796 seat lower than DP low seat?

[asherrick]

Is the 796 seat lower than the DP low seat? I just got off the phone with a dealer that's claiming this, but looking at the picture it sure doesn't seem like it...

[ChrisH]

No. It's better padded and angled then the seat that came original on the new monsters like the 696, but it is not lower. I have the dp low seat on my 696 and was test riding a 796 two weeks ago. The seats are very different.

[Povidius]

I'm a short guy and I have the DP low seat on my 696.  I am going to buy the seat off the 796 because its cut differently (better).  On the DP low seat, the way the seat cushion is cut, I'm sitting very close to the tank. On the 796 seat, its a bit taller, but I naturally sit further back from the tank which makes the ride more comfortable.  Plus, the faux leather makes it easier to move around the seat (personal preference)

[asherrick]

Thanks for the input! I stopped into my dealer today (not the one I mentioned in my original post) hoping I could test a 796 seat. Unfortunately they did not have one in stock. I asked them about getting the low seat, and they didn't think it would work very well given the taper on the sides of the seat, which they claim makes it wider (thus your legs really don't get any closer to the ground). Their recommendation was to customize the stock seat or get a custom Corbin or Sargent seat.

I'm really getting frustrated with this whole thing as I'm trying to make the 696 easier for my wife to ride (she's a first-time rider). She's 5'5", but her legs are relatively long. She wants to stand flat-footed, which she can almost do.

One other possibility is to lower the bike by reducing the preload and lowering the forks.

[Raux]

where are you? are there any members or a DOC, that might have a few people, who have the low seat, 796 or both for you to check out?

the low seat sounds like it depends on shapes, remember women's hips are naturally wider so a man would have issues with a wider seat, but it may fit a woman just right. (not sexist, just anatomy)

[ChrisH]

The low seat isn't wider, just lower. I think it may seem wider because there is not much foam on top so it doesn't have the same tapered shape. The seating position is still close to the tank like the oem 696 seat but you don't slide into the tank like oem. I'm a 6 ft man and prefer the low seat because it puts the bars at a better position for me, and it makes the riding position even more upright which is better for my back.

[asherrick]

where are you? are there any members or a DOC, that might have a few people, who have the low seat, 796 or both for you to check out?

Good idea, Raux! I didn't even think of my DOC. I'm located in Harrisburg, PA (US).

[asherrick]

The low seat isn't wider, just lower. I think it may seem wider because there is not much foam on top so it doesn't have the same tapered shape.

It's not physically wider, but if there is less taper (causing your legs to go further out rather than straight down), the net effect on the actual distance your feet are from the ground could stay the same.

[drunkfatguy]

where are you? are there any members or a DOC, that might have a few people, who have the low seat, 796 or both for you to check out?

the low seat sounds like it depends on shapes, remember women's hips are naturally wider so a man would have issues with a wider seat, but it may fit a woman just right. (not sexist, just anatomy)

796 with Low seat, I need to look to see if I have any pictures of the original seat Installed:

[asherrick]

My wife and I got a chance to test the low seat the other day. The consensus was that it was 'wider' due to having less taper. She didn't feel itwas any lower; I thought it might have been a bit lower, but I found the increased width uncomfortable. Bummer. Anyway, I'm still holding out a little hope for the 796 seat. I just need to find one I can test.

[Veloce-Fino]

I've got the 696 touring seat as of now, which does a great job of smashing my nuts into the tank. Even when I sit back on the seat and my ass is touching the cowl, I still manage to slide forward over time due to the steep angle of the seat.

Would a 796 (touring or low) seat solve this?

[asherrick]

I've got the 696 touring seat as of now, which does a great job of smashing my nuts into the tank. Even when I sit back on the seat and my ass is touching the cowl, I still manage to slide forward over time due to the steep angle of the seat.

That's strange...most people say both the touring and low seat prevent 'monster balls'. Interestingly, the 2011 M696 has a reshaped seat from the one on my '09 and it is higher in the front, presumably to help correct this. I wonder if your rearsets + clipons make this problem worse...

Would a 796 (touring or low) seat solve this?

The 796 stock seat is the one I'm talking about. There is no 796-specific touring or low seat.

[Veloce-Fino]

That's strange...most people say both the touring and low seat prevent 'monster balls'. Interestingly, the 2011 M696 has a reshaped seat from the one on my '09 and it is higher in the front, presumably to help correct this. I wonder if your rearsets + clipons make this problem worse...


The 796 stock seat is the one I'm talking about. There is no 796-specific touring or low seat.

Hmm, I'll just keep using the tried and true "put your hand in your pants and pull your balls on top of the tank so they don't get crushed" method. Sure I look like a nut job who is riding a motorcycle and touching himself, but at least I won't become sterile.

[thought]

ever think about sending your 696 seat to spencers and have him mod it?  might be a bit better than hoping that the 796 seat fits perfectly.

http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php

he can recontour the seat for you and lower it as well as upgrading the foam and putting in gel in there for more touring comfort... he cant add to the height, but as long as you tell him exactly what you want, he can make it shorter for you.

you can ask him to flatten it out like the 796 seat too.

[tiger_one]

My wife is 26.5" inseam and we have her 696 rocking.  If you don't mind trying to cut your seat down yourself, it is possible to make a huge change.  It took me 3 tries to get it right, first cut (took off an 1") I did not take the cut far enough back and it pushed her towards the tank.  Leave foam around the ABS plastic, especially in front where it turns up.

The problem is the buttons are about impossible to remove, so you can only peel back the cover to that point.  I used an electric meat carving knife with the bread slicing blade.  Some spray contact glue and a good stapler (1/4" staples) will make the job pretty easy.

We have the low seat now, and she likes it tho a bit wider than my mod.

I have redone the suspension also, 70n/mm spring did the trick to lower nearly 2" from stock, but had to replace the sachs shock as the dampening was too slow.