First Ride – KDX Tall Seat Foam

[BRush]

I’ve been curious about tall seat foam ever since reading about it on the JustKDX site - http://justkdx.dirtrider.net/tall.html. The opportunity came when I had a chance to buy a used KDX seat (I didn’t want to try the tall seat foam without a way to go back in case I didn’t like it) . The second seat is perfect, since now I have my choice.

One of the reasons I wanted to try the tall seat is to make the sit-stand-sit transition less taxing. In a long enduro, I’m doing that a lot. My typical pattern is to vow at the start to ride standing up. Soon I become tired and break my vow, standing only for the really nasty parts. By the end of the race I can barely lift my butt off the seat.

This Sunday I got to go trail riding and give the new seat a try. I’m about 5’ 11’’ so I’m more average height than tall. The seating position feels really high. Because the seat is almost flat to the seat/tank junction, moving around is very easy and you can get your weight much more forward when sitting. About half the ride was on open forest two track . The remaining half was split between fast single track (3rd gear stuff) and some good old fashiond New England muddy, rocky, put-it-in-first-and-pray-you-make-it single track.


The things I like about the tall seat foam:

- It makes the bike feel roomier
- Less energy expended to stand.
- I can get my weight much more forward when sitting for aggressive cornering.

Things I don’t:

- Did I mention it was really high? When going gets first-gear snotty and technical, the downside emerges. Sometimes when you are traversing a boulder pile or a tangle of muddy roots, you just need to get a foot down. This is where the height works against you and I had a few scary moments over stuff I don’t normally have a problem with.

- Hillclimbing while sitting. My CG was higher, so the bike wanted to loop more easily. Standing becomes almost mandatory to attack something really steep for that reason.

The jury is still out. To boil things down, I really like how it affects the ergos and makes standing easier. I was able to nail the corners on the faster trails. I don’t like how it affects handling in the really technical stuff. I may need some more saddle time to see if I can adapt. Possibly I may end up using my stock seat for trail riding and keep the tall seat for competition.

 

[skipro3]

I had the chance to try my buddy's high foam seat. The main problem I had was the fact that it is too firm! You can cut your self on the corners for crying out loud. I would be cheaper to just remove your seat cover, strap a hunk of 2x6 doug fir, then recover, that is how firm and sharp cornered it felt. OW!
What ever you do, don't add the gripper cover, try and slide off the side to touch a foot and you will leave part of your pants behind. :flame:

 

[Jim Crenca]

BRush,
Thanks for the ride report. At 5'10" I am uneasy about not being able to touch the ground on nasty rock strew off camber hills (you know, that Laugh In 1 mile per hour get off) but agree that the sitting to standing transition is a bit much. I run CR high bars; how bout you?

 

[Fred T]

Don't give up on that tall seat foam if the tricky stuff is the only downside. It takes time but you will adjust and have better speed in other situations. I am 5'4" tall, every bike is too tall for me and my KTM was taller than my KDX. It took me a long time to get used to it but these past few rides I am getting adjusted. It just takes time. For me I don't have a choice to put a lower seat on and I refused to give up suspension travel and possible handling changes to be lower. Try riding it a few more times.

 

[70 marlin]

You'll never know the difference after awhile. Once you've rode it. It will soften up too! Now when I sit on JR stock seat it feels like a sofa. Way to soft. You want to feel hard take a ride on a KTM!

 

[Nevada Sixx]

were you able to sit on the back of the seat any easier? did it take out the v shape in the seat?

 

[tedkxkdx]

On my 96 I put the tall foam on and run a full gripper from f effex. Also got the cr high bars with about an extra inch of rise on them from running a one piece brace and taking the old top clamps and running them under the bar to add the height. I stand alot since I am charging and swapping due to the enormous acceleration and marbly rocks I ride on. At 5'11" I too would be a bit put off on the foot to ground relationship, but that is something that you have to decide, which riding do you do more of? I would never go back to a standard seat foam, they made me feel like I was sitting on one of those couches that suck you in and you need help to get up.

 

[CMcCarthy]

I ran the same combo as ted, sans the spacer under the bar mounts, and also had mixed results. I'm nearly 6'2", and still found myself having to stand on my toes when putting my feet down. I also felt that the CG was VERY high. However, the ability to move around on the bike is fantastic.

 

[BRush]

Yes the seat is a bit on the firm side. KTM guys would feel right at home. I’m waiting to see how it is after a few rides. You can’t judge seat foam firmness until you get some break in time.

About the tallness, one of the guys I was riding with on Sunday has an ’01 KTM 200 EXC, and while the KTM has a taller seating position than a KDX with stock foam, with the tall foam the KDX is higher.

Jim - I run the Tag X5 “mini” bars with the CR high bend. I’ve thought about putting a spacer to raise it up a bit more, but I already bang my knuckles when I load it into the van now!

Nevada, there is almost no V shape left in the seat. The back of the seat is about the same.

We’ll see how it goes. My usual trail riding group likes the nasty stuff. Sometimes we’ll put in four hours of riding and only have less than 20 miles on the odo to show for it. That’s where the tall foam worries me, but I’ll give it a fair trial.

 

[toalco-kdx]

who makes the tall seat foam?

 

[BRush]

Ceet.