Sargent Cycle Products modified Stock Seat

michael · 01-14-2006, 06:01 PM

I had my 98 VFR's stock seat modified by Sargent Cycle Products about one and a half years ago. I shipped them the stock seat over the Christmas 99 holidays. The total turn-around time was three and a half weeks. Since some of this period encompassed Sargent's Christmas break, the turn-around would have probably been quicker at another time of year.

I purchased their standard VFR800 sport tour upgrade, which consists of widening and shaping the seat as well as upgrading to Sargent's premium foam. I opted for the "Grip-Tex" seat cover and paid $20 extra to also have the passenger portion upgraded. Since I had the work done during the off season, I got a 10% discount. The cost, without shipping, was around $269.

I've put about 5500 miles on the seat and must say I'm very pleased. With the stock seat, I was experiencing a great deal of discomfort before riding 100 miles. I'm now able to drain a tank of gas without needing to get off due to a tired butt - the widened seat allows my thighs to share in supporting my weight.

The quality of workmanship is first-rate. The seat looks as good as it did the day I put it on and should continue to do so for a long time. Sargent's customer service was also very good.

There are a few things potential customers need to be aware of. I'm 6'1" and even with the widened seat am able to put both feet down; shorter riders may not be able to do this. Since the passenger portion of the seat was also widened, I don't think the seat cowl will fit anymore. (I haven't actually checked since I never use the cowl). The Grip-Tex surface looks like it would keep the rider from sliding around, but isn't as effective, in this regard, as I thought it would be.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Sargent Cycle Products and their seats to any who's wanting to upgrade his/her VFR's seat.

pontiac_banshee · 09-11-2007, 06:00 PM

So far I am so confused with my attempt to get my seat covered I am thinking of going to Corbin. I sent them a pic of a Corbin seat and told them I wanted to have it look like this. NO GO Had a pic on their own website of a VFR 800 and asked them to look at that NO GO.

They want (as Mike Myers charater on SNL) drawwins, I have to sketch what I want or they wont do it. I am LOUSY at drawing anything and I figured a picture is worth a thousand words but not in this case. I have never seen or sat on any other seat then my own but no the Corbin seat looks comfortable and based my decisions on users here in the forum on what feels good on the touche (butt). I have to also figure the shape of the foam and other aspects of the seat which are shown in any pic of a corbin or even their own seats but they wont use them. I am not the professional so I dont have a friggen clue of what works best or not. You would figure with all the seats they do build they have the history to take a picture and convert it into a custom seat.

HELP a guy out here!!!!!

pontiac_banshee · 09-11-2007, 06:03 PM

By the way be carefull if you want to buy a seat off ebay or anywhere as they wont use it unless you have tried it on your bike. They have been burned by seats that were deformed and broken.

On the same vein of ebay carefull of buying a corbin or sargent seat if it needs recovering. Corbin want $199 to cover their own seats and Sargent would be just as high.

nozzle · 09-12-2007, 05:41 AM

GM Product Banchee:

don't be too pissed at Sarg. They are likely trying to ensure they don't illegally copy the othr company's design.

Perhaps if you got some tracing paper you could trace the picture you liked?

pontiac_banshee · 09-12-2007, 07:15 AM

I dont imagine that a design can be copywritten like that because they have others similar that they build all ready. I tried every angle for them to look at a picture and it was a NO. THe real thing that got me was the VFR 800 they have in thier own customer gallery. It is exactly what I want and they cant use it as a starting point. I would think there would be more liabilty in building a seat from a sketch becuase the company is expecting you to be artistic and MANY of us are not.

What really is odd is I am not the pro, I dont know if 1 1/2 of thier superfoam is enough. What is the difference from a picture to a scetch. A picture of a seat show exactly what I want and then all they have to decide on is foam density and thickness. If I say I want 4" of foam under my arse they can say "the maximum foam based on that design would be 2 3/4".

It kind of like a cam grinder not asking you waht kind of performance you want but what degree of angle you want on the lobes and what maximum amount of lift do you want on the exhaust and the intake. It is their job to transform my thoughts of wanting lots of low end power for street use and converting taht into the product.

The truth is my sketching skills are the bad. Going to try someone in the family.

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01-14-2006, 06:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
michael Administrator Join Date: Dec 2005 Last Online: Yesterday 10:28 PM Location: Pleasanton, California - Find Me! My Ride: 1994 Honda VFR View my Photo Gallery Posts: 734 Thanks: 15 Thanked 30 Times in 10 Posts	Sargent Cycle Products modified Stock Seat I had my 98 VFR's stock seat modified by Sargent Cycle Products about one and a half years ago. I shipped them the stock seat over the Christmas 99 holidays. The total turn-around time was three and a half weeks. Since some of this period encompassed Sargent's Christmas break, the turn-around would have probably been quicker at another time of year. I purchased their standard VFR800 sport tour upgrade, which consists of widening and shaping the seat as well as upgrading to Sargent's premium foam. I opted for the "Grip-Tex" seat cover and paid $20 extra to also have the passenger portion upgraded. Since I had the work done during the off season, I got a 10% discount. The cost, without shipping, was around $269. I've put about 5500 miles on the seat and must say I'm very pleased. With the stock seat, I was experiencing a great deal of discomfort before riding 100 miles. I'm now able to drain a tank of gas without needing to get off due to a tired butt - the widened seat allows my thighs to share in supporting my weight. The quality of workmanship is first-rate. The seat looks as good as it did the day I put it on and should continue to do so for a long time. Sargent's customer service was also very good. There are a few things potential customers need to be aware of. I'm 6'1" and even with the widened seat am able to put both feet down; shorter riders may not be able to do this. Since the passenger portion of the seat was also widened, I don't think the seat cowl will fit anymore. (I haven't actually checked since I never use the cowl). The Grip-Tex surface looks like it would keep the rider from sliding around, but isn't as effective, in this regard, as I thought it would be. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Sargent Cycle Products and their seats to any who's wanting to upgrade his/her VFR's seat.

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09-11-2007, 06:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
pontiac_banshee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Last Online: 10-09-2008 02:54 PM Posts: 118 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	So far I am so confused with my attempt to get my seat covered I am thinking of going to Corbin. I sent them a pic of a Corbin seat and told them I wanted to have it look like this. NO GO Had a pic on their own website of a VFR 800 and asked them to look at that NO GO. They want (as Mike Myers charater on SNL) drawwins, I have to sketch what I want or they wont do it. I am LOUSY at drawing anything and I figured a picture is worth a thousand words but not in this case. I have never seen or sat on any other seat then my own but no the Corbin seat looks comfortable and based my decisions on users here in the forum on what feels good on the touche (butt). I have to also figure the shape of the foam and other aspects of the seat which are shown in any pic of a corbin or even their own seats but they wont use them. I am not the professional so I dont have a friggen clue of what works best or not. You would figure with all the seats they do build they have the history to take a picture and convert it into a custom seat. HELP a guy out here!!!!!

09-11-2007, 06:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
pontiac_banshee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Last Online: 10-09-2008 02:54 PM Posts: 118 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	By the way be carefull if you want to buy a seat off ebay or anywhere as they wont use it unless you have tried it on your bike. They have been burned by seats that were deformed and broken. On the same vein of ebay carefull of buying a corbin or sargent seat if it needs recovering. Corbin want $199 to cover their own seats and Sargent would be just as high.

09-12-2007, 05:41 AM	#4 (permalink)
nozzle Uber Noz Join Date: May 2007 Last Online: Today 06:23 AM Location: Southern Maryland - Find Me! My Ride: 07 RWB 'ceptor View my Photo Gallery Posts: 1,488 Thanks: 3 Thanked 13 Times in 12 Posts	GM Product Banchee: don't be too pissed at Sarg. They are likely trying to ensure they don't illegally copy the othr company's design. Perhaps if you got some tracing paper you could trace the picture you liked?

09-12-2007, 07:15 AM	#5 (permalink)
pontiac_banshee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Last Online: 10-09-2008 02:54 PM Posts: 118 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I dont imagine that a design can be copywritten like that because they have others similar that they build all ready. I tried every angle for them to look at a picture and it was a NO. THe real thing that got me was the VFR 800 they have in thier own customer gallery. It is exactly what I want and they cant use it as a starting point. I would think there would be more liabilty in building a seat from a sketch becuase the company is expecting you to be artistic and MANY of us are not. What really is odd is I am not the pro, I dont know if 1 1/2 of thier superfoam is enough. What is the difference from a picture to a scetch. A picture of a seat show exactly what I want and then all they have to decide on is foam density and thickness. If I say I want 4" of foam under my arse they can say "the maximum foam based on that design would be 2 3/4". It kind of like a cam grinder not asking you waht kind of performance you want but what degree of angle you want on the lobes and what maximum amount of lift do you want on the exhaust and the intake. It is their job to transform my thoughts of wanting lots of low end power for street use and converting taht into the product. The truth is my sketching skills are the bad. Going to try someone in the family.