Few farkle decisions are as much of a pain in the butt as saddle upgrades. Until now, the range of available options for adventure bikes was rather slim. Every year more custom saddle makers dot the horizon, each offering their own versions of saddle-sore salvation. Most of them will re-skin your existing seat pan, and while this makes for a very cost-effective solution, downtime and lack of a fallback stock saddle when you’re done will deter some. The only other option is to buy a saddle from a company that makes their own seat pans, although this route is often more expensive.

If you’re able to spring for the extra two hundred dollars for a new seat, we recommend getting one with a new pan. With this option you’ll still be able to compare the upgrade over stock right away. Also, aftermarket pans allow the most flexibility in changing seating surface properties from seat shape (width and depth) to stiffness. Although well known for high quality saddle re-covering, Sargent Saddles lacked a custom seat pan—until now that is. With the introduction of Sargent’s World Sport platform, they’ve stepped into the ring swinging with their Carbon Tec seat pans.

Aside from foam and vinyl or leather, the heftiest part of any saddle is the pan itself. Corbin’s saddles, known for being very comfortable, are often very heavy, and most of this weight comes from their custom-molded seat pans. Since saddles sit high on the bike, saving weight directly under your tush goes a long way in minimizing handling changes to the bike when rowing through corners, or in situations where you must pick up a fallen bike. One great feature about Sargent’s Carbon Tec seat pan is it’s not much lighter than the usually flimsy stock seat pans, but is much more rigid providing a more supportive seating platform.

Sargent’s Super Cell Atomic Foam optional built-in heated elements, and first-class craftsmanship, make the World Sport Performance saddles a definite consideration for your dual-sport adventure bike. The rear seat is also wider and flatter, which got rid of the crown that causes sores for passengers and tippy luggage on our Versys demo bike. We can feel a huge reduction in sore spots after a few hundred miles on the Versys—known for a notoriously uncomfortable stock saddle.

While we love the look, construction and light weight of the World Sport line, we wish our sample had deeper, more level platform often found on Corbin and Saddlemen designs. The dishing, or widening, was wonderful and a great improvement over stock, but we sometimes prefer more bum cuddling for extended rides. This may or may not be a problem on your particular bike, but the Versys has a particularly aggressive forward slant we would like to have leveled out for greater long distance comfort.

Available for most popular adventure dual-sport bikes (such as KLX250s to KLR650s to Yamaha Super Teneres and BMW1200GSes) and they probably have one for your mount, too. From the custom seat pan to the supportive foam and improved rider, pillion and luggage comfort, Sargent’s World Sport Performance saddles are definitely worth checking out. Do your butt a favor. MSRP: Approx. $429.99 SargentCycle.com