The '10 Wide Glide looks pretty...
The '10 Wide Glide looks pretty sweet with the sprung seat installed.
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A sprung solo seat is a great way to achieve the retro look. It's a small, simple, and a timeless classic that has been around for years and isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
When Harley re-released the Dyna Wide Glide as a 2010 model, it received praise for being reminiscent to the bare-bones bobbers from yesteryear that both younger and elder audiences could appreciate.
Taking the Wide Glide's traditional styling back even further, Harley released a new Leather Solo Spring Saddle ($269.95) available in black or distressed brown that fits Dynas, Softails, and Sportsters. We felt this installation to be a no-brainer by fusing the old-school-looking bike with an old-school-style seat. The two-tone black leather covering the metal seatpan provides a very minimal look with enough padding to avoid the always-pleasant hemorrhoid flare-up. In other words it's comfy enough for around-town cruising, but for long hauls, hang on to the stock pad. After all, compromising comfort for cool is just a small price to pay. Also, you'll need the model-specific Spring Seat Installation Kit ($229.95) to install this seat on your bike.
We had a '10 Dyna Wide Glide that we wanted to try the new saddle on. Installation was simple and took about 20-30 minutes to complete. You should have a factory service manual on hand and of course the provided installation instructions close by for reference.
01.
Pictured are the black...
01.
Pictured are the black leather seat, and the Spring Seat Installation Kit, which includes seat mounting brackets, springs, hardware, frame cover, and leather treatment.
02.
We got started by installing...
02.
We got started by installing the leather frame cover with the provided hardware. The left side required a provided spacer (arrow) so that the seat mounting bracket sat flush.
03.
The bulk of the install...
03.
The bulk of the install required the mounting of the sprung saddle to the rear-mounting bracket via the two springs. We then tightened the springs with the provided hardware to factory specs.
04.
The front pivot bracket...
04.
The front pivot bracket was then installed to the seat with the provided hardware and the collared washers were fit into place (arrows).
05.
Lastly, the seat was...
05.
Lastly, the seat was placed on the bike and the front mounting bracket was tightened down first on the outside of the rear gas tank-mounting tab with the provided hardware. The rear-mounting bracket was then tightened down to factory spec and installation was complete.
06.
The stock Wide Glide...
06.
The stock Wide Glide comes with the pillion pad, and you can choose to either remove it for a solo rider, or keep it on so your gal can still go on rides with you; it's up to you. Notice how nicely the pair match, almost as if the stock setup could come this way.