Considering a Le Pera “Cherokee” seat for your motorcycle? I recommend it. An excellent balance of form, and function.
I usually run a Le Pera “Silhouette Solo”. It is almost perfect for me: just the right combination of width, and firmness. And it looks great. I have done 600+ km (375 mile) all day rides on the Silhouette … with the help of soft luggage to lean on. For me, the only thing it lacks is the obvious: back support.
That’s where the “Cherokee” comes in. It appears to be about the same width, thickness, and firmness, with the added plus of outstanding lower back support. And all while still looking (I think) really, really good.
Now, tassels and conchos are not really my thing. A little OTT for me. So I would honestly have preferred the plain side, pleated stitch version. It is available as an option but only to suit later model ‘wide tyre’ Softails. Since I picked this one up on eBay for a very low price — brand new, but with a tear in the cover, which I repaired well enough with Loctite Vinyl Fabric & Plastic Flexible Adhesive — I decided to live with it.
But I really couldn’t abide the original (and oh so cliched) Western Star concho. Cheap, flimsy, a bit “wanky”. I first tried painting it black, hoping to disguise it as much as possible.
Dissatisfied with that, I went back to eBay. “Kristi” from West Coast Tack kindly helped out with a couple of attractive, and much higher quality alternatives, produced by Jeremiah Watt. Much better! Now only to settle on which of the two I prefer.
More photographs: Psalmistice on Flickr
PSALMISTICE 
Great pictures of the seat. Thank you. I have been looking to find a more comfortable “touring” type seat and your pics made up my mind. I have the Le Pera Bare Bones. Although I love the seat, long rides kill my back. Thank your for such detailed pictures and comments. You have a great looking bike.
It’s a fantastic seat Brady. The back support is brilliant. And it looks killer imho … I now like how it looks even more than the Silhouette Solo. Cheers mate 🙂
what kind of handlebars are those?
Carlini “Evil Springer” model.
hi colin, how is the seat on longer rides? i’m looking at this for 400+ miles-a-day type rides. the back support looks great but wondering about the cushioning. appreciate any feedback.
Hi Sam,
I’m afraid that I can’t offer you good feedback re rides of that length as I’ve only done around 300km (188 miles) in a day longest with the Cherokee so far.
What I can tell you is that from experience so far, I expect it would be far better than my LePera Silhouette solo for long days, and I’ve done 1,000km (625+ miles) days on that.
If you prefer a soft-feeling (plush, cushioned) seat, don’t get the Cherokee. It is definitely a firmer feel than a lot of the touring-style seats, but I actually find that far better for long days. Reason being is I have a crook back, and a firmer seat that is just the right width (not too wide) means I can move around on the seat slightly, just to slightly alter my back angle occasionally and take stress off the lower back muscles and bulged disk. With plush cushioned seats (eg, the standard H-D Bad Boy seat), I find my butt is “sunk” in one spot, and it’s awkward to make those slight little moves forward or backward or whatever to change the pressure points. With a firm seat like the Silhouette and Cherokee, it’s easy; I do it almost unconsciously. I find the same thing with car seats, to be honest; firm seats like I had a in a Mercedes some years ago were far better for long trips interstate than other, softer seats.
The back support on the Cherokee is as good as it looks – outstanding, imho.
Hope this helps, let me know if you want any clarification.
Take care,
Colin
P.S. The Cherokee is thicker than the Silhouette, but not by a lot, and it feels like the same (firm) density foam to me. If you want I can take measurements for you but you’ll have to wait till I return from Russia in January.
that’s helpful, thanks for the info. i’m thinking of going the cherokee route with gel option, and you’ve helped make my decision. happy new year.
I’m convinced, I’m getting the La Pera Cherokee seat. I’m looking on getting the exact luggage rack you have on the. Can you help with part number or photos on how it bolts down on the inside the sides of the fender?
Hi Thomas, I apologise for the belated reply. I don’t have a Harley OEM part number for the luggage rack; depending on your bike’s year model it may require a slightly different one to mine, due fender width.
Here is an aftermarket example, same design as the OEM rack on my bike.
I don’t have it fitted presently, but you will find the “legs” slip between the fender and the tail light bracket, and go to the rear-most fender bolts.
Take care to cover your fender beforehand: it’s a little awkward to fit, and you could very easily scratch the fender.