RIP Rick Mayer Seats and my pan and money

[Mike Craven]

I'm still alive and have a business license.  ;) ...

.... I'm thinking of letting my business license expire next year and calling it quits after 20 years in the seat business.

As they'd say in the South "you need" an apprentice!  It's a shame to loose your experience.  Just someone who enjoys a craft, can answer email, etc.  Okay, maybe it'll be easier to find good foam.
I've met you briefly and have never heard anything but the highest regards for you even when you weren't around.   :D
Cheers,
Mike

[krglorioso]

Corbin has just come out with a "skunk" style custom seat for the 2007-12 CalVin models.  I have an OEM CalVin seat on my 03 Stone, so I know that a custom seat for a CalVin with fit my Stone.  I'll give Rick Mayer Seats a few months before I ride down to Corbin's and throw myself at their feet.
 
The nice thing about a Corbin seat is that they make their own (very sturdy) seat pans and the seats can be returned if buyer is unsatisfied since seat is an "off the shelf" item.  Corbin's price for the Cal-Vin seat is $493, very reasonable IMHO.  I would not have gone with a Ned's seat (on my 04 Stone Touring) or a Rick Mayer seat had Corbin made the CalVin seat earlier.  There often is too much misunderstanding or failure to deliver risk with a one-off seat using the customer's pan.  The quality of my Ned's seat was first rate and Jim Figgins is a stand up guy, but even after a return and re-do the shape still left a lot to be desired.  By contrast, each of the 4 Corbin seats that I've owned was very acceptable. 

It would be nice if motorcycle makers put a bit more thought into their bikes' seats and spared us all this bother. 

Ralph

[Triple Jim]

It would be nice if motorcycle makers put a bit more thought into their bikes' seats and spared us all this bother. 

I've never found a stock seat to be lacking in comfort, although I do give my rear end half a year or so to break in to the seat before I pass judgement.

[johnr]

Wrong guy again.  "RICK" Mayer is the one with the OP's seat and money.  "ROCKY" Mayer is his estranged brother .....

Lannis

I did realise that Lannis, but wondered if he might be persuaded to put the acid on his brother. The word "estranged" indicates probably not.

[bpreynolds]

I've never found a stock seat to be lacking in comfort, although I do give my rear end half a year or so to break in to the seat before I pass judgement.

Not a gay thing - and not that there's anything wrong with that - but you've got quite the derriere, sir.   ;D  On the opposite end of things, of the 9 or 10 bikes I've had in the last ten years, not a single one of them seemed to have a stock seat I could travel 150 or more miles on without reaching for the ibuprofen. 

[Lannis]

I've never found a stock seat to be lacking in comfort, although I do give my rear end half a year or so to break in to the seat before I pass judgement.

Us humans being very far up the food chain compared to a motorcycle seat, I don't plan to painfully try to accommodate some random seat with my flesh-and-blood gluteus maximus for months on end!

Seats make or break a ride - I only sit on a stock seat long enough to get a seat made that I like, and then AWAY with it!

Lannis

[Dilliw]

I've never found a stock seat to be lacking in comfort, although I do give my rear end half a year or so to break in to the seat before I pass judgement.

The one piece EV seat will change your tune.

I have had stock seats that didn't need any attention but I do think in general the mfgs. design them with their dealer's accessories sales in mind. 

[Abbienormal]

Designed for the acessory market maybe but you are also trying to please everybody. FAIL! Working at a Honda dealer from 73-93 the story we got
when the 1200 Goldwing was brought out was they spent a lot of time on the seat. Supposedly a number of prototypes were taken on a long ride with testers from various groups commenting on the seat. When somebody complained the chase truck modified the seat. Who buys more seats than Gold Wing riders?
I cannot verify this story but that is what the rep told us.

Rudy

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I would never send off my pan and full payment to one of these guys?? I feel like all I ever hear about custom seat guys are these same threads about insane waits and sending it back multiple times??

Get a bead rider or a sheepskin ?? Works for me, YMMV


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[Zinfan]

I would never send off my pan and full payment to one of these guys?? I feel like all I ever hear about custom seat guys are these same threads about insane waits and sending it back multiple times??

Get a bead rider or a sheepskin ?? Works for me, YMMV


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The only way I was willing to do it was a ride in and get it done that day which I could do for the Rocky Mayer seat.  Turned out nice but it was just fortunate that I lived close enough to do that.

[Triple Jim]

Us humans being very far up the food chain compared to a motorcycle seat, I don't plan to painfully try to accommodate some random seat with my flesh-and-blood gluteus maximus for months on end!

The very fact that we're so far up the food chain has given us an amazing ability to adapt to our surroundings.  A few years ago I lost about 25 lbs., which left my rear very unpadded.  Shortly after that, I drove my van to Florida, pretty much nonstop.  My butt was sore for a day or two, but the trip back was nowhere near as bad.  It didn't take long after that for the problem to go away completely.

I could have given up immediately, and had my van's seat redone with all kinds of fancy padding, gel inserts, etc., and that would have probably fixed the problem too, but of course riding in someone else's car on a long trip would still have made my butt sore.

The usual disclaimers apply: There are exceptions, everyone is different, etc..

[rodekyll]

The only time I've had a seat worked over by a shop I was coming in from out of town and had an appointment.  He told me to come back end-of-business and it would be ready.  I told him it would be ready sooner if I just hung out on account of I could answer any questions and sit for fitment.  He said that my seat wasn't the only thing he had to do that day.  I said "I've got the appointment and I drove three days to get here, so yes, it is."  I was able to watch the entire process and had the saddle tweaked to my personal 'roids with plenty of time left in his day for the other things he had to do.  Worked out well.

[rboe]

I hear riding into Corbin is the way to go with them too.

[Lannis]

I would never send off my pan and full payment to one of these guys?? I feel like all I ever hear about custom seat guys are these same threads about insane waits and sending it back multiple times??

Get a bead rider or a sheepskin ?? Works for me, YMMV


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The sad tales about bad deals is all you ever hear from us on the Interwebby.   Makes it sound like the custom seat world is a bed of thievery and crime.

It's not really.   Thousands and thousands of custom seats get made with excellent results on both sides.   I've had many, and have actually written them up too.

I have a bad story about a brick supplier when I was building my house, but it shouldn't stop you from buying bricks ... ?

I tried the Airhawk and Sheepskin solutions, and they get part of the way there, but ....

Lannis

[Abbienormal]

The sad tales about bad deals is all you ever hear from us on the Interwebby.   Makes it sound like the custom seat world is a bed of thievery and crime.

It's not really.   Thousands and thousands of custom seats get made with excellent results on both sides.   I've had many, and have actually written them up too.

I have a bad story about a brick supplier when I was building my house, but it shouldn't stop you from buying bricks ... ?

I tried the Airhawk and Sheepskin solutions, and they get part of the way there, but ....

Lannis

Partially true.  I have personally recommended Rick Mayer to many people.  Corbin I tell people some are good (my BMW seat) some are bad (service work on my VFR seat).  I have also purchased Young's and Sargent.  I have sent out my pan and money for several seats with no problem other than some seats I received were less than stellar.  The catch is if the company gets it wrong the first time they never get the second chance to show that was a fluke and then we tell everyone about the "awful" work. The old saying is a satisfied customer will tell about 3 friends and a dissatisfied customer will tell about 10. I forget the actual numbers but is was similar to that when I worked in a Honda dealer for 20 years. 

[Wayne Orwig]

I found a local guy. Saves $$$ on shipping too.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

The sad tales about bad deals is all you ever hear from us on the Interwebby.   Makes it sound like the custom seat world is a bed of thievery and crime.

It's not really.   Thousands and thousands of custom seats get made with excellent results on both sides.   I've had many, and have actually written them up too.

I have a bad story about a brick supplier when I was building my house, but it shouldn't stop you from buying bricks ... ?

I tried the Airhawk and Sheepskin solutions, and they get part of the way there, but ....

Lannis

Judging from the fact there are about 20 custom seat operations.. SOMEOBE, somewhere must be doing it well.
This is purely anecdotal of course, just seems like I hear endless horror stories of seat nightmares.

I have a spare seat for my breva, I'd love to get it redone and raised 1.5" but I just don't know who to trust! I feel like I've heard something negative about every seat maker that comes up!!

If you were to send out a seat now.. Who would get your pan and $$??


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[bpreynolds]

I would never send off my pan and full payment to one of these guys?? I feel like all I ever hear about custom seat guys are these same threads about insane waits and sending it back multiple times??

Get a bead rider or a sheepskin ?? Works for me, YMMV


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 :+1 Tricky Ricky can't be held accountable; he's just a good Nigerian businessman.  I hear his family's in trouble too.  I sent him the routing number to my bank account this morning.  

Partially true.  I have personally recommended Rick Mayer to many people.  The old saying is a satisfied customer will tell about 3 friends and a dissatisfied customer will tell about 10. I forget the actual numbers but is was similar to that when I worked in a Honda dealer for 20 years.  

I agree completely, there are lies and then there are damned lies.  I don't care what anyone says, Mr. Cosby is a fine manager of young talent.  Your daughter is in good hands.  

[rodekyll]

The last several times I've had my seat altered I didn't ship the pan anywhere.  I got out a bread knife and cut up my foam, went down to Donna, the canvas lady, and got the foam to relayer it.  When done, if necessary (often isn't), I made a new cover pattern from paper and had Donna stitch it together.  Cost is about $50 including a spray can of adhesive and her time.  It's just not that difficult a diy job.

[blackcat]

 Rich Maund has made a few seats for my bikes over the years and I have no complaints. About three years ago I was looking at the seat on my 1000S which Rich made maybe 10+? years ago and I realized that the Italian flag was not symmetrically located on the seat. I actually like that, as it gives it a certain appeal & something very Moto Guzzi like.

[Lannis]

Who would get your seat and pan .... ?

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Now that Rich is retired, it would be Russell (Day-Long).    With the beautiful job they did on my Stelvio seat, I have no reason to look anywhere else ......

Lannis

[pyoungbl]

Damn, I hate to hear about anybody getting screwed out of money for a motorcycle seat.  We are a pretty small community and almost all my dealings have been based on a large dose of faith in the other party.  99% of the time I have been rewarded with a great business transaction.  I had a brush with Rick Mayer about two years ago and was hesitant to say much about it since the final product was really nice.  The three month run-around from Rick was another story.  The seat was scheduled for late January...then for delivery to me at Bike Week in Daytona...then to my house after Bike Week.  It's a good thing I had a spare solo seat because riding the V7 without a seat is not an option.  I am not surprised to hear he is out of business, really glad actually.  That's one less shady guy to deal with.

Peter Y.

[oldbike54]

Dusty never said anything to me.  WTF Dusty?   ::(  :BEER:
Matt

 Wait ... what  ??? I was in Kansas feeding a bunch of hungry Guzzi riders , what did I miss ?

  Dusty

[kingoffleece]

His brother Bill (call him Rocky) runs BMS Saddles and is nothing like his brother.  BMS is top notch.

[jackson]

Now that Rich is retired, it would be Russell (Day-Long).    With the beautiful job they did on my Stelvio seat, I have no reason to look anywhere else ......
Lannis

Yep, me too.  The best custom seats that I have owned over the last 45 years were made by E-Z Berg, The original Mayer Day Long Saddle Co (father of both of the Mayer brothers) and Russell (who bought the patents from Mayer Sr.).
I have purchased two seats from Russell and they were as good as the seats that Mayer made when he owned Day Long.  The quality is always first rate and there's none of the shenanigans and games that have happened with Rick Mayer.

[Lannis]

Yep, me too.  The best custom seats that I have owned over the last 45 years were made by E-Z Berg, The original Mayer Day Long Saddle Co (father of both of the Mayer brothers) and Russell (who bought the patents from Mayer Sr.).
I have purchased two seats from Russell and they were as good as the seats that Mayer made when he owned Day Long.  The quality is always first rate and there's none of the shenanigans and games that have happened with Rick Mayer.

That's interesting history, I didn't know that.

EZ Berg used to run big adverts in the Cycle/Cycle World/Big Bike magazines back in the 70s.   The seats looked pretty simple, and I wondered at the time whether they would be comfortable or not ...  glad to hear that they were good ones.

Lannis

[jackson]

Lannis, Ez was a real character and always looked like an unmade bed.  Although he rode Beemers, he should have been on a Guzzi,  LOL
He lived in San Diego and would drop by for just a few minutes during the Sunday morning gathering of the BMW Club when they met in the Pt. Loma area.  He had sold his company but he would still make a seat when somebody local wanted one so I had him build a seat for me.  Top quality and extremely comfortable.  His seat and the original Mayer (now Russell) seat are very similar.

[F650RIDER]

When I thought about a custom seat for my F650 I was interested in a Rick Mayer seat.  Wasn't he the guy who said he made custom seats for wheelchairs?  Anyway, I ended up trading my standard for a Dakar seat from some guy in San Francisco.  Great trade that worked out for both of us.

[Johncolleary]

I was up in Ventura yesterday at Bill Mayer Saddles to meet my friend who was having his BMW RT  seat modified.  Had my seat done last year on my Stelvio and I love it.  I was talking to Bill "Rocky" telling him about the discussion on Rick's failure to deliver seats, he indicated that Rick was in big trouble with the trade commission and it was hurting him due to people confusing him with Rick.  Rocky is still doing nice work and I would encourage any one who is considering a custom seat to contact Rocky.  If you ride in he will custom fit your seat while you wait only takes a few hours.  Don't mean to be an advertisement but just want to endorse a vendor that I feel does a good job.
BMS
3605-A Arundell Circle
Ventura, CA 93003
805-644-7216

[kingoffleece]

Correct.  Rocky does some fine work.
I make the waterproof seat covers for hi m (and others).  I got hooked up with him after outfitting 100's of satisfied customers who own BMS saddles who contacted me for leather protection.

I have seats form almost every major maker and over a dozen of the minor ones.  The BMS and Russell Day-Long are by far the top two I see and hear about from riders all over the world.  Laam is climbing up the chart at an impressive pace.

This is based on providing my product to over 1000 riders over the past  few years.