Written by Aaron Demo | Photos by Dan DiMaio. Posted in Gear
Since I’m vertically challenged, I struggled with the seat height on my 2016 Africa Twin for the last few years. I finally decided to see if the Sargent Low Seat would help my comfort on the bike when stopping and riding offroad. In a market segment with so much competition, Sargent is an innovator in the motorcycle seat industry, with a history in upholstery dating back to 1935. seat cushion handle
The seat’s build quality and craftsmanship were evident as soon as I took it out of the box. Sargent’s CarbonFX (CFX) covering is made of a UV-stabilized, marine-grade vinyl that is both durable and stylish. I opted for the black trim and welt, but Sargent offers other color welts for personal customization. Under the CFX covering you will find Sargent’s proprietary Super Cell Atomic Foam, which doesn’t retain heat and is lighter than gel. The patented Zone Suspension with Body Contour Technology design is custom to each motorcycle’s specific shape to ensure optimal pressure distribution and support.
Installation was a breeze; the seat is a direct replacement for stock. Even though it’s a low seat, it’s still two-positioned (but the high position is the same height as the low position of the stock seat). I opted for the low setting because I was looking for as much drop possible. Sargent includes a handlebar mount for the Heat Boss Heat Controller, but I mounted it just under the seat on the left side of the bike to avoid cluttering the handlebars. You can wire up the controller directly to the battery or use the included connector to plug the seat into a battery tender connection. Sargent even includes a handy LED flashlight that clips into the seat pan as part of the kit.
When I swung a leg over, I immediately noticed the lower seat height. The stock seat’s low position measures 33.5-inches. The low position on this Sargent seat comes in at 32.5-inches. The seat is narrow in the front and nice and wide at the rear. The scooped design of the pan provides improved distribution of weight across the butt, which increases long-haul comfort. The material on the front sides of the seat is grippy for your legs, providing great control when standing offroad.
I recently spent three days on the bike riding 6–8 hours each day. The seat is a drastic improvement over stock and I didn’t find myself shifting around as much trying to stay comfortable. When I left the temp was 30°F, so I turned the dial up on the Heat Boss Heat Controller as high as it would go. About 20 minutes into the trip I had to turn it down as the seat was too hot! The adjustability of the heat controller was great as I was able to dial in the perfect temperature for comfort as the outside temps changed throughout the day.
Want to know about a solution for your own bike? Check out Sargent’s website for the availability of standard and low version options as well as customization options.
MSRP: $649.95 for single heated seat for the Africa Twin
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