Frequently Asked Questions!

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Q. I’ve heard that a “Day-Long” Saddle is about an inch higher than my stock seat. Is this always true?

A. I have difficulty relating to the question in terms of inches of seat height…. there are just too many variables involved, i.e., are we measuring the surface of the seat while the foam is at rest? or when it’s compressed by the rider’s weight? Are we measuring relative to the ground? If so, is the bike’s suspension compressed by the weight of a normal load? Height measurements taken at different points across the top surface of a “Day-Long” Saddle will normally vary by 1.5 inches or more, at what point are we measuring?, etc.

The real question should not be how high is the seat, rather, “will I be able to reach the ground adequately?” More often than not, especially with a shorter legged rider, ground reach is limited more by the width of the seat than it is by the relative height of the seat. For these reasons, in my opinion, to say one has gained or lost an inch or fraction of an inch in seat height is largely irrelevant.

Because of the design of a “Day-Long” Saddle the rearward part, I call it the “wing” area, of the saddle is quite wide. This is, incidentally, at the very heart of the reason why it can provide so high a degree of riding comfort. The wide “wings” are there to provide outer buttock support so that less body weight will be concentrated toward the center. The forward part of the saddle is made as narrow as the underlying seat pan and motorcycle frame will permit, in other words, about the same width as the stock seat. Because of the ground reach impairment that is imposed by this width factor it is generally unrealistic to expect much if any improvement in ground reach from a “Day-Long” compared to a stock seat.

On the other hand, a rider’s ground reach is usually not degraded by the “Day-Long”, with this one proviso: It may become necessary, especially for a shorter legged rider, to develop the habit of moving his crotch forward on the saddle so as to straddle it at its narrowest point in order to achieve adequate ground reach. In other words, stand up out of the pocket of the saddle when coming to a stop. Settle back into the pocket again once you’re underway.

For sure, we’ve had some extreme cases, riders with very short inseams, and large, heavy thighs, that we’ve bought seats back from. A rider’s attitude and his kind of riding sometimes has a lot to do with it too. Some customer’s have said in effect “I don’t care if I can reach the ground or not, I want to be comfortable when I’m going down the road!” Obviously, it would be more of a problem if you only rode in heavy stop and go traffic than it would if you only rode long highway stretches.

But back to your question, no, this is not always true. Remember, each “Day-Long” Saddle is made to order to fit the particular individual rider or riders. For some long legged riders on lower seated bikes we actually increase the seat height in order to achieve better all around posture.

Q. Can I use Scotch Guard on a velour seat cover? Will it make it waterproof?

A. I know no reason not to use Scotch Guard on the velour, and I’ve been told by some that applying several treatments will make the velour virtually waterproof without materially affecting its “breath-ability”. It would seem obvious to me that if applied heavily enough to make it waterproof then it will not allow much air to pass through it either. However, I think the “breath factor” comes as much from the fact that a lot of air is trapped in the nap of the velour between you and the barrier that would result from heavily applied Scotch Guard as from air passing through the material. I can’t personally vouch for that, but it certainly will help keep the velour clean, and make it easier to remove smudges. I’ve never heard of it doing any damage of any kind to the velour.

Q. You say that even your vinyl covers are not 100% waterproof because of the sewing machine needle holes. I’ve heard there is a way to make your Saddle waterproof by installing a layer of plastic or other waterproof material between the seat cover and the foam inside. Is this the best way to address this problem?

A. It is true that the sewing machine needle holes even in a vinyl cover render the material less than 100% waterproof. This is generally not a big problem because the holes are tiny and will not let much water pass through. Of course, if a bike is left standing in a downpour and water is allowed to puddle in the low spots of the saddle for very long then some water is going to have time to seep through the needle holes. Once this happens it will take a long time for the internal foam to dry out. None of this will cause damage to the vinyl, and the only possible damage to the foam innards is if the wet condition is allowed to persist until mold or mildew develops. If a saddle does get wet inside take it off the bike and stand it on end in a corner for a couple days, the water will gradually drain out of the foam. As always, an ounce of prevention=a pound of cure!

We’ve spent a good deal of time exploring various ways of water proofing our seat covers, including the one you mentioned. In the final analysis nothing compares with the flexibility, simplicity and effectiveness of utilizing the external rain cover which also provides additional benefits such as protection against sunlight, dust, morning dew, spillage, etc. The rain cover is made so that you can ride with it in place, and it provides all these benefits whether your Saddle is covered in vinyl, velour or leather.

Q. Can the Shape of a Day-Long Saddle be modified for a sleek, sport look?

A.The design of a “Day-Long” Saddle is a case of form following function (a concept with which all riders should well be familiar.) It’s primary purpose is to provide a comfortable motorcycle seat for both a driver and (in most cases) a passenger, a seat that will remain comfortable for many consecutive hours and hundreds of miles of riding. A large number of motorcyclists will readily attest that the design has well achieved that purpose. The shape of the Day-Long Saddle allows for the support suspension system that produces the Day-Long comfort. Each saddle is custom fit and sculptured for that particular rider, but the design does not change. If beauty is as beauty does, a “Day-Long” Saddle is beautiful!