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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

General

What are your business hours?

Saddlemen's business hours are from 7:00am to 4:30pm PST Monday thru Friday.

The following holidays are observed by Saddlemen and it offices and work-sites will be closed:

New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas


How do I purchase Saddlemen® products?

Saddlemen distributes its products through Drag Specialties for V-Twin applications and Parts Unlimited for metric applications. These two companies are dedicated to serving their customers and supporting the motorcycle industry. They are wholesale distributors that make Saddlemen products available at your local motorcycle dealer or accessory shop. Their websites list local dealers in your area. Please check our “Find a Dealer” tool in our website Service Center. Most Saddlemen items are either available at your local dealer or for immediate overnight shipment from Drag Specialties or Parts Unlimited to your local dealer.

However, all dealers do not carry the complete range of products available on the Saddlemen website. We encourage you to purchase our products from your local dealership as they may provide special service and more immediate availability. If the item you desire is not available from your nearby dealer, or if you require additional information, please call us at (800) 397-7709 and a Saddlemen customer representative will be glad to assist you.

Many of the items that you might require may also be ordered directly on this website using our secure server. All of our products are offered at the prevailing retail price plus shipping and California sales tax for California residents. While most luggage products, such as saddlebags or sissy bar bags, are available for immediate shipment from our California warehouse, other items such as custom seats are only made-to-order and an approximate 30 day lead time may apply. If an item is back-ordered, the customer will be promptly notified.

Some items are special order only, such as our custom Road Sofa touring saddles; these are custom made to your specifications based on height, weight, color choices, etc. These must be purchased direct through us. If you have any questions about Saddlemen products or where to purchase them, don’t hesitate to contact us at (800) 397-7709.


How do I clean and take care of my Saddlemen® products?

For everyday cleaning and easy care while on the road, you can simply wipe down seats or bags with a clean, damp cloth. As with all leather, fabric or other synthetic materials, make sure to keep all products, especially saddlebags, away from extreme heat sources like your bike’s exhaust pipes.


Gel-Core Technology

Without question SaddleGel is the most important breakthrough in motorcycle seating technology in decades. This amazing product will increase the amount of time you spend on your motorcycle, creating the comfort necessary to ride all day. Every type of riding is more enjoyable, from touring to dual sport, canyon carving to street cruising.

When it comes to motorcycle seat comfort technology, nothing compares to a Saddlemen seat with SaddleGel. Our proprietary Gel-Core Technology was gleaned from the medical industry with specific origins in wheelchair pads and hospital beds. The gel was used (and still is) to prevent bedsores for those confined to beds for long periods of time and for people in wheelchairs—some for their whole lives. Know anyone that rides as much as a person confined to a wheelchair?

In the early ‘90s, the experienced riders at Saddlemen figured out a way to incorporate all the benefits of gel into a motorcycle seat and quickly learned it was far more comfortable than standard seats for a variety of reasons. For one, SaddleGel isolates engine and road vibration, a common cause of rider fatigue. Saddlegel is a molded solid with fluid-like properties that will not slide to one side or move around in your seat like air or water in a plastic bag; instead the proprietary design eliminates pressure points at the hip bones and tail bone by evenly distributing your weight across the surface of the seat. Otherwise, pressure points or “hot spots” can hinder blood flow, causing pain and discomfort. Normal circulation is never lost on a seat with SaddleGel, and it keeps your rear end comfortable on a long ride, and ready to respond quickly as road conditions change.

Saddlemen SaddleGel is extremely advantageous, but we were able to maximize the benefits of it by developing a seating comfort system around it. Our Integrated Design Philosophy (IDP™) include a selection of materials that work together to make our seats as comfortable as possible, while still giving your bike show-quality style.

  • Particularly good in low profile seats
  • Superior to foam alone
  • Floats rider on seat
  • Eliminates road shock and vibration
  • Dissipates weight evenly
  • No hot spots
  • Maximizes time in saddle
  • Exclusive composite construction


SaddleGel™ equalizes body pressures by conforming to the unique shape of an individual’s body, eliminating pressure points. SaddleGel™ also absorbs shock and vibration, unlike air or bladders.


Traditionally manufacturers motorcycles use foam cushioning in their seating. This type of cushioning is used to dissipate some of the energy and shear that is transferred to the body through shock. Foam, although used almost exclusively at the factory level, has limited and at times negative effects to the body. Specifically; foam does not provide adequate levels of absorption, shock attenuation and comfort over a protracted period of use. Moreover, foam will take a compression set over extensive use.

Recently, a more important factor has arisen with the use foam in seating. That factor is in medical terminology; “pressure point management”. Foam inhibits the flow of blood in the extremities over protracted periods of sitting. This inhibition of blood flow has the cumulative effect of limiting the amount of oxygen to the legs and thus creating discomfort, soreness and in extreme instances vascular problems.

The medical field faces the same type of problems with patients that are on operating or recovery tables for a long period of time or for surgical applications. In order to counteract the effect of vascular and muscular occlusions with foam cushioning; many hospitals use gel pads in place of foam pads. Although they are more expensive; the gel padding promotes the flow of blood during procedures, increases comfort and eliminates the concern over pressure point management.

Gel is increasingly used from a comfort point of view in aftermarket mobility applications. It is soft, pliable, comfortable, does not take a compression set and adds increased cushioning over traditional foam methods of cushioning. The medical applications are quite applicable to mobility seating; especially with motorcycle seating.

The bumps and overall feel of the road are most evident and discomfort is a cumulative effect of the use of foam pads in seats. Gel on the other hand “comforts your pads” so to speak.

Foam is a very effective material for use in a motorcycle seat; however it must be several inches thick to be comfortable. Foam works by collapsing under pressure until it conforms to the shape of the body above. In turn this equalizes pressure, like SaddleGel™, but it must be thick and soft to be most comfortable. When seat height is an issue, denser foam must be used to lower height and this tends to be uncomfortable to many people.


Yes, this technology is called Gel-Core. Exclusive to Saddlemen, By combining the attributes of our proprietary SaddleGel with our advanced Progressive Density Foam (Pd-F) we are able to create exceptional foundations that provide superior comfort and vehicle control. The thickness, shape and location of the SaddleGel is adjusted and combined with the Pd-F producing a seat core best suited for each riding mission. Starting with our staff’s vast experience, then honed by testing and honest evaluation, each Saddlemen seat has a specific Gel-Core combination that creates a superior seat perfectly suited for your ride. So when it comes to day log, comfortable control you simply cannot get a better fusion of technology, materials and design.


Custom Seats

How can I customize my Saddlemen® seat order?

In addition to offering many styles of seats “off the shelf", Saddlemen also offers customizing options for those who want something truly special. For starters, internal seat heating systems can be installed in most seats. Many of our seats offer an "Extended Reach" version, which provides extra room compared to the standard version. In many cases, you can choose from several seat covering materials, including genuine leather. And finally, you can choose from our palette of 13 thread colors to match your new seat's stitching to your bike, for a truly custom ride. Use the dropdown menus or talk to a Saddlemen representative about options available for your new seat.