has anyone heard of or had seat work done by Mean City Cycles in Maiden, NC?
http://www.meancitycycles.com/index.php

Yes, and they are a great bunch of guys. I have never been up there but I know several people that have been. I know that they do a lot of cruiser style seats. I am not sure about sportbike type seats. I have sat on a couple of Honda VTX seats that he has done and they are way more comfortable than the stock seat. I have a friend with a 97 VFR that is thinking about sending his seat there. You can also just ride up there and they will do it while you wait.

I live 10 minutes away. I am in Lincolnton so I may just have to ride up there and see if they would be willing to do anything for the V. Tuesday will be the first day I have off. So Tuesday I'll ride up and inquire.

I live 10 minutes away. I am in Lincolnton so I may just have to ride up there and see if they would be willing to do anything for the V. Tuesday will be the first day I have off. So Tuesday I'll ride up and inquire.

I emailed them and he replied that he couldn't lower the seat very much b/c its so thin (I have a friend who needs it lowered). I just want it to be bearable for longer than 30 mins. Let us know what they say.

Sorry guys, I wasn't able to go there today. I worked third last night and then had to pick up my little one from daycare. It will be Thursday, and definitly Thursday. When they see it they may be able to make a better determination.

I went to Mean City Cycles today. They have a small shop, but seem to be busy. The owner looked at the seat and said that he could rework it for a more comfortable ride. He also said that he did mostly ride-ins. Meaning you take your bike and he lets you set on it as the reworking is performed to make sure you actually like it and it's the way you want it. The downside of that is they only do ride-ins on Saturdays, and are booked up until October. As I said, this is a small shop so unlike Corbin, they can not mass produce seats at this point. They can do the seat in gel, memory foam, and whatever else you can think of. He said that he could also rework it and and re-wrap the seat in the original cover. At this point I am waiting to take mine in. I gave him my name and number just in case there is a cancellation one Saturday. So I guess this isn't really good or bad news, but I am now interested in getting the seat reworked. He also seemed very reasonable. Depending on what you wanted of course.

I live 10 minutes away. I am in Lincolnton so I may just have to ride up there and see if they would be willing to do anything for the V. Tuesday will be the first day I have off. So Tuesday I'll ride up and inquire.

Ha! I used to live in Lincolnton. I managed the Autozone for about a year back in...2004. Anything changed?

Brennan-

Nothing what-so-ever. That's why I'll never leave. I lived on the West Coast while I was in the military. First thing I wanted to do was come back home. Where are u now?

I went to Mean City Cycles today. They have a small shop, but seem to be busy. The owner looked at the seat and said that he could rework it for a more comfortable ride. He also said that he did mostly ride-ins. Meaning you take your bike and he lets you set on it as the reworking is performed to make sure you actually like it and it's the way you want it. The downside of that is they only do ride-ins on Saturdays, and are booked up until October. As I said, this is a small shop so unlike Corbin, they can not mass produce seats at this point. They can do the seat in gel, memory foam, and whatever else you can think of. He said that he could also rework it and and re-wrap the seat in the original cover. At this point I am waiting to take mine in. I gave him my name and number just in case there is a cancellation one Saturday. So I guess this isn't really good or bad news, but I am now interested in getting the seat reworked. He also seemed very reasonable. Depending on what you wanted of course. But, unlike the Corbin, you get a choice of what you want your seat wrapped with.


thanks for the info! This looks like my best option for getting a comfortable seat.

I don't think dealing with these guys would be a mistake. I am going in first chance I get. I am scheduled for October unless someone cancels. Maybe, after the first one, they will feel more comfortable with receiving, re-working, and shipping seats.

Hey guys,This is Allen at MCC in NC. Motorbum stopped by my shop again yesterday and said I should put a post up about the V's seat. I have not worked on one yet and actually called Motorbum the other day to get his into the shop to work his seat over and he informed me he traded it in for the K1000 which he stopped by to show me yesterday(very cool bike I might add) So again I do not have a Versys seat to work on to see what we can or can't do to make them more comfortable. If anyone local wants to ride in and get their seat worked over please contact me and we can set something up. I try my best on seats I haven't worked on to get the first one or two into the shop as ride in's so we can be sure what we are doing works first before offering these modifications. Once I get one or two of these seats modified we can receive them by shipping them in and knowing what you want done to the seat along with your height and weight plus inseam we should be able to make these seats great for you guys at a fraction of the cost of a aftermarket seat.


Now a quick note, I do not want anyone to take this post as spam so please do not. I am a rider just like you guys(I ride a Street Glide, Honda VTX and a CBR1000RR <strange mix isn't it?>)I am a member of several different messege boards(VTXOA,VTXCafe, HDForums,VTwinforums and the CBRForum) and I know i hate it when people come on our boards and spam. I told Motorbum I don't like posting on boards like this but he insisted and told me to tell you guys he told me so its motorbums fault that I posted.

Okay, I'm all set to bring my Versys there for a seat upgrade. My crazy schedule will keep me from getting there until Oct 25th, but I'll report back ASAP after that.

Hey guys,This is Allen at MCC in NC. Motorbum stopped by my shop again yesterday and said I should put a post up about the V's seat. I have not worked on one yet and actually called Motorbum the other day to get his into the shop to work his seat over and he informed me he traded it in for the K1000 which he stopped by to show me yesterday(very cool bike I might add) So again I do not have a Versys seat to work on to see what we can or can't do to make them more comfortable. If anyone local wants to ride in and get their seat worked over please contact me and we can set something up. I try my best on seats I haven't worked on to get the first one or two into the shop as ride in's so we can be sure what we are doing works first before offering these modifications. Once I get one or two of these seats modified we can receive them by shipping them in and knowing what you want done to the seat along with your height and weight plus inseam we should be able to make these seats great for you guys at a fraction of the cost of a aftermarket seat.

Now a quick note, I do not want anyone to take this post as spam so please do not. I am a rider just like you guys(I ride a Street Glide, Honda VTX and a CBR1000RR <strange mix isn't it?>)I am a member of several different messege boards(VTXOA,VTXCafe, HDForums,VTwinforums and the CBRForum) and I know i hate it when people come on our boards and spam. I told Motorbum I don't like posting on boards like this but he insisted and told me to tell you guys he told me so its motorbums fault that I posted.

Hey folks, I did go there yesterday. I am going to let him work my new seat. I did insist that he come on here, well, more liked begged him to. He didn't want too because he didn't want to spam or appear to be. He rides, and understands how comfort is a big factor. Understand, I have nothing invested with these guys, but I have seen their work. After talking to him, I know that his first priority customer satisfaction, which is why he didn't want to just take my seat and just throw something on it, he wanted me to be there and set on it until it felt perfect. After seeing all the complaints about the seats folks are unhappy with and the price they paid, I know these guys will save you money, (alot) and you will be happy. Thanks, Guys.

Motorbum & Allen,

Thanks for all the efforts! Please put me down for a "mail-in" seat adjustment when you get things figured out. Since I'm in central Ohio, this is really my only option. Bummer!! :D

Ride safe & have fun,
Jim

Sounds like you have found the holy grail to seat comfort. Guess I need to schedule an appointment.

Thanks!!!:clap:

Sounds like you have found the holy grail to seat comfort. Guess I need to schedule an appointment.

Thanks!!!:clap:

I am not sure about the holy grail, but if there is a way to make the seat better I am sure we can figure it out. I was hoping to get someone in before the end of next month but atleast we have one on the schedule to get done. I enjoy a good challenge I believe from what I have seen so far we should be able to make it into a really good seat.

Motorbum & Allen,

Thanks for all the efforts! Please put me down for a "mail-in" seat adjustment when you get things figured out. Since I'm in central Ohio, this is really my only option. Bummer!! :D

Ride safe & have fun,
Jim

I see that you live in Lewis Center.....did you buy your bike at Hinds? That where I bought mine.

A piece of advice from experience on modified seats: get a backup stock seat first before you send / take it in. That way you keep riding while they work on it and you keep riding if they break it and you keep riding if you don't like the altered seat.

Guys, I have also traded emails with Allen about reworking my stock seat, and I've already satisfied myself that he and his shop are 1st rate, at least in terms of customer service.

I have a Corbin that I like a lot, but I wanted Allen to do something to my stock seat and then maybe sell the Corbin. I knew the mod might not work out, so I just asked Allen if he thought it was something that could be done. Allen was very upfront about what would and wouldn't work, and ended up talking me out of the mod even though it cost him my business this time. That says a lot in my opinion. He obviously values his reputation more than the short-term sale.

Going along with Darth Lefty's advice, I'd like to sell my stock seat to someone that wants to get their seat done by Mean City. In fact, I'll be passing by Mean City next Wednesday, so I could drop it off there to save the buyer any shipping charges (that's worth a lot for a big seat like this). I haven't asked Allen yet, but what I suggest is that I leave the seat with him so that when you go by to get your seat fitted, you can pick up my seat and ride home on it and leave yours with him. Normally he doesn't work with a seat exchange program because it's more trouble than it's worth, but I wouldn't think he would have a problem if the 2nd seat were already bought and paid for separately from him.

If anyone is interested, shoot me a PM and we can discuss details. Right now I'm thinking something in the neighborhood of $100 delivered to Mean City. I don't have any interest in fleecing anyone, though, so if that is too high, just make an offer. I tried to check Ebay to see what was a decent price, but there are no others out there for comparison that I could find.

I figure it this works out for someone, then you can just sell it to the next person and so on and so on.

I see that you live in Lewis Center.....did you buy your bike at Hinds? That where I bought mine.

Not this time. I had to go to All Seasons sport center in Wooster. Great guys to deal with.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled seat mod thread... :D

Hey fellas, Allen did my seat today on the new bike. It has a pancake seat basically and was painful after about 30 minutes of riding. However, once the seat was reworked and recovered with factory wrap, it felt as if I was sitting on a Lazy Boy. It felt so good as a matter of fact, I left for work an hour and a half early just to ride. I can only imagine what the V would have felt like. Anyway, just thought I would share that with some of you who are pondering the thought of letting Allen do your seat. My bike will probably be up on their website soon since it was the first one they have done.

Ride safe.:thumb:

Thanks for the link to this thread. The seat thing was actually how I found this forum the other day. I left a message on MCC's machine earlier today. I plan on getting the seat worked on as soon as I can. I'm thinking I'll go with memory foam. I had a girlfriend with a memory foam bed, it was pretty sweet.

UPDATE

We did our first Versys today and I was very pleased with the results. We were able to lower the riding position 1" and take out some of the forward pitch of the seat so it sits a little flatter. Doss had to go back to work so he didn't get to get a real good test on the seat but from previous experiance I think this is going to be a WINNER! I'll try to post some finished results pictures when I get a chance. The seat came out very stock appearing which is always my goal but when you sit on it is when you notice the difference.

For those of you who are do-it-yourselfer's or can't afford the seat of dreams just yet, here is a thread that I've posted my DIY seat mod. I've had half a dozen people ride my bike and they've all loved the seat. I did about 350 miles this weekend in a loop around North Texas and was very comfy. It's not any lower, in fact it may be a bit higher because I built it for me (6'-4"+)......however, it only cost me about $20-$25. Don't get me wrong, when I have all my other farkles handled, my seat is going to the guys at MCC for a workover!

THe thread is here: http://www.kawasakiversys.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1358

My photos are thumbnailed there, just click on them to view the work in progress and final product.

Troop posted right after me with the link to a DIY website. That is where I got my info.

Great news Allen!! Please post up in this thread when you're ready to accept stock seat shipments for "magic touch" rework. :D

I'm ready NOW if you are....

Thanks so much for the efforts,
Jim

Whelp, I didn't make it back to work after Allen worked on my seat.
I gave the seat a 75 mile test. (would have liked it to be longer)
After finding the right spot on my newly formed seat the first thing I noticed is feel of the memory foam. It feels like a thicker cushion because it is not as bouncy as the stock seat foam. Feels like you're sitting on something more substantial. Taking out some of the forward pitch worked out really well for me as before I had to constantly "adjust". He also rounded the sides of the seat where I legs hit when standing stopped. Lowering the seat an inch is perfect. With a 31" inseam I went from tip toes while stopped to almost on the balls of my feet, and the seat wasn't lowered to much that my legs feel cramped while on the pegs.
75 miles wasn't much of a test but the seat felt great and is a large improvement. I'm looking forward to doing a longer test this weekend.:)
Like Allen said "I think it's going to be a WINNER!"

Great news Allen!! Please post up in this thread when you're ready to accept stock seat shipments for "magic touch" rework. :D

I'm ready NOW if you are....

Thanks so much for the efforts,
Jim


I think we should be able to do the seats now without a problem. The seat was pretty much like I figured it would be actually but not ever working on one it helps me understand the geometry of the seat better. I am not sure why there hasn't been much interest in this seat from other people but I personally thought it was one of the easier seats to work on but I was expecting it not to be much there to work with from what I had read others say and I found that to be untrue. I still have to dl the pictures of Doss's seat and as soon as I do I will get them posted.

Thought I had better do this before I get busy this morning and forget about it.
One thing I did learn though was I could lower the seat height around 1" which is very good. I am not sure if I could go lower though. If your sitting in the center or a little more more forward in the seat there is a lot of foam in that section but towards the back there isn't much there but I was able to drop that section a little but not much.

http://www.vtxcafe.com/gallery/data/500/medium/phpNx2aIZAM.jpg
http://www.vtxcafe.com/gallery/data/500/medium/phpU4iY9HAM.jpg
http://www.vtxcafe.com/gallery/data/500/medium/phpY32e8qAM.jpg

Sounds & looks great Allen. Please PM me you shipping address & pricing when you get a chance.

Thanks!
Jim

Edit: Thanks for the speedy PM response Allen! :D

I'll be calling Brent later today my friend. You-da-man bro!

Brent, can you guys make a new seat cover out of marine vinyl or something? Mine is already getting scuffed up.

I'd love a red seat or maybe red and white. That way it wouldn't get so darn hot in the sun. Just checking.

See you guys on Oct 25th.

Don

Brent, can you guys make a new seat cover out of marine vinyl or something? Mine is already getting scuffed up.

I'd love a red seat or maybe red and white. That way it wouldn't get so darn hot in the sun. Just checking.

See you guys on Oct 25th.

Don

Done we can do that but we don't make new covers for ride-ins due to the time. We use to do this but guys would leave then call back every 30 min's wanting to know if we were done yet and when would be done and taking us away from getting work done so I made the decision to stop offering it...sorry man.

-no problem, just thought I'd ask

after riding on the new improved seat for a few weeks I definatly think it is a winner. I would send anybody to Mean City Cycles for a seat adjustment. The real test comes friday when I ride to northern Ohio 500 miles one way. I'm sure it will do just fine.

Count me in as another satisfied Mean City Cycles customer. :thumb:

I met up with them at a Harley / BBQ Festival called the Hog Happenin' and watched in amazement how the seat was transformed. I asked for the drivers section of the seat to be made longer, cutting roughly 1-1/2" out of the passenger section and I wanted the seat more leveled out. Stock foam was also too soft, I was essentially sitting on the seat pan.

A large portion of the stock foam was removed and 2 layers of varying density foam planks were put in place, custom shaped by hand. Stock cover was reattached and off I went.

I've now put 1,300 miles on that seat, the longest ride being about 4 hours of saddle time and the difference was very noticeable. My total investment in having this done.....$140.00. Well worth the money and I wasn't out any time since it was done while I waited.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/ZRX11Jim/389026fc.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/ZRX11Jim/41cbda15.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/ZRX11Jim/71684bb5.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/ZRX11Jim/563071b6.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/ZRX11Jim/430be099.jpg

And then the camera batteries died, but the seat was about 80% done at this point..just fine tuning sanding, shaping, putting down a rain shield and attaching the stock cover.

Looks like it will be a very comfortable seat.:thumb:
Nice photos.:thanx:

We are always glad to hear from businesses like yours. I don't consider it spam when you are invited or if you ride and are offering a service that a lot of us will find valuable. it is always nice to have choices.