| Author | Message | ||
     Jim_sb |
Greetings, I *really* like the Uly. Having had the opportunity to mount Madduck's Uly with the pre-production factory low seat, I am still concerned about ride height. Obviously one could remove the spring preload (lowest setting) and perhaps gain a bit more reach at the expense of handling. I haven't ridden the Uly yet (but I plan to soon). I'm certain I could ride it as is, but I'd prefer another inch or so less seat height. What are the other alternatives for a prospective purchaser? Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Sargent |
I've got a sargent (no relation) seat on my VFR and if I get a Ulysses, I'll either wait a year for them to make one or send my stocker in for them to redo. I've been really pleased with the all day comfort and the materials they use enough that I'd happily spend another $300+ on a seat from them. They can custom make it how you like so I'd imagine an 1" or so shaved off would be a piece of cake. | ||
| Henrik |
There was mention of some sort of high tech foam/gel in the Uly seat, in which case you may not be able to perform the surgery yourself. Otherwise, you might be able to just peel back the stock cover and get to work with an electrical carving knife and a drum sander on a power drill. I wrote up some pointers awhile ago, and can dig them up if you need'em However, Sargent has a well deserved good reputation for making quality seats as well as customizations. Henrik | ||
| Steve_a |
I believe the Ulysses factory low seat has gel under the cover in the rider seating area. At least the prototype one did. They really have it trimmed down to about as low as it can go, but then again, never underestimate the creativity of the aftermarket. | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hi Steve, If that's as low as it goes, I guess I'll have to live with it. I guess I'd settle though for a narrower seating area in the front of the seat so my legs aren't splayed out so much. I realized that when reaching as straight down as possible on the pre-production low seat that I wasn't up against the frame on either side. I thought the seat needed more taper. From my perspective the seat height issue is unfortunate as the Uly addresses my desires in a motorcycle very, very well. Now I'm wondering how I take an inch out of the front and rear suspension... <sigh> Well, I've put a deposit on a Uly. We'll see how it goes when I ride it. Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Milar |
Jim, I have a 30" inseam. I was intimidated by the Uly when I picked it up. After about 30 minutes I adjusted. I'll get a low seat for city riding. But wait until you ride it before doing more than that. FYI, you're gonna love the bike. A buddy rode mine who has a V-Strom and an SV1000S. He thought the Uly had the comfort and touring capability of the Strom and the handling of the SV1000S. He was very impressed. M | ||
| Stevem123 |
Hi Jim, I think you and I are about the same height and my inseam varies from 29"-30" depending whether I'm wearing my boots or not. I still have the standard seat and have put on almost 3K so far. The bike balances so easy and feels so light that I don't have any problem at stops. I am up on the balls of my feet though. Mounting and dismounting can be a chore especially if you're parked on unlevel ground. But if the ground is level then doing the horse-mount technique works quite well. I have gotten so used to it by now that it's really no problem. I went over some curbs and in the grass at the highschool today and it was way fun to see the looks from all the kids. I gave them an obligitory wheelie as I left with my son on the back. I bet I'm going to hear about that one later  ! BC Steve | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hi Steve, Glad you're Uly is treating you well. It's a great bike. Milar, IMHO it is a much more enticing product than a V-Strom, SV1000, BMW GS or Multistrada. They each have their pros & cons, but the Uly package works best for me. I'm just going to find a way to make it work. Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Branebanger |
I've done about 8k on my uly, and my fiance is getting pissed. I still don't have the low seat and almost every day I get asked when I'm gonna get one. if anyone knows where I can get one I'd be forever in your debt. | ||
| Branebanger |
don't mean to take this topic away from seats, but my fiance is also asking when the luggage is getting here. I don't have the balls to tell her that I have no idea which dealer even has them in stock. anyone have a full set for sale? if you're 1k from nyc i'll come ride there this weekend. | ||
| Al_lighton |
There is a Uly at Corbin right now getting the development done. Mine was supposed to go there, but someone else donated theirs so they could get the free seat. I'd bet it's still a month away. I'll get one of the first ones and will post pictures and impressions as soon as I do. And of course, I'll order some and get them up on the web store asap. I will get mine with the shiny CF leather in the seating areas, black vinyl elsewhere. But many options are available. I dont have pricing yet. Al | ||
| Jim_sb |
Thanks, Al. Keep us posted, eh? Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Milar |
>my fiance is also asking when the luggage is >getting here The luggage is available. I got mine from Dave S. He'll give you a discount. M | ||
| Brotherbuell |
Branenanger, I ordered mine when i bought the bike and it took about a week to get them. They arrived before the bike. It's being shipped today. Wa hoooooooooo! | ||
| Mikej |
"if you're 1k from nyc i'll come ride there this weekend." NYC => Appleton, WI "Total Est. Distance: 984.38 miles " http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?go=1&do=nw&rmm=1&un=m&cl=EN&ct=NA&rs res=1&1a=&1c=new+york&1s=ny&1z=&2a=&2c=appleton&2s=wi&2z= | ||
| Branebanger |
gratz on your bike brotehrbuell you're gonna love it. that's great news on the seat Al. | ||
| Bienhoabob |
I just got back for Alligator Bob's custom upholstery. (www.alligatorbob.com) He is going to rework my stock Uly seat. He'll lower it 1 to 1 1/2 inches,(depending on what he finds inside the seat) cut into the passenger area 1 inch and install pro pad gel. He said if I was in a hurry I could pick it up today. But I have a family obligation (funeral) and won't pick it up until Friday. The cost is $160 for the pro pad gel and $25 for reshaping the inside of the seat. So that's $185 for a custom Uly seat with almost instant turn around. He's in Northern Illinois and is Nationally famous. I've seen his stuff featured in National magazines. May be worth a try, or look into local custom seat makers. Bob C | ||
| Javadog |
That makes me wonder-how much is the Buell low seat going to cost and how much for the Corbin? Bien-bob, can you post some pictures of the custom Alligator hide seat? | ||
| Bienhoabob |
Javadog, I'll post the finished product as soon as I can. It's not custom Alligator hide though. It's the same fabric as the stock seat, only the insides will change. In the last issue of Motorcycle Consumer News, they quote a price of $219.95 for the 1 1/2 inch lower Buell option seat, when it becomes available. I do have a Corbin seat for my S3T and I think it was $219.00. | ||
| Jackbequick |
In view of the fact that most people of average heighth are finding the Uly marginal on leg room, it would be a nice gesture if Buell offered buyers the choice of either a stock or low seat at time of purchase. I'm 6' tall and have a 31" inseam and, based on one sit-on test (no actual riding), I would opt for the low seat in the interest of full foot to ground contact and parking lot maneuverability. Jack | ||
| Mikej |
"In view of the fact that most people of average height are finding the Uly marginal on leg room, it would be a nice gesture if Buell offered buyers the choice of either a stock or low seat at time of purchase. " Or just maybe perhaps offered the "low" seat as the standard seat, then offered an optional "high/tall" seat later. Just a thought.  | ||
| Frankf |
"Or just maybe perhaps offered the "low" seat as the standard seat, then offered an optional "high/tall" seat later." Yea, butt then they wouldn't get all that extra $$ selling so many extra seats. )} | ||
| Mikej |
I'm thinking they'd make more money selling more bikes than selling extra seats, I didn't get past the test-sit.  | ||
| Branebanger |
the bike's designed to go offroad. anyone who travels off pavement can tell you, the extra suspension pays off in spades - especially when you leave the (relatively) smooth pavement. for short folks like me (~30" inseam, 5'10" this may be intimidating, but after almost 8k miles, a cross country, and a bit of offroading, let me tell you: you will get used to the balance of the bike very quickly, and after a thousand or so miles you will smile to yourself that you ever worried about the height thing. Adam | ||
| Jackbequick |
If one of you guys that upgrade to a new seat want to sell your high seat, drop me an email at jacker at midmaine dot com - I'm thinking I might be interested in incorporating some of the components of the new Uly seat (the new foam and the gel thing) into a better seat for my M2. A few more months and the market should be flooded with Uly stock height take offs. They should be pretty cheap. :> Jack Jack | ||
| Cdallen |
I have only just over 400 miles and am almost 6' even with ~31" inseam and have to agree with Adam and I believe it was Al and his stopping game... the bike is so well balanced and light that I am having little problems with the height. You do have to pay attention when stopping which I suspect will become automatic with time. Even when sitting at a light and having both feet with toes only down it is fine. After a while stretching out the over-the-ankle boots becomes uncomfortable, but they are still pretty new and not broke in yet either. Plus this heat wave here in the south-east is killing me in the comfort department. I was even on a slightly sloped drive doing a slow turn around and nearly stalled and had to put a foot down on the downward side and was completely fine. Now, as I usually try my best to be fair and see things from different perspectives I should point out that I am coming from a 630 lb. beast that I was actually afraid to try to push around the garage with out getting on board and I had dropped that twice in a similar scenario as above... hmmm... seems like I need some slow speed maneuvering practice.  To wrap up, this bike feels feather light to me by comparison and with out a doubt is extremely well balanced. -chris | ||
| Jim_sb |
Brilliant! Where do I sign up for that deal? I'm going to ride a Uly on Saturday. If I can control it with the stock seat (and if I like the bike) I'll bring it home. We shall see... Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Bienhoabob |
Just got my reworked stock seat back from Alligator Bob's (www.alligatorbob.com) They lowered the seat pad, cut into the passenger hump 1 inch to give me a little more room and installed their patented Pro Pad. (see site for info.) All of this for $185.00 with one day turn around. I have a 31" inseam and weigh 195lbs. I was on my tip toes, now I'm on the balls of my feet. Still high, but not scary high. I guess I could start eating a bunch of potatoes if I want to sit any lower in the saddle. I'm very happy with the service/quality of the redone seat. And I don't have a stock seat collecting dust in my garage. | ||
| Henrik |
Not that it matters in the big picture, but they may be getting their Pro Pads from here I've bought and installed those in a couple of my seats. They work great. That's a fantastic price on a seat customization though. Let's know how it feels on long days. Henrik (Message edited by Henrik on September 23, 2005) | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hi guys, I demo'd a black Uly on Saturday at Glendale HD/Buell. They astutely had the rear pre-load cranked down on the demo bikes. I wore my work boots (taller sole than my Sidi's). Long story short? No problems. I bought my Barricade Orange Uly and rode it home. The low seat option? I'll definitely get one - either Buell's or Corbin's. We'll see. But for now I can ride the Uly I just need to be cautious. It's one tall bike! Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
congrats Jim. FB | ||
| Prior |
Jim, Congrats on the new bike!!! Prior | ||
| Philthy |
In case anyone is interested...I stumbled on this pic today on another board. I haven't seen it here yet but I very well could have missed it. The great thing about this pic is that you can compare the stock seat (in background) to the new lower seat.  | ||
| Javadog |
Great find Philth. It's just like the saddle on a swayback horse, or so they like to say in these here parts. | ||
| M2nc |
I just picked up my Orange Uly this weekend and like many on this board, I'm short. 29-30" inseam 5'7" and have to agree that the standard seat is not bad. I too though am looking for a low seat. I am having problems with the seam in the standard seat. Looks cool, but I find myself sliding forward to the narrow part of the seat to avoid the seam. I have 350 miles on the bike and love it, but the seat is not as comfortable as I though it would be. The Corbin on the M2 is better and I am wait to see if they come out with a low seat. I see the low seat pictured above does not have the seam. | ||
| Whodom |
I finally had the chance to sit on a Uly this weekend. I'm ~5'8" with a 30 inch inseam, and I could just get the toes of both my shoes down well enough to keep the bike fully upright. I think narrowing the seat at the front would help as much as lowering it. The profile of the prototype "low" seat in the photo above makes it look like it would be MUCH better for us short-legged types. I'm not gonna be able to move up to a Uly in the near future, so I can wait for the factory low seat. BTW, I REALLY liked the way the bike looked. The appearance at least lives up to the hype. | ||
| Jim_sb |
The low seat may have the added benefit of slightly greater wind protection because you'll be sitting down another inch or two behind the windscreen. I also think as the suspension gets broken in it will loosen up just a bit. I have completely adapted to the stock Uly seat height on the street. Just need to be thoughtful about where you stop and which way you decide to lean. Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Brotherbuell |
I'm having second thoughts about the seat too. I have completely adapted to it and I'm afraid that I might lose a bit of comfort with the reduced leg room. The added wind protection comment is a good point. | ||
| Jim_sb |
I will probably go for either the Buell or Corbin low seat. But I'm riding happily in the meantime. I plan on doing a fair amount of gravel roads and fire roads and there are times when being able to reach the ground easily does make a difference. On the street I could keep the stock seat forever, but caution is required. Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara |
