Comfort Considered

UPDATE: I made a video showing the full setup. It can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G52M2ZrIM1M

When did seats become so uncomfortable on motorcycles? I suppose it's just what I grew up with, but motorcycle seats were never so rigid and low sitting. I was used to sitting at the height or above the gas tank on the motorcycles I rode. After looking around for awhile, it can be confirmed that these low seats that we still see everywhere today did not become very fashionable until the mid 90's.

Pictured above: Discomfort.

That's not to say that people didn't prefer low seats. Indeed, the market speaks and gets what it wants. Saddle style seats, like the one on my fathers '60 are gone. Replaced instead with seats that sit in the cradled of the frame itself, looking as though they are trying to crawl out from the bottom of the gas tank. Having used a saddle seat for a season, I can attest to it's comfort. These seats were mounted to a bracket on the rear of tanks to the frame, and sat suspended on a large spring in a tube that ran down the center of the frame. On occasion helper springs were then attached to the rear of the seat itself in order to provide extra cushion while riding. The particular seat on the '60 is around 4 inches thick and is the most comfortable ride I have ever experienced.

The most comfortable style of seating that evidently no one wants anymore.

One of the reasons for purchasing the Road King Police model was the ability to put a certain seat on it. It appears that Harley took the years of experience they had with saddle seats and crafted a seat of almost equal comfort for police bikes. This particular seat, known as the "air ride" seat, is surprisingly not very popular among owners of Road Kings. Many choose to remove this seat and the associated tank and hardware as soon as they can.

I understand why, after all it's only a solo seat and there is no room for anyone else. Maintenance can be expensive as replacement air bladders can run into the hundreds of dollars and you never know when a line may blow out. Still these seats are a clear reminder of why thick, suspended seats that sit above or at level with the gas tank offer more control and comfort, at least in my opinion.

When I first purchased my bike, riding felt like I was going to become one with the ground. The seat sat very, very low. I was accustomed to being above the tank riding high. Quite honestly, it was like learning to ride again. It was also clear that the seat had been abused. There was no padding for the rider or passenger. Every bump I hit was felt very clearly. My wife would often complain of pains and soreness from the lack of cushion. These frame mounted seats do not provide nearly the same support or comfort the old ones do. To make it worse, they would interfere with the latching mechanisms on the saddle bags.

Luckily and as always, with my Uncle's help, I went about changing it back to stock. Here are some things I found out.

Want to return your Road King Police seat to stock? Here are some tips.

Actually comfortable and not sitting below the bike. 

1. As always EBay is your friend. Many who purchase this model immediately remove the seat, brackets, covers, air tank and lines and put it on EBay. Try and bide your time and you can often find the whole setup for less than $200. Be informed that this is what you need to make it work. The seat itself, with the "T" mounting bracket, 2 bolts to mount the seat to the frame along with the "wing" brackets in the front of the seat that sit in the frame. You also need the plastic cover that will cover all your wiring harnesses and battery when the new seat is put on. Further, you need the air tank assembly, the bladder and the air lines. The air lines are standard fare but the other two items are most definitely not. If you get lucky you will find this all together, if not you may be stuck ordering items from a Harley Davidson dealership. Good luck finding the whole setup!

2. Consider the cost of having a passenger. If you are going to ride a passenger then you will need a seat. Mustang makes a series of seats that will fit this application, including one that will match the look and texture of the solo seat, making it appear as one set. This seat will run, at the time of writing, around $220. Expensive but a worthwhile investment. But wait! You will need hardware as well. Retaining washers for the fender wire harness guide will be needed from your HD dealership, a single locking nut mechanism will also be required to secure the seat to the rear of the fender. Finally mounting nuts that slip over the harness bracket will be needed to slide and lock the seat in. All in all, the cost to put a passenger seat on is around $250.

3. Know the location of your license plate and luggage rack. If you run your plate anywhere else but the location on top of the rear fender, you will have to get creative. The mounting bracket for the air tank attaches to the plate holder, so if you've moved it, get ready to move it back. Also, be aware that some luggage racks may sit too low for the air tank. Essentially, know that any job that seems affordable and simple, can turn into expensive and time consuming depending on what customizing you've already done.

4. If your family is anything like mine, they have tins of hardware lying around. It's always good to have a hardware dump in case you need to find that one nut or bolt that would finish the job.

It also offers quick access to the battery and electrical system through a removable pin, doubling this seat's awesome level.

If you're a fan of comfort and the older look, then this is the setup you'll want. It looks much nicer than those new seats which appear as though they were poured into the cradle. I hope this helps you to experiment with different seat set ups. Post a comment if there's a question I can help with.