Russell Day Long - ALL DAY LONG!! (with pictures)

[eisen]

After a long wait, i finally received my day-long saddle.
Workmanship is absolutely top-notch. The leather smells great, the heating elements warm my tush & the S/O is over the moon with her new "perfect fit" throne. She even said that its almost as comfy as the Goldwing - and i think that just about sums it up.

At 6"1', i can just about flatfoot the bike with the day-long saddle - this is one TALL seat! Great for the knees and overall comfort, not so good when i want both feet flat on the ground. I guess i'll eventually get used to the feeling.
With the BMW tall seat, i could easily flat-foot the bike.

Another important comment - the day-long is geared towards long distance rides. With the standard high seat, i can move around - adjusting my body position and can easily adopt a "sporty" posture. In contrast, the day-long likes you to stay put, be comfortable & enjoy the ride. That means plonk your bum in one single position, make sure your back is erect & simply don't move.
I can't say that i like the "stay-put" attitude for city/urban riding. Weaving in & out of traffic, dodging idiot cages and keeping alert all the time means i simply cannot remain seated in one single, comfortable position.

Here are some pics:













My conclusion:
I will be using the day-long whenever the S/O and i ride the R - it is quite simply the best (after market) saddle our bums have ever felt.
But when riding in the city & for more spirited 'scratching'- i will use the BMW high seat (which i always liked, regardless)

And finally - the score:

Quality 10/10
Great workmanship, great people to deal with

Price 7/10
$1145 + a R12R seatpan from beemboneyard.com = $1295
Expensive - but then again, so are BMW's.
Also, i would be battered to death if i put a price on the S/O's lovely tush

Comfort 9/10
Nothing to complain about. Even the S/O loves it & finally solved the "sliding forward" issue

Practicality 5/10
Perfect for long distance - but loses out in urban performance & the need to KEEP the old seat due to this

Looks 7.5/10
Really enhances the look of the bike with all the luggage on. But seems a bit bulky when naked

[Dan-A]

I have one on my GS and one on my Gold Wing. Definitely comfortable.

[MJB]

Eisen

When I go to the Russell website, which options did you pick?

Great Looking Seat

I assume:

S-2 Price Code: All Leather Dual $660.00
Built In Driver Backrest 270.00
Heated Sets Dual 290.00

Total Not Inc Shipping $1220.00

[eisen]

When I go to the Russell website, which options did you pick?

I assume:

S2 Price Code: Leather Duo $550

Hi,
here are the exact options i chose:

S3 dual saddle all leather = $710
Heated seats = $290
Rain cover = $40
Shipping = $105 (USPS express shipping to the UK)
Pattern = rectangle ($0)
Total: $1145

I did not take a Russell backrest. Personally, I don't like using backrests...
The slope on the back of the driver seat is simply the way the saddle was built. It is not intended to be a backrest. The driver sits firmly in the middle of the seat (very comfortably, i might add )

[MJB]

When I go to the Russell website, which options did you pick?

I assume:

S2 Price Code: Leather Duo $550

Hi,
here are the exact options i chose:

S3 dual saddle all leather = $710
Heated seats = $290
Rain cover = $40
Shipping = $105 (USPS express shipping to the UK)
Pattern = rectangle ($0)
Total: $1145

I did not take a Russell backrest. Personally, I don't like using backrests...
The slope on the back of the driver seat is simply the way the saddle was built. It is not intended to be a backrest. The driver sits firmly in the middle of the seat (very comfortably, i might add )

Thanks

I will be looking into this option...
I'm also about 6'1" so the height should be fine..

[eisen]

Thanks

I will be looking into this option...
I'm also about 6'1" so the height should be fine..

Pleasure.
If you want any pics with me sitting on the bike, so you can guage the height & legroom - let me know.

[Graf]

....this is one expencive saddle.......on the other hand i am willing to pay for comfort (original standard seat is just torture after about 150mi).....i think i'll start with a little cheaper choice (Rick Myer)....arround $700 or so with all taxes......although Russell may look and feel like a great saddle....i do not beleive it looks like it belongs on a NAKED r12r (no bags).....with bags....the saddle doesn't look bad at all......what I would be interested in is how this saddle works on the twisties....i move my butt arround a lot...depending on a turn and speed ofcourse.....with Russell it seems almost impossible.......
enjoy your new seat.......let us know what you think of it in the long term.
thx....alex...

[eisen]

....this is one expencive saddle.......on the other hand i am willing to pay for comfort (original standard seat is just torture after about 150mi).....i think i'll start with a little cheaper choice (Rick Myer)....arround $700 or so with all taxes......although Russell may look and feel like a great saddle....i do not beleive it looks like it belongs on a NAKED r12r (no bags).....with bags....the saddle doesn't look bad at all......what I would be interested in is how this saddle works on the twisties....i move my butt arround a lot...depending on a turn and speed ofcourse.....with Russell it seems almost impossible.......
enjoy your new seat.......let us know what you think of it in the long term.
thx....alex...

Alex,
As i mentioned before - as far as i can 'feel', this seat IS NOT DESIGNED FOR THE TWISTIES.
BUT - I'll give a more in-depth review once i've gathered a few thousand miles on the seat...

[ShinySideUp]

I find that their advice about scooting forward on the saddle is the way to go around town. Makes flat footing it easy, too. (30' inseam) It's not really that the saddle is so high; rather that it's so wide when seated in the pocket. I ride all day long on the job in San Francisco and probably spend 80% of the time sitting slightly forward. Coming home at night, it's heaven to slide back into the sofa area.

When my RDL was new, the padding under the thighs made scooting forward (already an unusual move) a little more difficult. (They told me that the padding would compress over the first few hundred miles and they were right.)

Now the move forward while in town is second nature. Once I get my sit bones out of the comfy pocket area, the saddle behaves more like the stock one. I can move laterally easier, though I'm not a hang-my-butt-over rider in the twisties anyway. But I can throw a little weight around.

The thought of putting a stock saddle back on my bike makes me cringe in remembered pain!

As to expense, the non-heated vinyl seats are very serviceable and quite a bit less pricey.