Parts Unlimited Rep’s SV650 Features Color-Scheme Matching Sport Saddle

Recently, we produced custom seats for this highly modified 2006 Suzuki SV650, owned by Parts Unlimited representative Dave Schmalenberg. The saddle was made as our “Track” style of sport bike seats, and following our design philosophy with this line of saddles, our “Gel Channel” feature was covered in yellow material to coordinate with the bike’s paint scheme.

Dave contacted us after receiving the seat, letting us know how he liked it, “The seat is very comfy, and looks awesome. No feedback on the passenger seat yet, but I will let you know as soon as I can sucker someone into riding on the back with me. (Anyone that knows me won’t ride on the back with me). Thanks again… the seats are EXACTLY what I wanted!”

Here’s a rundown of the custom work and modifications Dave made to his Suzuki:

• Swingarm, rear wheel, and brakes: 2007 ZX6R.
• Forks, triple clamps, front wheel, and brakes: ZX6R.
• Shock is from a GSXR750.
• Tag T2 bars with Moose risers.
• CRG levers and mirrors.
• Custom Barnett braided steel cables and Goodridge lines.
• Hand built exhaust with Leo Vince GP Pro silencer for 2009 R6.
• Hotbodies undertail and rear fender.
• Michelin Power Pure tires.
• Dynojet Power commander and LCD display.
• Engine is cammed and ported.
• Many other custom modifications and parts not listed…

Our Comfort Pads Bring The Benefits Of SaddleGel To Any Motorcycle Seat

Saddlegel™ Comfort Pads make any motorcycle seat into a touring seat. A state-of-the-art material, brought over from the medical industry, that will never freeze, crack, dry out, leak or melt, Saddlegel™ is designed to evenly distribute a rider’s weight across the full surface of the pad, eliminating annoying pressure points and “hot spots” for uncommon comfort. Our gel pads also provide excellent shock absorption and insulation from vibration. Saddlemen gel pads are available in a variety of cover types and sizes to fit most touring motorcycles, sport bikes, cruisers and even off-road bikes and ATVs.

Our Saddlegel™ Pads are available in three standard sizes, made to work with the widest range of machines: Extra Large (12.5″ length x 15.5″ rear width x 8.5″ front width), Large (10.5″ length x 14″ rear width x 8″ front width) and Medium (9.5″ length x 8″ rear width x 6″ front width).

“One Very Satisfied And Happy Customer”

With the recent introduction of our new range of sport bike seats we have started to offer custom conversions of stock seats to the standards of our three sport bike seat types: “Sport” style, “Tech” style and “Track” style.

One our first customers to get a saddle upgraded and converted with our sport bike seat technology was Robert S., in Minnesota. We reworked his Honda RC51’s stock seat, turning it into the equivalent of one of our Track models. Click on the images below to see them full size

Soon after we shipped the seat back to Robert, we received an e-mail from him, along with the photos seen above.

“I put 91 miles on the new seat and absolutely totally love it!!! It looks awesome and is a perfect compliment to my RC51. And it is way more comfortable than the factory seat. Great workmanship!”

“I was out again yesterday and really really like the new seat. I have had compliments from three people who saw it and asked where I got it, so you maybe getting more business.”

“Thanks again for helping me pick the seat I wanted and for making it happen.”

The response has been exciting to the introduction of our sport bike seat lines – and to the addition of these new styles and technology to our range of custom seat options. We’re always pleased to provide the perfect solution for the needs of the individual rider. Our thanks to Robert for the photos and feedback. We hope he gets years of riding comfort from his revamped saddle.

To inquire about getting an existing seat re-worked with Saddlemen’s sport bike materials and craftsmanship, please contact us by e-mail or telephone at the address or phone number listed below…

Whether with a new seat, a custom retrofit, or our wide range of motorcycle luggage, we at Saddlemen are proud to show what our expertise, craftsmanship and technology can do to make riding more enjoyable.

Saddlemen Sport Bike Custom Seat Page

Downloadable, Printable Instructions For New Saddlemen Sport Bike Releases

As part of our continuing effort to provide helpful online information about our products, Saddlemen has added downloadable, online instruction sheets for our brand new line of sport bike seats to our support page.

Questions don’t come up only during convenient business hours – that’s why we offer information online, available any time.

These latest updates include the instruction/installation sheets for our Sport Style Seats , along with our new Tech Style Seats, and the innovative, new Track Style Seats. We also offer bike-specific instructions for our One-Piece Seats for Ducati Monsters, and for Two-Piece, Two-Up Seats for Yamaha FJR1300s.

Besides providing a quick, easy backup source for lost installation sheets, this online collection of user guides and instructions is also a handy place to preview Saddlemen items and their features.

We at Saddlemen invite you to see what our expertise, craftsmanship and technology can do to make riding more enjoyable.

Tank-Mounting Storage For Any Ride

The Saddlemen Bottle Caddy is one of the convenient storage options from our range of tank bags and pouches, designed for maximum flexibility and ease-of-use.

We invite you to see what our expertise and technology can do to make riding more enjoyable and even more refreshing.

While most interest and attention directed towards Saddlemen products is normally focused on “big” items like our motorcycle seats and motorcycle luggage, we also provide a number of “little” products that can improve the performance and experience of using Saddlemen products.

Our Bag & Luggage Accessories section offers items that can fine tune the mounting, securing and performance of our motorcycle storage products:

• The same styles of bungees and straps that come with our SaddleStow luggage line are available separately, whether for added stability and security, or to replace lost or damaged pieces.
• Saddlebag liners add another layer of protection for your valuables, and let you quickly unload your bike without having to remove your bags.
• Alternate saddlebag “yokes,” like our Versa-Mount, give the rider more choices and convenience.
• Turn signal relocator kits are available to allow the mounting of saddlebags on many of the hardest-to-fit motorcycle models.
• We also offer specially formulated cleaning and conditioning sprays for our synthetic and natural leather materials.

We invite you to see what our expertise and technology (and attention to the “little things”) can do to make riding more enjoyable.

We Can Transform Any Seat Into The New, Innovative “Gel Channel” Standard

Our craftsmen and technicians here at Saddlemen are well known for their talent for custom seat alterations and refurbishing. Now, with the introduction of our brand-new “Gel Channel” line of seats for sport bikes, we also offer the chance for riders to have existing seats remade to match the look, feel and technology of these excellent new saddles.

The seats in these new product lines utilize Saddlemen’s latest design development, our Gel Channel (GC) technology (patent pending), that incorporates a split piece of SaddleGel and a channel in the base foam to relieve seating pressure, increase blood flow, and keep the rider in the saddle longer.

Seats can be modified along the lines of our three popular new styles. The “Sport” style series uses black-on-black, easy-to-clean microfiber cover material, reminiscent of suede, for the entire top portion of the seat with a matching center strip. The “Tech” style incorporates high-quality, highly flexible fabric top covers that breathe well and are textured to allow the body to move on the seat for aggressive maneuvering. We can also install a layer of memory foam just under the top cover to contour to the shape of the rider’s body for maximum comfort. Also, the “Track” style, with its hard-line looks, are normally covered in contrasting colors and materials that specifically match each bike’s colors and textures.

When ordering, the customer can work with our sales and customer service staff to design the best covering combinations for the perfect desired look, as well as any alterations to the structure and contours of the saddle to suit the requirements and riding style of the owner.

We also can recover rear seating pillion pads at the same time to match the renovated seat’s appearance.

Anyone interested in having an existing seat re-covered, or its foam upgraded, reshaped or otherwise modified, should contact our sales and technical staff, here, in our California offices, either by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or by telephone (Pacific Time Zone) at (800) 397-7709, during normal business hours. One of our technicians can then go over the options available to achieve each owner’s desired solution, along with cost and turnaround estimates.

We invite you to see what our expertise and technology can do to make riding more enjoyable – no matter how old the bike…

The New “Gel Channel” Series Of Saddles Feature Our Newest Design Innovations And Light-Weight, High-Quality Materials

We’re proud to introduce our brand-new “Gel Channel” line of seats for sport bikes. They are designed specifically for the variety of uses these machines are asked to do: off-roading, running on tracks, and simply getting around town. These new saddles feature Saddlemen’s latest design development, our Gel Channel (GC) technology (patent pending), that incorporates a split piece of SaddleGel and a channel in the base foam to relieve seating pressure, increase blood flow, and keep the rider in the saddle longer. We’ve used the best materials, to provide high quality, light weight construction along with great looking styling that’s second-to-none..

The “Sport” style series uses black-on-black, easy-to-clean cover material for the entire top portion of the seat with a matching center strip. Each “Sport” seat is slightly bucketed in the rear section to contour to the rider’s body for better control during aggressive riding.

The “Tech” style series incorporates high-quality, flexible fabric top covers that breathe well and are textured to allow the body to move on the seat for aggressive maneuvering. Just under the top cover is a layer of memory foam that contours to the shape of the rider’s body with additional memory foam in areas strategically positioned for maximum comfort..

The “Track” style series has hard-line looks that can’t be matched by any seat on the market. These seats are covered in contrasting colors that make it obvious that it’s a custom, and are specially constructed using a variety of materials that specifically match each bike’s colors and textures. Each “Track” seat is slightly bucketed in the rear section to contour to the rider’s body for better control during aggressive riding..

We offer Gel Channel seats for a wide range of late model Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha sport bikes, each designed specifically for the lines, styling and seating position unique to each machine.

Many Gel Channel solo seats come with a matching pillion (rear seat pad) cover for a unified look.

We’ve also published the installation instructions for each type of seat online for convenience and as a resource to preview how these seats work and mount onto the bike. There are instructions linked online for Sport solo, Tech solo, Track solo, Two-Up/One-Piece and Two-Up/Two Piece seats in the Gel Channel seat line.

Our new sport bike seats are available across North America through the thousands of retailers in the Parts Unlimited network, or through this website.

We invite you to see what our expertise and technology can do to make riding more enjoyable.

Our External Gel Pads Provide Proven Relief, Reduce Vibrations, Absorbs Shock, And Relieve Seating Pressure Points

Is the seat on that new holiday gift motorcycle uncomfortable? Does the seat on your “old reliable” have you continually stopping for relief during long rides? Consider our Saddlemen gel pads.

Saddlegel™ Comfort Pads make any motorcycle seat into a touring seat. A state-of-the-art material, brought over from the medical industry, that will never freeze, crack, dry out, leak or melt, Saddlegel™ is designed to evenly distribute a rider’s weight across the full surface of the pad, eliminating annoying pressure points and “hot spots” for uncommon comfort. Our gel pads also provide excellent shock absorption and insulation from vibration. Saddlemen™ gel pads are available in a variety of cover types and sizes to fit most touring motorcycles, sport bikes, cruisers and even off-road bikes and ATVs.

Saddlemen gel pads come in four varieties: our Original Advanced Comfort Seat Pads, comfortable Advanced Comfort Fleece Covered Seat Pads, our recently added Tech Memory Foam Seat Pads, and our popular Pillow Seat Pads style. Each type is available in three standard sizes.

The easiest way to get the comfort benefits of Saddlegel™ technology is to strap one of our pads onto your existing seat. Your ride will be much nicer, so you can spend more time on your bike. These gel pads are proven by tens of thousands of satisfied motorcycle and other powersport riders worldwide for decades!

We at Saddlemen invite you to see what our expertise, craftsmanship and technology can do to make riding more enjoyable.

“Valentino Rossi” Themed 2009 Yamaha R1 Unveiled At Long Beach Show

At the recent Long Beach Cycle World International Motorcycle Show, Don Emde, publisher of Parts Magazine and project leader for the build, unveiled an attention-getting, street-legal, custom Yamaha, the Rossi/Riders For Health Yamaha R1, built to be auctioned for charity next year.

Proceeds will benefit the Riders for Health organization. Saddlemen was pleased to make and donate a special custom seat and pillion for this unique machine, and proud to be among the top-of-the-line aftermarket manufacturers asked to participate in its creation for the Friends Of Riders For Health organization.

The bike’s concept is to be a one-of-a-kind “Track Day” sportbike, wrapped in famed racer Valentino Rossi’s AGV “Five Continents” graphics. This machine boasts numerous upgrades from major aftermarket firms. When auctioned, the eventual buyer will receive all needed “street legal” items currently off the bike, as well as a second full set of body work and windscreen.

Click on the gallery images above to see them at full size.

More details are available on the project’s fact sheet and press release.

We at Saddlemen invite you to see what our expertise, craftsmanship and technology can do to make riding more enjoyable – just as we’ve done for the Rossi/Riders For Health Yamaha R1 custom machine.