Author Topic: Aftermarket seat vs OEM  (Read 2723 times)

ludedude

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Aftermarket seat vs OEM
« on: January 29, 2004, 10:04:28 AM »
I'm not going to, or trying to be a referee on this, I'm just genuinely interested. So I 'm going to pick some points out FROM hoser's site that I'd like to see comments on and see if they can be commented on without all the emotional riff raff attached.

1. 14-year-old OEM seat in safe good condition, aftermarket seats last this long?
2. OEM is firmer, does this present more control?
3. Aftermarket seats hold/hug your body better and can be bought in different sizes, does this provide means for better control
4. Safety: I have yet to see facts FROM either OEM or aftermarket seats. Have heard good things/experiences FROM owners/drivers of both.
5. Safety: The biggest issue is with how the seat is installed, more so than the seat itself
6. 5pt/6pt or more are safer than 4 point OEM, as they keep the harness fitted around the hips where it should be. And provide means to keep the occupant FROM submarining under the harness.
7. Aftermarket seats are more comfortable
8. More comfort lends itself to better driver awareness, especially on long rides
9. Suspension seats offer a little extra "travel" to the Pilot when encountering hard impacts, resulting in added safety
10. Aftermarket seats, need a skid plate and firewall added to them for use in a Pilot
11. How far below the seat would the skid plate be mounted? Does it end up being lower than the OEM seat pan?
12. Do all, if not,which ones, create more leg room for taller drivers?
13. Is a higher back seat safer for taller drivers?
14. Anyone over seats in all vinyl with drain holes in them?( I hate the fact that the Pilot seat holds water)
15. What is the correct way to add an anchor point for the 5th point on a Pilot? (just got my 5 pt and need to do this)
16. What aftermarket seat are recommended and why?

hoser

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Aftermarket seat vs OEM
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2004, 04:12:53 PM »
Here you go, even though someone who spent a pretty big chunk of change on
a new seat then went through the pains to install it usually are not going to tell you the
problems they have had or the the bad points of going to a different seat
the important points are easy to see, with the after market seat you need a
heat shield and skid plate, you need to fabricate mounts, with either the vinyl
or cloth covered seat you have to worry about it getting wet when it rains
the vinyl seats the water seeps INTO the tiny holes where it is sewn, with the
cloth seat you have to worry about it filling up with mud and sand, it is
fun to watch the after market seat owners run around like a chicken with their
head cut off trying to cover then when it rains, the seat consumes more cockpit
space, not a problem for the little guys but sux if your taller, getting the harness
mounted in the proper location so it will properly secure the driver is a trick and
can be a pain in the ass, the stock seat has the heat shield and skid plate
integrated INTO the seat design, the foam is extra firm allowing your harness to
remain tight all the time not part time, unlike the FL350 seat contour the Pilot
seat is contoured to fit the body better, the stock seat is engineered and proven
to be reliable and durable, I am sure there are many more important points
I have seen and read about that would apply like the cord on Litespeeds corblew
breaking when it was a year old, after seeign the two after market seats I have
removed then installed I would have to say the stock setup has a weight advantage
over the after market setup, removing and installing is a pain making changing
the balancer oil a pain.

Hornet

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Pilot Seat vs Kasea Explorer seat
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2004, 09:39:23 PM »
When I looked at the Kasea Explorer (while snapping a bunch of pics) I noticed that their suspension seat had mounting bolt locations that looked like Pilot mounts. Since there are some common design features of the Pilot and Explorer, I wonder if the seat rails are the same distance apart ? This might mean there is an 'aftermarket' seat that would fit right INTO the Pilot seat location without any mod work. Of course, someone would have to actually measure the distance. Just thought it was interesting....
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