Just put a couple of hundred miles on the Ducati/Touratech Comfort (DTC) Seat for the DVT. My OEM seat suffered the staple failure leading to a warranty replacement. For the record, I liked the OEM seat and had it well broken in at 5,000 miles. I became used to the forward lean, and always wore really, really loose pants....I am sure Ducati soon will offer a logo codpiece, in XXL one size fits all, as a DVT accessory. I had the OEM seat in the upper position. The DTC seat in the low position sits where the OEM seat was in the high position. The DTC seat is higher, feels wider at the rear, and is FLATTER. There is a small well defined shelf where the DTC seat rises to meet the passenger pillow. Yes, no more crushed nuts, hello disco trousers! The DTC covering does not match the OEM passenger pillow. The texture is a little rough, and holds the rider in place. The cover is not porous and appears waterproof. It does look a little cheap compared to the OEM seat, and unfortunately there is no red stitching, but like a helmet, it is all about fit, not cosmetics. The DTC is firmer than the OEM and like a good bicycle seat is beginning to mold to my rear end. It sells for $500 in the USA and worth every penny.
Nice write up thanks. Two questions though: 1. Is this the seat directly from Ducati or from Touratech? 2. Is it really £400 better than the OEM seat? I do suffer from a really painful butt on long journeys on my DVT OEM seat and would love to sort it out, but want to be 100% certain before spending this kind of money. What are people's thoughts and experiences?
The Ducati dealer here ordered the seat without any financial commitment as they could easily sell it to someone else or keep it around as a trial seat. Perhaps ask your dealer to allow you to ride it 100 miles before purchasing? My dealer allows this as a seat is a very personal and expensive decision.
I was loaned the comfort seat whilst my original was modified. It was better but I thought it still isn't the right shape. Here's a pic of the seat thickened up, on the low position. I'm 5ft 9 and find it perfect. I'm 2 inches higher and not sitting in the bike anymore. That harsh vibration through the bum is gone and I'm not sliding into that dip all the time. It spreads my weight across a bigger area. It cost me £45 and it's the upholsterer's 2nd one he's done so he knows what is needed. He's in Baldock, Hertfordshire, UK. He's done the cover with red stitching to match which is more than touratech can do for £350. (Ignore the parking ticket on the saddle, I'm appealing against that).
the swirly look is the camera trying to capture that mock carbon look. It matches really well with the original
All he's done is go over the original with memory foam and make a new cover. It could all be put back to the original. Nothing has been destroyed.
I've just come back from a quick 10 day ride around Europe that took in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Italy and a tiny bit of Switzerland at the Stelvio pass. My modded seat is now all day comfortable. The ultimate test was the last day from Valle D'Aosta back to London in one ride, 14 hours plus 2 hours of channel tunnel. No bum ache, no back ache, and I could turn my head the next day. What a fantastic bike. 54mpg average although it did use nearly a sight glass of oil.
That's some endorsement Andrew! I'm considering doing the same and would welcome the contact information where you had this modification done. Cheers.
Me 4. Get a job lot done over winter, does he do the pillion seat as well, got to keep the missis happy
Cracking job! Thanks for sharing. I've got a feeling the upholster has got a new order book coming his way.
Guys, his name is Fred and his company is AR Pounds, in Baldock, Herts. He's on the industrial estate just behind Tescos which is on a roundabout. Unit 27 or 28 (I forget which one) Baldock Industrial Estate, London Road, Baldock. Herts. 01462 892704. Make sure he doesn't think you're me. I told him that he'll have more customers. He has a confusion of all types of seats in his workshop but he does a good job and gets repeat business which is why he doesn't have to advertise. He's done at least 2 now so he reckons he knows what's needed. I found my seat height suited me better and I'm not so dropped into the bike and my legs are at a better angle. The cover he made mimics the original. Just to reiterate, he gave me back my original cover and just went over the top of the original foam so that if necessary it could be put back to original. I've attached screen photos of my Garmin using the app "where I've been" which sticks a thin blue line on the map to show the roads you've ridden each day. The red dots are where the ignition was switched off, fuel stops basically. You will see the distance on the 18th Sep coming back from Valle D'Aosta. I've had to zoom in and take two separate pics as the resolution is not good enough to show such a long ride. Then on the 19th, because it was by then after midnight, from Calais to London. Add mileages and you'll see I'm not bullshitting about the distance. Before I had the seat done it was painful after 2 hours. I would post a picture of my pristine bottom too, without any bruising but I think that would contravene some rules. lol.
He's only done the rider's seat. I'm not sure the pillion seat would even need doing. It seems to have thicker padding. What does your misses think of it?
I had mine done by a chap in Sheffield on the 2012 i had. Mainly because I'm tall and wanted more leg room but also because i prefer sitting over the bike more when hooning around, its far more supermoto in feeling and less armchair. Its the first thing id do whether buying any 1200 Multistrada, DVT or not. I don't see the point paying £300+ for an aftermarket seat as their costs are probably due to having to manufacture the seat pans or even worse buy them in from Ducati. If you've already got a seat then thats the main cost, just get it recovered and foam added where you want it .
