As promised in my previous post, here is a follow-up now that I have my modified seat done, on the bike and test-ridden.
My first impression as I sat on it was "gee, feels the same". I took the opportunity to take the Star down into Sacramento to see my Chiropractor, a 1 hour ride each direction. That is the advantage to living in the foothills, everything is an hour away
Before the seat was modified, I felt like I either had to sit on the tank, or on the contoured back of the seat--no position really felt comfortable. Now, there is a "sweet spot", a defined area for me to sit which is a lot more comfortable. They cut out some of the "contour" on the back, making the upward angle a little steeper and giving my tush a defined area to sit in.
While riding, the bumps did not transfer to my butt nearly as much as before. The memory foam reduces some of the "jarring" when hitting a bump, the smaller ones I could not feel at all. I felt I was sitting in the seat a little more, not on top of it.
After 1 hour, I still had not gotten the butt-burn, something that took about 20-30 minutes on the standard stock seat. I started feeling a little lower back burn on the last few miles of my return trip, but my chiropractor twisted me up pretty good so that may have been the cause.
I do have a Mustang Seat (with driver's backrest) on my Honda VTX1300 so I have a good comparison (although on a different bike). My modified seat isn't as comfortable as my mustang, but it didn't cost the amount a mustang does. It is however a big improvement on the stock seat feel.
In short, was it worth it? Yes, but I plan on using the Star as a primary commute (1 1/2 hour each way) and run-around bike only and probably won't be doing anything long-distance. If I was going to use it for long-distance rides, I would break down and buy the mustang seat for it. For the purpose I want it for, it will do good!
I hope this helps someone out when making a decision on what route to go, but keep in mind, your mileage may vary!
