Digging into Touratech’s Comfort Seat
On two wheels we feel more connected to the road and environment around us. That connection comes from the road up through our tires, frame and suspension, right up through our seat, and when our adventure takes us off the pavement, that connection increases as we feel our way around mud holes and gravel pits. The Touratech Comfort Seat is made specifically for GS models and is packed with features for adventure riding.
First, there is no shipping your seat pan away and then waiting for its return, leaving you unable to use your bike in the meantime. There are also no funny measurements to make, no cast of your butt cheeks to send in. Each Touratech seat is made bike-specific, on a single piece, high-density plastic pan. My 2019 F 750 GS is lowered from the factory, so I ordered the lowest of the three heights available for my model, and it fits perfectly. Old seat off, new seat on, click, done.
I am not a large guy. At 6 feet tall and weighing about a buck fifty with all my gear on, you wouldn’t think I’d feel compression in a seat. The F 750 GS stock saddle felt firm in the back and softer towards the tank, so shifting my weight forward for any amount of time resulted in a hot spot and eventually a little numbness in my left leg. The Touratech Comfort Seat offers a much nicer, firm yet giving feel from front to back. The Touratech seat is also cut a bit narrower in the front than the stock seat and feels great when off-road, while still allowing my feet to reach the ground when needed. In addition, the bowl of the seat is cut a little deeper than the stock seat and creates a comfortable highway position but still enables you to shift your weight side to side in the curves of two-lane roads.
What I really like is the way Touratech designed the two-way elastic, non-slip cover and how the seams stay out of contact with the rider. The cover also has a great texture and still allows easy movement around the seat even when it’s wet. The seat feels soft and gives to pressure while still providing support and helping you sit in a neutral position. Overall, the Touratech seat offers a very comfortable ride and is a huge improvement over my stock seat. I don’t know why it took me so long to upgrade, but like I said before, I’m a small guy and figured all seats would fit like the stocker did. Not anymore!
Though I grew up on off-road bikes, I had been riding a 2004 R 1150 R with a stock seat up until my first GS purchase two years ago. While not completely set up for serious dirt, my GS has allowed me to venture into some rough back roads and forest road trails. I also feel better equipped when older brother Vance’s proposed day ride takes a gravel road detour!
This year has been a bit different in the type and miles I’ve ridden. With no big, cross-country trips or rides to the rally, I instead have been taking the time to explore the territory closer to my Alabama home. With the warmer weather of the south, we are fortunate to have many November and December days with full eight to ten-hour riding windows. It’s great to get out early and spend a day looking for roads I’ve have not seen before, enjoying an unusual spot for lunch or a special sunset on the way home. January and February are cold months with few opportunities, though we get an occasional day here and there. But when spring hits and the days get longer, watch out—the miles start to build up!
We all hope 2021 is a year for reconnecting, with our friends, our fellow riders and our MOA community. Getting back to some MOA Getaways and our National Rally in Montana this summer are tops on my list, along with other road trips and adventures across America’s back roads. The addition of my Touratech comfort seat and luggage system makes my F 750 GS a ride I will enjoy for many years to come.
The Touratech Comfort Seat for the F 750 GS sells for $629.95. For more information visit touratech-usa.com.
