GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

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WingMan71
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GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#1

Post by WingMan71 »

I find that the "step" up to the passenger seat on my '76 LTD stock seat is just about exactly where I want to plant my butt when riding, right on that step! That's not very comfortable for long.

Anybody else have this problem? Also, anybody else switch back to the flat (non-stepped) stock seat from a '75 or non-LTD '76 to solve the problem of sitting on the "step"?

***
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#2

Post by robin1731 »

At 6' with a 36" inseam I don't. How tall are you?

It would be easy to switch to an earlier seat. Just make sure you hang on to the LTD seat of course.

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Lucien Harpress
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#3

Post by Lucien Harpress »

Step? Not really, but I always end up sitting right on the passenger strap on my '76, so I figure I've got to be close. 5'11" here, so it may just be where I'm comfortable.

I've tried sitting "correctly", but I always feel way too close to the "tank".
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#4

Post by 5speed »

I'm 6'4" and the 2 up seat that came on my 76 had my knee's up around my eyes..or so it felt.
I bought a Corbin touring model from a member here and it moved me back to a much more comfortable position.
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#5

Post by digschopper »

6'2",33" inseam. My 77 came with a Corbin double bucket,which fit well,but was ugly.i made a fiberglass step seat with room added,but with padding it may not work.
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#6

Post by WingMan71 »

I'm only 5' 8" tall with a 32" inseam, yet somehow I end up sitting on the step or the strap.

Maybe I have my handlebars tilted back too far. I'll look into that.

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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#7

Post by Sidecar Bob »

It comes with the territory with the heads right in front of your feet like that... I'm 5'10. My '83's seat is adjusted all the way back and when I had it reupholstered he moved the bump back as much as the pan would let him. I still wish I had another inch of legroom and I occasionally contemplate moving the brackets and extending the tongue so I could move it back a bit more.

As for changing to a non-stepped 1000 seat to get rid of the step, that will NEVER happen. They say pain is the only sensation you remember and I remember how much my butt hurt the first time I spent more than an hour on my '77's original seat; I had heard of "Honda Butt" before but I thought it only applied to long distance touring riders until that night.....
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Lucien Harpress
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#8

Post by Lucien Harpress »

Oh yeah. The stock '76 seat after about two hours is unridable. Get one if you like the look, NOT if you want ride improvement.
1997 Valkyrie- Light Cutomization, but Too Busy Riding
1980 KZ1300- Bike's Haunted
1976 GL1000 (Yellow)- It Runs (Poorly) and Doesn't Leak (Mostly)
1974 Velosolex 3800- Better Than Walking
1972 CB750- Broke the Chain And Ate the Motor
1969 CT90- The Most Fun You Can Have on 90ccs.
1965 CA77 Dream- Needs a Full Teardown, but Complete

All advice I give is only valid until an expert corrects me.
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#9

Post by pidjones »

I had a '77 that came with a K&Q seat. I hated it! Found a NOS non-step seat for a great price on eBay (the seller actually made a mistake and sent me a seat he wanted to keep, but I wasn't sending it back after I corrected its one flaw - bent up seat pan that I hammered straight.) The K&Q rammed me right up into the shelter. It was my first GoldWIng, and I was wondering if I had made a mistake! The standard seat fixed all that. Just have to be patient and vigilant watching for one.
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#10

Post by 5speed »

I have the factory seat on my 1100 back as far as it will go and I've never had any issue with a sore butt or leg cramps.

Here is the Corbin on my 76. You can see how far it moves your butt away from the tank.

Image

for comparison here is the seat that came with the bike. Compare where the rise is in relation to the rear shock.

Image
1982 1100 standard. (sold)
1986 Yamaha FJ1200
2000 Yamaha Roadstar
1976 GoldWing. running but not on the road
1978 Goldwing. future cafe project.
2019 Can-Am ryker (boss's new ride)

2002 Shadow American Classic(sold)
1983 Shadow 500. (sold)
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#11

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Yeah, the only problem with that Corbin is that anyone you want to take on the back seat has to be pretty skinny.

A fellow I used to know had Corbin make him a custom seat for his 'Wing because he was so tall (I could look him straight in the adam's apple) It was the only was he could be comfortable but the back seat was only about 5" long.

Before I added the sidecar my adult son spent a lot of time on the 'Wing's back seat. He was pretty skinny but there wasn't a lot of extra room on the stock back seat with me sitting right against the bump.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#12

Post by 5speed »

true..there isn't much passenger room.
She who must be obeyed has her own bike though. ;)
1982 1100 standard. (sold)
1986 Yamaha FJ1200
2000 Yamaha Roadstar
1976 GoldWing. running but not on the road
1978 Goldwing. future cafe project.
2019 Can-Am ryker (boss's new ride)

2002 Shadow American Classic(sold)
1983 Shadow 500. (sold)
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Sidecar Bob
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#13

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Yeah, and my large friend had a sidecar for passengers so the tiny rear seat wasn't an issue for him either.

As I see it, the problem is that there just isn't any way for them to move the footpegs forward and with the stepped seat (or with a passenger) you can't move your butt back far enough to straighten your knees.

Here's a pic of my first 'Wing after the crash that shows how I eliminated the problem on it. This seat was taller too.
Bent 'Wing left.jpg
Bent 'Wing left.jpg (195.13 KiB) Viewed 180 times
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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5speed
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#14

Post by 5speed »

that certainly would fix the issue. did sitting up higher affect how the bike handled?
1982 1100 standard. (sold)
1986 Yamaha FJ1200
2000 Yamaha Roadstar
1976 GoldWing. running but not on the road
1978 Goldwing. future cafe project.
2019 Can-Am ryker (boss's new ride)

2002 Shadow American Classic(sold)
1983 Shadow 500. (sold)
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Sidecar Bob
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Re: GL1000 Stepped Seat "step" is in my Way! Anybody else?

#15

Post by Sidecar Bob »

Not as much as adding the sidecar did. I only rode it a few hundred Km without the sidecar and I found the handling terrible but adding the sidecar fixed that.

The seat was really only about an inch higher, mostly taller because of the brackets (made from 2x4" aluminum angle) needed to attach it to the frame.You can also see the foot board (with footpeg) on the crashbar made of the same aluminum angle (its mate was bolted to the sidecar body), which made it feel even less cramped.

BTW: That's the same engine I just replaced that was in my '83 for the last couple of decades.
Mr. Honda ('83 GL1100/Dnepr) summer How a motorcycle evolves thread
The Famous Eccles ('84 CX650EI/VeloUral) winter Never Ending Build (CX500forum)
Click: Colour schematics for all GL1000 & GL1100 and GL1200 standard models plus instructions on how to download the full size version
"A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad." - Cookie
Another guy with two sidecars..... Hmmmm... must be something to that....
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