The Ultimate Low Rider
Your motorcycle seat comfort is as important as the fit of your leathers, perhaps even more so. It’s not just about the butt. Reach to the handlebar, as well as leg and feet position factor into your personal ergonomics. It’s not just a matter of comfort. Bad ergonomics is fatiguing and painful, which will increase in proportion to the distance you ride.
After much meditation, thought, internal debate, posterior pain, and consulting with my witch doctor, I finally concluded it was time to find a touring machine, one with some built-in creature comforts. For me, this translated to a smooth, powerful motor and a seat that will stay comfortable for many a mile. Unfortunately, the 2012 Road King Classic I picked up came with an aftermarket saddle that was, as hard as it is to believe, too cozy.
The seat measured a whopping 19 inches wide and almost six inches deep. It was like climbing into a barcalounger, which would have been fine if all I wanted to do was sit there and read a book. But I had other plans.
Harley-Davidson Super Reach Seat, as seen in their online catalogue.
The aftermarket seat set me too high, wide and back, making boots flat on the ground impossible and reach to the bar just a bit far. To the rescue came the autologically named Super Reach Seat, Harley-Davidson’s answer to those who may be a bit inseam challenged. The seat moves the rider forward approximately 2.5 inches and lower by about two inches compared to the stock seat, with a narrower nose, which moves the legs closer together.
The seat worked, creating the leg and arm position that felt most agreeable. It also created a tighter, more integrated feel, providing safer and more confident control. The back of the scooped bucket-shaped rider portion of the seat created natural lumbar support, like a backrest. This was an unexpected and very welcome perk. But, strangely, the Super Reach is almost too low, at least for me at 5’ 7”.
The saddle leaves me with boots flat on the ground, which is good. Moving those boots to the floorboards, however, had my knees sitting a little high, which on a long ride could become a bother. Perhaps a gel or sheepskin pad would be an easy remedy.
Behold the Super Reach Seat.
The larger issue for me and I think potentially other male riders, is the Super Reach puts you in a position that is, how should I say, not testicular friendly. To put it another way, your man bits might feel uncomfortably squeezed. So I found myself sliding my butt up and down the seat to find an angle that would not, over time and long-haul riding, sterilize me. As many men I’m sure already know, motorcycling on any seat is no help to your prostate and can actually, temporarily, raise prostate-specific antigens, or PSA. This can create scary false positive test results that send you off to the urologist, which isn’t the fun it’s cracked up to be.
Installation of the Super Reach Seat is Road Dirt winter work. Yes, winter does come to Southern California, even if it’s more soggy than snowy, so I have yet to set the Road King to the open road to really give the Super Reach a fair test.
Mounted on my recently acquired 2012 Road King.
The Super Reach Seat is made from vinyl with a molded plastic seat pan. Rider side is 13 inches wide, passenger pillion narrows an inch to 12 inches. According to Harley, the seat fits 2009-’13 touring and trike models, 2014-’25 touring models (except ’21-later FLH, ’23-later FLHFB, FLHXSE, FLTRXSE, ’24-later FLHX, FLTRX, FLTRXSTSE and ’25-later FLHXU, FLTRXRRSE), and is not equipped with Tour-Pak luggage. Installation on 2012-later CVO models requires removal of fender trim strips.
The Super Reach Seat retails for $449.99. Part Number: 54382-11. It comes with a one-year limited warranty. Check www.h-d.com/warranty for details. A rider backrest is available for added support. Mounting kit and pad both sold separately.
If you’ve got one or plan to get one, drop us a comment below, and let us know your thoughts and impressions.
Joshua
Here’s more on the seat, if you’re interested- Super Reach Seat
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