Ducati Monster Forum

I've seen lots of seats that make the rider more comfortable, but none that makes the passenger more comfortable.  Is there a seat that at least has a little rise at the back?  I saw a nicely modded SV seat, but I'm not sure that the Monster's seat base is wide enough to do that.

I have a 1999 M900s.

the Sgts are suppose to be super comfy for passenger as well. but nothing really beats getting your seat custom made. Try an upholsery shop and get them to widen the rear a bit.

the corbin is fairly comfortable for the passenger, but I don't find it very comfortable to ride on. The sargent is quite comfy for me, but horrible for the passenger...... so it's kind of a no win deal

FWIW, I contacted sargent to see if they could rebuild the seat for me for a better pillion perch and they're response was "the seat is not designed nor constructed for a passenger and cannot be rebuilt for such a purpose".

you might want to try the sheepskin seat covers for the passenger. i've used them on my R1100S for myself and a passenger and it works great for touring. i can go much longer with one on the seat. and you wouldn't think it but it actually prevents sliding. the passenger will slide no matter what but no more than without the pad. they are cut specifically for the seat so it's pretty much  formed to the shape of the seat. they don't always look great on sport bikes but for +300 mi trips they save your ass and ballls... ;D
your passenger will thank you.

http://www.alaskaleather.com/application.htm

here's one on my BCR. not the best picture of it on the bike but you can tell it's formed fairly well to the seat.

(http://homepage.mac.com/dragonmix/.Pictures/buttpadBCR.JPG)

(http://homepage.mac.com/dragonmix/.Pictures/butpad%20BCR2.JPG)

[laugh]  I have an ass, but no balls.  I don't take passengers because my bf won't ride cupcake.  It's my own friggin' Monster that I'm looking for this for!  He had a GSX-R 1000 before and now has no street bike, so if we are going anywhere, I'm on the pillion pad.   :'(

riding on the back is the best shit ever. When your actually riding, you dont get to enjoy anything becasue your so focused on ride, when your a passenger, you get to see everything and its pretty freaky.

 :P   oops, i didnt see your avatar before i posted...

well if it's you whose butt has to sit pillion, then you have to be comfy on your own bike. the Alaskan Butt Pads are just connected by 2 elastic bands underneath the seat and they clip together. so it's quick to remove once you've parked and want to take it off so no one see's it... ;D   

the quality's real good and real sheepskin. i guess sheep have ample insulation against heat and cold because they're great for the hot and cold weather. check out their site when you get a chance. i'm thinking about getting one for my Foggy for the +300mi trips.

B has a Sargent on his ST4s and I find the "back seat" is comfy.  It is dished out so I move around a lot less and doesn't push up against my seat bones; more like cradles my butt.

My ex had a corbin that I also found comfortable. 

Corbin will custom make just about anything you want for your seat.  They even have a service where you can ride down to their shop and consult with their techs and they'll use your original base and custom fab it to your exact needs.  I don't know where you live, but if you're in Northern California it's pretty darn easy and convenient.  If not, you can contact them and ship them your seat and go from there.  Turnaround time is generally pretty quick too.

actually

wallmart carries a gel seat pad that'll work with either seat. have the pass wear some bicyle shorts as well. That should make up for the bad seat design, don't expect them to be comfy for an 6+hr ride, but for at least 2-3 Hrs.

Q

How secure is the fastening?  The pillion pad is pretty aerodynamically sloped, which means that anything on it has a tendency to slide off the back.  I tried a gel seat pad, but the clips scarred my subframe.   :'(

Yeah, but when I'm riding cupcake and my wife is up front there are... certain advantages to a guy like me. Even with her padded jacket.

I believe the original poster said, touring.  I don't think there is a seat out there that you could attach to make the monster a passable two up touring bike.  I have the corbin seat.  My girlfriend won't tollerate more than about 20 minutes.  It makes her back soar.  And to be honest, I don't like to ride more than about 20 minutes with her on ther, or I start getting sore, too.  If I'm given the time, I'll throw down a 1000 mile weekend alone, but there's just not a lot of real estate on the Monster to move around and get comfortable with two people.

On the stock pad, I can last about an hour before the pain sets in.  I tried a gel seat that was just a poor design for my pad and that helped me last about 2 or 3 hours.  I ordered the sheepskin and perhaps that will lengthen my range a bit.  My boyfriend is... well... 6'4" and about 165 pounds, so it's not like he leaves me nothing to sit on. 

The Corbin seat is made of much denser foam and scooped out a bit.  It seems to be the most comfortable commercially available seat but it's still not ideal.  I would recommend asking about a custom seat maker at you local bike shops.  As mentioned already, you want someone that can make it a bit wider with more dense foam and a scooped out shape.  The stock slant is awful for the passenger.  As also mentioned, the stock seat pan is narrow and flimsy for the passenger.  Still, a local guy can probably do a lot and if they're local you can get it fine tuned easily before they do the final covering.

Scott

hi ducatista, sorry i didn't see this post before...

the ones for my bmw fastened well but i had to fiddle with it so it didn't rub against the painted panel underneath. the pillion was fine. the fastening system is pretty basic overall but once you're sitting, the pads aren't going anywhere. i see you ordered some, hope you like them like i did.

ducatista, do you have a ride report on the sheepskin butt pad? i'm curious how the fit is on your monster seat.

I got it in about a week ago.  Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to try it yet.  With the boyfriend's racing schedule and my crazy travel schedule, we haven't been around at home long enough to try it.  I'm hoping for weekend after this weekend and I'll definitely post up a report!

Ducatisa, i checked Corbins site and they seem to have a new design that i have not yet seen. However its only for the 2000+ bikes.

http://www.corbin.com/ducati/dm97f.shtml

it looks wicked comfortable. for the passenger and you. I just emailed them about having one where the backsupport for the rider is closer/

this looks very promising.  i'm keeping an eye on this thread.

The Corbin seat looks really nice but $500 for pilot and passenger is pricey.  I didn't see a passenger backrest as an option, so they make one?

Scott