Hello - New guy here.

I installed a new Saddlemen gel seat on my 2009 650 and I'm greatly disappointed. I made 88 miles and had to cut the ride short. I might as well have been sitting on a sack of rocks. The quality, fit and finish are excellent and it looks great. All of this adds to the let down. I've tried to contact the manufacturer for 2 days, no one answers or returns calls. Anybody else have a Saddlemen gel seat on anything? I have 2 Corbins on other bikes and their break in was brutal. I was hoping to avoid this by getting the gel seat. Guess I'll spend some time on here reading all the other possibilities.

__________________
Darrel

Current Bikes:
1968 Norton 750 Atlas (In restoration process)
1970 Norton 750S Commando (Basketcase)
1970 Triumph Bonneville (nice rider, for sale)
1974 Norton 850 Commando (Custom, restored)
1978 Honda CBX (Basketcase)
2001 Kawasaki ZRX1200R (Weekend hell raiser)
2009 DL650 VStrom (Newest obsession)

Past Bikes:
1974 Yamaha DT125
1964 Harley Sportster
1978 Harley Shovelhead
1973 Honda CL350
1979 Suzuki GS550
1977 Yamaha XS650

I too am struggling with what to do with my seat. I did the Spensorize thing and it was slightly better but still not what I had hoped. My next move will probably be a Seat Concepts kit but they don't have the 2012 seat mod ready for another month. I did speak with a guy over the weekend that said the SC really helped with his 2007 Wee. He was very high on this product.

__________________
2012 Suzuki DL650AL2
1982 BMW R100RT
1985 Diamondback Ascent EX

I'm learning to modify seats myself. There are a couple of good How-to sites on the Internet.

I recently pruchased a commercial staple puller ($10) an electric (meat) carving knife ($20) an air T50 stapler ($50) and some stainless steel staples and modified the wee OEM seat for my wife to use (lowered a bit). The exercise was completely successful, took about 3 hours and looks totally stock.

You can add differing types of foam and iterate through a tuning process (successive modifications) until you get something that works for you.

Here is one link:

Modify Seat

__________________
2009 DL650 ABS (with touring kit)
2004 Honda ST1300

Check out Seat Concepts. I put one of their kits on my '07 Wee and love it. Have had Corbin's and Mustang's seats on other bikes I have owned over the years and the Seat Concepts is a far, far better setup for me.

Note: I do like firm seats and this may be a point for you to know.

__________________
Doug in Kentucky (Semper Fi)
Live in the moment, for only the moment is real.
------------------
2009 Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive
1980 Honda Express (my toy!)
2007 Wee-Strom (in process of being sold)
2001 Honda Helix (Sold)