[fishhuntr1]

Got mine today @ Wally World. Does make the seat more comfy. Question: do y'all cut and singe the extra strap material or is there some other method? The rear strap is the only real concern as it's exposed to debris from the rear tire. Buckles on rear two straps locate under the seat. Front buckles are exposed. Front strap spans the valley under the seat then "gushes" into place. As it should be? How's this think about getting wet? Does it soak everything up like a sponge?



It was good I did this as I found I'd broken a wire to the right blinker last weekend. Spliced in a few inches with a new bullet connector and tied it up a bit more out of the way.

 

[peruano]

fishhuntr1, Once you are satisfied with the install, feel free to trim the strap ends. I totally eliminated the middle strap and the other two are installed loose enough that they tighten up when the seat is bolted on the bike. My front buckles are tucked under the seat and have stayed there for many miles. I wouldn't worry about moisture, mud, etc. All of that will be under the bike and rotting is not likely unless you are constantly in the muck. Now go out there and get it dirty. Tom

 

[fishhuntr1]

hmmm...I swear I can see the front buckles in your pic.



RE: sponge, I wasn't really worried about rot, but rather if it gets wet, will it keep my arse wet all day. I might have to be more diligent about covering it up in rain/dew. I suppose if I dump it (again) in deep mud puddles, a wet arse will be my penance.



I installed it with mud already on the bike. ;-)

 

[darnold87]

My plastic buckles looked crappy and made the seat fit weird. I cut them off and tied the cover on semi-permanently with 3/16" rope. Looks clean and fits well.

 

[qwerty]

It seems the loops holding the buckles vary in length. mine ended up right at the bottom of the seat pan, which would have required notching to make them fit. I cut off everything but the loops, tossed the straps and buckles, and used strips of velcro used to hold coils of extension cord and such. Slap the Velcro on a bit snug, then bolt the seat down and everything pulls tight over the frame.

 

[mrlmd]

All 4 of my buckles tucked right in under the vinyl seat pan and are not noticeable. It depends on how far forward or aft you get the pad to sit and it took a bit of fiddling to get it right, but I can take the seat on and off easily and they still fit in underneath once you get it on right the first time..

 

[fishhuntr1]

All 4 of my buckles tucked right in under the vinyl seat pan and are not noticeable. It depends on how far forward or aft you get the pad to sit and it took a bit of fiddling to get it right, but I can take the seat on and off easily and they still fit in underneath once you get it on right the first time..

Yes...I see yours is much more forward. I have mine flush at the rear of the seat. Oh...and I have 6 buckles (3 straps).



My buckles are up tight to the pad, but I can see where varying mfg. placement of buckles (ala QWERTY) would give varying results.

 

[xzyfsk]

Yes...I see yours is much more forward. I have mine flush at the rear of the seat. Oh...and I have 6 buckles (3 straps).



My buckles are up tight to the pad, but I can see where varying mfg. placement of buckles (ala QWERTY) would give varying results.

I tried one riding on the Trans America Trail last fall. It killed my butt. I cut it off and tossed at at a gas station. I found out I am ok with the seat the way it is. Well at least for the first 200 miles.

 

[mrlmd]

I don't think it adds anything to comfort. It may protect the vinyl from the sun and maybe keep it from feeling so hot, looks nice, but increased comfort - no. And if it gets wet from rain, it stays soggy for a while, instead of just wiping off the stock seat. But it's only about $18, so cheap as a "mod".

 

[dhoenisch]

The seat pad was my first upgrade to my TW. I found that my butt would get sore after just 25-30 minutes on the stock seat. I can stay on quite a bit longer without complaint with the seat pad. It was worth my $18. It seems it works differently for different folks though. Maybe since I'm overweight, and the seat pad makes the seat a little wider, that's why I find my bike more comfortable with it. Beats me.



Dan

 

[qwerty]

Some people expect the cheapo seat pad to eliminate discomfort and fail to recognize a lesser degree of discomfort or extended riding time before discomfort sets in. For $18, you get more comfort. For another $18, 2 covers are 3 times better than 1.

 

[rossmond]

I put 2 pads that u get at a hardware store that are ment for gardening. Then i shaped them with a carpentry rasp to fit under the pad and level the low spot in the seat.glued the 2 pads together, shaped it some more,glued throw rug nonslip underlayment stuf top and bottom.Put this under the sterns pad. This raied the seat about 2 inches,and made a much better ride.The front buckels stay on the side of seat,the middle i had to notch plastic,and they just fit under , and the rear easally fit under.Then i trimed off exess stap and burned it so it wont fray.Fits seat great, and underpad is removable or adjustable.It made where i sit level with rear of seat so no more sliding forward

 

[Rohnsman]

The problem I'm finding with the stock seat is that it seems too slippery. In hard braking or under acceleration I am constantly slipping around. Does the Stearn seat offer a bit more friction so as to prevent this? (or will I find that now the seat cover itself will slip around?)

 

[RodneyReed]

The problem I'm finding with the stock seat is that it seems too slippery. In hard braking or under acceleration I am constantly slipping around. Does the Stearn seat offer a bit more friction so as to prevent this? (or will I find that now the seat cover itself will slip around?)

The seat cover itself will slip around. Go ahead and get an all gripper seat cover. It's the biggest hop up you can do a bike, better than any pipe, silencer or jetting change. Just don't tell anybody, that way you'll have the unfair advantage.

 

[Rohnsman]

Bought a pad at Wally World yesterday. It looks the same as the Stearns I've been seeing here, but says "Coleman" on it. Did Coleman perhaps buy out Stearns? I did a quick fit just to have a look at it, but it was getting dark and so decided to wait until I have daylight and more time to fit it properly. It would appear to me that cutting off the buckles and using something like parachute cord to cinch it on would work better. I will have to play around with it to see what works best. I'm hoping it will increase my butt-to-seat friction a bit. I find I slip around more than I'd like on the stock seat.

 

[n2o2diver]

I put mine on today. I didnt have to cut anything. Just mounted it forward. All buckles hid under the seat well. Took some fiddling but its on and it fits great.

 

[frog13]

Put the Coleman on mine,I like it...except for the way it "anchors".....gonna have to figure out a different system.No doubt it widens the seat...helps with load distribution.

 

[qwerty]

Electrical section of the hardware department at walmart has thin red strips of Velcro intended to keep extension cords rolled up. These work great between the loops after the plastic buckles are removed.

 

[old mad max]

fishhuntr1, Once you are satisfied with the install, feel free to trim the strap ends. I totally eliminated the middle strap and the other two are installed loose enough that they tighten up when the seat is bolted on the bike. My front buckles are tucked under the seat and have stayed there for many miles. I wouldn't worry about moisture, mud, etc. All of that will be under the bike and rotting is not likely unless you are constantly in the muck. Now go out there and get it dirty. Tom

X2 exactly. Works great... The pad has doubled my comfort distance.. OMM.

 

[frog13]

Electrical section of the hardware department at walmart has thin red strips of Velcro intended to keep extension cords rolled up. These work great between the loops after the plastic buckles are removed.

Good thinking(as usual) QWERTY!.