Topic: 550 tour seat?

[Green550F]

After a 1,000 mile, 3 day, bike trip last year I'd really like to find a wing-like seat to put on my 550. Anyone know if such a beast exists? Or do I need to create a seat from donars?

[Shenanigans]

Something like this?

[Green550F]

That would be the idea.
Until I can find something, I think I'm going to compare my budddy's 1100 wing seat to my 550. First and foremost, width & length. I figure if I took such a seat and removed the pan, cut the foam underside to meet the new pan it might be possible. Lot's of work for something patchy though...

[CBJoe]

I have an '81 1100 GWing touring seat and it's HUGE compared to the L and W of my CB650 seat.  For jokes i tried to mount it to the 650 a couple years back and it looked terrible.  I'm not sure that any amount of cutting and trimming would make it fit a 550. But hey    if you can make it work more power to ya.

[Cvillechopper]

You can find some really comfortable seats made for the 550K.  I almost bought a bike last week that had a seat that looked very much like the one on my 78 750K a few years ago.  I think it was a 76 550K and looked stock.

Good luck.

[Green550F]

I'm looking but not finding anything for the 550! Any hints or tips would be greatly appriciated!

[mark]

If you dig around a bit, there are lots of '70s accessories for these '70s bikes........

Highway bars... sissy bars.... and the infamous King & Queen seat:


Maybe not the most beautiful thing in the world, but my arse likes it.


Happy trails.



btw- I vaguely recall someone griping about the looks of one and wanting to replace with a stocker. My recommendation was to celebrate the '70s look by keeping the seat, growing a big 'fro, and wearing a polyester 'leisure suit'.


 

[neil young]

That seat Mark is fuggly.but does look comfortable.
i did a 480 mile straight one way trip last summer on my 550 and my ass was killing me after a couple of hours.i had to stop about every half hour because i was sick and tired of shifting my butt left and right to try and get comfortable.
i have 4 seats but only 2 are in good shape cover wise but the foam has seen its day im afraid.so i'm thinking about trying a few types of foam.i have seen someone use really thick carpet under padding to make a cafe seat and they said it was great.

[mark]

Neil..

You're not the first to comment on that seat. Another member, who shall go unnamed at this point, called it "ugly as sin".



Look who's talking.

I'd be careful after riding this one all day...... note how it's really wide at the front - might give a fella a 'wide stance' after a while.


   



btw... a local shop charged the p.o. $150 to recover mine a few years back



edit - the pig-ugliest king/queen seat I have ever seen turns up on feebay pretty regularly - the one that looks like it is based on a stock pan.. still has the chrome... anyway... gag...

[Peterbylt]

I have a Mustang seat on my 75 550f. I bought it about ten years ago and it has been very comfortable (not as comfy as the wing but still comfortable) and stood up quite well. I looked and Mustang is still in business but I do not see a listing for the 550 anymore, But they did make this seat at one time. If you contact them they may be able to make one or maybe even have an NOS one around.

http://www.mustangseats.com/



Peter

[754]

You need to ride the bike more.. and get used to it..

I put double that mileage on and my seat is only 2 inch foam!

and no rear shocks..

Unless you got back problems sounds like you are just not used to the bike...

[neil young]

You need to ride the bike more.. and get used to it..

I put double that mileage on and my seat is only 2 inch foam!

and no rear shocks..

Unless you got back problems sounds like you are just not used to the bike...

maybe you have a fat ass
'I'm just a skinny little guy
you may have a valid point though.i did notice after a few trips that it didn't bother me as much.but the fact that it bothers me at all makes me think there is room for improvement
my 2 cents

[Green550F]

As much as ride more is the correct answer, at 40 years old, I'd prefer not to have to build up my ass... At this point I want the bike to conform to me!

[TwoTired]

I have two, bucket type seats for the 550, I'm willing to part with. Two styles; one needs recovering, the other looks ok but not a particularly soft ride and the vinyl is weathered.  However, they both spread the weight loads over a larger area.

They fit K models.  The right one uses the stock pan in very good shape.  The left one is an aftermarket pan with a bit of surface rust, but still quite solid.

You can still use the covers as patterns to make new.

PM me if you have interest in them.

Cheers,

[JZEROE]

I just have to commend you for touring on the 550 at all!

I love mine around town, and I do get on the highways for hour-ish trips within the Bay Area, but the wind just tosses me around like a lottery ball.

[Philly550K1]

hmm.  this trip you took... was the back of the seat occupied?  i do many miles routinely and insane miles periodically, and the flat 550 seat is now part of my secret, such that i question the "bucket" approach entirely, however soft.  once i picked up a luggage rack for my gear (thus freeing the pillion area), between the stock pegs and passenger pegs, the ability to scootch around and use slightly different positions dramatically extended my "rider service interval".  and a short stint of peg-standing goes a long way, too.  release your inner squid.   (relatedly, it took me about 40 minutes on a ninja for the first time to figure out that "stunting" probably had its genesis in necessity!  "officer, i was not showing off.  i was giving my poor ass, knees, neck and wrists a much needed break.")

that all being said, my current seat cover is splitting, so if you do ditch yours and it's intact, give a holla, dawg....

-jon

[Chicago550]

I just took my 550 seat to a local (Chicago) upholstery shop after seeing their work on a friends bike. He had them modify the shape and add additional foam along with some intricate stitching—they did it in two days and charged him $160.00. The place is nothing to look at (doesn't even have a sign) but the guys inside know what they're doing.

I dropped off my seat today along with a rendering of what I want, picked out the vinyl and foam and gave them $50 up front. I'm having them modify the stock seat to look like the optional Sixty 8 seat that Triumph sells for Bonnevilles but keeping the Honda strap hardware. It's more work than my friends so $180 and said it would be ready on Sat

Here's their info:
Deko Upholstery (formerly JP Professional Upholstery)
1549 Washtenaw
773.486.8051

[Green550F]

Found an old Corbin seat on ebay. $50 shipped!
I will miss the flat seat as the touring seat forces me so far forward. (I'm 6'3")
Couldn't be any worse than last year, and I can always switch it back...

Now if it warms up! Yesterday the high was 37... Tomorrow is to be over 50... can't wait!