The firm and thin leather seat that comes stock on a Sportster is to the Iron Horse what a western saddle is to a real horse. Not being shy about loading up the Sportster and talking long trips, the stock seat has left me plenty saddle sore. Having felt the comfort of a Sundowner touring seat on a friends bike, the Sundowner was quickly added to my wish list. When I was ready to update my seat, I spent some time shopping E-bay and Craig’s list, looking for a deal on a new or used seat. Ultimately I pulled the trigger on a new seat from a Harley Dealer in the midwest, who was selling the seat for $70.00 under list. Considering that the shipping cost was less than what I would have paid in sales tax locally, this was a great deal! After three years of touring with the stock seat and rear pillion, the Sundowner made it’s debut on a 217 mile run to Saratoga Springs, NY. For me and my passenger, it was worth every penny!
SUNDOWNER PROS
- More Padding – Okay, this is an obvious statement. The rider’s portion of the Sundowner is considerably more padded than the stock Sportster seat; not only offering increased riding
Sundowner Touring Seat comfort, but added comfort over road bumps.
- Deeper Bucket – The deep bucket seat provided a noticeable reduction in lower back discomfort. Because of the differences between the stock and Sundowner seat, it did require ‘conscience effort’ to make sure my backside was pushed back into the bucket of the seat.
- Wider – Both the front and rear portion of the seat are wider, and combined with added padding, greatly reduces ass ache.
- Clears Backrest Easier – I have a detachable mid-low sissy bar, which would pinch the rear corners of the passenger pillion when attached to the bike. The design of the rear pillion on the Sundowner provides clearance at the rear corners, making installation of the detachable back rest easier.
SUNDOWNER CONS
- Increased Straddle Height – If you can barely put your feet flat on the ground with the stock Sportster seat, then a Sundowner may not be for you. The added ‘rider height’ will affect how your feet hit the pavement. The extra saddle height may also make it more challenging for shorter passengers to throw their leg over the bike and climb onto the rear pillion.
- Fit – While the seat easily mounts the same as the stock seat, the design causes the fit near to tank to look a little sloppy. There is a noticeable gap between the bike frame and the front lower half of the seat, slightly exposing the area where the module is secured.
- Shorter Rear Pillion – The length of the riders portion of the seat is longer than the stock Sportster seat, but this comes at the expense of the rear pillion. The rear passenger will be sitting closer to the rider