I could go about 1.5 hours with the stock seat and 2.5 hours with the Wingsoft before being uncomfortable. Finally did the Russell Daylong upgrade and solved my issues for a 6 to 8 hour-a-day ride with no discomfort.
I had one made for my GL1200 almost twenty years ago. It's as comfortable now as it was back then. My bike always remains outdoors and the seat still looks good. Fine craftsmanship is hard to find these days.
I had the full Wing Soft upgrade. I did not notice any difference between the stock seat and the Wing Soft upgrade in the way of comfort. It was an expensive experiment for me, and I was not happy. I bit the bullet and did the Russell Day Long upgrade. I really noticed a huge difference between the stock seat, Wing Soft upgrade, and the Russell Day Long Upgrade. Maybe it is my body type or my tolerance level for pain, but the Wing Soft did not work for me. I read a lot of comments, where it worked great for a lot of Gold Wing riders, and that is great. If I am not mistaken, I think Cruiseman (Chris) ended up replacing his Wing Soft upgrade.
I did the upgrade for my 2018 DCT. Just the driver seat along with the driver backrest. I had no issues with the factory. But just did a 6000 mile trip and no issues what so ever. Made a huge difference
Hi. A "lot" of people complains abaout stock seat on their motorbike, but in some cases the problem is not the bike but the body of the biker. There is something called the piniformis syndrom that causes pains in your bodys seating area. The pains can be reduced with varius training exercises. Ask you chiropractor or physyotherapist for advice on this. In my case it took 3 months of training before I felt ok in my bodys seating area. So now do I ride my 2021 GW without pains in the a... with the stock seat.
John upgraded my 2015 seat and I had appointment to get my 2020 DCT Tour seat upgraded before I even purchased the bike. John did both seats and we love it!
I'm 5'8, 250+ pounds. The Wingsoft seat and HeliBar risers was a must for Me.(2018 GW). Got the Upgrade a month after purchase. Big Difference! Got 20,000 miles on that seat ,22,000 on the Bike.
I put a $30 tractor seat on my '80 Wing. When I bought my '87 I found the Corbin seat was good for 2 hours. I put the tractor seat on the '87. Its good for 16 hour days.
Thanks for doing the review I have been thinking about getting mine done. it's a 2022. I live up state new york so winter is just around the corner. It's a good time to send it out. Thanks again
After riding my 2019 DCT Tour a few weeks I was in a search for a new seat. 1 hr was about all I could do and I ride long rides. I ended up with an Ultimate Seat (heated). I now make all day/multiple day rides with "pauses" at the 3 hour mark with comfort. It was worth the cost. If anyone is interested in a grand spanking new stock seat let me know, I'll give you a great deal.
I did the full Wingsoft to my wing back in June of 2018. With the stock seat I could only ride 70 miles before discomfort would set in and ruin the fun...anyways, I'm 5' 10" and weigh 180lbs..the Wingsoft was a huge improvement over Honda's stock seat. I was able to ride locally without any discomfort at all...on road trips, I would say I was mostly comfortable for most of the day..12 hours...but I would have to stand up and sit down to relieve pressure points at times..but still the Wingsoft allowed me to enjoy my week long road trips in comfort most of the time...trying to do the same ride with the stock seat would had been torture and honestly I wouldnt have been able to do road trips on Honda' OEM seat...the trip would had been no fun at all. I've enjoyed the Wingsoft for 3 riding seasons and was over 90% satisfied...but its that other 10% when I'm on long distance road trips that I want improved comfort with. I think to get the most comfort for long distance the seat needs more area to support your body weight for less pressure points. I sent my Wingsoft seat to RDL for them to build me a custom seat built for my body..hopefully that seat will live up to its reputation for long distance comfort that I've always read about... but if you want more comfort and mostly do local rides, want your seat be waterproof and to look stock, this Wingsoft is a good value and I would recommend it to someone around my size..5' 10" 180lbs
I’m 6’ 2 212 lbs still unsure which upgrade todo on 2018 duct tour. This upgrade will have to wait until I sit on some of the mentioned options. Thanks for the info all.
I am 6-1 and 220lbs. I had the full remodel done on my seat by Wingsoft. After just 3 days into a month vacation on my 2018 Goldwing Tour I can't ride 100 miles without pain in my butt. Not much change over the stock seat. I may not be able to walk after this trip is over.
I can’t believe that on a €35K motorcycle the saddle is uncomfortable and has to be changed. I’ve had many cars never have I had to change a seat, why on a bike?
I love the goldwing, only thing stopped me from buying one was my knees hit the fairing right below the hand grips.. I wud have to buy a custom seat that pushes me back atleast 3-4 inches.. I’m all legs.. my inseam is like 34-35.. and looking at your video now and your 6’2 and ur knees is no where near the frame
At 10:05 there is a beautiful leather 2 seater and I thought thats what he did to your stock seat. Wow, !! Turns out that is a couch. I have a non-tour 2018 and have had no problems with the stock seat. But watching the video a light bulb went off so I went back to a few forums and checked: Turns out many riders with the non-tour have no complaints about the stock seat. Two differences with the non-tour seat that ,may be interesting. Obviously more passenger room with no trunk but even more critical is non-tour has no heating element so its just foam. Interesting?
I never ever use my heated seat..... wish Honda would keep their heating element and give me more cushion on the seat. ps - I live way up in northern Ontario where we have 5 to 6 months of winter.
I have had 3 Goldwings and put over 500,000, yes 500,000 miles on the. One thing Honda could do if their life depended on it is to make a comfortable seat! Every one of them I have had to change the seat to an aftermarket seat. Tried Corbins and they were way too hard. I think the best one I had was from Diamond. I no longer have a wing and I really miss it! I lost my left leg above the knee (a military issue). My wife is trying to talk me into a Trike. Not sure if that would be the same.
Had my seat on my 2018 wing pushed back about 2". It cost me a few hundred bucks from a local upholster and the comfort level went up drastically. I'm 6'1" and my knees and back aching on long rides are no longer a factor in my riding. The only thing is I no longer have the slot for the driver's back rest, which I didn't really care for anyway.
I am 6'3" and 245#. I found the seat on my 2018 Tour to be intelerable. My 2002 stocker was "a little better" but I still replaced that with Ultimate Big Boy which I would grade as an "A-". I would have gone Ultimate with the 2018 too, but Ultimate was VERY slow in making a fully functional saddle for the new model. I had the Wingsoft full modification done to my 2018 and I was and am very pleased. Is it perfect? No. Is it as good as my previous experience with Ultimate? No. But, it is tolerable now for an eight hour day ride. I believe Wingsoft is a good option.
Do you think on the 2021 model it will be better, because they changed a view things? It should be different for the passenger to because the angle from the backrest changed a little bit with the bigger trunk.......
I saw this video was posted a while back, I was wondering if you’re still using that seat today and if you will give it your gusto. If so I’ll send my 2021 in to him. It’s terrible factory. I. An only get about 45 mins to an hour out of it.
I know a lot of people don't care for the stock 2018+ Goldwing seat but I have to say I've had no issues with it yet, not even on long distance rides. Maybe its just so much better than Harley seats that to me its a huge improvement! 😃
I do not recommend Bike Solutions. All butts not created equal, but after this modification (did complete seat and passenger backrest) it is more uncomfortable and looks modified with visible ridges that were not there before. John never replied to my messages to try to resolve this. $500 wasted.
If you don't mind me asking. What is your height and weight? I'm 5'10ish 230lb. Was thinking if doing the modification but don't want to spend $500 on something I am going to hate. Did you see a difference in seating position? What are your thoughts if any difference? I don't to bad with the stock seat, but I think there is room for some improvement. Especially for the passenger seat. (That comes from the complaining wife! :-)
This has completely put me off buying a new Goldwing. You would think that Honda would make their flagship touring bike comfortable to ride long distances? After all the Goldwing has been around a very long time and I am sure that Honda have had lots of feedback regarding this issue. I’ll be sticking with my 2010 wing and a removable gel pad on my seat.
@@cruisemansgarage The Goldwing was synonymous with luxury and comfort whereas the likes of BMW etc etc are just as good but are not as comfortable. Now the Goldwing is just the same. Why would you have to spend thousands more on a seat when the majority of Goldwing owners all say the same. Pre 18 models were sold with a reasonably comfortable seat. So logic would dictate that Honda should offer a firm after market seat if that’s what you want. But I think that they would not sell many of those.
@cruisemansgarage so all these years later, did you keep the seat with the modifications or did you change to something else? I do understand you need to "try" new things, but curious if you stayed with it? thanks.
Cruiseman..Im curious to know what seat you are riding on now. I know you had the Wingsoft and then a Ultimate seat, then sold the Ultimate I believe..what seat are you using now...how would you compare the Ultimate and the Wingsoft seats?
I am currently riding on the WingSoft. I would say the comfort of the Wingsoft is comparable to the Ultimate, but retains the OEM look. I did prefer the looks of the Ultimate.
@@cruisemansgarage I thought the comfort of the Ultimate would be along the same lines as the Wingsoft because its the same shape..to really increase the comfort the seat has to be able to support more of the riders body..the old wing had more of a buck shape and supported the body more than this new wings seat...my old wing had the Wingsoft and I could ride 930 miles in comfort..for this new wing to give the same results I think it will take a seat with more area and a bucket shape like a Russel Day Long
We had the full monty done on my 2019 DCT Tour by John in early December and it is wonderful for us. We can ride for hours with no more pain. Money very well spent!
I have your mod. It sucks. I took off the cover to add a gel insert, and your special foam is only in the middle. On a bright note, it made it super easy to trim your foam down 5/8", and trim off 1" to the edges for the gel. NOW......it's a great seat. Can I get a refund?
Anyone interested in the Wing soft up grade, you can have mine for half price and your old seat. Seems like such a waste to send the wingsoft seat to Russel Day long yo be re upgraded. Must be a tour with heat...
I felt the same way..the Wingsoft is a nice seat and it was ashame to waste it to have a RDL built on its seat pan. I wish I could had kept it and bought a stock seat to send to RDL..but the extra cost involved with shipping and buying a stock seat just wasnt worth the money and effort to do it.
I have an ‘18 Tour with Honda backrest. What mods did you have done to your seat? Large? Passenger? John’s full treatment, or less? What’s your asking price?
I have owned 6 Goldwings Wingsoft did my 2018 seat it is better but not great. I have never had a seat that is comfortable yet. Tired of spending money on seats.
It worked well for me! I drove to John's place and had it done in about an 1 hour.
I could go about 1.5 hours with the stock seat and 2.5 hours with the Wingsoft before being uncomfortable. Finally did the Russell Daylong upgrade and solved my issues for a 6 to 8 hour-a-day ride with no discomfort.
I had one made for my GL1200 almost twenty years ago. It's as comfortable now as it was back then. My bike always remains outdoors and the seat still looks good. Fine craftsmanship is hard to find these days.
I had the full Wing Soft upgrade. I did not notice any difference between the stock seat and the Wing Soft upgrade in the way of comfort. It was an expensive experiment for me, and I was not happy. I bit the bullet and did the Russell Day Long upgrade. I really noticed a huge difference between the stock seat, Wing Soft upgrade, and the Russell Day Long Upgrade. Maybe it is my body type or my tolerance level for pain, but the Wing Soft did not work for me. I read a lot of comments, where it worked great for a lot of Gold Wing riders, and that is great. If I am not mistaken, I think Cruiseman (Chris) ended up replacing his Wing Soft upgrade.
Same problem here. Now I have to send my $500 seat to RDL to have it re done! What a waste!
I did the upgrade for my 2018 DCT. Just the driver seat along with the driver backrest. I had no issues with the factory. But just did a 6000 mile trip and no issues what so ever. Made a huge difference
Hi. A "lot" of people complains abaout stock seat on their motorbike, but in some cases the problem is not the bike but the body of the biker.
There is something called the piniformis syndrom that causes pains in your bodys seating area. The pains can be reduced with varius training exercises.
Ask you chiropractor or physyotherapist for advice on this.
In my case it took 3 months of training before I felt ok in my bodys seating area.
So now do I ride my 2021 GW without pains in the a... with the stock seat.
John upgraded my 2015 seat and I had appointment to get my 2020 DCT Tour seat upgraded before I even purchased the bike. John did both seats and we love it!
You must have one skinny butt.....
I'm 5'8, 250+ pounds. The Wingsoft seat and HeliBar risers was a must for Me.(2018 GW). Got the Upgrade a month after purchase. Big Difference! Got 20,000 miles on that seat ,22,000 on the Bike.
I put a $30 tractor seat on my '80 Wing. When I bought my '87 I found the Corbin seat was good for 2 hours. I put the tractor seat on the '87. Its good for 16 hour days.
I have a feeling it's about to get a lot colder in your neck of the woods! Thanks for the vid, be well stay warm.
Snow and sleet this morning.
@@cruisemansgarage a lot of power outage in Texas and very cold to your standards of weather, I hope all is well at home !
Thanks for doing the review I have been thinking about getting mine done. it's a 2022. I live up state new york so winter is just around the corner. It's a good time to send it out. Thanks again
Thank you Cruiseman!! Great information & video.
I bought 2 ..Airhawk R.. seat cushions....$90...each..really help a lot..!!!!!
Of all the seats I've tried over the years, The Russell Day Long was the best
I agree
@@claudelarocque3655 I double agree no question for my behind RDL
After riding my 2019 DCT Tour a few weeks I was in a search for a new seat. 1 hr was about all I could do and I ride long rides. I ended up with an Ultimate Seat (heated). I now make all day/multiple day rides with "pauses" at the 3 hour mark with comfort. It was worth the cost. If anyone is interested in a grand spanking new stock seat let me know, I'll give you a great deal.
I'm listening
I didn't catch the updated information. What are the updates?
I did the full Wingsoft to my wing back in June of 2018. With the stock seat I could only ride 70 miles before discomfort would set in and ruin the fun...anyways, I'm 5' 10" and weigh 180lbs..the Wingsoft was a huge improvement over Honda's stock seat. I was able to ride locally without any discomfort at all...on road trips, I would say I was mostly comfortable for most of the day..12 hours...but I would have to stand up and sit down to relieve pressure points at times..but still the Wingsoft allowed me to enjoy my week long road trips in comfort most of the time...trying to do the same ride with the stock seat would had been torture and honestly I wouldnt have been able to do road trips on Honda' OEM seat...the trip would had been no fun at all.
I've enjoyed the Wingsoft for 3 riding seasons and was over 90% satisfied...but its that other 10% when I'm on long distance road trips that I want improved comfort with. I think to get the most comfort for long distance the seat needs more area to support your body weight for less pressure points. I sent my Wingsoft seat to RDL for them to build me a custom seat built for my body..hopefully that seat will live up to its reputation for long distance comfort that I've always read about...
but if you want more comfort and mostly do local rides, want your seat be waterproof and to look stock, this Wingsoft is a good value and I would recommend it to someone around my size..5' 10" 180lbs
I’m 6’ 2 212 lbs still unsure which upgrade todo on 2018 duct tour. This upgrade will have to wait until I sit on some of the mentioned options. Thanks for the info all.
I am 6-1 and 220lbs. I had the full remodel done on my seat by Wingsoft. After just 3 days into a month vacation on my 2018 Goldwing Tour I can't ride 100 miles without pain in my butt. Not much change over the stock seat. I may not be able to walk after this trip is over.
I can’t believe that on a €35K motorcycle the saddle is uncomfortable and has to be changed. I’ve had many cars never have I had to change a seat, why on a bike?
I love the goldwing, only thing stopped me from buying one was my knees hit the fairing right below the hand grips.. I wud have to buy a custom seat that pushes me back atleast 3-4 inches.. I’m all legs.. my inseam is like 34-35.. and looking at your video now and your 6’2 and ur knees is no where near the frame
This is why the BMW GS is so popular with taller riders.
At 10:05 there is a beautiful leather 2 seater and I thought thats what he did to your stock seat. Wow, !! Turns out that is a couch.
I have a non-tour 2018 and have had no problems with the stock seat. But watching the video a light bulb went off so I went back to a few forums and checked: Turns out many riders with the non-tour have no complaints about the stock seat. Two differences with the non-tour seat that ,may be interesting. Obviously more passenger room with no trunk but even more critical is non-tour has no heating element so its just foam. Interesting?
I never ever use my heated seat..... wish Honda would keep their heating element and give me more cushion on the seat. ps - I live way up in northern Ontario where we have 5 to 6 months of winter.
I have had 3 Goldwings and put over 500,000, yes 500,000 miles on the. One thing Honda could do if their life depended on it is to make a comfortable seat! Every one of them I have had to change the seat to an aftermarket seat. Tried Corbins and they were way too hard. I think the best one I had was from Diamond. I no longer have a wing and I really miss it! I lost my left leg above the knee (a military issue). My wife is trying to talk me into a Trike. Not sure if that would be the same.
Had my seat on my 2018 wing pushed back about 2". It cost me a few hundred bucks from a local upholster and the comfort level went up drastically. I'm 6'1" and my knees and back aching on long rides are no longer a factor in my riding. The only thing is I no longer have the slot for the driver's back rest, which I didn't really care for anyway.
Great video
I am 6'3" and 245#. I found the seat on my 2018 Tour to be intelerable. My 2002 stocker was "a little better" but I still replaced that with Ultimate Big Boy which I would grade as an "A-". I would have gone Ultimate with the 2018 too, but Ultimate was VERY slow in making a fully functional saddle for the new model. I had the Wingsoft full modification done to my 2018 and I was and am very pleased. Is it perfect? No. Is it as good as my previous experience with Ultimate? No. But, it is tolerable now for an eight hour day ride. I believe Wingsoft is a good option.
Do you think on the 2021 model it will be better, because they changed a view things? It should be different for the passenger to because the angle from the backrest changed a little bit with the bigger trunk.......
Hey CM! Hope the weather hasn’t been too hard on you! Do you know anything about a remote start option for the dct?
Not aware of a remote start.
I saw this video was posted a while back, I was wondering if you’re still using that seat today and if you will give it your gusto. If so I’ll send my 2021 in to him. It’s terrible factory. I. An only get about 45 mins to an hour out of it.
I am not using it right now because I have not taken my 2024 to John to rebuild, but I plan to. I still highly recommend his seat rebuild.
I have to admit that I missed it - what was the "updated information"?
Well, that was am editing screwup on my part. There was supposed to be a segment talking about John’s modifications for the 2021 Goldwing seat.
@@cruisemansgarage: Understood - thanks!
I know a lot of people don't care for the stock 2018+ Goldwing seat but I have to say I've had no issues with it yet, not even on long distance rides. Maybe its just so much better than Harley seats that to me its a huge improvement! 😃
Me either Mengy. No issues.
what happen to the other seat you showed us that was like 1600 dollars
Do the heaters on the seats work just as well after the customization to improve comfort
Yes, the heating element sits on top of the new, thicker foam, just under the seat cover.
Hope all is okay in Cruiseman’s world (Texas)
Do the heaters on the seat work just as good after the customization to improve comfort?
Yes, the heating element sits on top of the new foam, just under the seat cover.
I do not recommend Bike Solutions. All butts not created equal, but after this modification (did complete seat and passenger backrest) it is more uncomfortable and looks modified with visible ridges that were not there before. John never replied to my messages to try to resolve this. $500 wasted.
If you don't mind me asking. What is your height and weight?
I'm 5'10ish 230lb.
Was thinking if doing the modification but don't want to spend $500 on something I am going to hate.
Did you see a difference in seating position? What are your thoughts if any difference?
I don't to bad with the stock seat, but I think there is room for some improvement. Especially for the passenger seat. (That comes from the complaining wife! :-)
This has completely put me off buying a new Goldwing. You would think that Honda would make their flagship touring bike comfortable to ride long distances? After all the Goldwing has been around a very long time and I am sure that Honda have had lots of feedback regarding this issue. I’ll be sticking with my 2010 wing and a removable gel pad on my seat.
Honda is not alone. Aftermarket seats are available for ALL brands and models.
@@cruisemansgarage
The Goldwing was synonymous with luxury and comfort whereas the likes of BMW etc etc are just as good but are not as comfortable. Now the Goldwing is just the same. Why would you have to spend thousands more on a seat when the majority of Goldwing owners all say the same.
Pre 18 models were sold with a reasonably comfortable seat.
So logic would dictate that Honda should offer a firm after market seat if that’s what you want.
But I think that they would not sell many of those.
25k bike and they cant get the seat rite? wtf......
It is a common problem on many motorcycles. That is why there are so many aftermarket seat manfacturers.
@@cruisemansgarage i heard its over rated, not alot of guys do it, maybe they dont drive long enuff!
@cruisemansgarage so all these years later, did you keep the seat with the modifications or did you change to something else? I do understand you need to "try" new things, but curious if you stayed with it? thanks.
Still using it!
@@cruisemansgarage thanks and trust that means you are still happy with it? :)
does he do anything for the f6b? I have a 2014 and the seat is shot at 35,000 kilometres
I am not certain, but I would contact John, I'll bet he can do something for you.
So which is best Wing Soft or Ultimate seat
Ultimate all day long
You made this video already
Are you still riding with your Bike Solutions seat and is it still comfortable for long rides?
Yes and yes
hi cruiseman's !! it is better than ultimate seat ?
"Better" is subjective. It is less expensive for sure, but the comfort is comparable in my opinion. The Ultimate has great styling though.
@@cruisemansgarage ok.thanks for your answer.
So how much does he charge to do the whole seat?
I think his pricing is listed on his website. bikesolutionsllc.com
I had the wingsoft seat upgrade done, and it did not do the trick for me. My next option is the Russell Day Long seat...
I had the Russell built seat and love it, on my 08 I had the custom made Hartco seat. Hartco is probably the best out there but expensive.
Cruiseman..Im curious to know what seat you are riding on now. I know you had the Wingsoft and then a Ultimate seat, then sold the Ultimate I believe..what seat are you using now...how would you compare the Ultimate and the Wingsoft seats?
I am currently riding on the WingSoft. I would say the comfort of the Wingsoft is comparable to the Ultimate, but retains the OEM look. I did prefer the looks of the Ultimate.
@@cruisemansgarage I thought the comfort of the Ultimate would be along the same lines as the Wingsoft because its the same shape..to really increase the comfort the seat has to be able to support more of the riders body..the old wing had more of a buck shape and supported the body more than this new wings seat...my old wing had the Wingsoft and I could ride 930 miles in comfort..for this new wing to give the same results I think it will take a seat with more area and a bucket shape like a Russel Day Long
We had the full monty done on my 2019 DCT Tour by John in early December and it is wonderful for us. We can ride for hours with no more pain. Money very well spent!
I just bought the "Butt Buffer" from the videos i've seen it should make a difference. I hope
I have your mod. It sucks. I took off the cover to add a gel insert, and your special foam is only in the middle. On a bright note, it made it super easy to trim your foam down 5/8", and trim off 1" to the edges for the gel. NOW......it's a great seat. Can I get a refund?
Interesting. I have referred hundreds of riders to Bike Solutions and I'll bet I have heard less than 3 complaints.
Anyone interested in the Wing soft up grade, you can have mine for half price and your old seat. Seems like such a waste to send the wingsoft seat to Russel Day long yo be re upgraded. Must be a tour with heat...
Steve, What model year is your seat from?
@@TerryHitt 18
I felt the same way..the Wingsoft is a nice seat and it was ashame to waste it to have a RDL built on its seat pan. I wish I could had kept it and bought a stock seat to send to RDL..but the extra cost involved with shipping and buying a stock seat just wasnt worth the money and effort to do it.
I have an ‘18 Tour with Honda backrest. What mods did you have done to your seat? Large? Passenger? John’s full treatment, or less? What’s your asking price?
Save your money, buy an airhawk.
I have owned 6 Goldwings Wingsoft did my 2018 seat it is better but not great. I have never had a seat that is comfortable yet. Tired of spending money on seats.
Hmm, So if you are doing this yourself, I am gathering, You just gotta wing it. :0)
Why can't honda do that
I am confused, it says he has been making seats comfortable since 2004 but only does 2018+ seats. Must not have been doing Goldwing seats before huh
He did the seat on my 2007 Goldwing.
@@cruisemansgarage I looked on his website and it shows 2018+ So he must have changed what he does
SAVE YOUR $$$$$$. BUY A NEW SEAT!!!! POOR INVESTMENT IN MY OPINION.
😎🏍💨💨💨👍🏻🇨🇦
The lumps a ridges after the work do not look great. Not sure I would want that on my $30,000 investment.