Bill Mayer Saddles

After having 4 different seats...

1.) a stock seat that made me think I'd made a serious mistake in buying an S. Well you know...

2.) a custom Corbin bought from a member that really put me in the pocket but was still a hard-ass Corbin.


3.) a BCR Comfort seat which was better than the stocker, but made me sit too high and as a result, placed me back on my wrists.


4.) another off the shelf Corbin that was nice and flat and low (and hard) but cut into my thighs because of the width.

Custom Corbin (left) Standard Corbin (right)

...again I found myself searching for an Ultimate Answer…

Thought about a Sargent, seen their product, very nice, but more than I'd like to pay to take a chance on off the shelf seat. I even talked to them by phone about rebuilding a seat.
I just didn't have the faith…how can they fit you if your not there? I guess it can be done.
Then there was C.E. Bailey, Russell, and the rest.
One thing I knew I didn't want was that Big Butt look that you see on bikes, kinda like my Dad's 750 Honda back in the day…a double bucket diamond quilt stitch patterned western style saddle seat. No thank you…maybe on my 'lectric-scoot in 30 years.

I might be able to live with a semi-contoured-big-butt adaptation, which is kind of what this S seat (saddle?) looked like that I'd seen on the BMS website. Considering the proximity of BMS, the Saturday-available ride-in, custom fitment aspect, (and the ravings of Mr. Acid), I sold all the seats I had for enough to try the BMS.
Understand, I'll admit I am a skeptic when it comes to all he old-timer hooey about these saddle makers, and I'm a cheapster on top of it all. Laying out $500 for something I'm not sure I'll like is keeps me on the outside looking in…

Just do it and hope for the best I figured…with cash in hand the choice was easy…
Then I made the appointment.

I called Rocky Mayer from a gas station in Ojai for directions after getting through my sidestand incident.
I was an hour late, and to my relief the guy on the other end said he'd take care of me.
The old fellow at the 76 said he'd "never heard of it" when I asked him where Church Road was (2 blocks away) or where Cuyama Road was…"Cuyama's 65 miles north'a here"…
Um, O.K., thanks…
After Rocky's getting directions I arrived at his hidden compound in the Ojai foothills 5 minutes later, hungry, tired, and half-pissed at the day so far.

When I arrived, Rocky immediately made me feel at home and relaxed in the shop's casual atmosphere under the shade of the eucalyptus trees. I like this guys style, intelligent, a good sense of humor, and un-assuming…I think. ;)

The dude loves his dogs!

In my impromptu interview at the risk of P.O.'ing him, I asked Rocky Mayer who was who in the seat world, in particular, all the Mayer's, Bill?, Rick?, Rocky? He was more than happy to 'splain.



Bill Mayer

The founding father, Bill, sold the business to Russell Saddles back in the day, and retired.
After several years Bill began making saddles again. He asked Rocky who had retired from his own business in Idaho, if he wanted to join him in the business.
Sadly, Bill passed away soon after and Rocky decided to carry on BMS. He moved the business to Ojai, built a new shop. Brother Rick Mayer has his own seat business, separate from BMS, and uses a similar but "different" saddle building process.
Rocky showed me one a Rick Mayer then a C.E. Bailey seat foam example.

Not the same. The BMS seat uses pre-formed foam blanks for several bike models in 5 different foam densities, soft, medium-soft, medium, medium firm, and firm.

After a few stories and a cup of coffee, we got right down to it.
Rocky asked me about my average riding distance, riding style, and body weight.

They stripped the OEM seat, put it back on the bike and then took measurements with me on the bike.

Next step was to cut the stock foam and install a form and again take measurements.
The Foam Master went to work carving the form to fit.

Foam blank inserted, my seating position checked then the contours cut...

Another seating fitment and a couple nips and tucks.

Fitting inserts to form the seat shape…




Then off for a test ride on the basic foam shape.
I headed up Hwy 33 and went through a few turns.
I felt immediately like my butt was being spooned by a fleshy fantasy model…oh yeah..don't stop…

I got back in time for a quick lunch gratis Rocky's right hand man Rico.
Rico is the upholstery maestro. Thanks again Rico!

The BMS crew is both talented and efficient.

Final shaping…

Final foam cover ready to upholster.

I was set on leather, there are a couple textures, a matt and a more top-grain looking semi-shiny.
Rico threw me off by showing me the matt vinyl that he said might be a really good choice too.
I'd never seen vinyl of this quality. It looked and felt like leather. In fact one story is that dealers who request seats in vinyl sometimes think they've mistakenly gotten leather and vice-versa. The vinyl is that nice!
I went with the "serious" matt leather…

Rico goes to work.

It is finished...

A beautiful seat indeed, supple leather, well executed, and way better than any seat so far.
The jury is still out on the long-ride scenario. Riding home the seat felt a little firmer than without the cover.
My main concern in reference to the OEM seat was the nut-crunch posturing it creates.
I tried to make it really clear to Rocky that this was a model-specific drawback I was seeking to resolve. The final product so far has addressed pretty well.
I still feel a bit slidy-forward-ish though I am sitting on a nice cushy spot.
When I push back for an up-right relaxed posture I still find myself "rolling thru my shorts".
I have some concern about the placement of the "hidden seams" and how they'll interface with my tender young thighs after a couple hundred miles.
Still, it is a cush pedestal on which I sit.
Rocky and Rico both assure me that I need to ride 500-1000 miles or more before the seat breaks in.
So be it.
The best thing is, Rocky and crew guarantee satisfaction and will adjust if necessary after I get thru the break-in period.

Am I believer? I'll let ya'll know end of summer…

???