I was talking to the upholstery shop the local dealer recommended about having the seat on my 2019 Street Glide Special. The shop mentioned that at some point Harley actually started making the factory seats narrower. Does anyone know anything about this? Just curious, trying to get a little better stance. I have short legs so everything helps. Installing the lowering kit for the shocks also. Thank you for your help.

 

I don’t know about factory seats, but they do make a Reach Seat for shorter riders.

 

That is counter-intuitive since the average American's seat is getting wider.

 

Suggestion you think twice about lowering. From what I understand it negatively changes the geometry of the bike.

Consider having your seat narrowed and/or consider boots with taller heels and thicker soles, before you think about lowering.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I'm not sure if this is what the shop was talking about, but it was a change to narrower seats I am aware of...

With the introduction of the Rushmore bikes in 2014, the seats got a little smaller, than the '09-'13 seats on that same '09+ frame. It was done to avoid the older seats rubbing on the newer tour pack speakers. It wasn't a big thing, and has probably happened, going back & forth, numerous times over various models.

I learned this when searching for a seat for my '16 Bagger. I ended up using an earlier seat, slightly wider, that HD said wouldn't fit with a tour pack, but it did...

Here's the proof:







Anyway, the changes above had to do with the overall width of the seat.

More importantly, when it comes to modifying seats, many shops will narrow the front of the seat. It allows for your legs to go straight down, rather than out to the side and down. It will make it easier for those of us with a shorter inseam to flat foot on a higher seat.

Perhaps that is what the shop was talking about?

 

When I had my 2013 Street Glide I sent the seat to Mean City Cycle to have them modify. I'm 5'7" with 30" inseam. They narrowed the front of the seat and changed the pad and I could flat foot fine. When I traded it for my 2021 Street Glide, I told the salesman that I would be changing the seat from the 13 to the 21. Explained and he understood. Well I sat several times on the 21 before we traded and the seat was narrower and I could flat foot. So I left the MCC modified seat on the 13 an did not change. So I would say yes, the newer models do have a narrower front of the seat. If you still have issues, call MCC and talk to them about mods. Hope this helps! Good luck!!

 

HEY, What are you saying?

 

Well, I think he just called you a fat ***......

 

I dont if he was referring to something 15 years ago but when Harley came out with the new touring frames in 2009 the rider section on the Ultra Classic seats received complaints of being too wide, they introduced a slighty narrower seat within the year.
I bought one of the narrower seats back in 2010 and both my 2014 and 2022 seats seemed plenty narrow up front.

 

As posted, Mean City Cycles will narrow your current seat.