Photos and text by Rogue 2/8/2012

Reprinted with permission from www.bikernet.com

This is how Rogue heated his seat in the '70s.

Saddlemen seats have been the choice for me since back when I was riding rigid frame motorcycles. They were one of the rare, primarily, comfortable components that allowed me to ride and enjoy a lot of miles in a single day.

When I got a new Harley FLHT in 2004 the factory seat was okay but nothing to write home about, and that turned out to be the same with the 2009 FLHTC.

When the opportunity came up for me to do this article on a Saddlemen seat, I jumped at it. Those of you who know I live in Florida, may wonder why I wanted a heated seat and the answer is simple, my lifestyle takes me to a lot of cold weather states and the thought of a heated seat would make these chilly trips seriously more enjoyable. A major feature of this seat is that the heat controller has a five (5) level adjustment that can be removed when it is warm and adjustment is no longer needed.

Installing the seat is straight forward, but I did take the time to read the instructions and suggest you do so as well. We also spoke to Ron Benfield, the marketing manager at Saddlemen.

The Saddlemen Explorer heated seat installed.

"The seat is called the Explorer, it's a re-designed version of the seat that put Saddlemen on the map," said Ron. "It is our top-of-the-line touring model with large bucketed sitting areas, lumbar backrest and heat in both driver and passenger seats."

I removed the factory seat and put the new seat in place to see how it fit. Good. Next, I installed the rear seat bracket followed by the power cord linked to the wires coming out of the underside of the seat.

There are a couple of options while installing the Fused battery lead. I could hook it directly to the battery which means you need to remember to turn the heater off when you turn off the motorcycle. I thought this could be an issue for me, due to me faltering memory. I decided to hook it to a source I turned off power when I turned off the motorcycle, for instance the lights, or the brake light circuit, or the speedo circuit.

There were wires available for my tourpack available for an accessory I was not currently using. This allowed me to mount the fuse out of the elements, and should I ever need to change a fuse it would be easy to get to. I decided to use connectors as opposed to soldering and made sure they were connected in a secure manner, so as not to become improperly connected. It made for a neat and easy solution, plus I made sure the wires would not be in a dangerous position, rubbing against anything. I routed the front wire out by the saddlebag guard, and all were secured with plastic ties so they would not move.

"It uses 34 watts, which is approx 2.8 amps," said Ron. "There are no special wiring considerations."

Using Velcro on the back of the rear controller, I mounted it to the tourpack. I made it easy for my wife to use while seated on the motorcycle rolling down the highway behind her man. The controllers come with a clip for those who prefer to have the controller on their person. I opted to use the clip to mount the front controller to the pouch mounted on the saddlebag guard.

I then turned the motorcycle on and checked each controller for proper operation.

Nice Easy Installation. It actually took me longer to shoot the photos than install the seat.

As I sat in the seat, I noticed it had a gel pad installed and the design supported my back better. Life was looking good.

My wife Doris and I went riding later in the evening, and though it did not cool down much, the temperature did drop enough for both of us to try out the new heated seat. It definitely did the job and the controllers were easy to reach.

The Saddlemen Explorer heated seat installed.

You can't imagine what a difference heated seats or grips make to the comfort level of any chilly ride--it's amazing. It will be much more enjoyable to ride on cold nights with this Saddlemen heated seat.

--Rogue

Saddlemen is pleased to announce the launch of the Kevin Schwantz Signature Seat for sportbikes. The Kevin Schwantz Signature Seat features Kevin’s world famous #34 as well as his signature embroidered on the seat.

“We are very thrilled to be working with Kevin, not only is he a great ambassador for the sport, he knows exactly what’s important when it comes to seating position on a motorcycle” says, Ron Benfield, Director of Sales and Marketing at Saddlemen, “Saddlemen will also partner with Kevin at his Schwantz Motorcycle Riding Schools, by fitting the school bikes with his signature seat.“

When Kevin retired from professional competition in 1995, the FIM felt the loss to the sport was so significant that they retired his signature competition number 34. It was the first time in the history of the sport that a rider had been so honored, and his number 34 continues to be one of the most recognized symbols in racing. “I am excited to work with Saddlemen on the development of this seat and more”, says Schwantz, “my students and racers to come will benefit from the relationship as we continue to develop hi tech sport bike seats.“

Saddlemen has been crafting seats for racing for nearly 20 years, starting in Flat Track and now for sport bikes and Road Racing. Its patented channel design has set the standard for performance and design. The Schwantz School was started in 2001 with the goal of making better, safer and more confident riders. The Schwantz School holds the honor of being the only track-based school to be recognized by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). www.SchwantzSchool.com Available at your Parts Unlimited Dealer. MSRP $299.

Saddlemen continues our strong commitment to supporting motorsports with the inauguration of our AMA Pro Road Racing Rookie-Of-The-Year award. This award joins our established AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie-Of-The-Year award as our highest profile sponsorship efforts in our long-standing support of the sport.

Our company president, and avid motorsport fan, Tom Seymour explained, "Racing is part of our heritage. We have supported many generations of up-and-coming racers through our Flat Track Program and now look to do the same with Road Racing. It is a great way to grow the sport and for Saddlemen to showcase our sport bike seat technology. I am very proud to see Daytona Sportbike teams racing on the very same seat an enthusiast can buy at their local dealer. Frankly, I can't wait to get things started at this year's Daytona 200!"

For the full story, direct from the AMA, check out their press release.

We look forward to honoring two outstanding rookies at the close of the upcoming racing season.

Since our founding, Saddlemen has been active in racing sponsorship. It's a passion.

We at Saddlemen were pleased to hear about the success of last holiday season's Toy Run organized by the High Desert Chapter of the Black Sheep. The club officers kindly sent us photos of the raffle winners who took home Saddlemen luggage. The proceeds of the raffle went towards a cash donation to the Salvation Army.

Besides the raffle earnings, the Toy Run collected a whole lot... of toys!

Saddlemen regularly contributes products to charity. We're happy to have been able to brighten last Christmas time for families and children in need.

Saddlemen's travelling experts will are in the Northwest this pre-holiday weekend, as part of the current stop for Progressive's International Motorcycle Show.

Our experienced, knowledgeable technical "gurus" have talked to thousands of riders over the years, and can give the exact insight any potential buyer needs for making the right Saddlemen choice. Come see us December 16th through the 18th at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

Come visit us while taking in all the sights of an outstanding collection of manufacturers and motorcycle-related displays.

We're At The Long Beach IMS Show Through Sunday

The people of Saddlemen will be down by the water this weekend, participating as part of Progressive's International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach.

We consider these expos to be great opportunities to meet and talk with riders, and to give people the chance to see Saddlemen seats and luggage firsthand, with a knowledgeable product experts there to answer questions. Come see us December 9th through the 11th at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Head down by the shore to see an outstanding collection of manufacturers and motorcycle-related displays.

Visiting A Few Moments With Racing Legend Kevin Schwantz In Milan

Earlier this month, while Saddlemen was on hand for the International Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan, Italy, we had the opportunity to catch up with a friend of the company, international racing legend and racing school operator, Kevin Schwantz.

Above: Kevin with Saddlemen's Ron Benfield (at left) and with David Echert (on the right).

Connecting with the international riding community at events like EICMA is an exciting opportunity, and a part of our aim to increase our worldwide market and exposure.

Come See Us At The San Mateo IMS Event

Saddlemen is in the Bay Area of California this weekend, participating as part of Progressive's International Motorcycle Show in San Mateo.

It's an excellent opportunity for us to meet with the Northern California riding public, and to give people the chance to see Saddlemen seats and luggage firsthand, with a knowledgeable product expert there to answer questions. Come see us November 18th through the 20th at the San Mateo County Event Center.

We look forward to meeting "Norcal" riders, and showing them the Saddlemen product line.