Seat Concepts of Caldwell, Idaho, rescued my butt again, literally. This time, it is on the Ultimate Motorcycling Honda CRF300L Rally Project Bike after performing the same save on our Yamaha Ténéré 700 Project Bike. Although I stand almost all the time, the limited time I am sitting, OEM seats simply hurt. I read stories about riders having no issues with OEM seats, including tests by our own staff. However, this prince needs his comfort on 17-hour rides. The Seat Concepts Comfort XL seat at standard height made all the difference in how many hours I can ride the Rally in a day.
Seat Concepts’ Comfort saddle options for the 2021-2025 Rally are color, height (Low, Standard, Tall), fabrics (top and side), and width (standard 10.875 or XL 12.5 inches). When ordering from Seat Concepts directly and having the option of red top/sides, Seat Concepts doesn’t guarantee a color match with the bike.
I learned from my experience with Ténéré seats that the wider the better for my delicate tush. I am 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, and not fat nor skinny in my seat contact patch.
However, the wider the seat, the more comfortable it is for me, so I went with the 12.5-inch-wide Comfort XL (12.5 inches wide) seat, which is only available in the Standard height. The seat is only wide where your butt hits it. It is OEM width at the front where it needs to be, for both standing, sitting, and stopping.
When installed using the same procedure and mounting points as the stock seat, the Comfort XL is 0.1875 inches taller than the stock seat and weighs about 1.5 pounds more at 5 pounds even. Keeping in mind that just changing tires or adjusting sag can create that much change, I didn’t feel a difference when sliding to one butt cheek to put my boot down at a stop.
If you are height-challenged, there is a Low seat option that is 1.25 inches lower than stock, but you sacrifice foam padding depth, so it won’t be as comfortable. There is also a Tall option that is 1.1875 inches taller than stock. The taller seat is not more comfortable, cushioning-wise, just taller.
Perched on the Seat Concepts Comfort XL seat for extended freeway time, the 12.5-inch-wide XL gives me plenty of wiggle room to avoid any pain points.
On steep downhills, where I have my thighs back as far as my arm reach will let them, the width at the Comfort XL seat’s widest point has not been noticeable.
What stands out most over extended days in the saddle is how the Seat Concepts Comfort XL changes the feel of the ride over longer distances. Instead of constantly shifting to relieve pressure points, I stay planted and focused on riding.
The XL’s wider seating area distributes weight more evenly, without feeling bulky or intrusive when standing or moving around on the bike. It’s a subtle improvement at first, but one that becomes increasingly noticeable as the miles add up, especially during long highway stretches or back-to-back riding days.
The Seat Concepts Comfort seat isn’t about transforming the look or performance of the bike; it’s about making the motorcycle more usable for the way many of us actually ride. For riders who log long miles, commute regularly, or spend full days exploring back roads and trails, the added comfort of the XL pays dividends in reduced pain and fatigue. It’s a practical upgrade for $330 to $360, depending on how it’s configured, that quietly improves every ride, and that is exactly what a seat named Comfort should do.
