Hi all, does anyone have any experience of using an air ride seat such as is original equipment on the Police Road Kings?
As is well known on this forum I have a really bad back and I am clutching at straws to prolong my riding years.
Having just come back to Harley having bought an 05 Road King I was thinking of ordering a second hand US Police air ride seat and air tank etc to fit to it.

It is the small jarring bumps that really cause me pain, the ones that the suspension just can't move quick enough to soak up, that I'm hoping to smooth out with the air seat.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

You can't go wrong with a cop seat. I spent 25,000 miles in it and was very happy. Now I have 2014 CVO RK and want to put the cop seat on it.
One comment – since 2013 they replaced the air bladder with a spring, I would go with the newer design – the spring is adjustable just like air ride, but much easier to install.
So my advice is to look for the seat itself (without the bladder and air tank) on Ebay, then order the parts you see in attached pic.

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...-seat-kit.html

 

okay, I've just found one and ordered it at a great price, considering I paid $1000 for my Mustang seat for my Kawasaki including shipping from US.

So if I junk the air tank and air shock for a spring I still got a great deal.

Good to get a positive reply, thanks.

Did you find the increase in seat height to be a negative thing at all?

 

oh and forgot to ask, what is the maximum PSI allowed, and what is a normal pressure to run at??

Thanks again.

 

Depends on your weight. I used to run about 15–20 psi. Even if you are slim, never run it without pressure.
I am 176 cm toll (short?) and police seat (the whole police bike) was a bit of a reach for me. But I never considered lowering the bike and took the challenge)
I lowered the OEM police seat T–bracket, though, just a bit.
Now I have lower OEM suspension in my RK, so I hope even with added seat height I will be OK.
Here is what I did to lower the stock police seat:
1) Cut the front spacer approximately 1 cm so there is still clearance (although tight) for the wires on top of the fuel tank.
2) Bent (after heating) the rear support that goes on top of air bladder (think this gave me 2,5 cm (1 inch) in the rear).
3) Cut the rubber bump stops in half.
4) Spayed the bracket with black paint.

 

T–bracket modification

 

Hey, thanks that's great info.
I'm 190 in height, so the reach won't be a problem, I was thinking more of COG issues, but I guess if the Police ride them like that in US it will be fine.

Impatient for next week now, just wanna go pick it up.

 

At first you won't like the height, but give it time ,once you get used to it you will never go back.

 

I put a police seat on my 11 RK and then put it on the 13RG last year - best modification I have ever made - a true 700 mile a day seat no problem. I ran the RK solo and bought the passenger seat from Mustang for the RG.

Instead of using the air bladder check this out using the "Kong" - I use it and it works very well.

http://www.retiredpolicebikes.com/uploads/gorillaman/docs/TheKong.pdf

 

Put a utopia backrest on it and you will love it. Theyare themost comfortable seat harley ever put on a motorcycle.