All

I either have to replace the seat on my Deluxe or get a new bike. I have a 2006 Softail Deluxe that is basically all stock outside of the wider passenger pillion and the detachable backrest. I am 6'4 and 225 pounds. This past weekend, my wife and I went to the Arkansas HOG rally and put roughly 700 miles on the bike over 3 days (probably would have been more if the rain hadn't gotten in the way. Point being, my back side was sore, my tail bone was painful, and I had forearm pump like when I used to ride dirtbikes due to the bars being angled in but by far, the biggest concern is the seat - the bars I can handle.

In my opinion, the appearance of the seat with the chrome rail, the luggage rack, the white wall tires and the other styling cues are the reason I bought this bike. I can replace the bars to get my hands back in a normal angle without disrupting the harmony of the look of the Deluxe. The seat is another story.

So here are some assumptions - I will pretty much always have a two up situation as either the wife or the kids are always riding with me so as a result, there will always be a passenger pillion and a back rest. I do not want to get rid of the luggage rack either as I like the look. I am currently running bags that have the same basket weave pattern as the Deluxe seat.

Base on that, here are the seats that I have identified:

1. Cross Bones seat and pillion
2. Heritage seat and pillion
3. 2005 Springer Classic Seat with Deluxe pillion
4. Springer Classic seat from 2003 or earlier with Deluxe pillion

CROSS BONES
I like the old school look of the Cross bones seat but I think the Deluxe pillion would look out of place. Not sure if the Cross Bones passenger pillion will work with the Deluxe luggage rack.

HERITAGE SEAT and PILLION
Not sure I like the rivets on this and it won't go with the saddle bags but I have heard that it is comfortable. I don't know if it will work with the Deluxe luggage rack.

2005 SPRINGER CLASSIC SEAT
This looks like the Deluxe seat without the chrome rail and would look fine with the Deluxe passenger pillion and the saddle bags. I haven't been able to find anything on the level of comfort or if it is indeed the same as the Deluxe.

EARLIER SPRINGER CLASSIC SEAT
This has a chrome rail - not sure if my OEM rail will work. The basket weave is different than my bags, but it will look okay with the Deluxe pillion. I have heard that it is comfortable but difficult to find as it has been discontinued.

Any comments on these seats would be awesome - not really interested in aftermarket as that would require wholesale changes to backrest, bags, and/or passenger pillion.

I am looking at putting hard bags from a Road King Classic if I can find some realatively cheap - otherwise I will keep the existing ones.

Thanks

 

All I can say is how did you last that long with the stock seat at 6-4???? I can't really help you with your choices as I moved to the LePera Maverick Daddy Long Legs which is a 1000% improvement over the stock seat. You get moved back around 3 inches from stock. SJ Ron

 

i can only tell you about the sundowner 1 piece bucket seat. it has a little more lower back support and had no problems with it after 10 years and 50k. the passenger section is just as thin as stock so i got my wife the sheepskin gel seat cushion. on a major trip with a 1000 miles left to go she said she did not need it anymore but at next fill up she wanted it back. i also use the HD circulator air pads , i dont leave home without it. check e bay for any bargains or lake shore hd may still be giving discounts.

 

I bought the bike used and have had it for about a year. Most of the riding has been local or much shorter trips. This was the longest ride on this bike but far more painful than any I have ever done on any other bike even when covering more distance. I would have traded for a Yugo towards the end of the ride just to make the pain go away!

 

Check into Mean city cycles, they might give you some good info and they are pretty cheap too

 

I put the Heritage seat on mine right from the get go. It moved me back a few inches and is a much more comfortable seat for the long rides. Can't tell you about fitment with the bags though as I don't have any.

 

I'm around the same size as you and have had both a Deluxe and a Crossbones. If you go with a crossbones seat get the 1925 tractor seat instead of the stock 'Bones one. They are the same seat pan, just the stock one has tons more padding on it and all that laced up trim. the one with less padding is actually a way more comfortable ride and puts you in a better seating position. The Crossbones pillion won't work with the Deluxe luggage rack, I'm not entirely sure any other pillion will work with that luggage rack. In any case, the sprung 1925 seat was extremely comfortable on long rides, since you essentially had an extra set of springs to absorb shock from the road. Putting it on your bike would require the purchase of all the extra mounting hardware, which is a pretty expensive proposition.

I'm currently running a C&C SportTour on my Deluxe. It's been a pretty fantastic seat for me. I was going to go with a C&C Solo, but this one fell into my lap, as another forum member needed to get rid of it when he decided shortly after buying it that he wanted to go in another direction.

 

I passed some emails with Allen at Mean City Cycles and unfortunately based on my weight and height and the configuration of the seat, he said there was nothing he could do with that seat.

So I am back to the options listed above!

 

It takes around 200 miles for the tailbone pain to kick in with me.

I'm loathed to change it because of the looks, particularly with the nostalgic seat rail on.

 

I'm 6-4 also, & love the look of the stock seat on my 'luxe& after this riding season I'm definately going to mean city cycles. I can keep the look & save some $$.