Air hawk, beads, or sheepskin?

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

So my Quota is not going to be done in time for my road trip in August. So I’ll be on my other bike, a Victory V92 cruiser. It still has the stock seat, which is decent, almost but not quite on par with a mustang seat. On long trips my hiney starts cooking, which results in me riding along in the one cheek on one cheek off riding style.

Suggestions for something to add some comfort and coolness? No I don’t want to buy a new seat. Once my Quota is sorted that will be my main commuter/tourer. The Vic will be shorter day trips during pretty weather.

Thanks in advance, Robert

[Vagrant]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SIT-FLY-SIT-N-FLY-motorcycle-seat-cover-US-distributor-Size-XXXL1/133013363544?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2748.l2649

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SIT-FLY-SIT-N-FLY-motorcycle-seat-cover-US-distributor-Size-M/133013363216?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

this is like having an air-conditioned butt.

[PJPR01]

So my Quota is not going to be done in time for my road trip in August. So I’ll be on my other bike, a Victory V92 cruiser. It still has the stock seat, which is decent, almost but not quite on par with a mustang seat. On long trips my hiney starts cooking, which results in me riding along in the one cheek on one cheek off riding style.

Suggestions for something to add some comfort and coolness? No I don’t want to buy a new seat. Once my Quota is sorted that will be my main commuter/tourer. The Vic will be shorter day trips during pretty weather.

Thanks in advance, Robert

I have an airhawk and a sheepskin, both covered by a King of Fleece seat cover on my Norge, all of those on top of a Corbin seat.  The combination is superb...no aches, numbness, flat spots, and really gives you one less item to get fatigued on a long ride.

[Dirk_S]

I find that the V7II seat is becoming more uncomfortable on long rides. Add to that the lackluster stock suspension, and my derrière requires some persuading to ride.

I looked into all three options myself recently. I like trying cheap stuff out first. I haven’t checked out the sheepskin or Airhawk yet, but I did recently purchase a beaded seat from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW7PURZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_rOUiFb8J4RC92

It’s added more comfort—I appreciate the pressure points, and I’ve already driven in rain and liked not sitting in wetness. I’d still like to try out an Airhawk and sheepskin, but I’ve read the Airhawk is too shifty for some, and the sheepskin didn’t quite do it for some others.

[Tkelly]

Beads work for me in all weather.Cant beat the price.

[rtbickel]

The Airhawk takes a little getting used to and experimentation.  The trick is to get just enough air into it to provide separation between your butt and the seat. Too much air makes it feels a bit jiggly.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I had good luck with the bead covers, someone else pointed out they are great in rain too. I cant imagine a sheepskin is cooler than a bare seat

[kingoffleece]

As stated above, I have a zillion customers who use my covers over one thing or another.  The sheepskin reports I get mirror my own experience, and are the same reports I get from Corbin owners-love or hate with no middle ground.

I have thousands of miles on an Airhawk-and I take the recommendation of a IBA competitor I sponsor: use anything for a bit, than swap it with something else-it changes up the pressure points and provides relief for long distance riding.  Seems to work well.  Also as mentioned, a properly adjusted Airhawk will seem like there is almost no air in it.

I use beads on my Jackal and Norge, mostly to keep cool as I have great custom seats from BMS and my own making.

Sheepskin never did a thing for me but I do use it under any new cover pattern I make as it will let me know right away if there is a spot passing water thru.

Finally, for a LONG slab run when it just has to be made over inflating the Airhawk does some interesting things for comfort.  WAY to unstable for normal (or abnormal) riding but fine for floating down an Interstate Highway.

[n3303j]

I know that Airhawk was sold a few years back and the new product isn't the same as that of the original manufacturer.

The original manufacturer produced seats for wheel chairs and truckers. Both conditions require long term sitting comfort that the original Airhawk provided.

Not sure about the new stuff.

[Lannis]

It's sort of like asking  "Should I wear Merino boxer briefs, Ex Officio nylon boxers, or Fruit of the Loom y-fronts?" 

What you cover your tackle with, or set your posterior on, is the most (well almost) personal decision you can make.   I don't see how it's possible for other peoples' experience to have any relevance to you yourself.   

People sweat differently, weigh different amounts, have different comfort levels, different tolerance for pain, different bacteria on their skin ....

I would think that the only relevant information would be "Has anyone found a seat material to be less quality than they expected?" ....

Me, I use a Russell Day-long seat on the Stelvio and a Bead-Rider on the Triumph.   Others who have ridden the bikes say they're terrible ...

Lannis

[Sykestone8886]

I've added the air hawk to my v7. A huge improvement!!!

[tazio]

Airhawk, beads, or sheepskin? Yes!
I've taken all 3 on longer trips and rotated them out at gas stops.
Also, I will slightly over-fill the Airhawk and have become quite deft at bleeding off some air every 75 miles or so. Different pressure points...
YMMV

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Got beads last year for my 1200S stock seat. Keeps my butt cool and is more comfortable with hundreds of contact points. Just move a little and those hundreds of contact points are at a new location. I can ride longer with the beads.

[zebraranger]

I have both the Beadrider ceramic beads and an Airhawk, both have worked to extend my saddle time pretty comfortably on long trips.

[bad Chad]

I use both beads and Sheep together and seperately.   The beads work to keep things cool, but I do find they get hard to sit on after an hour or so.

I have found sheep skins to work very well in hot and cold. 

[blackcat]

Airhawk, beads, or sheepskin? Yes!
I've taken all 3 on longer trips and rotated them out at gas stops.
Also, I will slightly over-fill the Airhawk and have become quite deft at bleeding off some air every 75 miles or so. Different pressure points...
YMMV

That is what I do too, though I don't own an Airhawk.

[Guzzistajohn]

I had a sheepskin on the Cal-Vin getting ready for a ride and noticed my air hawk sitting on a shelf, so I slid it under the sheepskin. It's REALLY comfy!

[Seventy One]

I won't ride a bike without a sheepskin cover on the seat. They do absolutely nothing for comfort (an uncomfortable seat will still be uncomfortable) , but they do make it much cooler.

I bought mine from https://alaskaleather.com/collections/sheepskin-buttpads.

It's been rained on dozens of times and it's still going strong after 7 years and 90k miles.

[Wayne Orwig]

Sheepskin for me. Air Hawk let me down big time. And yes, I tried and tried to air pressure per the instructions and the people that like them.

[Ncdan]

Any of the three can comfort the arse. However nothing can take the place of getting off after a few hours.

[JJ]

Never had an Airhawk, but some riders swear by it.  Never did the bead thing either...always had sheepskins on several of my bikes and they worked just fine....(....just sayin')

[JayDee24ca]

I used an airhawk on my Quota, and it sure helped. I was thinking of getting Novacaine in my butt before that.

JD

[Cam3512]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SIT-FLY-SIT-N-FLY-motorcycle-seat-cover-US-distributor-Size-XXXL1/133013363544?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2748.l2649

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SIT-FLY-SIT-N-FLY-motorcycle-seat-cover-US-distributor-Size-M/133013363216?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

this is like having an air-conditioned butt.

I saw this on his V85.  Well worth looking into.  Who doesn't want an air conditioned ass?

[Lannis]

Any of the three can comfort the arse. However nothing can take the place of getting off after a few hours.

Or standing up every 20 minutes or so.   I find that even on a long-range (340 miles) bike like my Triumph Trophy or my Norton Interstate, if I stand up and let the blood circulate for 30 seconds or a minute, I can ride without having to get off the bike.

It's one reason I don't do foot-forward or footboard bikes.   I don't know about the acrobatic skills of others, but I can't stand up stably on those while running 70; I can on the feet-under-you bikes.

Lannis

[steven c]

 It hit me one day after a dual sport ride on my now gone XT350 that I never thought about butt pain and the stock seat isn't that great, but on the dirt roads i'm standing up a lot which had to help.

[Guzzistajohn]

Or standing up every 20 minutes or so.   I find that even on a long-range (340 miles) bike like my Triumph Trophy or my Norton Interstate, if I stand up and let the blood circulate for 30 seconds or a minute, I can ride without having to get off the bike.

It's one reason I don't do foot-forward or footboard bikes.   I don't know about the acrobatic skills of others, but I can't stand up stably on those while running 70; I can on the feet-under-you bikes.

Lannis

I stand on the Tiger pegs frequently, It does make a difference. Usually reserve that for slower speeds however. 

[Lannis]

I stand on the Tiger pegs frequently, It does make a difference. Usually reserve that for slower speeds however.

 

I ride occasionally with a guy who lives near me who rides a LOT faster than I do normally.   He knows a lot of good routes, so he picks them and I follow.

Sometimes, on roads that are pretty clean and have good sight distances, I can comfortably ride fast enough to where he's happy.   On bumpy roads with loose surfaces, or roads with lots of blind turns, I don't ride as fast as he does, so he stands up on the pegs for 10 miles at a time, leaning through turns that almost put his helmet over to the fences around the pastures, and I can still barely keep up even sitting down.

At any rate, it taught me about standing up and riding.   When I'm behind a windshield with my helmet face-shield up, I just need to remember to flip it down before I stand up, and I'm good for 70 - 75 MPH for a mile or two.   Keeps the blood circulating and the monkey-butt at bay ...

Lannis

[Dirk_S]

Standing every 20 minutes may be a resolution of sorts to butt pain, but that frequency of a ‘solution’ is like plugging a hole in a kayak with your thumb. Maybe it’s time to get a better solution, especially for high speed. Standing is certainly a small luxury that standard motos offer over cruisers and sport bikes, but when I occasionally do 300+ mile rides, I don’t want to have to do it every 20 minutes—the fun in riding begins to evaporate. Hence, the search for better, and perhaps safer, solutions.

[Guzzistajohn]

I used an airhawk on my Quota, and it sure helped. I was thinking of getting Novacaine in my butt before that.

JD
[/quote
The Airhawk was originally designed by a company called ROHO in Bellville, Illinois for wheelchair cushions, designed for the prevention of decubitus ulcers (pressure sores)  I'm sitting on a ROHO now in my office chair. I "acquired"it in a former profession.  As far as preventing pressure points, you really don't get any better. They are typically only dispensed with a prescription and patients have to have a pressure sore to even qualify for insurance coverage for one. If you can't get comfortable on a airhawk, you can't get comfortable.

[Guzzistajohn]

 

I ride occasionally with a guy who lives near me who rides a LOT faster than I do normally.   He knows a lot of good routes, so he picks them and I follow.

Sometimes, on roads that are pretty clean and have good sight distances, I can comfortably ride fast enough to where he's happy.   On bumpy roads with loose surfaces, or roads with lots of blind turns, I don't ride as fast as he does, so he stands up on the pegs for 10 miles at a time, leaning through turns that almost put his helmet over to the fences around the pastures, and I can still barely keep up even sitting down.

At any rate, it taught me about standing up and riding.   When I'm behind a windshield with my helmet face-shield up, I just need to remember to flip it down before I stand up, and I'm good for 70 - 75 MPH for a mile or two.   Keeps the blood circulating and the monkey-butt at bay ...

I spent 14 years in the wheelchair seating industry. Lack of blood flow starts the pain felt by sitting in one position too long, so standing is your best defense to let the blood return to the pressure points. For folks that can't feel the pain or stand, it becomes a pressure sore eventually.

I learned to stand and ride in trials riding