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Mustang Seats Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Seat with Driver Backrest
April 3, 2009
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| Editor Ratings * | |||
| Quality |
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10 | |
| Style |
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10 | |
| Comfort |
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10 | |
| Convenience |
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10 | |
| Price |
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9 | |
| Value |
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10 | |
| Overall | 9.8 | ||
| Spectacular | |||
| A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks. | |||
| *Out of a possible 10 points | |||
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Introduction
Riding two-up on a motorcycle seat presents double the challenges in achieving comfort for both riders. We all know that men and women are built differently, but within those groups, men and women, there are a variety of sizes, shapes, and bottoms. We wondered then: is it possible to find a seat that is equally comfortable for the driver and the passenger, or are couples doomed to frequent stops along the highway to complain about their numb behinds? Because of that dynamic, we have chosen to provide the opinions of both the driver and passenger in this review.
Mustang offers several different styles of touring seats, including soft pillow styling tufted with covered buttons, and studded seats with leather-tied Conchos. For this review, we are testing the Mustang One-piece Ultra Touring Smooth Seat with no studs, Ultra Driver Backrest, and Extended Arm FL Wrap-Around Backrest with no studs.
Additional comments from the driver: I am an old school kind of person, which in this case means: “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Years of saddle time on horseback, bicycle, and motorcycle have always meant adjust and keep going. In my early years, saddle time meant herding cattle for days at a time. That was followed by sharing leisure time between motorcycling and bicycling. For me, riding a motorcycle seemed infinitely more enjoyable than riding a bicycle and the motorcycle seat was never an issue. As you will later learn, my soul mate is always seeking ways to improve comfort level…primarily for her, but I am learning that if there is a benefit, I might as well take it!
So, when Mustang Seats provided the opportunity to review one of their Ultra seats, I approached it with an open mind, but only after I decided that it was okay to put something other than a Harley-Davidson seat on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Additional comments from the passenger: Transitioning from touring on the back of a Harley-Davidson Softail Deuce to a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic is comparable to riding a bicycle with a little racing seat to slipping into the driver’s seat of a Porsche. But, somewhere around 50K miles, my friendship with the stratolounger seat on the back of our Ultra and I parted ways.
No longer did I ride comfortably on the back of our motorcycle. Instead, I resorted to constant repositioning; left cheek, right cheek, left foot up, right foot up, arms back, arms forward, only to repeat the process again, hoping to find a position that wasn’t so uncomfortable. Bumps on the road became torturous; leading me on several occasions to ensure the fillings in my teeth were still intact.
It was clear to me. We needed a new seat!
But not just any seat would do. We needed a Mustang Seat. I talked with the Mustang representatives in Sturgis last year; nice people. They invited me sit on one of their seats. I must admit, I was impressed with their seat. By all appearances, it was well-constructed with quality materials and seemed very comfortable. I was very interested in how it would hold up after miles on the road.
The Mustang story: Mustang Seats was started in 1980 by Al Simmons, an engineer and motorcycle rider, who has been in the motorcycle industry for over 30 years. Under his leadership, Mustang has grown from a small operation making just a dozen seats a day to being one of the worldwide leaders in motorcycle seat production.
Al traveled to every state and listened to thousands of motorcycle riders needs. This, complemented by his years of riding experience, formed the basis of his unique understanding of rider’s needs and the essentials of seat design to address those needs.
Mustang seats are designed for all-day riding comfort for both the rider and the passenger, and Mustang seats are hand-made in the United States, another bonus if anything goes wrong with the seat or replacement parts are needed. A call can be placed within the U.S and parts shipped quickly.
First Impression
The seat cover looks like leather. The exterior is made of the highest quality expanded vinyl available, but the durability and resistance to the elements that exceed original equipment standards for motorcycle seats. It does not fade, resists all weather conditions better than other materials, and requires practically no maintenance. Small braided trim adorns the front seat nose and along the passenger backrest to provide a clean, attractive, finished appearance.
Quick examination of the seat construction indicates a lot of work that went into this seat. Mustang is proud of making the highest quality and most comfortable seats available. The vinyl is pop-riveted to the bottom of the base plate and all the seams are sewn twice for strength.
The one-piece baseplate is constructed on extra rugged, triple layered fiberglass with a slot in the middle to allow for use of a driver backrest. Controlled density polyurethane foam provides all-day comfort.
Additional comments from the driver: The Mustang seat feels a little stiff at first. It rides differently than the OEM seat. Is this an issue? I think not. What made the biggest impression on me are highway imperfections that during a long ride become annoying, due to the constant pounding, are basically non-existent with the new seat. Also, I did not expect improving the seat would reduce back pain that I have learned to endure for years. If for no other reason than this, a new seat is a good thing!
Additional comments from the passenger: I was excited when the boxes from Mustang Seats appeared at our door. We quickly removed the seat from the boxes to examine them. There was no question when looking at a Mustang seat about the quality. This is a well-made product constructed of quality materials. The detail of the work is impeccable. The passenger seat back had extended armrests which intrigued me. What would that be like to have additional length on the arm rests? I couldn’t wait to put it on the bike and sit on the seat to see if it was as comfortable as it was good looking.
Features
Mustang Ultra Touring seats are narrower at the nose so the driver’s feet can easily reach the ground; a real advantage for the inseam challenged. The baseplate has been recontoured in front to eliminate the hard spots the riders feel on long trips with the stock seat and features an 18” wide front bucket. The 15” wide rear seat has wide internal support wings to keep the passenger up off the handrail. The seat is contoured to better clear the saddlebag lids and is split to accept the stock driver backrest kit.
Mustang believes that, with a well-designed seat, there is no reason to be uncomfortable. They design their baseplate, foam, and cover components to make the most comfortable seat possible; seats are built to show bike quality standards. All seats are hand assembled in their New England plant in the US.
The foam for each seat is custom-made by Mustang. The most important component of comfort is the seat foam; both the quality of the foam and its design. Mustang has over 25 years experience in compounding the right chemical mix to create the best controlled density polyurethane foam for comfort. The foam has a density of approximately four pounds per cubic foot, depending on the size and thickness of the seat, which allows for hours of enjoyable ride time.
Mustang seats are known for retaining their shape and support after years of use. Foam will compress enough to mold itself to your body shape each time you ride, so your first ride will be equal to your 1,000th ride.
All Mustang seat covers are designed, cut, and individually sewn of the highest quality vinyl available. They have the appearance of black leather, but the durability and resistance to the elements that exceed original equipment standards for motorcycle seats. All seams are sewn twice for strength. The bottom edge that holds the cover to the baseplate is hemmed where the rivets hold the cover to the baseplate.
The driver’s backrest provides your well-deserving back the best support possible. Backrests are designed and made with the same high standards and quality materials and are contoured to fit your back. The backrest folds completely flat for ease of getting on or off your motorcycle, and is easily adjusted to a variety of heights without the need for tools.
The extended arm wrap-around passenger backrest mounts directly on the tour pack and is designed and made with the same high standards and quality materials as the seat. The rubber washer mounting system eliminates the troublesome soft stock isolators. The arms on this backrest are extended an extra 2” for added comfort and include thicker foam padding for riding comfort. The passenger backrest is also available without extended arms.
Additional comments from the driver: Features are features. And, this seat has many to offer.
Additional comments from the passenger: Be sure to give this seat a chance. It was a big change from our stock seat with gazillion miles on it. It seemed firm, much firmer than our stock seat. We were anxious as to whether we would like this seat, but our fears were soon put to rest. Five hundred miles later, we couldn’t say enough good things about the comfort of the seat.
Immediately obvious, besides the firmness, is the ride. We both observed that road imperfections, pot holes, railroad tracks, etc. that had previously rattled our molars and caused discomfort were barely noticeable on the Mustang seat. That was a pleasant surprise.
In addition, the cover material seemed to eliminate the ‘scooch factor;’ my technical term for the need to reposition one's self periodically on the seat due to road and engine vibration. The cover seemed to grip my pants and behind and hold me on the seat, reducing the need to periodically reposition myself to the back of the seat. Reducing friction produces a more comfortable ride.
The extended arm wrap-around passenger backrest allows the passenger to ride with a more comfortable arm position. Stock seat backrests require the passenger to position their arms behind the body toward the tour pack, causing shoulder and back fatigue over time. The extended arms on the backrest allow the passenger to ride with their arms more in line with the body, ensuring a more comfortable ride without interfering with the passenger mounting the bike. Larger women may find the extended arms more confining that stock armrests.
Operation/Application
Most Mustang seats are designed to install just like your stock seat using the same mounting points and hardware as the original seat. The seat comes with instructions and all the bolts you need to install your seat. Installation is as easy as bolting the seat clip onto the new seat and placing it onto the bike.
Additional comments from the driver: To install the seat and backrests on an H-D Ultra, simply remove the existing seat and passenger backrest. Install the driver backrest receiver utilizing the existing hole behind the battery compartment, with the clip nut and bolt provided by Mustang, and the bolts in the center of the rear fender. Those bolts are the same as the bolts that secure the handrail, if you have one mounted on your bike. Mounted in this manner, the operator backrest receiver becomes integral to the motorcycles structure. Place the Mustang seat on the motorcycle secured in the OEM slot in front and screw in rear fender. Then insert the driver backrest through the slot and into the driver back rest receiver.
The driver backrest pad passively adjusts to the contour of the driver’s back and allows for adjustment fore- and-aft by turning a screw with your fingers.
The passenger’s backrest installs similarly by design utilizing existing holes and hardware provided by Mustang.
The integrity of the Mustang seat design and installation is at least equal to or better than the original equipment.
Total time required to install the three components should not take more than 30 minutes, and you are ready to ride.
Additional comments from the passenger: Installation looked easy to me; maybe because I didn’t have to do it. I’ll let the driver speak for both of us on this one.
Quality
Mustang can be proud of the seats they manufacture. It is clear by the construction of the seat, and the quality of the products they use, why they stand behind their products. All seats have a one-year warranty against defects in material and workmanship. Seats are permanently labeled with a serial number, warranty info, and a toll free telephone number. Mustang encourages questions and comments about their products, and that isn’t just lip service. Mustang provides multiple options for your convenience including phone, email, fax, snail mail, internet, and European country contacts.
Mustang focuses on the design and style when building a baseplate. It is important their seats align the spine and place the driver at the proper riding angle. Mustang is not afraid to invest the time and money to plan and design their motorcycle seats to meet those specifications. All Mustang baseplates are constructed of either 3/16” marine-grade fiberglass or formed 16 gauge steel.
Add to the baseplate the most important comfort component - Mustang’s special controlled-density foam. Foam molds are hand-sculpted and contoured for support, posture, and comfort, in addition to pleasing lines to complement the motorcycle. Mustang has perfected their own formula for controlled-density foam; a must for a comfortable ride. There is no gel in their seats. Gel does not compress and instead changes its shape. Mustang prefers foam for its compression elements.
Finally, a cover of double-stitched, high quality expanded vinyl is hand-stitched by an expert seamstress at a sewing machine. Components are hand assembled, and the cover riveted to the baseplate to create a handsome seat and backrest designed for the overall comfort of both the driver and passenger.
There is no question when looking at a Mustang seat about the quality. This is a well-made product constructed of quality materials. The detail of the work is impeccable, and it is as comfortable as it is attractive. As we have added miles on this seat, each ride seems as comfortable as the first. Mustang has definitely perfected foam. Stock seat foam does not stack up to the quality of Mustang’s foam. Mustang has been making foam for almost thirty years and is constantly testing and improving its comfort and resilience. Mustang is proud to have customers with over 100,000 miles on their Mustang seat that still rave about the comfort.
Value
This seat is an investment in your comfort. After spending your hard-earned dollars on a motorcycle, you deserve to enjoy a comfortable ride. For that, you need the right seat. The more you ride, the more you will appreciate a quality seat. Mustang seats are worth the investment.
The One-Piece Ultra Touring Smooth Seat, No Studs retails for $439. The Ultra Driver Smooth Backrest Kit, No Studs retails for $259. The Extended Arm FL Wrap-Around Smooth Backrest, No Studs retails for $269.
Additional comments from the passenger: My bottom says it’s totally worth it!
Additional comments from the driver: “My bottom says...” Hmm? Funny!!
Just to be perfectly clear, my rear end doesn’t speak to the issue. But the physiological feedback is very positive. Putting that into words, the Mustang seat is comfortable, and I anticipate that it will provide miles of comfort!
When you start rolling, feet on the pegs with the highway in front of you, comfort is assured with the Mustang seat, and the driver can focus on the highway and the adventure that lies ahead.
Final thoughts
Additional comments from the driver: Mustang has addressed all variables: design, look, feel, and reliability over a period of time. Great job Mustang!!
Additional comments from the passenger: What more is there to say? By now, you can tell I am a fan of Mustang seats. You’ve heard all the good things I have to say about comfort and quality. You have information about Mustang Seats’ background, company, manufacturing process, materials, and support. Seems to me the only thing left is for you to purchase a Mustang seat for your bike. Give your butt a break.
Be sure to check back for updates on the performance of the Mustang seat as we add additional miles and continue to evaluate the materials after riding in the elements.
Click here to learn more about this and other Mustang seats.
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