An expensive week, but in a good way!

[kvdv_imp]

I've said before that I fully intend to do some long trips on my 2014 DLX. With that goal in mind, I've already added the OEM luggage rack, relocated the turn signals back to the the license plate bracket (to make room for larger saddlebags), fitted Motech engine guards, had the tank protected with clear film, added fork gators, electrical leads for heated jacket and battery tender, and last but not least, a Comet II road fairing.

The only two pieces left that I had thought about were heated grips and perhaps something with the seat. I have electric glove liners, but they're no fun to wrestle with and add a fair amount of bulk -- enough so that they're fatiguing if you're caught in traffic at all. The stock seat on the DLX is actually fine; I'd give it a B for touring and I could easily put in 4-5 hours of saddle time before serious discomfort settled in. The thing is...I want to be able to put in a full day of riding with NO discomfort. Is that too much to ask?

So Friday, I had I90 Motorsports install the Honda OEM heated grips. They even saved my Grip Puppies from my stock grips and put those back on for me. The install looks clean, everything works great, as it should. It takes a minute or so for the heat to soak through the neoprene but once it does, my hands were cookin'! It was 37 degrees when I rode home from the shop, with plain uninsulated elkskin gloves on, and I had to turn the grips down to medium after a mile or two! So far, so good!

The seat...many riders have heard of [url=http://www.richscustomseats.com/]Rich's Custom Seats in Kingston, Washington. Rich is a legend, especially among the Iron Butt crowd. He has been custom fitting seats for years for customers who come to him from all over the world. My wife and I made appointments to go see him since he's only a short ferry ride away from us in Seattle. We got there yesterday morning around 9:30, and were done around 3. Not a short day, but well worth the wait and the price.

Rich loved my wife's new Indian Scout, but he really LOVED the CB! He was kind of in awe of it and vowed to maintain the original spirit of the seat and preserve the lines of the bike as much as possible. He even reused the original cover, adding just a few inches of extra material around the base. I'm rambling too much. Pictures!

First, before and after shots. The stock seat:


The upgraded seat, from a few different angles:





Here are a couple shots of the work they did on the Scout. Fine craftsmanship!



Rich and his team are incredible. He interviews you, asks about your concerns, watches you get on and off the bike, carefully makes marks on the stock foam as he goes, sends you out for a test ride and asks for feedback. The process is thorough and the results outstanding. Before putting the revised covers back on, he even strategically inserts gel pads right where he has determined your "sit bones" would create pressure points with stock foam. He allowed me to take a few shots around his shop while we were waiting...you have to check out the cool Enfield with sidecar that he built:






I came away very impressed with Rich and his operation. I can't wait to put the new seat to the test with some nice long adventures! My wife loves her new seat too, the stock Scout seat was a bit of a problem for her, but she says what Rich did was like magic.

Anyway, I think I'm all set for touring now. There is literally nothing else I need, other than some warmer weather and a little vacation time. In 2016 we're talking about going down the Pacific Coast Highway, maybe Eastern Oregon, maybe Canada...who knows!!
- Karl

[Rocky_imp]

Good post

[clearviewx]

Thanks for sharing.. Accessorizing the CB is almost as much fun as riding it.

[Chapomis_imp]

I like that he used the stock seat cover, that's cool

[Riko_imp]

nice, thats how my future cb is gonna look like more or less

question about the gators tho, are they the same ones sold by samurider?

thx and keep em coming!

[redbirds_imp]

Beautiful work and like Chapomis, I like that the stock cover was used. Did your wife have the seat on the Scout modified? I test rode a Scout last year and thought the seat comfortable but my wife thought it a misery but otherwise liked the Scout very much.

[Pterodactyl_imp]

That's craftsmanship. Looks beaut.

Cheers

[the Ferret]

He did a great job of camoflaging his work. hOpe the seat meets your expectations.

[Southpaw50_imp]

Very nice!

[drodg33]

I like it too. I would like to do something different with my seat but I don't want to lose the original look.