does anyone have opinions on the best seat for your riding partner? Aside from the Russell seats, has anyone found the one choice gives a better ride than anything else? I'll take something of a sore butt if it'll keep my wife from bemoaning the medieval torture device I've "made" her endure.

She's reported the stock seat is good for around 45 minutes before she starts to notice discomfort. That's pretty good, all things considered, but I'm sure there are better options.

Gotta look out for your partner, after all. I get to drive; she can at least be comfy :)

Corbin, wife loves it but, more importantly, once broken in, THE most comfortable seat I've ever had :) Not too bad with the lines of the bike either.

full
 
I bought Pretty Pillion an Air Hawk pad. She has determined that filling it half way with air suits her fine. Still, after about two hours, she is done riding and that is nothing to do with the seat. She just doesn't enjoy the free air like I do.
 
@canecorso made me a custom seat, medical gel, better foam, my wife, and had my buddy's wife on the back while my wife tried out her Spyder, both have said it was super comfortable.
I did my own - Medical grade gel (I am a hedonist and have a double layer of gel in two densities) - with heat/rain defeating 3D honeycomb mesh over.

ime Gel outclasses Air by a long margin UNLESS you don't bank often and even then not far. I did look at the ButtyBuddy early on - but the no permanent fixing option were against it. I am wont to try DanMedicas new TREATLITE pads. I have them for my office chair and they are seriously comfy for hours on end. Treat Lite2 Motorcycle Comfort Seating – Dan Medica South Ltd - I use their Gel.
 
Last edited:
Intercom there's your first mistake

Amen there. One reason I put on a helmet and go riding is to keep people from talking to me in the first place.

As for the actual question - Motorcycle Seats & Cushions for Long Rides | Airhawk

The Airhawk air cushions legit work, they extend the "time to discomfort" by at least twice. Work for both rider and pillion, for that matter - for the aging rider the one with a cutout under the scrotum might be an idea...

I'm not convinced gel is better. Air should redistribute the weight better and be cooler.
 
Air should redistribute the weight better and be cooler.
The key word there is SHOULD. And that what I'd thought. A BIG issue with air is that it does expand when it gets hot. Found I had to keep adjusting - bloody annoying on 400km blasts. But even at very low air fills - by the time air fully distributes and insulates - I find I am rolling side to side on the air in bends.

Gel is excellent EXCEPT if it gets HOT. I mean leave in the sun hot. Before I discovered the honeycomb I used to just leave a towel over the seat in summer.

The Dan Medica treat-lite SHOULD (if my office chair tests are an indication) leave AIR and GEL standing. Really. The problem with ALL add on pads is however the seat height increase. Next trip to the UK I am going to see if I can persuade them to supply me some layers for insetting into the seat.
 
Yeah, some bikes already have air seats with the Airhawk tech, I believe Danny Gray makes them. But only for Harley fitment basically.
 
Back
Top