Opinions on the stock seat.

[namvet]

New guy here.....Just wanted to hear some opinions on how the stock seat is for comfort on long rides. I just came over from the VL800 site and the Suzuki stock has a very negative rep on the comfort factor. I won't pick my Nomad up till next week, so just curious on what you all have to say.

[mercianbike]

You will find a multitude of opinions about the stock Nomad saddle. Many like it and many have gone to an after-market such as Mustang. I put a Mustang saddle on my previous bike because the stock saddle was very uncomfortable. When I bought my Nomad last November I expected to do the same. However, I have found the stock seat to be very comfortable for over 200 mile day trips. Many members have also added one of "grasshopper's" back rests.

http://www.grasshopperlimited.com

My suggestion is to try out the Nomad saddle for a few months and see how it suits you.

[cactusjack]

I also came from the Suzuki Volusia/Boulevard world. I had a 2005 C50T, and the best upgrade I did to it was a Mustang seat. When I bought my 07 Nomad, one of the first things I looked at was the seat. It "looked" better than the stock C50T seat, but found out on my first ride of over about 60 miles that it needed to go! I quickly ordered a Mustang studded seat w/rider backrest.

Oh yeah, welcome to the Nomad Nation from Phoenix, AZ!

[Top Cat]

What mercianbike said. I put a Mustang on my 650 Yamaha and it was worse than the stock seat. Sold it on Ebay for a loss. The Nomad seat is OK for me. Have ridden for 200-250 miles before breaking out my sheepskin butt pad
Now I don't know how far you plan to ride in a day but if it is 300 miles or more , you may need to modify the stock seat. Either way, get a backrest of some sort.

[refugio]

Same here....Had to have a Mustang seat on my previous bike(900 classic LT).
Expecting to do the same on the Nomad....However....After installing a backrest...The Nomad's stock seat is not all that bad.....Still in the testing stages though.

[dank]

This is one of those topics where all that really matters is how it feels for you. Personally, I like the stock seat. I have put 28,000 miles on my nomad in just over a year. Lots of 600-plus mile days and a few 800-plus mile days. I've gone 600-700 on multiple days in a row. I think it is a great seat. My wife likes the passenger seat too and has gone 500 miles in a day on it. But, that only counts for me. Each to his own.

[MarkG]

Welcome from Arizona. Took about a 1,000 miles. Either the stock seat broke in nicely or my rear end did. I'm satisfied with it and have no plans to change.

[dui546]

I have owned 5 street motorcycles and have always stuck with whatever seat the manufacturer put on them. Some of those, like the one of my 1st motorcycle (1974 Honda CB 360), were not very butt friendly. I can attest that this 'stock' seat is the most comfortable I've had on a motorcycle. I road 1,000 miles in 2 days and thought it was great.

When it comes to motorcycles, I find that some people have a need to make changes just to be able to say that they made changes. Personally, I believe the OEM seat, like other stock features in my 2007 Nomad, is well designed and comfortable.

There is a huge profit in 'after-market' stuff and 'after-market' doesn't always = better quality. A lot of things are sold 'cause it's "trendy- gotta have one of those" type stuff.

However, I can attest that Cobra makes outstanding motorcycle accessories that is equal to or better than Kawasaki or other OEM and they sell their stuff at reasonable prices. Kawasaki is missing out on the accessory market because of greed.

[pirate]

In my very humble opinion, I think my 08 Nomad has a great stock seat. Compared to the stock seat on my previous VTX, this one is light years ahead. I have about 1200 miles on my Nomad now, and I don't think I'm going to change the stock seat. I couldn't ride 50 miles on my VTX stock seat without getting a sore butt, but I can go 100+ miles on the Nomad before I get sore. I do miss the backrest of my Mustang, so I think I will look at one for the Nomad, but I think the seat will stay as is.

[waterman]

The stock seat on the 06 is much better than the older versions. I can ride it for 4-500 miles and be ok. Many times I have to get off at 90-100 miles but that might be me with the back and legs. 5 minutes is really all I need and back we go. Probably will add a backrest soon.

[VulcanE]

My stock seat was really comfortable, have ridden 500 miles with only 3 gas stops and was still comfortable, but I wanted a driver's backrest. I ran across a sweet deal on a studded Mustang seat with the driver's backrest, so I went ahead and got it. The Mustang is a little better than the stocker was though! ;)

[bigdave]

I moved up from a Vstar 650 custom on that bike 100 miles and you would be numb. i have ridden 150 miles without stopping and was very happy with the stock seat , i do plan on buying a backrest very soon

[Cajunrider]

Originally Posted by REFUGIO

Same here....Had to have a Mustang seat on my previous bike(900 classic LT).
Expecting to do the same on the Nomad....However....After installing a backrest...The Nomad's stock seat is not all that bad.....Still in the testing stages though.

Hey REF, Is that a grasshopper backrest you added and was it worth it??

[justbrian]

I an a small guy, the first few hundred miles on the stock seat were rough. Then I started to like the ride. I was making 600 mile days and was comfortable in between fuel stops. However i just added a grasshopper backrest and I'm not sure if its the way to go for me. Sore butt all over again., kinda feels like I'm not setting on the entire seat.

My Volusia seat was the pits until I had put about 3K miles on it. After that, it began breaking in nicely and three hours was nothing on it. So far, the Nomad seats are comfy for both me and my co-pilot, as is. Not planning any changes.