So I'd been looking for ages for the right spring solo seat set-up for me and my Softail Slim.

I wanted a simple bolt-on kit without the need to do much/any fabricating/modifying and I also didn't want to have to move the ECM. I also wanted to be a touch higher and a touch further forward than stock.

In the end I bought 2 to try.

The La Rosa Kit (model No. SLMK-ST2013C-P)


And the West Eagle kit

I have a Le Pera Buddy Boy Large seat to mount

So... in a nutshell, the La Rosa kit is not for me. I could be harsh and say it's a bit of junk, but others may prefer it. For me, it's WAY too heavy, clunky/poor in design (it's not a nice refined part that goes with the bike), it's also ill-fitting (I had to drill out the back mounting bolt's slot to make it fit and drill a notch in the rear mounting bracket to make it fit over a small 'nub' in the stock frame) and the ECM cover doesn't fit well at all! Not only does it fail to cover the ECM 'tray' and fender holes, it's also a touch too wide meaning the seat springs rub it when fitted. A lot of money for a poorly designed kit.

I'd also add that I contacted La Rosa to ask about the ECM cover ("did I even get sent the right one?") and have heard nothing back, so customer service is proving not to be great either. Others may have had better experience, but for me, my advice is 'avoid'.

The West Eagle kit by comparison is much better for my taste. It's certainly cheaper, but it hugs the frame well and covers the underseat area better and looks much better, matching the gloss black of the bike's frame and oil tank, but it too isn't 100% perfect.

Anyway, I thought I'd shoot a quick video of each to help anyone else out there in my situation....


I forget to mention in the clip that you also have to reposition the alarm antenna unit (which as fitted sits on 'top' of the ECM) to make this cover fit at all.

I've ordered some neoprene strip - I'll post pics of the finished article!


So in summary....

La Rosa:
- Poor/chunky/unrefined design
- required some modification to fit the rear support bracket and rear mounting bolt
- doesn't cover the underseat components very well
- ECM cover seem unfit for purpose - doesn't really fit properly at all
- expensive
- seating position is maybe too high and not far enough forward - almost like simply raising the stock seat

West Eagle
- Much cleaner looks
- Underseat components are almost completely covered
- fits perfectly, though ECM portion needs some in-fill rubber
- cheaper
- seating position is a touch higher and further forward than stock (perfect for me)

 

Thanks for that. I currently have the Mother Road Customs kit, which is similar to the LaRoss but without the quality problems. Functionally it is very good, but I have similar, somewhat smaller gaps at the frame area.

The WestEagle does look better, but I can't seem to get past the $200+ plastic. Maybe EBay will have one.

Thanks again.

 

Have you had a look at Wild Hog in Italy, I know Warrs have used their products for their bobber builds, they definitely sell different saddles but not sure what their mounting kits are like, I've just ordered some military bags & hardware for my S, just got to wait a couple of weeks for delivery as everything is made to order.

 

Yeah, I do know what you mean about 'paying for plastic' but once fitted, it really makes no difference if it was plastic or metal - it doesn't get 'touched' by anything and to me looks far nicer/smother/better-shaped than the La Rosa / Mother Roads stuff - just my opinion, but actually the fact that those 2 are metal over the WE's plastic isn't a benefit - it weighs WAY more and just I think it looks clumsy.

The West Eagle kit isn't going to move, twist or be hit so there's no reason it should break or crack... my way of thinking is they're both doing the same job, they'll both be under no stress and therefore what do I prefer the look of.

Just my 2 cents though!

 

Nice stuff there - bit more expensive, but looks worth it. I can't see any seat mounting kits though.

Post pics when you get 'em though

 

How about a photo or 2 with the seat mounted?

TBH, after looking at these, I think the Harley Davidson parts (Seats and covers) are the nicest.

Too bad you can't get the large 1929 tractor seat for the Slim. You can, but HD ship the wrong battery/ computer cover. (For an X Bones, etc).

The Seat Harley sells for the Slim has a nice battery cover but the seat is not very popular. Still, I think the Harley mounting parts are very high quality.

Yesterday I mounted my Tractor Seat on my Slimboy, it took me less than 15 min, went for a 50 mile ride. I love the comfort and extra "suspension" over harsh bumps.

My own custom battery/'puter cover:




Compare seats:








I have the stock front mount on, I may try my chopped front mount today...

 

Here we go...

(I'll take more pics once I've done the rubber filler strip)

 

I hear you. It does look good in your pictures. I'm not totally against plastic. I just hate paying for it.


My ultimate plan is to convert to a post/pogo setup, and eventually relocate the ECM like JetFever's. The West Eagle and the HD kits hove holes where the springs are mounted and the West Eagle ECM cover is molded to the frame cover. This is the only thing holding me back from a better fitting frame cover.


I have several hammers and a drawer full of dollies that haven't been used in a while. I may just need to pound one out of some aluminum. Although WKNDS has the HD setup and he covered the holes nicely.

 

What ECM cover is his? Is it the Crossbones setup?

 

Yes, I think so. He has a thread on the installation, but I don't find it at the moment. He had the plastic frame cover wrapped in black leather after body-filling the holes.

Edit. This bike belongs to WKNDS. Between him and JetFever, and now yours, I see many options to clean up the under seat area.