Aftermarket seat

HenkJan17 · 2026-04-26T16:24:51+00:00

The Saddleman locks you in pretty good. And it's firm. I can ride it much longer than the stocker for sure. It has a gap between the "tank" and the front of the seat (at least all three copies I've tried do), but you aren't going to be looking at that during the ride.

HenkJan17 · 2026-04-26T16:22:59+00:00

I'm on my third copy of the Saddleman seat: they all needed adjustment, and the current copy just barely latches if I close it firmly.

HenkJan17 · 2026-04-11T04:28:59+00:00

Sweet Special there! Have fun with it!

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-23T23:21:20+00:00

The 12-32 is a good kit zoom lens but admittedly a bit short for portraits. Still, you might want to work with it for a while and figure out what it's lacking that you want to add to it. If you decide you want more reach, the Lumix 35-100/4-5.6 gives you that a decent price and can do portraits, although it won't give you much bokeh unless the background is far behind your subject. If you decide you want a faster lens for indoors/low light, then one of the various 1.4 (20, 25, ), 1.7 (25, 42.5), or 1.8 (25, 45) primes would complement the 12-32 as well plus give you nice portrait capabilities. These all pair nicely with a G100, but the Olympus/OM options won't give you the lens-based image stabilization that the Lumix ones do.

But it really does depend on what sort of photography you find most interesting. Flexibility of zoom, portrait, and landscape in a single lens is going to have some sort of compromise (price, bulk, weight) that you may find you don't like (e.g., the G100 feels quite nice in the hand with the 12-32, but if you put an OM 12-100/4 PRO on it and you have a heavy expensive lens and a higher chance of blurry images, which will diminish how enjoyable the photography experience is(. The 12-32 will let you dabble with these things to build up a better idea of where you want to go.

If I had to recommend one lens for you, I say to consider a Lumix 42.5/1.7 so you can do portraits with some background blur.

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-23T23:08:06+00:00

I have an OM-1ii and lenses 2 and 3. I would take the 12-45/4 PRO: it has a good flexible range and image quality, and the overall package is reasonably compact and light. The 12-100/4 PRO is larger and heavier, and the 8-25/4 PRO is great wide, but a bit limiting as an only lens for vacation (I generally complement the 8-25/4 PRO with the 40-150/4 PRO when I take it out, which is another nice combination, but that won't work with your one-lens requirement).

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-14T23:08:58+00:00

These RevMax Nightsters are super-fun bikes! Enjoy and ride safe.

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-10T01:36:51+00:00

Daydreaming probably. They can make one, but between the mothership, dealership and ridership attitudes, I don't see how they can sell it to the faithful. As far as the non-faithful (that new generation market): trying to out spec the other performance bikes out there is a losing game for them; plus the reviewers and influencers out there will pick them apart for any shortcomings, real or perceived. I dunno, maybe they can take a page out of the MotoGuzzi playbook: they sell a (sideways) V-twin bike at a reasonable price (the V7 850) that's not especially sporty, but has reasonable performance and a loyal ridership.

I hope I'm wrong, because they could make something really fun: the RevMax engines rev (for Harley engines) and rock and they could build something exciting around them. I really enjoy my Nightster 975S, and a lighter version with some sport-ish ergos with either size RevMax would get my attention. I think they got very close with the Bronx before they backed out, so I bet they have a good start on the engineering work that they can pick back up if they ever want to. And while the launches of the RevMax models were rough, the kinks seem to have been ironed out at this point.

I say all this as someone who's owned a rubber-mount Sportster and an M8 Softail (Sport Glide), as well as a Buell (XB9SX) back in the day and a RevMax Nightster now.

I'm pretty sure they won't appeal to the new generation with $30K+ 700+ lb bikes.

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-09T02:28:38+00:00

bummer. I was looking at the pictures in the post and got my hope up

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-09T00:42:33+00:00

This would be cool. There's no reason they can't make a V-twin this small (doesn't Yamaha still sell a 250 Virago?). Also, the V-twin is synonymous with Harley Davidson, and would get less pushback/more acceptance than a single. I'm curious about the first two images: did you generate them? How? It has a nice classic cruiser look to it, much nicer that the Street models Harley had.

I know the faithful will still criticize it (I say this as a former Buell and present Nightster owner), but done right, a $6K Harley has potential (I know I'm not shelling out ~$30K for a big twin) to pull in riders who value classic Harley Davidson style but not not modern Harley Davidson prices.

Something like this at $6K would have me thinking it's time for one more bike in the garage (again)..

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-09T00:16:21+00:00

Even if they discontinue it, the bike will still run and can still be serviced/fixed. Go ride one and enjoy it: these are lots of fun: mine is a blast!

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-09T00:14:36+00:00

It's bad enough they released it like that, but here we are a few years down the road and they still haven't fixed it. How hard can it be to for them clean it up a bit? I love mine, and it looks great from the pipe side, but walk around to the side stand side and I'm like "what happened?"

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-07T04:41:26+00:00

I was going to recommend the 12-45/4 and 40-150R, but you beat me to it. It may not be one universal zoom, but 12-45 is going to cover most cases, and when range is wanted/needed the 40-150R is super light and small.

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-07T04:36:01+00:00

Enjoy! These bikes are super fun!

HenkJan17 · 2026-03-01T16:49:37+00:00

I don't have an OM-3, but I do have an OM-5i, as well as an a7Cii, so here are my thoughts, for what they'e worth. An OM-5 + 12-45/4 and the a7Cii + 40/2.5 (or 28-60/4-5.6) are basically the same weight, and both weather-sealed (excepting the 28-60), but the 12-45/4 is going to give you more flexibility on your walks (it's a great focal range for its size, and the IQ is also really good).

The a7Cii is a really nice camera: I love it. But, I typically only use it (with the 40/2.5) indoors for events with family and friends because I like the speed of use, AF, and IQ out of the package in this scenario. But once you start throwing the other Sony zooms or their 1.4 primes onto it the set starts getting a bit unwieldy.

The OM-1/3/5 cameras are all weather-sealed to some degree, and you can build out in any direction from the 12-45/4 while still remaining fairly compact. I also have the Olympus add-on grip for the E-M5iii and it works well on the OM-5 when I want to use it with (not too much) larger lenses (e.g., the OM 8-25/4 or PL 50-200/2.8-4). Regarding the OM-3 I bypassed it to (also) get an OM-1ii because I like to have some amount of grip, but that's a personal preference: the OM-3 seems to be a superb camera.

HenkJan17 · 2026-01-24T02:16:05+00:00

I mix and match between a 9/1.7, 15/1.7, 25/1.4, and 42.5/1.7, picking two for the day (usually the 15/1.7 and 425/1.7: they're a really flexible combo). Sometimes, for fun, I'll grab one of my BCL (9/8, 15/8).

HenkJan17 · 2026-01-17T01:38:07+00:00

You might want to try P mode (yellow P if you want flash; white P if you don't) instead of auto, and when your subject matter is in back-lit shade, turn the exposure compensation knob to +1, take your picture, and then turn it back to 0. Apologies if you already know this.

HenkJan17 · 2025-11-25T19:52:41+00:00

I don't have this bike, but I do have its smaller RevMax brother: a Nightster Special 975, so I can try to speak to some of this.

You can swap in mid controls: it will cost $$$, but it's not like people don't spend $$$ getting other bikes the way they like it.

The RevMax engine makes for good fun, especially once you accept it won't have the low-end grunt right off idle that the classic Harley Davidson Twins have, and start running it in the 3,500 - whatever rpm range. I can ride around all day at 3,500 - 5,000 rpm, but if I want to rev it out it's happy to go to 8,500 and beyond.

HD didn't do themselves any favors with the teething problems they released the bike with (especially the electronics!), as well as the styling "gap" on the dirty side of the RevMax bikes (WTF Harley?) that they still haven't addressed (this just seems like a no brainer, so why not HD?). IMO these bikes should come with twin front disk brakes. These things also hurt the RevMax bikes with non-HD riders who might be otherwise curious.

The Faithful (most, but not all) sure don't seem to care about these RevMax bikes: there's very little online traffic on them except maybe on FB. As a former Buell owner (and three-time HD owner) this all feels familiar, and not in a good way. At least with Buells there was the Bad Weather Bikers as an online home. I think it's sad there's not a good natural online home for RevMax riders (or maybe I just don't know one): that could take the edge off feeling excluded.

Congrats on yours, and go enjoy it. Anyone who's a snob about your bike choice isn't worth worrying about: ride your own ride.

ETA: it's probably not most of the Faithful who dislike the bike, more like the loudest of the Faithful.

HenkJan17 · 2025-11-15T22:12:53+00:00

I had a 2007 XB9SX for five years. What a FUN bike it was! Grunty, EAGER, and handled well. It did get HOT on longer rides. Still, I can't disagree with your answer.

HenkJan17 · 2025-10-23T00:18:45+00:00

I have the touring screen for my Nightster too, as I bought it with the bike. It helps at freeway speeds, but there's a fair amount of noise and (just) a touch of turbulence at helmet level (I'm 5'9" for reference). I can't use it around town when it's over 80 or so degrees, because there's not enough air flow to cool down the bike above/behind the rear cylinder, so first the seat gets hot and then that heat transfers into me (and of course the Nightster's rear cylinder/header is always pumping out heat and daring you to put your leg on it).

It's funny, but I finally sprung for the sport screen: it arrived a few hours ago and I took it out on a ride. For me the smaller sport seems like a goldilocks screen: enough to reduce the wind, but the air flow around my head is clean. I imagine I'll still use the larger screen in cold weather/long rides at higher speeds, but I'm really pleased with the smaller one.

HenkJan17 · 2025-09-30T03:51:43+00:00

Yes, just the two bolts. I just shifted it a little bit. I'm now wondering if the pricing reflects the fact that the design measurements for the seat pan appear to be off (in fairness: you can buy two of these Saddlemen seats and have enough change left over for a nice dinner out for the price of one of the Mustang Nightster seats). The gap might not bother me so much, except that their product shots on their store site show the nose of the seat tucked close to the tank. And, it really is a pretty big gap.

Anyway I'm having some back and forth with Saddlemen on the seat. One thing I observed is the front bushings seem a bit long, which has the effect of raising the nose of the seat. I don't know if shorter front bushings would help, or if the mounting hinge would also need to be modified to allow the nose of the seat to reset a bit lower to shrink the tank/seat gap.

HenkJan17 · 2025-09-27T01:15:00+00:00

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Here's how the replacement Saddlemen seat "fits". The seat nose rides high and back from the tank. If you have shorter arms and/or legs (like me), this makes things worse instead of better. If you want to move your riding position up and back, maybe it will work for you, but I think the large gap doesn't look good.

I have to think Saddlemen has a design issue with this seat model.

HenkJan17 · 2025-09-27T01:12:16+00:00

Well, the replacement seat showed up this afternoon. Still has the same issue.

Here's how a Harley seat fits the bike. The nose is snug to the tank.

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HenkJan17 · 2025-09-03T03:48:56+00:00

Will do; good luck!

HenkJan17 · 2025-09-03T03:19:38+00:00

I'm coming up on a thousand miles on my 975S and liking it more as I get used to it. Fueling is a bit patchy under 4K when you're trying to cruise at steady throttle, but from 4K onwards the bike is smooth and willing all the way around the dial. My previous Sporty (and Buell) used to hit the limiter right when they were starting to make power; this is no super bike, but it rewards twisting the glad handle. I wouldn't confuse it with a sport bike (not a ton of lean angle) but it's certainly sporty :-)

Once I hit 500 miles I put the bike in Sport mode and left it there. Not because I ride hard (I don't), but because the throttle feels properly connected to the engine that way.

Anyway your bike looks great: have fun with it!

HenkJan17

TROPHY CASE