For those shopping for a replacement for the stock seat, check out Bill Mayer's web page. http://billmayersaddles.com I purchased mine for my 2000 VFR last month and absolutely love it. I have had Corbin seats, and they are a great product, but I feel the Bill Mayer seat is clearly superior. I've been riding since I was a kid, over 40 years now, and this new seat is one of the best motorcycle accesories I've ever bought. Custom shape, excellent support and comfort, and top-flight build quality. Bill will custom build the seat for your very own bottom. You are asked for height, weight, and inseam, and how long your typical rides are. Also what you like and dislike about your present seat. Then you are asked to photograph the bike with and without you on it, and to trace a chalk line around your cheeks where they contact the seat. Your passenger also if you want the rear portion done, too. Call first to be scheduled in, send in the seat, and two weeks later you're in bun-heaven. The result is a seat built just for you. Bill will build in vinyl or leather. I have always gone for leather in the past, but after a couple of conversations with Bill on the phone, I chose the vinyl for it's weather resistance (I'm on the soggy Oregon coast). It is marine grade material and beautiful, with a cross-hatch pattern in the top surface and smooth on the sides. Mine is just like the one on the VFR on Bill's website, except that the one shown was built for a MUCH bigger rider than me. I'm 180 lbs. and 5"9" and so my seat "bucket" is much narrower and the edges are more rounded; not so high and sharp as the one in the website photo. Moving around in corners is no problem and my seat is COMFY!! I did a quick 300 miles last Saturday over the Cascades and back, and felt great. I'm ready for the long fund-raisers this summer. The new saddle fit the lines of the bike perfectly, with a very even gap along the lower edge, between the seat and the rear body panel. The rear cowl fits in place just as before, as I had the passenger portion left alone. With a bit thicker padding than stock around the front edge of the seat, the fit is very snug in the brackets, requiring a forward "thump" on the seat to get the latch to close. My overall riding position did not significantly change. I'll still need to order those Heli-bars.... I had only the rider portion done, so I paid for a "solo" vinyl seat, and the total was $381. Bill and Carolyn were very helpful and courteous with my endless questions, and service was fast. Check out their website. You won't be disappointed. Your body will love you for it. Keith
