Suggestions on a comfortable seat for 2004 ST 1300

Rev71

Rev71

Joined
Feb 24, 2025
Messages
2
Age
54
Location
New York
Bike
@004 ST1300
Good Evening fellow ST owners.

I own a 2004 ST1300.

I love this bike I picked up last year, but today my wife and I decided to do a little bit longer of a ride, which was only 357 miles. This seat is NOT comfortable for long rides. Any suggestions out there and thank you in advance.

I have ridden an older Goldwing just shy of 800 miles in a day back around 2016 on a Sturgis trip, and my wife and I rode our Harley Electra Glide Ultra Classic about 3,300 miles in a week and a half in 2018. That bike I sold when we lived in Florida as I did not enjoy riding down there, as the best time of the year (winter) was simply way too congested and the amount of motorcycle accidents we saw was unreal. I do regret selling that bike to this day, as it was probably the most comfortable bike I have owned thus far for long trips.

Happy riding...Be SAFE!
 
There are a few off the shelf aftermarket seat options. I think Corbin, Sargent and Saddlemen are a few.

Most are going to recommend a "Russell Day Long", but they are custom made to specifications. So if you are buying used, it may or may not be comfortable for your body type.

I found a used one that fit me well. Others have not been so fortunate. I did try the stock seat and a Sargent World Performance (I think) before this Russell Day Long.

Good luck! If you are near any of the "ride to eat" events, it may be worth it to go and sit on a few different seats, assuming everyone is okay with it.

Ryan
 
If you plan on keeping the bike long term, then yes I would recommend a Russell Daylong.
They can build the back seat to suit your partner and the front seat to suit you.
You can do it with pictures but the best solution is to do a ride-in (I've done both).



Mine are for ST1100s but they deal with all makes and models.
 
Given the variety of fundaments, it is impossible for us to say which seat of the brands out there will be best for you. Your best bet is to go to one of our events (blue band atop this page, click on Home) and sit on a bunch of different seats. While a custom made seat for another rider will probably not fit you perfectly, you can get a rough idea of its shape and cushioning. For example, I'm short and discovered that the Russel pushes my legs outward, exacerbating my lack of stability. My Sargent seat was surprisingly comfortable, it was flat and hard. Another option would be for you to look at the RAN list (rider assist network) - again blue band, Riding > US RAN List for names of folks near you. Give them a call, ask if they have a custom seat and maybe ride to their house and check out that seat.

You can sometimes find an aftermarket seat online, but again, if it was made specifically for someone else's bottom, it might not fit yours. The nice thing about ordering your own custom seat is they can modify the pillion seat for your wife. While the ST will never be the same as a GoldWing, you can get top cases w/ a back rest.
 
2WheeledPrivilege said:
Florida: #3 in bikes, #1 in crashes
My st came with a sargent and it suits me fine, but seats are like shoes or furniture, you just have to find what works for you.
Click to expand...
I like to use the example of mattresses -
Some folks like a firm mattress, some folks like a soft cushiony mattress.
The same is usually true about MC seats. ;)
 
Thank you everyone for the replies.....I shall do some research based on these suggestions.
 
2WheeledPrivilege said:
Florida: #3 in bikes, #1 in crashes
My st came with a sargent and it suits me fine, but seats are like shoes or furniture, you just have to find what works for you.
Click to expand...
You know what they say about statistics. Is crash history by state correlated to good weather that contributes to more miles per registration numbers than states with limited riding seasons? Does FL get a concentration twice a year of rusty riders than might not have been in a bike in three months and letting go while away from family.... drinking with the boyz.

My favorite seat on the ST1300 was a Sargent.
 
You are in NY? If it was me, I'd ride down to Seth Laam in West Virginia. Last month I was all set to arrange a ride in appointment to his former California location and surprise to me, he moved to WV. Blew up my plans as he is the only seat builder I was interested in and for me it is ride in appointments only. Laam Custom Seats
 
There's a Russel Day-long seat for sale on this list:

For Sale - Russell Day Long Saddle - XLNT | Buy/Sell/Wanted

Russell Day Long Saddle – driver section in black vinyl. EXCELLENT condition. I just sold my last ST1300, but I did use this RDL on my last 2 STs. Legendary long-ride comfort. I bought it from another member a LONG time ago so I figured I would give another member a shot. I am 5’11” 230# with a...
www.st-owners.com www.st-owners.com

A lot of folks swear by these.
 
My two cents.
I found a nice 2001 ST in my neighbourhood. The seller provided 2 seats two windshields and a cover. The optional seat was a Corbin. My ass would go numb after an hour of riding. Bought an Air Hawk and that extended my sit time.
Second bike was an '04 ST. Only came with the OEM seat. Alot better ride that the Corbin. One year came across a rider on a RT. He had a slick looking cover on his OEM seat from a British company called Cool Covers. At that time it cost me less than $100 including shipping from the UK. Best investment yet. I ordered one for my latest bike. They are really comfy. Also added ventilation from ST engine heat.
Good luck.
Dave

Cool Covers - The cover works like air-conditioning for your motorbike seat

The Cool Covers seat cover works like air-conditioning for your motorbike seat. The specially developed, 3-dimensional, 8mm strong material is 98% air-permeable, allowing the air to flow underneath your buttocks & helping to cool you.
coolcovers.co.uk coolcovers.co.uk
 
A little late here but I have the stock seat on my '07 and bought some wooded seat beads from Walmart and like others modified them to fit the ST front seat only.
Also you can use LD comfort riding shorts which I have used for years with lots of success and comfort.
 
You were most comfy on a GW and a HD something. You need to realize both those bikes have a very different seating position than an ST. Knees bent more, back leaning forward, maybe more weight on arms and shoulders.
Maybe a seat will help, maybe not. Maybe your body and muscles just need to adapt to a different style of riding.
As said, nobody can tell what seat will help.
Certainly not me as I've always ridden stock seats.
How many $$$$ are you willing to spend on the seat merry-go-round?
 
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