Tested: Yamaha YZ450F Wide and Tall Seat by Guts Racing 2

The latest generation Yamaha YZ450F has somewhat of an unusual seat shape, which is much more rounded and not the traditional design found on most of the competition. After a couple of months on the YZF, I asked Guts Racing owner Andy Gregg about their wide top seat foam, wanting to see how the Yamaha would feel with something I'm a bit more familiar with. Because I am 6'2", I also asked for the +25mm taller foam, chose the hard density, and also got a Guts Racing gripper seat cover to install over the new foam to complete the upgrade.

Guts Racing Wide Top Seat Foam

• Wider/squarer shape than a stock foam.  
• Seat foam injection molded to fit the stock plastic seat base.
• Available in soft, medium, or hard firmness.
• Also available in stock or taller height options. (+14mm and +25mm)
• Wide Top Seat Foam MSRP $99.99
• Gripper Seat Cover with Gas Cap Cover (Staple Installation) MSRP $79.99

First Impressions

Admittedly, this was the first seat foam I'd replaced on a bike, so I was curious to see how big of a difference I would feel. Immediately, I noticed the hard-density foam was drastically harder than OEM. I thought I maybe should have ordered the medium version, as the hard density didn't have much give, and I was wondering how my butt would feel after a day of riding with it. Now the most noticeable part was the square shape. As mentioned above, the Yamaha YZ450F has a fairly round seat foam and I didn't realize how round it was until I was holding the more traditionally shaped square foam in my hands. Lastly, I ordered a new seat base from Yamaha for this installation and noted that the Guts foam molding lined up perfectly with the base. All that was left to do was glue the foam to the base and install the cover.

Installation

I took the foam and seat base to a local upholsterer because I wanted to ensure it was securely fashioned. The upholstery shop sprayed the base with glue, installed the foam in about five minutes, and didn't even charge me. It dried in minutes as well. I then installed the seat cover myself using a pneumatic staple gun. Guts Racing has tutorial videos on how to do this properly. It can be a bit tedious, but it is not super difficult. You can also order the Velcro installation option if stapling your cover is something you don't want to tackle.

On the Track

Within the first lap, I knew I liked the wider, square shape of the new foam. It made gripping with your legs much easier than the more rounded OEM foam. The stock Yamaha seat felt thin around the edges, and I could feel the base when squeezing or when I was way up on the front of the seat in a corner. With the Wide-Top foam, that was no longer a factor. That wider area to grip added a higher level of bike control and more comfort. The optional 25mm height was also a bonus for me. It is a noticeably easier transition from sitting to standing, making cornering more fluid. The taller foam also flattened out the seat shape, which I liked. It did take away a bit of that 'pocket' the shorter foam provides when sitting all the way up on the seat, such as when you are doing a start, but there is still a small one where the seat meets the fuel cap cover. I feel I can still 'lock in' with no issues for a start or when cornering. After the first 30 minutes on the Guts seat, I returned to the OEM seat, and that was when it became most noticeable. I felt like I was sitting very low, and my knees were too high. It was awkward and less comfortable, so I went right back to the Guts seat. The hard-density foam and concerns about my rear-end chaffing haven't been an issue. So far, I have ridden numerous practice days in a row doing multiple 15-20 minute motos, raced with the new seat, and have had no chaffing or rawness. The gripper-style seat cover adds even more grip to the upgraded foam, ensuring I wasn't sliding around or looking for traction on the seat.

Durability

I've put in approximately 25 hours on the Guts Racing seat foam and it hasn't broken down any at this time. I have been told it's better to remove the seat when washing because less water gets inside the cover which could potentially deteriorate the foam's structure, so I do that most of the time. There is always the potential to do damage to the seat in a crash, but so far, it's held up through normal use. The average weekend warrior should get a lot of life out of the seat foam and cover.

Final Thoughts

I find the Wide-Top foam a vast improvement over the OEM foam for my height and build. The Yamaha stock seat is one of the few places the YZ450F is lacking, and adding the Guts Racing foam was a step up. The increased ability to grip and added comfort were enough to spend the $99.99 in my opinion. If I had it to repeat, I would choose the medium seat density over the hard, just to get a little more comfort, but I don't hate the hard density either. Ultimately, I will continue to use the Guts seat over the OEM because I believe it is significantly better. You can visit GutsRacing.com and see all they have to offer.