WHEN IT COMES to stock motorcycles , the two items that owners are most likely to change – especially those who like to pile on the miles – are the windscreen and the seat . Folks typically want windscreens that offer more protection and seats that offer more comfort .

The Yamaha Ténéré 700 tested in this issue ( see page 16 ) is an off-road-focused adventure bike with a long , narrow dirtbike-style seat . The stock seat has two parts : a long rider portion that slopes down from the tank to a low point and then up toward the separate passenger seat . The rider and passenger seats form a uniform surface , but it ’ s sloped rather than flat and is narrow and firm .

The rider portion height is 34.4 inches . Yamaha makes an accessory low seat ($ 129.99 ) that reduces seat height by 0.8 inch , but the lower height is achieved by eliminating much of what is already minimal padding . Yamaha ’ s accessory rally seat ($ 219.99 ) is 1.6 inches taller than stock , and it has a flatter surface and thicker padding . However , both of Yamaha ’ s accessory seats are just as narrow as the stock seat .

Seeking more comfort , we turned to Seat Concepts , a company based in

Idaho that makes replacement seats for adventure and dual-sport bikes . I ’ ve had a Seat Concepts saddle on my KTM 690 Enduro R for the past five years , and thanks to its extra width under my bum and more supportive foam , I can do 300-mile days without ever thinking about the seat .

For the Ténéré 700 , Seat Concepts offers 12 different saddles , including Comfort , Comfort Sport Touring , Rally , and Rally Hard Adventure models , most in Standard , Low , and Tall heights with prices ranging from $ 264.99 to $ 389.99 . Like the saddle on my KTM , the Comfort models are narrow in front where the rider stands over the seat during stops but wider in the back where they sit during normal seated riding .

We opted for the Tall Comfort One- Piece model ($ 369.99 ), which is 11 inches wide ( 1 inch wider than stock ) and 35.7 inches tall ( 1.25 inches taller than stock ). There are three cover options , all with faux carbon-fiber sides : Sand Paper Grip Top ( our choice ), Semi-Grip Top , or Diamante Vinyl Top .

After using the key release to unlock and remove the stock seat , the Seat Concepts saddle clicked perfectly into place ,

and it has a high-quality look and feel . Even with the grippy top , moving fore and aft is easy to do when wearing riding gear or jeans . The wider seating area spreads the rider ’ s weight over a larger area , providing a much more comfortable place to sit , yet it isn ’ t so wide that it interferes with moving back and forth during stand-up riding . The foam is firm yet supportive and holds up well even after long hours in the saddle .

The Seat Concepts saddle is a great addition to the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and will serve as a comfortable perch during our long-term test .

— GREG DREVENSTEDT

FOR MORE INFORMATION : SEE YOUR DEALER OR VISIT SEATCONCEPTS . COM

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