Top Saddlery seat: my new seat review...

[Gobs]

Hi all,
Many time here, we are speaking mods and especially seats.
As I widely used these threads to find advices and ideas, I feel it's time to make some homework at my turn...
I just received "MY" own Top-Saddlery seat today, and at first glance (and at the second and third ones too!), I'm very happy with it. Not even rode with it yet... Maybe tomorrow with my wife as the passenger (very hot weather here some 38°C and no air!). So a next time I'll put an advice here...
Please, don't shot the messenger: I'm not a good photographer. Colours "change" along the report, I know, and sometimes the use of wide angle may give a bit of distortion to the design... Sorry...

At first, some "technical" facts.
Front view side by side the stock seat, RHS, and the Top-Saddlery (T-S) one, LHS. Hudge difference in design, shape and foam filling:
Zimage.biz

The two seats in a side view. No need speaking... More stuff in the T-P seat, thicker and "better sculpted" (if I may say). The T-P seat weighs about 2 or 3 times the stock one... Good for driver and passenger "rears"!
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Underneath view. The white base is the seat stock and the black one is... bingo: the T-S seat! I ordered/buy the base (no worries sending my seat to France!). It comes with all what is needed to fit on the bike: rubbers and locker at the right place... Good and strong stappling job!
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Detail of the embroidery I choosed. It's the standard one... Here it is outlined but it may be filled, or text may be customised (check shop online)... Good and clean job...
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Workmanship detail. No comment as it is perfect...
I choosed two different black fabrics textures as well as the silver "contour strings" and cotton by taste. It was my own choice and I find it fits well with my black Fazer... There is a wide choice of fabrics and colours online...
Zimage.biz

OK: end of part one...
Let's meet on the next screen: how the seat fits on the bike.
Gobs

 

[Gobs]

Part two...

OK: the fitting-room... And as in advertisings:

BEFORE:
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AFTER:
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BEFORE:
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AFTER:
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No need to comment: IMHO the T-S seat "dresses" better the bike in a touring mode.

Here a rear view giving an idea of the thickness of the Top-Saddlery seat. Not very "racing" for sure but we can expect a better comfort for (at least!) the passenger...
Zimage.biz

Next screen, please...

 

[Gobs]

To conclude...

The seat on the bike... or the seat and the bike as we can see them both coming to have a ride:
Zimage.biz

IMHO, the seat fits well the FZ6. In a touring mode at least...
I'm not sure at all if it allows "racing" or "agressive" riding. At the first test, you don't feel "sat on", but rather "in it"... A bit like in/on a saddle for horse. Not deep inside, but that's my first feel... You can't have wide front and rear moves, but the body is well stalled on a "semi-soft damping pillow" if I may say. Feet stay at ease flat on the floor.

So, for me, right in the first moments, this Top-Saddlery seat is very nice and I'm in love with her. I have to test it on the road to be more accurate...
Very good product, very good materials and very good finish for the whole, though a little gap in angle of about 3 or 4 mm between the rear seat edge and the silver "string" that is supposed to "follow" this edge at about 3 cm from it (am I clear there?). Nothing really disturbing but it is so... One can only notice this if knowing and looking right straight at the rear of the seat...

Please feel free to comment or ask some precisions.
I hope this can help to make a choice.

Next touring mods: custom-made aluminium rear paniers, MRA touring Vario-screen and SW Motech Quick-Lock tankbag...

Cheers to all,
Gobs

 

[Gobs]

Thanks all for the "Thank you"...

Just a pic to show you the gap detail I was deploring yesterday and to make it clearer:

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T-S seat rear-end on my Fazer, straight up viewed. Not a big deal, as you can see, but I feel it affects a bit the overall seat top quality.
Or maybe am I too in demand... Sometimes I feel I am!

Anyone has already experienced this minor fault on T-S seats?

Cheers,
Gobs

 

[brad81987]

Great review. I have the exact same seat and couldn't agree more. It looks great on the bike, simply put. Question is now- have you RIDDEN it yet?? I still can't get over how comfortable mine is. Farthest I ever went on the stocker at once was about 250 miles and my butt still hurt the next day. With the TS seat, I went 550 miles in one day. Little sore at the end of the day just from sitting so long, but was fine a few hours later. I love my TS seat, simply put.

 

[Gobs]

Not ridden yet, Brad, sorry...
Seat just received yesterday, I was thinking to have a go today but it was something like 38°C/100°F under shelter, here! And no air moving + dust... In sunlight under helmet and jacket it's truly like if you were in a oven... and the shadow on my terrasse was too much an appeal!

Everybody is waiting for some rain here to clear/clean the air...

GS 850 1981, Brad, hey?..
Not the place here, I know, but great memories about this bike, I owned too in these times... Full of torque and bullet-proof!

Cheers,
Gobs

 

[Rumpole of the Bailey]

Nice saddle bags. Can you tell us what they are and where did you get the frames that hold them on?
I havn't seen anything like that in Australia and they look great.
Chhers
Rumpole

 

[psnbye]

Great review and cool accent! I am planning on getting the T.S. seat this summer also, I might splurge and get the gel inserts, you can even get a heated seat! Not for me though.

You might want to check out CeeBaileys touring windscreens, they look pretty nice too.

Thanks for the review and pics!

 

[abacall]

I also love the TS seat, super comfy.
Just a heads-up, there has been known issues with their customer service and they have shipped seats that arrived with rips. Be cautious when buying from them.

 

[mxgolf]

I've got the T-S seat and it's awesome. Very comfortable and great quality workmanship. This seat is worth every penny spent. :thumbup:

 

[Gobs]

So, today I had to work because of you!
:spank:
Nooooooooo! I joke...

Hi all,
Thanks for your comments...

So, FOR YOU ONLY!, allthough the raaaaaah!/killing weather, I had a one hour ride around here. Some (quiet) twisties and U-Turns; a bit of highway and traffic and then a move in the city jam... A quick test with my new Top-Saddlery seat on the bike. My "regular" passenger (my lovely wife) was busy elsewhere, so can't comment on how it is "behind me"...
For me, only one word:
WON-DER-FUL!
It's a real improvement from the stock seat. More comfy for the butt and the body more "settled" or "stalled" or "balanced" in the "soft hollow" of the seat. Well at ease... As I expected previously, less front or rear moves allowed (as may be seen on the pics, the passenger seat is extended toward the front: good fot him/her), but "lateral" moves are OK. At the first moments the small "backrest" is surprising, but help to stalled the butt and stay in place. Hence, when I tried (but as I'm more a tourer, I never ride like this...) to lean over the tank, ouch!, my "balls" (sorry for the girls here) didn't appreciate the move: in fact the T-S seat back up to the tank higher and thicker than the stock one (see pics above)... Or maybe it's me
In traffic, it's a dream: you can move your butt as you need to move your bike right and left... Stopped at traffic-lights, my feet are flat on the ground, legs well relaxed (I'm 6' 2" tall). But the T-S seat being wider/rounder I feel my legs are a bit more spreaded than on the stock one, but the innerside of thighs are well and softly "supported" by the seat flanks... Maybe the seat is a little, little bit higher too... Difficult to say...
Apart this, I don't know if it was because I was happy with my new seat or what, but I felt like if I was "re-discovering" my Fazer. Nice feel...
As for several hours rides many say here, as brad, the seat is very comfy, I'm going to take it as right. Test on a future long ride...
Et voilà!

Well, now I'm thinking of a backreiser set for my handlebar and a frontlower set for the footpegs. Mmmmmmmh, never pleased this man!

Hi Rumpole,
Soft paniers were ordered here:

http://www.equipmoto.fr/accessoire-moto-sacoches-cavalieres-moto-detail.html

It's a french/german online shop, but as far as I know, they don't ship outside UE. I managed the shipment with some relatives living in France...
About the brackets, they have been custom done here, as well as the holders on the paniers. As I didn't want to work with the straps (no trust in that so much), I designed some bracket and holder, and a company I know here build them both with iron tubes and stainless steel for the holders on bags... The bracket ONLY uses original bolt or screw on the bike: no intrusive work on it (nothing cut or drilled or whatever)...

Zimage.biz

Well a sort of DIY
Oh! And the colors on bags are home/hand made too. I thought the bags were a bit "sad" at first glance...

Good luck with your future T-S seat psnbye! If for touring, I think you can't go wrong with this stuff...

Thanks to all and ride safe.
Gobs

 

[Gobs]

Hi all,

A bit sad to say, but my disappointment is at the measure of my previous enthusiasm...
I must be clear and honest for everybody here about this product: though many here are happy with their Top-Saddlery seat, my own experience is (too) bad.

As read here and there on the Internet (unfortunately AFTER having issues with my seat), BE CAUTIOUS with Top-Saddlery!
Maybe I drew the wrong ticket... Or maybe it's me: am I too much "in demand"?.. I think Top-Saddlery seats are a sort of a lotery at time you order: you can't be sure what you will realy get!

Well, at time of delivery my Top-Saddlery seat was not perfect, but, in a hurry to enjoy a new "toy", was OK at first glance. But after some weeks of riding and testing, I feel very disappointed with it.
Comfort not bad, I confess, but not at top-range as expected. Bad craftsmanship for sure, at least so it is for my seat (and I read this from other bikers).
See pics below:
- Silver stitching and cord don't fit the edge of the rear base.
- The seat is twisted up on the right rear end, though it is locked to the bike with the stock rubbers in place, I tried different settings, but no succes.
- T-S plastic base VERY soft/flabby.
- Bad fitting on the front end (no pic)...

500$ (with shipping) for such a "far from perfect" work is a bad ticket IMHO... Here in Thailand I had to add import taxes and VAT to this amount. At my door, my T-S seat is worth 691$. I knew this before I order, no problem, but such a lot of money for some bad quality product!

Add to this: bad custommer service (answer to your request within many days, more than one week one time). No answer if you don't insist (hoping you feel fed up, I guess...). Easier I suppose if you live in France, but when you are settled abroad (10000 km from them for my part) it's a lot of hassles (customs, shipping)...
I own another bike and my wife owns one too: NEVER, NEVER I'll go for a future Top-Saddlery seat for both... Though they have a smart design (IMHO) and look great on some pics and as seen on the merchant site... I can't trust them anymore!

For me now, Top-Saddlery it's a big NO-NO!
Sometimes it's good to learn by oneself... Next time I go through purchasing a custom service, I will do a better homework before, saving some good money!


Please, take it as you feel it. And no offence intented here...
It's my own experience...
I don't feel angry, just VERY, VERY, VERY disappointed by this french brand for the poor product quality!

No matter: life and rides go on!

Cheers to all,
Gobs

 

[djodja29]

Hey, thanks for the honest review, and if it is any conciliation, you saved me some money.

 

[Gobs]

Good for you djodja if you save some money!
And thanks to you for the word "HONEST"

Realy IMHO a review MUST be as "honest" as one may do... If it's only a lot of praises, "leaving out" the wrong, or not so good, side(s) of the story, it has no value for us all to decide...
I as many others, I guess, we are searching for reviews about mods/parts: so these reviews have to be as "factual" as possible (if it can be...).

In another way, I think we have to admit too that a "good thing" for someone may be "not so good" for another one: screen, seat, exhaust, bags, apparel... All advice is tinted with some individual feeling... and many time with a pinch of personnal pride! As in the real life...

Cheers,
Gobs

 

[dean owens]

someone from TS is/was a member of this forum. i just sent them a pm pointing them to this thread and the post where they lost money because of their quality and lack of customer service. we'll see if it matters.

 

[Gobs]

Wow, thanks dean owens...

It could be a good way if all the dissatisfied customers send them a pm! Top Saddlery have to understand that "THEY VIRTUALLY HAVE A VERY GOOD PRODUCT IN HANDS", at least in my opinion, but they show a hudge lack of service and quality control...
______________________

Ooops!
Right now, just at the moment I'm writing this, I'm receiving an answer from Top Saddlery to my multiple requests.
It says, in french:

"Bonjour

Nous allons vous renvoyer une selle de la maniére que vous le souhaitiez.
Je vous tient informer

Cordialement"

That's to say:

"Hello,

We are going to send you a new seat as the one you ordered and as you were wishing in your request*
I let you informed.

Best regards"

* In my last requests to them, I called for a whole NEW seat as previously ordered for free, then when this new one will be delivered at home and if everything OK, I will send them back the previous wrong one. All shipping costs for free...

OK, Top Saddlery is moving in the good way...
Useless to say that it puts a smile on my face :cheer:
Wait and see: I let you informed...
___________________

Dean owens, may it be your pm working?
If yes, "gobs" of thanks

Cheers,
Gobs

 

[cap'n]

Interesting. They seem to have had a big turn-around in their customer service attitudes this last year.

I ordered a Corbin 7 weeks ago and had to email twice and call once to finally find out the material I wanted was back-ordered. I changed the material and it should get made and shipped this week. I guess the moral of the story is, no matter who you go with (maybe not ALL of them, but corbin and TS), paying $500 doesn't mean you're going to get great communication, or a 100% perfect product. As long as they make good on it, it's ok I guess, but ideally they wouldn't let product like that get shipped.

 

[Gobs]

+ 1

So true cap'n!

 

[Kamloops]

Thanks. I have a corbin but my buddy was going to order a TS seat. I will point him to this and advise him not to buy a TS seat.

 

[Kazza]

Thanks. I have a corbin but my buddy was going to order a TS seat. I will point him to this and advise him not to buy a TS seat.

I would still consider a TS seat - they are replacing it. That's good service.