If the Diablo is harder then how can it be more comfortable. The stock seat really does suck! Is the Diablo the better seat or is one of the other name brands better? Thanks for any input, really would like to get a better butt cushion.
As a general principle, when sitting normally, the sit bones support the body's weight and have the capability to withstand high pressure, but if you're not supporting the body's weight on the sit bones properly it will feel uncomfortable.
Probably the best known tech in the cycling world employing this ideology is
Brooks Saddles, a series of leather saddles designed for bicycle riders who value comfort over price or weight. The principle for choosing a Brooks saddle is that the saddle feels good at first, and gets better over time. The way this works and why they're made from leather is that under conditions of heat, moisture and pressure, leather will deform to support the rider's sit bones and pressure points resulting in a comfort fit specific to your butt. There's a bit more to it, but that's the general ideology, and it holds true across all the other manufacturers.
Honda had a different idea of what was good in terms of saddles to the NA market reality, which is why it feels so uncomfortable for us. I often say, "Someone at Honda worked really hard to make such an uncomfortable seat" which is very true.
As someone who spent 10.5h on the Diablo seat yesterday, with enough time to recover and say "could I do it all again today", the Diablo seat and likely most of those aftermarket seats from Thailand are head and shoulders above the stock seat. If you're thinking, "should I?" I would point out that the resale potential for such a seat with a good reputation is extremely high, so it's likely that you won't be too much out of pocket if it doesn't work for you.
. Some of the early bicycles had wooden seats, they did