LouDiamond
De Oppresso Liber - UTVUnderground Approved
I recently installed a set of Twisted Stitch EXCEL seats after having seen them advertised and seen them installed in a RZR. I've gone for several rides in them and here are my initial finds and thoughts on them. The seats were purchased through UTV Inc and arrived quickly despite being a custom order.
BUILD/CRAFTSMANSHIP: The seats are very well made and show good attention to detail. The result is a very professional and finished looking product that uses quality fabrics/materials. I ordered the seats with tweed fabric on a portion of the seat and the rest is vinyl.
INSTALLATION: The seats utilize the stock RZR base unless you ask for the built in base which is at an additional cost/fee. I used the stock seat bases and as such had to remove them from the stock RZR seats and install them on the EXCEL seats. The process is straight forward, remove the seats from the RZR and remove each base using a Torx bit 27 (T27), this bit looks like a six point star. The seat bases on my RZR had a light coat of dust so the screw and washer placement was easy to see once they screws were removed. This proved useful when mounting the bases to the EXCEL seat as it gave me an idea of where to position the bases initially so that the excel seat was close to the right distance I needed from the steering wheel. The EXCEL seats are not as upright as the stock seats so expect to have to make a small adjustment to the base once you have it in, it will either have to go a bit more forward or back than what was used for the stock seat depending on your height.
FIT/COMFORT: The EXCEL seat is a containment seat and as such has high sides on the vertical and horizontal portions of the seat compared to a stock seat. This results in very little to no movement laterally when driving aggressively and gives the feeling of being locked into the vehicle. The seat or cushion portion of the seat is held in place with velcro to allow for different cushions to be used and for cleaning. The factory cushion is approximately the width of a dollar bill(see picture) tall and is firm feeling. Combined with the material portion of the seat and the type 3 nylon cord (550 lbs tensile strength), the same that is used for military parachute suspension lines, the overall feel is typical for suspension seats in that you don't feel the bumps up your back and in your seat like you normally would with stock seats.
REMOVAL: The EXCEL seats have large openings in the seat at the head and at the waist to allow for a 4 or 5 point harness to thread through. I had TS install a anti-submarine strap at no additional cost to the front of the seat to hold the strap in place, keeping it off the floor and making it easier to grasp when seated in the seat and buckling up. This makes for easy removal of the seat yet also holds the belt straps in position while installed. Removing the seat is easy as there is enough room to get your hand behind the seat to reach the seat latch and release it. The belts can quickly be removed from the seat prior to releasing the latch and removing the seat.
OBSERVATIONS: It must be stressed that these are containment seats and as such, may not be for everyone as they are restrictive compared to the stock seats and depending on ones girth, may be uncomfortable. Others with a 38" waist have said that they fit comfortably in the seat no problem but I think that may be subjective based on ones preferences. Having a 30" waist and a 38" chest/torso (see pictures), I find the seats to be snug with little room to wiggle around in. I cannot sit in the seat comfortably with my cell phone on my waist as it bites into the seat and my waist. I stress this issue as I want people who do not have the ability to sit in one of these seats before they purchase it to be surprised when it shows up at their door.
The inside distance from side to side of the seat is approximately 15" (see pictures) and holds the legs and lower body snug in position when seated. Getting in and out of this seat is not as straight forward as it is with the stock seat. The seat extends forward more than the stock seat and requires you to step in and up and over the side of the seat to sit down into the seat. Likewise, getting out of the seat requires that you pull yourself forward and up and out of the seat and then rotate your legs out. I am approximately 5' 7" tall and the distance between the front of the body of the RZR and the seat is approximately 10" (see pictures). The height of the side of the seat from the baseboard is approximately 13 1/2" (see picture). The seats do not extend outside the RZR any more than the stock seats do so those wishing to use doors on the RZR with this seat do not have to use wide doors(see pictures)
The seat is not straight backed like the stock seat, meaning it is not at a 90 degree angle, it has a slight lean backwards. For the very tall, this may prove to be an issue as it leaves little room between the back of the seat and the bed of the RZR. Adjusted all the way back may be possible but it may also make removing the seat via the latch a bit more difficult. If two EXCEL seats are installed, there is a smaller space between the seats than stock but the seat themselves do not touch (see picture).
CONCLUSION: These seats are very well made and function as they were designed, to contain the occupant and eliminate movement. For those who are looking for a seat that for all practical purposes is a race seat, this is it. It is comfortable for long rides, it is easy to install/remove with 4/5 point restraints and it is only slightly heavier than stock(exact weights not known). In my opinion, this seat is not for everyone as it makes getting in and out of the RZR a bit difficult and it's width/size is tight. Overall, I am pleased with the EXCEL seat and recommend it as long as people realize this seats design and function may not be for everyone. I would recommend that anyone who is unsure about it, to try and sit in one BEFORE purchasing to ensure you fit comfortably and that it fits your driving style.
BUILD/CRAFTSMANSHIP: The seats are very well made and show good attention to detail. The result is a very professional and finished looking product that uses quality fabrics/materials. I ordered the seats with tweed fabric on a portion of the seat and the rest is vinyl.
INSTALLATION: The seats utilize the stock RZR base unless you ask for the built in base which is at an additional cost/fee. I used the stock seat bases and as such had to remove them from the stock RZR seats and install them on the EXCEL seats. The process is straight forward, remove the seats from the RZR and remove each base using a Torx bit 27 (T27), this bit looks like a six point star. The seat bases on my RZR had a light coat of dust so the screw and washer placement was easy to see once they screws were removed. This proved useful when mounting the bases to the EXCEL seat as it gave me an idea of where to position the bases initially so that the excel seat was close to the right distance I needed from the steering wheel. The EXCEL seats are not as upright as the stock seats so expect to have to make a small adjustment to the base once you have it in, it will either have to go a bit more forward or back than what was used for the stock seat depending on your height.
FIT/COMFORT: The EXCEL seat is a containment seat and as such has high sides on the vertical and horizontal portions of the seat compared to a stock seat. This results in very little to no movement laterally when driving aggressively and gives the feeling of being locked into the vehicle. The seat or cushion portion of the seat is held in place with velcro to allow for different cushions to be used and for cleaning. The factory cushion is approximately the width of a dollar bill(see picture) tall and is firm feeling. Combined with the material portion of the seat and the type 3 nylon cord (550 lbs tensile strength), the same that is used for military parachute suspension lines, the overall feel is typical for suspension seats in that you don't feel the bumps up your back and in your seat like you normally would with stock seats.
REMOVAL: The EXCEL seats have large openings in the seat at the head and at the waist to allow for a 4 or 5 point harness to thread through. I had TS install a anti-submarine strap at no additional cost to the front of the seat to hold the strap in place, keeping it off the floor and making it easier to grasp when seated in the seat and buckling up. This makes for easy removal of the seat yet also holds the belt straps in position while installed. Removing the seat is easy as there is enough room to get your hand behind the seat to reach the seat latch and release it. The belts can quickly be removed from the seat prior to releasing the latch and removing the seat.
OBSERVATIONS: It must be stressed that these are containment seats and as such, may not be for everyone as they are restrictive compared to the stock seats and depending on ones girth, may be uncomfortable. Others with a 38" waist have said that they fit comfortably in the seat no problem but I think that may be subjective based on ones preferences. Having a 30" waist and a 38" chest/torso (see pictures), I find the seats to be snug with little room to wiggle around in. I cannot sit in the seat comfortably with my cell phone on my waist as it bites into the seat and my waist. I stress this issue as I want people who do not have the ability to sit in one of these seats before they purchase it to be surprised when it shows up at their door.
The inside distance from side to side of the seat is approximately 15" (see pictures) and holds the legs and lower body snug in position when seated. Getting in and out of this seat is not as straight forward as it is with the stock seat. The seat extends forward more than the stock seat and requires you to step in and up and over the side of the seat to sit down into the seat. Likewise, getting out of the seat requires that you pull yourself forward and up and out of the seat and then rotate your legs out. I am approximately 5' 7" tall and the distance between the front of the body of the RZR and the seat is approximately 10" (see pictures). The height of the side of the seat from the baseboard is approximately 13 1/2" (see picture). The seats do not extend outside the RZR any more than the stock seats do so those wishing to use doors on the RZR with this seat do not have to use wide doors(see pictures)
The seat is not straight backed like the stock seat, meaning it is not at a 90 degree angle, it has a slight lean backwards. For the very tall, this may prove to be an issue as it leaves little room between the back of the seat and the bed of the RZR. Adjusted all the way back may be possible but it may also make removing the seat via the latch a bit more difficult. If two EXCEL seats are installed, there is a smaller space between the seats than stock but the seat themselves do not touch (see picture).
CONCLUSION: These seats are very well made and function as they were designed, to contain the occupant and eliminate movement. For those who are looking for a seat that for all practical purposes is a race seat, this is it. It is comfortable for long rides, it is easy to install/remove with 4/5 point restraints and it is only slightly heavier than stock(exact weights not known). In my opinion, this seat is not for everyone as it makes getting in and out of the RZR a bit difficult and it's width/size is tight. Overall, I am pleased with the EXCEL seat and recommend it as long as people realize this seats design and function may not be for everyone. I would recommend that anyone who is unsure about it, to try and sit in one BEFORE purchasing to ensure you fit comfortably and that it fits your driving style.
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