Seat Mod

[Striple]

I was chatting with Dragonfly about seat mods the other day, and he suggested that I post the info on how I fixed the poor stock seat issue on my S3.

After the first few thousand miles of riding the S3, I got really tired of walking like I just received a hip replacement procedure, every time I got off the bike following any kind of decent mileage. When I began to look for a suitable alternative, it quickly became obvious that there were just a few different options (Corbin, Sargent, etc.) for the S3, most of which were in the $300-400 dollar range. Not only was that a lot of green to fork out, but I really had no way of testing it beforehand to figure out whether it would actually be worth the investment.

When I came across Spencer's seat mods (http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;), I was excited to see that the cost would be economical enough for me to be willing to give it a shot, knowing that it may or may not produce the results that I was looking for.

For the mod, Spencer used a medium-density viscoelastic foam as a base under the re-contoured seating area, which changed the angle of the seat to alleviate the forward slide, and created a more supportive seat form. The seat midline was then softened to relieve pressure on the crotch area, with the material gradually molding (within the first few rides) to fit my body. Unlike the stock seat, this does not force you to sit perched on top of a relatively inflexible (pre-mod) seat. This comprises the standard mod, which was $50 for the rider section, and $15 for the passenger section.

In addition, I also opted for the Supracor option, which, as Spencer says, takes the mod to the next level. Basically, the Supracor option provides a more form-fitting seating area, reduces vibration, and dampens road-shock to produce a greatly-enhanced rider comfort. According to Spencer, the Supracor works for the rider because it is a dynamic material with an instant rebound. It moves with you, working with your weight shifts for proper bike control. If instead you use a material in the riders section that "takes a set", it locks you in one position and fights against you, which is the main problem with foams. The same modification is done on the passenger section, just obviously on a smaller scale. The cost for the Supracor option was $25 for both the rider and passenger sections combined.

I shipped my seat off to Spencer, and had it back exactly one week later (using UPS ground shipping, so almost all of that was shipping time). The mod did not significantly change the appearance of the seat. In fact, even most S3 riders would probably not notice the difference between the modified seat and the stock seat just by looking at it.

However, while riding, the difference is substantial. I really noticed the difference when I realized after a riding a few hundred miles that I had completely forgotten about the seat issue. The seat now feels perfectly fine, and I can easily ride 4-5 hours without my butt feeling like I spent some quality time in the penitentiary. It feels far more comfortable, without creating isolated pressure points that make you want to constantly adjust your seating position.

Another added, and somewhat unexpected benefit was the difference in ride quality. It almost feels like the suspension has been adjusted, as the effect of road bumps has been reduced significantly.

I have put about 3k miles on the bike since the mod, and am still very pleased with the results. For the overall cost of the mod ($90 + shipping), you'd be hard-pressed to find an alternative solution that produced similar results. If you're in the market for a new seat, you should definitely consider Spencer's mod as an option. Friendly, fast, and affordable service that I will definitely seek out for any future seat mods.

[milesmiles]

Good post, I've been looking into a new seat, but might see about going this way for the price, and sounds like a better product.

[DemonDuck]

I am looking into it as well. I might buy a new seat so I dont have to be without mine.

[2track]

Very cool . Good post.