Rob, I'm kind of like Chuck500, but I spent all my experimental money back in the early 'oughts when I was riding my first Concours. I started with a Hartco sheepskin full cover, which was pretty comfortable on the stock saddle, but wore quickly.
During that time I did about 250 miles one day on a friend's Corbin. It was miserable. It was very heavy, probably 3 times the weight of the stock saddle, due to Corbin's seat pan. It didn't fit the bike very well and their were gaps between it and the mid-fairing. Plus it was hard as a rock and transmitted vibration to my "delicate" areas and actually made me go numb in a place I've never been numb in before or since.
Then I tried a Rick Meyers saddle. He was very hard to communicate with, missed promised delivery and return dates by large amounts, always had an excuse and got mad at me because, after trying to call him and email him for three weeks with no reply, I called information and got his home number and called him their. The saddle wasn't uncomfortable for me, but my wife, who rode then, found the Meyer pillion much more uncomfortable than the stock seat. But, for me, the saddle wasn't any great improvement over stock, and one seam came apart after only 15-20,000 miles. I paid Rick a nominal amount for the repair and sold the saddle to a guy who only rode with it a few times before going back to the stock saddle.
Then I got a Russell. It worked great and I was never uncomfortable. I rode it for probably 35,000 miles on my first Connie, and then for another 50,000 on my 2nd one. The guy who bought the bike still has it and says it's still comfortable and still looks good.
When I bought my NT, I kept the stock saddle for probably 15-18,000 miles. Then I bought Elzilla's stock saddle after she got a Russell and sent it to Russell for them to build me a DayLong for the NT. I've had it for nearly 70,000 miles. I did get the driver's seat recovered after wearing out a seam. Russell moved that seam just a bit when they recovered the saddle and it seems to be avoiding the wear. If you ever saw me slide my way onto and off of my bike, you'd understand why a seam on the right front of the saddle could wear out. I've had five knee replacements and my access to the saddle is awkward, to say the least.
There is a French saddle that looks good and I've heard good things about it. Here's a link to the thread: http://www.nt-owners.org/forums/showthread.php?6688-Top-Sellerie-Deauville-saddle
Jim Moore in Nebraska had the first one of these I saw and he's very happy with it. For $399, it's quite a bit cheaper than the Russell.
If I ever buy a bike other than an NT, I'll be calling Russell early on. If I buy another NT, I'll be moving my current saddle to that bike and buying a stock saddle from Honda to go with mine to its second owner.
During that time I did about 250 miles one day on a friend's Corbin. It was miserable. It was very heavy, probably 3 times the weight of the stock saddle, due to Corbin's seat pan. It didn't fit the bike very well and their were gaps between it and the mid-fairing. Plus it was hard as a rock and transmitted vibration to my "delicate" areas and actually made me go numb in a place I've never been numb in before or since.
Then I tried a Rick Meyers saddle. He was very hard to communicate with, missed promised delivery and return dates by large amounts, always had an excuse and got mad at me because, after trying to call him and email him for three weeks with no reply, I called information and got his home number and called him their. The saddle wasn't uncomfortable for me, but my wife, who rode then, found the Meyer pillion much more uncomfortable than the stock seat. But, for me, the saddle wasn't any great improvement over stock, and one seam came apart after only 15-20,000 miles. I paid Rick a nominal amount for the repair and sold the saddle to a guy who only rode with it a few times before going back to the stock saddle.
Then I got a Russell. It worked great and I was never uncomfortable. I rode it for probably 35,000 miles on my first Connie, and then for another 50,000 on my 2nd one. The guy who bought the bike still has it and says it's still comfortable and still looks good.
When I bought my NT, I kept the stock saddle for probably 15-18,000 miles. Then I bought Elzilla's stock saddle after she got a Russell and sent it to Russell for them to build me a DayLong for the NT. I've had it for nearly 70,000 miles. I did get the driver's seat recovered after wearing out a seam. Russell moved that seam just a bit when they recovered the saddle and it seems to be avoiding the wear. If you ever saw me slide my way onto and off of my bike, you'd understand why a seam on the right front of the saddle could wear out. I've had five knee replacements and my access to the saddle is awkward, to say the least.
There is a French saddle that looks good and I've heard good things about it. Here's a link to the thread: http://www.nt-owners.org/forums/showthread.php?6688-Top-Sellerie-Deauville-saddle
Jim Moore in Nebraska had the first one of these I saw and he's very happy with it. For $399, it's quite a bit cheaper than the Russell.
If I ever buy a bike other than an NT, I'll be calling Russell early on. If I buy another NT, I'll be moving my current saddle to that bike and buying a stock saddle from Honda to go with mine to its second owner.
