Solo Seat Suggestions for a Street Bob ??? : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

kballowe · 08-10-2009, 07:44 AM

I am 5'9" with a 30" inseam. Bike is '09 Street Bob with MID controls.

In the past, I have sent factory seats off to Mean City Cycles and they do a fine job. However, I don't like the factory seat on this Street Bob and was looking for alternatives. So far I have found these:

Mustang vintage solo (regular - not the wide one)
Mustang solo tripper (what is this?)
Sundowner solo

Up, back, or forward an inch would be OK. Up an inch would be good. Trying to get a decent seat that isn't too ugly. Well, not any uglier than the factory seat.

This bike is typically used for 150 mile (or less) rides.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

fafcpa · 08-13-2009, 09:41 AM

I have an '08 Street Bob. I am 5'7" with a 27 1/2 inch inseam. The seat fit is perfect for me except for a burning "tush" after about 25 minutes of riding. Seat is going to MCC at the end of September for a redo which hopefully will cure the burning.

The front of the '08 seat is narrower than the seat on the '09 model. That could be part of your problem. Perhaps MCC can cure it.

Fred

joe297 · 08-14-2009, 12:59 AM

?! I'm almost positive I replied to this thread before.

I bought both the Mustang Tripper Solo and Vintage wide solo for my '06 Street Bob. Tho the fender isn't chopped like the '09s, the seats are fully compatible / exchangeable on all Street Bobs (and any non-bobbed tail Dyna from '06 up for that matter).

To get some idea of the differences I measured the seat height from the top of the battery cover. Compared to the stock seat the Mustang Vintage wide solo is 1 inch taller from the top center of the battery box. And 1 1/4" taller at the top front of the battery cover. However, the Vintage solo is also narrower than the stock seat at the front which helps offset the higher seat somewhat. I'm not sure where to measure front/back seating position. But it "feels" like it pushes me slightly forward compared to stock. Also, the Vintage seat was not comfortable until I'd put at least 1000 miles on it. Now the seat has become so comfy I rarely swap it out with the others.

I plan to swap in the Tripper Solo this weekend and take the same measurements. Tho I can say it definitely pushes me back slightly. I don't notice so much with the mids but it's a slightly longer reach to the highway pegs with the Tripper solo installed. Also, this seat was comfy from the get go. The Mustang rep I spoke to said it uses the same foam as the Vintage seat. Maybe the fact that it's lower and narrower (ie less foam) helps it break in faster.

JAFlanders · 08-27-2009, 07:08 AM

Check out the on piece Solo Seat from C&C Motorcycle Seats. You can also get it with Gel Padding:
http://www.sideroadcycles.com/Americ...oPro_Solo.html

midnight sporty · 08-27-2009, 10:05 AM

im glad someone brung up that site. there prices are extramly fair. and seats are very nice looking. im gonna get a fastback with gel for my crossbones..

kballowe · 08-27-2009, 04:18 PM

OK, well I ended up with the HD Sundowner solo seat. It raised me up some and maybe a little forward but (in the end) it's a much better fit. My legs are not cramped with the mid-controls and I can still flat-foot the thing. MUCH MUCH more comfortable than the stock seat. So far I have about 1,000 miles on the new seat and have no complaints.

Thanks for the suggestions.