You've probably had a few Harley Davidson moments.
You know the ones; they stay with you forever.
Here's one of mine.

     Growing up in the inner city of eastside Indianapolis, my folks would daily dispatch me to run errands for them. In 1961 when I was nine, Dad sent me to the drug store very late one afternoon. Near dusk as I was cutting through an adjacent neighborhood heading to the drug store, I notice a small crowd had gathered at the intersection of N. Dorman St. and E. Vermont St. (very near the former Pepsi-Cola Bottling Plant). Bear in mind this was not a large intersection. It was located in a working class neighborhood of small homes.

     A young African American gent wearing the traditional Marlon Brando, “Wild One “ style motorcycle riding cap of that era, was riding solo on a beautiful blue FLH. From his motorcycle a personal trick riding show was being put on for the neighbors. His Harley would have had a Panhead engine for sure, perhaps a Duo-Glide model, since this was before the Electra-glide (1965) came out. This cycle was loaded to the max with chrome. It also had one of those big spring mounted white leather "Buddy" seats adorned with white fringe. In addition, the cycle was fitted with highly embellished black leather saddlebags of which the lids had white fringe as well. The rear of this machine was nicely loaded up with bullet lights...awesome bullet lights.

These two images taken at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee remind me of the motorcycle I saw that night.

     Neighborhood folks on the sidewalk were mesmerized with the tricks and stunts this rider was doing on his cycle. He would zip back and forth standing on the seat. However, what really caught my attention was... now picture this... while the cycle was moving, this gent would dismount from his seat and place his left foot on the RIGHT footboard. Then he would be riding in a squatting position hanging onto the right side of the cycle like a sidecar with his head about the same height as his arms. At that point he would extend his right leg straight out in the direction of the front wheel. He would balance the cycle while moving and meander around the intersection with graceful agility and confidence, to a perfect level of poise. Honestly, it was a show!

After this exhibition, he would jump back onto the seat while the cycle was still moving. Then he dismounted again putting his right foot on the LEFT footboard and repeating the same maneuvers. Have any of you ever seen this type of stunt/trick riding done on a big, full-size HOG? Some people must surely possess a God-given uncanny sense of balance. 

For the life of me I can't fathom someone being able to perform such stupendous feats of balance on a large moving motorcycle. I saw this with my own eyes and remember it just like it was yesterday. That display of masterful, motorcycle riding magic has never dimmed from my memory. 

A few days later I went back to that intersection and inquired of the neighbors if that gent lived in the area. I was anxious to see this trick riding show again. However, I was told that the “trick rider” lived on the west side of town. I would return several more times in the future, but never saw him perform his trick riding skills again, to my deepest disappointment.

This experience was another one of those Harley Davidson moments I will never forgot. 

For me it was experiences like this that served as a catalyst allowing me to dream of someday owning my own Harley-Davidson Motorcycle. My dream came true, when I picked up my first brand new motorcycle at Indianapolis Southside Harley-Davidson Sales & Service (1997). What a blessing it has been.

When it comes to choosing the right Harley seats, comfort and ergonomics are important factors to consider. Having confidence that you have found the right Harley seat for your ride is essential.

The Harley Davdison “try it before you buy it” concept drives this idea home with the Harley Davidson Seats Demo Program.

Being able to demo new seats on your own motorcycle prior to purchase allows you to experience the proper fit, function and style firsthand, so you know you've made the right choice.

Demo Seat Options

Understand the options available, along with specific features and benefits. This will help you make purchase decisions that are right for you.

Harley Davidson offers a wide range of seat types to
accommodate any rider's needs, whether you are looking
for comfort and/or style in a solo or two-up seat.

Ergonomic/Position Seats –
Designed to place shorter or taller riders in the best relationship to the controls for a confident, comfortable ride.

• Reduced Reach® and Super Reduced Reach® Seats are tailored to shorter riders

• Tallboy® Seat is specifically made to allow taller riders some room to stretch out

Touring Seats –
Designed for rider and passenger comfort.

• Sundowner™ Seat is a staple – the benchmark for seating comfort. It combines a deep bucket design with generous padding to deliver maximum comfort for both rider and passenger

• Premium Comfort Seats include:

• Signature Series® (for Softail® and Dyna® models) –
Deep bucketed seat with an adjustable, integrated rider backrest provides extreme touring comfort for riders

• Harley® Hammock (for Touring models) –
Incorporates a revolutionary suspension system for rider and passenger, providing additional isolation from road shock to improve long haul comfort and endurance. Available with or without heat

• Road Zeppelin® (for Touring models) –
Ultimate, long ride comfort seat utilizes an air bladder system that allows the rider/passenger to adjust for pressure points on the seat

Harley-Davidson® seats are quality constructed for maximum durability with high-quality vinyl and leather seat covers as well as form-fitting molded seat pans optimized to provide maximum comfort and durability.

Remember, switching out your seat is simple. And because certain rides call for certain styles, you may want to have a choice of seats available to match the occasion – a comfortable, supportive touring seat for longer treks and a low-profile seat for a night on the town.

Quick Tips

Demo seats are easy to spot on our sales floor. They are clearly marked with the word “Demo.” Ask our Motorcycle or Parts & Accessories Specialists to show you the demo seat options available and arrange for you to try them out firsthand.

The following is a list of the demo seats we currently have available:

If we don't have the Demo Seat you are looking for, just let us know and if we have one instock you may still be able to try it out.

     Jim Kersting a long time Harley dealer in North Judson Indiana has a nice 40,000 square foot facility, a portion being Kersting’s World of Motorcycles Museum. Of which 10,000+ square foot is a separate museum of motorcycles and other related memorabilia. This wonderful museum is open to the public. I have visited the museum and had the pleasure of meeting Jim Kersting personally, on several occasions now. Jim shared with me an interesting story about the oldest Harley-Davidson motorcycle in his collection. 

     It seems his mailman heard of an older lady in the Logansport IN area who had a very old Harley Davidson. This Harley had been in a farmhouse attic for decades. Then it was removed from the attic and stored in the basement for about 10 years. At that time there had been a death in the family and it was being discussed to take the cycle to the dump. Being a serious collector of all sorts of motorcycles, especially Harleys, Jim thought he would check this rumor out.

     He approached the owner of the old Harley, and she invited him to the basement to take a peek. What Jim found was a 1910 Harley-Davidson, which had been partially disassembled.  The engine was out of the frame and the wheels removed as well. It showed signs of normal wear and tear, but all the parts seemed to be there. One oddity about it was that the front fender had nearly no paint on it. The rest of the old machine still had the original paint on it.  She advised Jim that her father had perhaps bought it new.

     Jim advised her that he was interested in buying it. She told Jim that she had talked to a man in North Carolina over the phone and he had offered her $500.00. She had not made any commitment to sell it, but told him that she would think about it. Jim decided to make her an offer. He said “Ma’m, I won’t give you five hundred dollars for the bike, but I will give you three thousand six hundred dollars for it.” The lady was quite pleased with this new offer. However out of fairness she asked Jim to talk to the man in North Carolina and give him a chance to offer more or decline from buying it.

     The Lady called the man in North Carolina and handed Jim the phone to talk to him. Jim told him he was making a higher offer of $3,600.00 and asked him if he desired to make a higher offer. Ultimately, Jim and this man made an agreement that Jim would buy the motorcycle for $3,600.00 on his behalf. Then an agreed time was set that he would come from North Carolina to reimburse Jim and take possession of it. Jim paid for it and stored it for the man but after an unreasonable period of time the man in NC did not keep his side of the agreement. Several conversations took place but he continued to break his word pertaining to their agreement. After realizing that the man in North Carolina was messing with him, Jim decided he was keeping the bike and this whole discussion was over.

                                                           Mr. Kersting and his 1910 Harley-Davidson motorcycle

     Jim took the motorcycle to his dealership, it was re-assembled cleaned up and eventually a very talented craftsman/artist painted the formerly stripped front fender to match the distressed old original paint job.  You have to look very close to see difference, it was amazing! Jim and his son bolted up the motor into the frame, then added fresh gas and oil. They started peddling the old scoot and soon with a little adjusting, it was running. Soon thereafter they felt it was ready to ride and in their excitement, despite it being an Indiana rainy day, they rode around the shop parking lot in the rain, with much delight.

     This old Harley has an interesting accessory. It is a vintage seat set up for riding two-up. It is bolted to the frame and is actually a rear tandem seat with a place for the passenger’s feet. Mr. Kersting and I agree that this vintage tandem seat may actually be more rare than the cycle itself.

     Sometime later after Jim had gotten the cycle put together and running, the gent from North Carolina called and said he was going to come up to Indiana and get the old Harley. Jim advised this party, “Hey, you better bring an Army with ya.” The man was never heard from again.

Two-up Riding Accessory: Rear Tandem Seat

    It was delightful to do a fun group ride with my Southside H.O.G. Chapter #1242 in May. Our ride captain had called ahead and Mr. Kersting met us at the museum with a fresh pot of coffee and hospitality that was par-excellent. Such gracious hospitality as is always rendered at my home shop of Indianapolis Southside Harley Davidson.

     Our group was given a personal tour and many questions were answered. I asked Mr. Kersting which cycle was his favorite and with a smirk he answered, “oh I guess the last one I just bought.” Then he got serious and said he was very fond of his original 1957 Sportster. 1957 being the first year this model was made.

     Harley Dealer, Bob Schulteti of Indianapolis Southside Harley Davidson also has a smaller, but nice collection of vintage Harleys. His collection covers nearly every decade of production. On special occasions these machines are moved from the mezzanine display area and brought down on the floor for folks to get a closer look and enjoy.

     My personal favorite image is of Mr. Jim Kersting and his deceased wife Nella, riding the old 1910 rescued Harley-Davidson in 1996.

      This piece is dedicated to the memory Mrs. Nella Kersting. She was the love of Jim’s life.  Nella and Jim were in a motorcycle accident in 2003. During this incident Nella passed away and Jim was critically injured. Jim survived and loves being the curator of his museum.

      - Randall K. (Randy) Wilson