My new Russell Daylong arrived!

BobWitte

Member
On Monday, I got back from our great, 10 day trip to Maggie Valley, NC, and was greeted by my Russell Daylong (RDL) custom seat conversion that arrived last Friday. The box was in great condition and the packing job was first class. The seat & two back rests were all in perfect condition. Each piece was in it's own plastic bag so even if the box fell into a lake, the contents would have been unharmed. Well done!

I had them do black vinyl on the sides and the sitting areas in Sunbrella which is a heavy duty marine grade fabric. The cloth pattern is called "Crest Birch" and is an off white with black accents that, as you can see below, really do look like Birch bark. The light fabric is a good choice down here in sunny Florida, of course. It will be a few days before I have everything put back together, but here are a couple of preliminary inside the garage shots:





I love the seat and my first static tryout sitdown with the back rest installed was almost a sexual experience. I could tell immediately that even as good as it was, my previous Corbin low profile will be out performed by this new RDL by a wide margin. I can't wait to get it on the road and "broken in" properly. Also, I'm quite hopeful that the love of my life will find her seat comfortable enough for her as well. Fingers crossed!

Great job!! Just like the Seth Laam's, it was money well spent, that's for sure. Weather permitting, I'll have my first "long run" on it this weekend when I go out with a motorcycle Church group ride.
:)
 

Woodswoman

Member
I hope you and your wife will be as happy with your RDL as I am with mine.

Said it before, and I'll say it again: Shelling out for the Day-Long seat rebuild is the best mod money I have spent on my CTX700.

That's a beautiful treatment, Bob.

Tell me, please, that you threw for a waterproof cover for it. The cover doesn't take up my room in your luggage, and it works even in a downpour.
 

BobWitte

Member
Roger that, I got the cover. After all, I live in FL where sudden, localized showers are a way of life! I'm adding back my big rear trunk so I have plenty of space for it.
 

BobWitte

Member
I had the occasion to go down to Grille Tech to see if my JFC Bracketz were done. So I rolled out the trike and tried out the new seat. My initial reaction was that I didn't overpay for this seat! It felt like I was sitting on a couple of MyPillows and I'm so looking forward to a few hours on it come Sunday.

More to follow (of course!) :cool:
 

Woodswoman

Member
I had the occasion to go down to Grille Tech to see if my JFC Bracketz were done. So I rolled out the trike and tried out the new seat. My initial reaction was that I didn't overpay for this seat! It felt like I was sitting on a couple of MyPillows and I'm so looking forward to a few hours on it come Sunday.

More to follow (of course!) :cool:

It's instantly good, and gets better over time (500+ miles) as the seat breaks in to your body.

Now I just hope your lady-wife feels the same way about the rebuild.
 

BobWitte

Member
It's instantly good, and gets better over time (500+ miles) as the seat breaks in to your body.

Now I just hope your lady-wife feels the same way about the rebuild.

Thank you ma'am, me hope too!!

I'm working on installing the vintage GoldWing passenger backrest today. In fact, I'm about to drag Karen out there to have her climb aboard for a "dry fit" of the backrest and arm rests. Fingers crossed!!
 

BobWitte

Member
Okay, I got Karen to climb aboard today as I had hoped for a dry fitting. Lo & behold, she commented right away how much more comfortable the new seat was over the Corbin. She also liked the repositioning of the bags (no more crowding of her legs). I'll be working on the installation of the GoldWing backrest today which entails some epoxy work for mounting nuts. So it will be a few days before I attempt taking her out for an actual test ride.

In the meantime, here are a couple more views of the new seat installation:



 
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BobWitte

Member
Looks great, Bob!!

BTW, nice saddlebags. Brand/model?

They are Matazu's and this is the source: https://www.mutazu.com/collections/...cle-hard-saddle-bags-road-star-vtx-c90-vulcan

They are "mid-range" in quality and price. I'm satisfied with them. I bought a set of their "RS" first:

https://www.mutazu.com/collections/...s-for-yamaha-suzuki-honda-kawasaki-bmw-harley

I stripped them down & and primed for painting, but even with wheel spacers I wasn't able to make them fit. I think that the RS bags would really look boss on a two wheeled CTX.
 

BobWitte

Member
This is for Woodswoman, first, but anyone else considering doing a Russell DayLong conversion for their CTX:

I remember you mentioning somewhere that you had wished you had ordered the RDL backrest when you built yours a couple years ago. After 3.5 hours in the saddle today using the one I got with my new seat, and considering how close I came to not getting their backrest with mine, I can tell you that now that you have quite riding for the NY season, it would be time for you to order that overpriced backrest for your Daylong! It works better than any backrest I've ever had (and I've had a few).

The new seat was great, and way ahead of either of the CTX700 Corbins I had before (both low profile & "regular"). I'm ever more hopeful that Karen will find her seat comfortable enough for her as well. I did the upgrade for her, but in any case, I'm delighted with my seat's conversion!!
 

BobWitte

Member
I had the occasion to take a longer ride yesterday with my church group. They do this every 2nd Sunday, weather permitting and yesterday the weather not only permitted, it was pretty much required (it was glorious!). It was the kind of weather that the Chambers of Commerce brag about. We had 2 trikes and 10 bikes and 15 souls included. We rode a total of 3.5 hours thru back country and gulfshore roads.

Even though not yet broken in, my new Daylong seat performed magnifcently right out of the gate. I felt like I was sitting on a giant catcher's mitt. The suspension built into the seat also performed amazingly well over road bumps that I know & love! That was something I really didn't expect. Remember, that my prior seats were well broken in, popular Corbin aftermarket seats with their Corbin backrest.

Speaking of backrests, I was blown away by how well the RDL backrest felt. The seat "bucket" and backrest worked together and held me in place and felt almost like a back brace would. Mine is a trike, so there's no leaning when riding, but I can imagine what a Daylong like mine would feel like on a two wheeler doing counter-steering movements. Because of my budget, I almost did not order the RDL backrest, boy was that money well spent!

I know that leathers & vinyls are almost universal when it comes to seating. But I want to highly recommend the outdoor marine grade, heavy duty, Sunbrella upholstery material that I chose for my seating and backrests. I have vinyl on the sides, but Sunbrella is what touches my body. I have the CREST BIRCH 4660-0000 which is a light colored material and in the intense sun that bathes Florida much of the year, I look forward to year round comfort.

All-in-all, after having both versions of the well made aftermarket Corbin CTX seats, my final vote goes to the Russell Daylong. I only wish I had started there in the first place.
:)
 

Woodswoman

Member
\The suspension built into the seat also performed amazingly well over road bumps that I know & love! That was something I really didn't expect.

I know *exactly* what you mean. It's like getting a free suspension upgrade. Another reason why I consider the RDL seat to be the best mod I've made to my CTX.
 

BobWitte

Member
Looks like this is my day for reviews. This one isn't about my CTX per se, but for an add-on accessory that facilitates my riding more safely on the trike. Believe it or not, an air bag wrapped around my old fat body does help assuage my wife's peak terror during those few times I'm out riding. These units can be very, very expensive (but a whole lot cheaper than even an overnight stay in the ER or in some cases, even just the co-pay!).

Anyhow, with some extensive, careful shopping on Amazon, AliExpress and finally eBay, I found a source for a good looking unit here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Airbag-Mot...hash=item33ff5c17a8:m:mXcU3PGoDzWzaskKuTbVDVQ

It was one of the few bargain brands that came in a XXL size needed to match my petite huge middle section (@53" of age & medicine induced belly fat!). Workmanship and materials quality is very good, especially considering the price and it was more than comfortable during my test rides. I haven't yet found a similar unit for my wife since none of the vendors so far have the smaller sizes available in that price range.

However, I still don't know if she's actually going to ride with me now that I have a really comfortable seat/backrest for her. Fingers crossed & here's hoping I need to buy another unit!!
:D
 

Woodswoman

Member
Well, I'll be dipped! I never thought to look on eBay for an airbag vest.

Been waiting for Helite or someone to come out with a model expressly cut for a gal with hips; it'd be nice if it didn't cost $500.

Thank you once again, Bob!
 

BobWitte

Member
Looks like this is my day for reviews. This one isn't about my CTX per se, but for an add-on accessory that facilitates my riding more safely on the trike. Believe it or not, an air bag wrapped around my old fat body does help assuage my wife's peak terror during those few times I'm out riding. These units can be very, very expensive (but a whole lot cheaper than even an overnight stay in the ER or in some cases, even just the co-pay!).

Anyhow, with some extensive, careful shopping on Amazon, AliExpress and finally eBay, I found a source for a good looking unit here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Airbag-Mot...hash=item33ff5c17a8:m:mXcU3PGoDzWzaskKuTbVDVQ

It was one of the few bargain brands that came in a XXL size needed to match my petite huge middle section (@53" of age & medicine induced belly fat!). Workmanship and materials quality is very good, especially considering the price and it was more than comfortable during my test rides. I haven't yet found a similar unit for my wife since none of the vendors so far have the smaller sizes available in that price range.

However, I still don't know if she's actually going to ride with me now that I have a really comfortable seat/backrest for her. Fingers crossed & here's hoping I need to buy another unit!!
:D

I forgot to mention that with this particular unit, that you get a total of 3 C02 cartridges! They normally go for just under $30 each.
 

BobWitte

Member
Update on my Russell Daylong seat

I've had my Russell Daylong (RDL) seat for enough miles now that I wanted to give an update on my initial impressions. One thing is for sure, should I ever replace my CTX with some other cycle, the very first modification to that new vehicle will be an RDL conversion of the existing seat. The RDL feels more comfortable each time I sit on it.

I particularly like the Sunbrella material I actually sit upon. It is not a typical seat fabric, but more like a light canvas, so it is tough, but very comfortable to sit on. The material is not slick at all and holds you right in place. I think it looks real good as well. It is even lighter in color than my last Corbin, which will do me well living in sunny Florida.

As a lot of you know already, I've gone thru more seats than most. After the stock seat, I've had both kinds of leather covered Corbin's (normal & low position) and the sprung, custom solo seat I had made for me in India was a great ride. I really liked both of the Corbins and the solo seat. However, I absolutely love this RDL seat! There is just no comparison with my previous seats to the RDL. (can I hear an "Amen!" from the handful of other CTX RDL owners out there??)

However, I almost passed on getting the RDL's rider's backrest. At a rather expensive $325.00, it is very close to half the cost of the full dual seat conversion price. But I tell you, this is the best seat/backrest combination I've ever experienced. I should know. Being in the trike conversion business for 6 years, I've ridden quite a few bikes w/backrests during those years.

Here's a couple of shots:





 
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Woodswoman

Member
However, I absolutely love this RDL seat! There is just no comparison with my previous seats to the RDL. (can I hear an "Amen!" from the handful of other CTX RDL owners out there??)

AMEN, brother!

Mine was the first CTX700 seat that Russell Cycles ever rebuilt. I've been singing its praises ever since, as the best mod money I've spent on this bike.

And the general response from other CTX700 riders? Crickets.

Go figure.

How does your wife like her half of the seat, Bob?
 

BobWitte

Member
AMEN, brother!

Mine was the first CTX700 seat that Russell Cycles ever rebuilt. I've been singing its praises ever since, as the best mod money I've spent on this bike.

And the general response from other CTX700 riders? Crickets.

Go figure.

How does your wife like her half of the seat, Bob?

I didn't know yours was the first! Karen hasn't actually ridden on it yet. Her airbag vest only arrived this afternoon. Weather permitting, I was hoping to talk her into a ride after church tomorrow! Pray for that!
 

BobWitte

Member
I didn't know yours was the first! Karen hasn't actually ridden on it yet. Her airbag vest only arrived this afternoon. Weather permitting, I was hoping to talk her into a ride after church tomorrow! Pray for that!

JSYK, Growing potatoes on the couch took up most of yesterday afternoon, so I didn't get Karen out on the trike yet. Maybe next weekend if the weather warms up again.
 

Woodswoman

Member
JSYK, Growing potatoes on the couch took up most of yesterday afternoon, so I didn't get Karen out on the trike yet. Maybe next weekend if the weather warms up again.

LOL! 'If the weather warms up again' ... you Floridians are so cute.

We had 28" of snow over the last 2 days here in the northern Catskills. For us, 'when it warms up again' = April. <Sigh>
 
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