Gel Seat Pads

[crwitt]

Hey to all, I'm a newbe .. this is my first BMW Bike (1996 R1100RT) and I love it.I have checked the forum for info on Gel Seat Pads. The Bike has a Sargent Seat on it now.The Wife and I went on a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway (NC & TN )after 400 miles I must say we were a little sore .Can someone guide me to some sites , info or feedback on Gel Seat Pads. Is this a good ideal or not.. Thanks and be safe

[JohnJC]

I've tried Gel pads in the past, and didn't find them all that good. I recently bought an Airhawk, Here It felt a little weird at first, but it works very well. Keeps your bumm cooler too.

[Jerry_75_Guy]

Another vote for Airhawk. The comfort seat up front works fine for me, but my wife would get sore after roughly 120mi. I got a sheep skin for her, which helped, but only added about 50 miles for her (YMMV).

 

Then I got her the Airhawk. We've tried it with and without the sheepskin, and either is fine; seven hours of riding, 450mi and no soreness, which is pretty good since she's a bit of a "light weight" when it comes to long miles and days in the saddle (sorry honey).

 

She did notice that using both placed her a bit high and the topcase backrest ended up in the wrong place and made her back sore, but we're going to try adjusting the inflation in the Airhawk to see if that will help.

 

Others will say this, but if you really want the most comfortable seat for you and your pillion, spend the extra $$$ and get a Russell. If cost is an issue, the Airhawk, front and back will work fine.

 

And this last bit is just a swag on my part, not having tried a gel seat, ut since they don't allow any air flow between the pad and your tuchus, it might be hot, and when left in the sun, might store up a lot more heat than foam.

[Lawman]

Another vote for the Airhawk..

[Steve_Witmer]

No opinion on the gel seat pads as far as comfort. But, I have heard that you don't want to build them into a seat or leave them on the seat when you leave the bike, as they can really absorb heat in the summer sun -- with obvious consequences for the rider's backside.

[Edgar]

Recently went on a 3000 mile trip with the better half. The first day after 400+ miles she was complaining about numb but big time. We got a Travelcade Saddle Gel pad from the local BMW dealer http://www.saddlemen.com/gelpads.html and hit the road. The pad absolutely did the trick. There were no complaints, and it would be difficult to pry the thing away from her.

The pad will absorb heat and get hot if you leave it in the sun, but it wasn’t a problem putting it in the bags when we stopped. We usually put our helmets and gloves in there anyway. Conversely, the instructions for the pad say you can heat or cool the pad off the bike to achieve the desired heating or cooling effect. The pad cost about $80.

I have found that a good sheepskin cover on my seat works well for me but didn’t cut it for her. We tried both the skin and the pad but it seems the naked pad worked the best.

[Bob Palin]

The gel pad has made little difference for me even with a sheepskin over it, Airhawk is next in the never ending quest for comfortable seating.

[crwitt]

Thanks for all the feedback.Here is a product someone told me about. Alaska Leathers (Sheepskin Buttpad). web page. Has anyone used this?

[Jerry_75_Guy]

" Has anyone used this?"

 

Not that specific vendor, but sheepskin yes ( see my above post).

Unless you really buy something crappy, I would think performance wise,

sheepskin is pretty much sheepskin.

 

As always YMMV.

[Chunky]

I use a medium Alaska Butpad on my R1200RT. I prefer it to the new Airhawk I just bought in July. Anyone interested in the Airhawk e-mail me. Nothing works as well as a custom seat but for the financially challenged among us the Buttpad is the next best thing for me. IMHO