my tailbone hurting is just a position I'm sitting in. I noticed if I scoot my butt forward in the seat it's not bad. This is why I'm going with the 6" handlebar pullback risers instead of the seat changing again. My problem really is the reach to the handlebars rather than anything on the bottom half of the bike. I figure if I resolve the reach to the handlebar issue and the seat still isn't working, then I can take it from there.
As I mentioned at the start, I would recommend the seat depending on the size of the rider, style of the bike, and what the rider wants to achieve regarding comfort and position.
I hope you enjoyed my lengthy review! I would love to hear if anyone else has (or gets) the seat and has better luck with it!
Brief recommendation: It didn't work for me but may work for you. I'm giving it a neutral rating. I would recommend it again DEPENDING on the type of bike and size of the rider. Read below for more details.
Detailed Recommendation: I am about 5'2, 200 lbs. I ride the Fatboy Lo. With the stock seat, I had 3 problems.
1. My tailbone would hurt after about an hour of riding.
2. The reach was just a "little" too long (about 3-4" or so). I felt like I was leaning too far forward to reach the handlebars.
3. I would burn my thigh on the engine head.
Problem #3 was solved with Captain Itch's crotch cooler. Perfect!
The height of the bike for me was perfect. With boots, I was flat footed, though had trouble raising the kickstand (floorboard would get in the way). Not a problem with the kickstand, just raise the floorboard and go. However, I wouldn't mind a few more inches lower so I could easily get the kickstand up.
The reach for the foot controls was perfect. My legs/knees was at a 45 degree angle, maybe more, not quite 90. It was comfy for long rides and short rides.
The reach for the hand controls was problematic. I was leaning too far forward and it was putting strain on my shoulders. It just wasn't comfortable.
So I was going to go with pullback handlebars and saving up the money for them. Then, I saw the new super low reach seat released and decided $200 for a seat was better than a few more hundred for handlebars and the labor to install them.
The service dept. installed the seat yesterday when I my husband and I had our bikes in for regular service (oil change, etc). They didn't put the crotch cooler on since it was a "temporary" fit. I couldn't even ride the bike around the parking lot. The seat, having been moved forward, placed my crotch and thighs directly over the engine instead of just behind it. Ok I thought, not a problem, that's why I had the crotch cooler. When that's installed problem solved.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good feel for the seat but it "felt" better as far as reaching the handlebars.
Service was finished, time to head home. I live 150 miles from the nearest Harley Dealer (I'm in rural Florida). I drive about 5 miles before I realize the seat is a no go.
The crotch cooler worked perfectly. No problems with the engine burning my legs.
The problem was the seat. The new low reach seat did exactly what it said. It moved me forward and lower. The problem was this:
1. I felt squished up. Sure, my reach was better but now I had the gas tank (literally) shoved between my legs. Not comfortable.
2. The foot controls were waaay too close. My legs were at a near 90 degree angle and I couldn't shift as easily as before. It was almost like having mid controls - not comfy for me.
3. My jeans leg kept getting caught on the rear shift lever due to the close proximity of everything.
4. The seat was waaay too small for my butt. I have a biiiig butt. If I shifted forward in the seat to sit in the "bucket" my pelvis bone would start hurting. This was due to the added pressure placed on my pelvis from the thiner neck of the seat. I had this same problem whenever i would ride bicycles with banana or traditional seats. That was much more painful then my tailbone hurting with the old seat!
It was a very long, uncomfortable 150 miles home. We would have turned back but it was rush hour in Ft. Myers and the traffic was murder. I was already aggravated not more than 5 miles from the dealership, I just wanted to get out of traffic and get home. If we turned back, we would have to wait out the rush hour and risk hitting a storm that was moving in.
I called the dealership today and fortunately they are accepting the seat return and giving me a credit. My old seat with the longer reach was waaayy more comfortable than this. So, now I'm getting the 6" pull back risers instead (on order).
Additional Thoughts In My Opinion Only: This seat is made for a petite woman or small, slim or semi-slim rider. If you have trouble riding bicycles because of the narrow seat throats, this may give you the same problem.
This seat would probably work great on a road king, electra glide, or one of the other large bikes where a shorter person would have trouble reaching the hand and foot controls.
I think it would also work good on a sportster (not the new lo) or any other bike where the gas tank is tapered near the rider.
On the fatboy lo, unless the rider is shorter (5'0 or less) or thinner than me, it probably won't work. On a regular fatboy, this seat would probably work. I'm thinking this seat would be great if I was to ride my husbands Street Bob (the other bike in my sig pic) since I can't really reach his controls. However, I would probably still have the problem of the narrow neck of the seat putting too much pressure on my pelvis. We didn't try it though since I didn't want to risk hurting the seat.
If you are thinking about getting one, definitely try it out at the dealers first. Really give it a good ride. Look at the placement of the engine to your legs/crotch, gas tank, foot controls, etc. The seat really DOES move you forward a good 2-3 inches due to the added padding in the back part of the seat.
The neck of the seat is a LOT thinner than the stock fat boy seat so it really does help you with the height. However, it does put added pressure on your pelvis inner crotch since you don't have as much padding there (due to the narrow neck of the seat).
Other Thoughts: I had the sundowner seat on my Nightster I owned before I got the Fat boy. The sundowner was comfy, but raised me up too high. I definitely don't want that for the Fatboy.
The stock seat is pretty comfy. I think the problem with my tailbone hurting is just a position I'm sitting in. I noticed if I scoot my butt forward in the seat it's not bad. This is why I'm going with the 6" handlebar pullback risers instead of the seat changing again. My problem really is the reach to the handlebars rather than anything on the bottom half of the bike. I figure if I resolve the reach to the handlebar issue and the seat still isn't working, then I can take it from there.
As I mentioned at the start, I would recommend the seat depending on the size of the rider, style of the bike, and what the rider wants to achieve regarding comfort and position.
I hope you enjoyed my lengthy review! I would love to hear if anyone else has (or gets) the seat and has better luck with it!
Last edited by flagirl; 08-12-2010 at 10:52 AM.
#2
08-24-2010, 08:24 PM
#3
09-04-2010, 01:38 AM
I did go with this seat and my initial reaction is it works well for me. I haven't logged a bunch of miles on it yet though.
I will say Christine is absolutely right. This seat is designed for a smaller to average rider. It really 'pinches' you in the deep bucket that this seat design creates. If you were on the heavier/fluffier side it probably wouldn't be too comfortable. With my perfect 170lb physique (ha) it's pretty comfortable.
I will say Christine is absolutely right. This seat is designed for a smaller to average rider. It really 'pinches' you in the deep bucket that this seat design creates. If you were on the heavier/fluffier side it probably wouldn't be too comfortable. With my perfect 170lb physique (ha) it's pretty comfortable.
#4
09-06-2010, 09:50 PM
Can we see some pics installed, maybe with someone sitting on it?
We sold my wifes 883 and 1200 sporty when she had our son 4 months ago. She learned on the 883 and then she wanted more power so we picked her up a 2007 1200 c. We added the solo reach seat and some progressive lowering shocks along with a shorter jiffy stand and the bike was still to to heavy for her.
I want to get her something a little more balanced and like the fat boy low, shes 5'2 and about 125 lbs after the baby. I'd really like to see if this seat will help her be able to get a bigger bike with out loseing riding comfort. I don't want to lower a bike any more because that has the pegs or boards scrapping on turns or cornering. I would also like to see the 6" pull back risers installed with a rider on it to see how it would look.
Thanks
We sold my wifes 883 and 1200 sporty when she had our son 4 months ago. She learned on the 883 and then she wanted more power so we picked her up a 2007 1200 c. We added the solo reach seat and some progressive lowering shocks along with a shorter jiffy stand and the bike was still to to heavy for her.
I want to get her something a little more balanced and like the fat boy low, shes 5'2 and about 125 lbs after the baby. I'd really like to see if this seat will help her be able to get a bigger bike with out loseing riding comfort. I don't want to lower a bike any more because that has the pegs or boards scrapping on turns or cornering. I would also like to see the 6" pull back risers installed with a rider on it to see how it would look.
Thanks
#5
09-17-2010, 12:57 AM
I have the fatboy lo - I'm about 5'2 or 5'3, definitely more than 125 lbs.
Unfortunately, from what Harley told me, the 6" risers won't work with the fatboy lo. I tried, since the reach is a little too far for me. The handlebars wouldn't clear the console with the risers. So, next week I'm getting the street slammer bars.
With the stock seat, I have no trouble reaching the foot controls or putting both feet flat when sitting on the bike. I'm pretty confident the new handlebars will take care of the arm reach.
For your wife, I would definitely recommend she try out the fatboy lo. I'm sure if she's comfortable with a heavier bike and the size is the only issue, this bike will take care of that. The only problem she may have is the reach, but even then, it's not real bad, just a little aggressive forward lean.
Unfortunately, from what Harley told me, the 6" risers won't work with the fatboy lo. I tried, since the reach is a little too far for me. The handlebars wouldn't clear the console with the risers. So, next week I'm getting the street slammer bars.
With the stock seat, I have no trouble reaching the foot controls or putting both feet flat when sitting on the bike. I'm pretty confident the new handlebars will take care of the arm reach.
For your wife, I would definitely recommend she try out the fatboy lo. I'm sure if she's comfortable with a heavier bike and the size is the only issue, this bike will take care of that. The only problem she may have is the reach, but even then, it's not real bad, just a little aggressive forward lean.
#6
09-17-2010, 09:27 AM
#7
01-18-2012, 07:38 PM
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reduced reach seat
Just picked up my reduced reach seat and I see you do not have the strap on. Do we need that strap and is there a certain kit or way to put that on ? the one with the bracket is too short and then it came with a long belt with no bracket on it ..
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#8
01-19-2012, 05:33 PM
I actually did not continue using that seat. It was just a bit too tight for me on the family jewels. Mustang came out with a 'lowdown' seat and I took a chance on it with the drivers backrest. I love it. The super-reduced reach seat is just one of many items that are sitting in my storage room of spare parts. One of these days I need to sell a few items
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