Airhawk seat pads

[xssiveone]

Anyone ever use one? Better/worse then a gel pad? It's basically a bag of air that goes between you and the seat. Adjustable, via more or less air, to individual tastes.

http://airhawkusa.com/mpc/docs/Site/Home.html

[Wayne]

I have heard the Air Hawk is better but a bit pricey. I tried a gel pad for mine and it didn't do much for me. I still had the burning buns syndrome after a few hundred miles.

I ended up buying a new seat from Russell Day Long Saddles. And I can tell you, with my big 300+ lbs/6' 3" self. It was worth every penny. I can ride all day long without even a twitch!

Let us know how the Air Hawk is if you get one.

Ride Safe

[wpc57]

Dang Wayne .. I figured myself as the only 300+ over 6'2" person on this site. The but burn is nothing to laugh at when we are this size. I like my sheepskin pad I found in JCW.

[MartyA]

The Travelcade that came with the bike plain doesn't work. I get one hundred miles till the burn. The seat was just too small. I kept sliding up the back and then sliding back down, trying to get comfortable. Also the foam underneath was either way too soft or worn out. Sometimes I sit on the back seat for a stretch. I tried the sheepskin, I tried a towel, I tried a pillow under the sheepskin, I tried a pillow, a towel, and a flannel shirt on one trip out of desperation, nothing worked. The only time I could ride for hours without the burn was in the cold. Seemed I slid on the faux leather and it did not grab much when it was cold. Also in slightly warmer weather, ArmorAll on the seat seemed to allow me to slide a little. But in any T-shirt weather it was only an hour till the burn.

So I have the seat at a local upholsterer, he has done only one M/C seat before. I asked him to make a basically straight, hard seat on my pan. I gave him the 1978 advertisement photos for reference. We'll see what he does.

Not sure if my results will benefit you guys, me being a lightweight at only 270 and 6'3", but I will report after I get the seat back, and of course if all this friggin' snow melts...

[Jerry]

Gee, I feel small...only 6'1" and 260 pounds. My Diamond seat on the XJ is good for 600+ miles per day, longest was over 900 on the return from Spearfish 2002.

Not my buns, but knees start to lock up after 300 - 400 miles. The extra highway pegs help, and the recent addition of floorboards (last fall, only 1 long trip so far - 765 miles in two days) has helped ease that considerably.

Added a heel-toe shifter last weekend, but distance between heel and toe pads is to great for my size 11 feet. I'll need to modify the shifter with screw-in pads ala HD or cut and re-weld the heel portion of the shifter. Even so, with some getting used to, I think it will go well with the floorboards.

FWIW...heel-toe shifter is from a CT90 (Trail 90) Honda from the late '60s - early '70s. Went right on, used bolt from original shifter.

[MartyA]

hey "Tiny"
I got the knee problem a little, which causes me to slide back a little too much on the seat trying to stretch, and then slide forward, which is why I am getting the seat re-covered. Durn seat is too close to the pegs.

And I tried a Road Warrior or something at the dealer last summer with a heel toe shifter. Too short! They were laughing at me when I tried to get my foot up to hit 1st, kept getting caught in it. That will take some practice if I do ever get one. Floor boards might be interesting.

[Dennyz]

butt burn

It has been my experience that butt burn is caused by heat. The hotter the outside temp, the sooner it shows up. All the padding in the world is not going to relieve the burn. Ventilation is the answer.

There are some custom seat builders that use a breathable seat area and sheep skin seems to help also.

I tried a gel-pad and found it made it worse due to no air circulations.

I like to wear my body armor which is a real challenge on hot days. My riding paints, being water proof, make for a hot butt. I am currently experimenting with wearing breathable underwear (fleece). This is helping, but not a complete solution yet. On long rides (300+) I fantasize about air-conditioned shorts.

One of the reasons I went to a “lean forward” riding position was to gain more sitting options to cool the butt.

[Jerry]

Not to get to personal, but do you wear boxers or briefs? I found that boxers are much more comfortable for long hauls. Seams on the briefs hit the seat and me in the wrong place. Boxers are sewn differently, seams in different places. Give Boxers a try if you have not done so yet.

I wear a full TourMaster suit (with armor) on long trips, so know about heat build-up. Have found on the pants that I can zip the top zipper down and inch or two on both sides and get much better ventilation without comprmising safety. (These pants have dual zippers on the legs.)

Wearing light-weight gloves helps. They provide ventilation to keep hands cooler as well as protection from the sun. My "summer" set is woven with Kevlar in the fabric for abrasion resistance. Found them on eBay where they are marketed toward firefighters and others who might have to handle broken glass, pieces of metal, and other sharp objects. Price (several years ago) was around $15.00 for the pair. Try searching for 'kevlar gloves'. In addition to cooling and protection, they absorb some handlebar vibration, helping cut fatigue a bit. They work great for short trips as well as long-haul rides.

Don't want to get of the subject of seats to far, but other gear (gloves, jacket, pants for a start) all play a part in long-haul comfort, and options in those areas should be considered.

[Wayne]

I agree with you Jerry about the underwear. I wear boxer type for the same reason. I have even went so far as to rip the back pockets out of my riding jeans. The way they sew the pockets in jeans can cut like a knife after several hundred miles!

Thanks for the glove idea. I've been looking for something better than my leather HOT gloves, and my fingerless ones leave my hand wind burned in the summer.

Ride Safe.

[MartyA]

So I gotta start wearing underwear?
What's underwear go for these days?

Which is the correct progression?
Nothing - briefs - boxers

-or-

Briefs - boxers - nothing

Seriously, good ideas. I never gave the seams a thought, the seat was so soft. Can't wait for my retread seat.

[Wayne]

Originally posted by MartyA
So I gotta start wearing underwear?

OK Marty, that's way more info than we needed. LOL JK

[chopper]

toughen up guys! its the big soft seats that hurt your ass! im 6'6" 265lbs and my seat is less than an inch thick very firm density foam,i regullary ride 500miles plus per day on runs (no rear suspension) your points about clothin are true,seams near your ass are a killer.

[Red Tarrents]

Hi Y'all,
I have to agree with wpc57. I like a sheepskin, fleece side up between my ass and the seat! Never too hot, never too cold when ya sit on 'em! NO sweatin!

Just get a whole skin, of the size, and color ya like and drape it over the seat....I have never had any trouble keeping it in place.
I use a shearling (short fleece), ivory color, and my ass is comfortable, even on long rides.
Ridin bareass, or shorts, it don't matter......that's up to you and the law.

Red T.
XS11E
IOOB

[REFFI]

I have to agree with Wayne. A Russell Day-Long Saddle is the best solution. Since I bought my first one (actually two, one for the wife) in 1977, butt burn has been something other people had a problem with. I am also over 300 lbs. and over six feet tall. I rode to San Jose from home on what must have been the hottest weekend of the summer in September. (See my ride report) Many, many things about that ride were uncomfortable, but my butt was not one of them. I was so thrilled to see that Russell was back in the business, that I have their site bookmarked in my favorites. My knees are starting to complain, so I'm going to put highway pegs on my engine guards for relief.

[wpc57]

OK ....all of us that are over 6 feet tall and 300 lbs can start a chapter of XS'ers and one thing is for sure.... WE WILL BE THE BIGGEST CLUB GOING ......... ROFLMAO