Is it just me or does the 09 and newer frame sit taller than the 08 on down?
Every time I sit on a newer bike it feels tall, maybe its me?
My 2009 Road king feels higher than the 2005 Ultra I had.

 

Seat is wider with the new frame. That's probably what you're feeling.

 

The Frame is wider too. The seat height listed is the same for the '08 and '09 but I couldn't get my feet flat on the '09 while the '08 was perfect. It's all in the width of the frame and seat and the '09/early '10 seats were wide and a bit higher too. The MOCO changed the seat design mid year '10 to help us vertically challenged types get our feet down by narrowing the front of the seat and making it lower; its a completely different seat pan. Even with the change the '08's and earlier are easier for me to flat foot.

 

I agree, I think they had to make it wider to fit the abs pump in.

 

Bigger ***** will make it feel like the bike is higher, don't ask me how I know this.

 

Riding High , well maybe once or twice

 

The 09 seats do sit higher than the 08 seats. Not sure why but Harley raised the bottom of the seat pans on the 09 seats, there are several theories as to why they changed the seats on the 09 and 10 seats but they don't hold water because the new 2011 seats are very similar to the 08 seats which will work on the 09 and 10 bikes.

I tried finding a picture of a 2011 seat but couldn't find one but they look very similar to the 08 seat pan and they have "Low" stamped on the bottom because they all use the same seat pan from the seat that Harley came out with at the middle of 2010 to replace the seat on the Electra/Ultra glides but they basically look like a 08 seat pan which I did find a picture of. You can clearly see the difference in the seat pan design. The 09/10 seats have the raised seat pans and are actually wider also.

Here is a 08 seat pan

Here is a picture of a 09/10 seat pan

 

The width thing makes sense, I will need to park myself on a new one to see what up.

 

They also had to raise it to give that hammock seat somewhere to flex down