Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[tmitchellofpg]

My wife hates the skinny, uncomfortable, 6" wide, pillion pad that goes with the 2005 FB, SE seat. I am going to have to buy a dual seat for when she rides with me, which isn't that often. I have narrowed it down to the HD Sundowner deep bucket. The main reason is it looks like it should keep me in almost the same position as the stock seat. This means I wont have to change the handlebars. The other reason is I am pretty sure I can go to the dealership and let her try it out on their mock up frame and hopefully they will let me put it on my bike so I can check it for positioning, before buying it. I wouldn't be able to do this with a Corbin or Mustang.
My only other alternative would be to buy a touring (wider/more comfortable) HD pillion pad and alter it to attach to my SE seat. This way I could switch out the pads depending if I am riding 2 up or not. Has anyone looked into the feasibility of doing this. The parts book says none of the touring pads will fit, but there are quite a few parts that HD says wont fit on one or another model, but they actually will.
Tom

[FAT BASTARD]

Hey there
Sundowner is DEFINITELY more comfortable for both passenger and rider. However, you will sit slightly higher due to the additional padding. You also get some lower back support from the higher ridge on the back or the rider section. Its also lighter weight. Good Luck!

[tmitchellofpg]

The wife and I were out shopping for furniture, so we stopped at the HD store and they put a Sundowner deep bucket,smooth on their mock up frame. The wife sat on the 12.5" wide passenger pillion and thought it was great compared to the 6" wide SE pillion. I have the parts book in front of me and can not tell if there is any difference in shape between the smooth,Fat Boy or Heritage Classic, Sundowner, deep bucket seats, because each seat is shot at a slightly different angle.
I would assume the seats are identical except for one is smooth, one has grommets and laces and the other has studs.
It looks like the smooth will do the job but I would hate to find out later that the Fat Boy or Heritage seat has any advantage because of a possible little bit of difference in the seating positions. They didn't have the other 2 seats in stock so I could not compare them to the smooth seat.
Tom

[FAT BASTARD]

I had the smooth version, not the other style. Cant say whether or not the it would be any different, other than cosmetically.

[tmitchellofpg]

I am going to try and go by tomorrow and see how it fits my bike. My skinny SE pillion pad extends under my sissy bar just a bit. I know for sure that the Sundowner wont fit under it, since it is only 7 1/2" between the bars. I guess the Sundowner is shorter, with the attachment bolt area sticking further back then the pad.
Thanks,
Tom

[tmitchellofpg]

Fat Bastard,
I bought the smooth Sudowner, installed it at the dealer and rode 20 miles home on it. It fits me and the bike perfect. It looks fine on the bike, didn't think it would look quite that good. I purposely ran over several manhole covers that protruded up from the road and some pot holes. The Sundowner absorbs these bumps considerably better then the stock SE seat. The riding position common to the handle bars actually improved a bit, although I had no complaints with the Se seats position. It felt a bit awkward with the rise of the back of the seat pushing against my tail bone, probably with some saddle time it will seem natural.
Thanks for the input,
Tom

[FAT BASTARD]

Glad to hear its a good fit for both you and the bike. Should allow for some LONG rides with the wife now!