gel pads and bead pads for seats

[CharlieIndia]

Considering gel pads or beads for my seats have a F3S and my wife's RTS and suggestions were to shop? Pros? Cons?

[Frank G]

Charlie, you have been around here for a while and know there are hundreds of posts on aftermarket seats and addon's. Motorcycle Dave a site sponsor does the Gell pad thing. and the beads are available through most motor cycle shops.

Tried the beads and settled on a Russell Day Long Seat with no regrets.

Wish you the best of luck finding your comfort zone.

[Ex-Rocket]

You should also consider the Air Hawk seat pad.

[BikerDoc]

Been using the ceramic beads from beadrider.com for long distance riding for several years now and very happy with them.. Especially effective for hot weather riding

[Lin]

You should also consider the Air Hawk seat pad.

I'll second that. I have been using beads under my sheepskin, but not anymore. I have an Airhawk under a sheepskin and have been much more comfortable. The flip side is my wife didn't like the Airhawk and is good with beads and skin.
It is really a personal choice. You won't know until you try it for yourself.
I even tried a Butt Buffer gel pad at one time.
Good luck!

Lin

[Fat Baxter]

I always ride with an old, ratty Alaska Leather sheepskin pad. For long rides when I think I need something more, I cut off a chunk of bubble wrap and stick it under the sheepskin.

Yeah, I'm a cheap bastard.......

[bmccaffrey]

Hmmmm

I have the ultimate seat love it.

But get that butt?? I have no meat on my ass. Yep like i tell my wife if i haven't worked it off i have had it chewed off :yikes:.

Anyway On long trips my ass bothers me rightt where the bones Are.Use biker shorts does Help.

Tried The air hawk hate it.

Thinking beads :dontknow:

[Cruzr Joe]

Have the "Air Hawk R" and love it.


Cruzr Joe

[Rogue Hawk]

I always ride with an old, ratty Alaska Leather sheepskin pad. For long rides when I think I need something more, I cut off a chunk of bubble wrap and stick it under the sheepskin.

Yeah, I'm a cheap bastard.......

I can't resist popping bubble wrap:joke:

[rogerb]

I like the beads. I have been using them for five years now. Much cooler in the summer. I just replaced my old one. String started breaking and beads falling of. Good timing dealer had a bunch he wanted to get rid of for $4 each. Now have two spares. Silver blue color. For $4 I can live with it.

[pontow]

2015 RT-S

Stock seat - wife as passenger loved it. After 50 miles I would almost limp when I got off of the bike because I hurt so badly.

Swapped to 2013 Comfort seat (bought here from forum member). Wife didn't like this as much, felt hard to her and she says that she slides forward which didn't happen with the stock seat. We added an Airhawk R for her and after a short adjustment period, she does pretty well now with this combination. I was still suffering after about 75 miles on the bike.

Enter Motorcycle Dave, one of our sponsors. I ordered one of his gel / memory foam combo pads. His "kit' also included some headliner material for part of the process. Bought a pneumatic staple gun from Harbor Freight ($22) and a can of industrial spray adhesive from an auto upholstery shop. Dave was excellent in spending time with me on the phone describing the process. Removed seat from bike and pulled the seat cover back exposing only the rider area (wife didn't want any of the passenger area changed). BTW, the pad Dave sells is one per person. To do rider and passenger would take two pads. Anyway, cut out the shape of the pad in the existing foam and to the depth of the pad and then dropped the pad in. Stretched and glued some of the headliner material over the "surgery" area to smooth everything out. With wife's help, heated vinyl seat covering with a hair dryer and stretched it back into position and stapling every 1/2" or so. Not a very tough process. Removing the seat was probably as much of a pain as doing the gel insert.

Have gone 125+ miles in a sitting with this combination and while not exactly a peachy keen feeling, I'm not crippled when I get off. It has made long road trips possible for me and with the Airhawk R also for the wife. In the not too often times when the wife wants to drive and I play passenger (I don't know how the gals do it, it scares the bejesus out of me), I get on the Airhawk R and feel quite strange and "squishy" for several miles. When we finally switch back and I sit back down in the drivers seat it feels much more planted but also feels like a brick compared to the Airhawk R.

Somewhere down the road we may look at the Ultimate or a Russell Mayer Day Long. Have had a Russell Mayer on the last two BMW two wheelers we owned and they were definitely good for as long as you wanted your day to be. In the meantime, the Comfort seat with the gel pad in front and Airhawk R in back is a working combination.

[Blade]

I purchased a Swoosh Gel Pad with a sheepskin cover. I have used it on a 100 miles ride and it felt great. Plus when its hot you don't feel the heat from the seat. I don't know what it will be like when it rains.


Blade

[Motorcycledave]

Wet



I purchased a Swoosh Gel Pad with a sheepskin cover. I have used it on a 100 miles ride and it felt great. Plus when its hot you don't feel the heat from the seat. I don't know what it will be like when it rains.


Blade

[Motorcycledave]

Now that you know how to get the seat off
I can send you some more memory foam to
put over the gel and then put the cover back on
over everything...
let me know if you want to give this a shot.
REMEMBER... this Do it yourself project it only
offered here to help people save money on a seat
and have something that can not be stolen off the seat
go price a gel seat any place you will be in for a
spending 10 times more than $79.95
And... look at the fun and satisfaction you will get
from saying you did it yourself...
Ride safe
Dave



2015 RT-S

Stock seat - wife as passenger loved it. After 50 miles I would almost limp when I got off of the bike because I hurt so badly.

Swapped to 2013 Comfort seat (bought here from forum member). Wife didn't like this as much, felt hard to her and she says that she slides forward which didn't happen with the stock seat. We added an Airhawk R for her and after a short adjustment period, she does pretty well now with this combination. I was still suffering after about 75 miles on the bike.

Enter Motorcycle Dave, one of our sponsors. I ordered one of his gel / memory foam combo pads. His "kit' also included some headliner material for part of the process. Bought a pneumatic staple gun from Harbor Freight ($22) and a can of industrial spray adhesive from an auto upholstery shop. Dave was excellent in spending time with me on the phone describing the process. Removed seat from bike and pulled the seat cover back exposing only the rider area (wife didn't want any of the passenger area changed). BTW, the pad Dave sells is one per person. To do rider and passenger would take two pads. Anyway, cut out the shape of the pad in the existing foam and to the depth of the pad and then dropped the pad in. Stretched and glued some of the headliner material over the "surgery" area to smooth everything out. With wife's help, heated vinyl seat covering with a hair dryer and stretched it back into position and stapling every 1/2" or so. Not a very tough process. Removing the seat was probably as much of a pain as doing the gel insert.

Have gone 125+ miles in a sitting with this combination and while not exactly a peachy keen feeling, I'm not crippled when I get off. It has made long road trips possible for me and with the Airhawk R also for the wife. In the not too often times when the wife wants to drive and I play passenger (I don't know how the gals do it, it scares the bejesus out of me), I get on the Airhawk R and feel quite strange and "squishy" for several miles. When we finally switch back and I sit back down in the drivers seat it feels much more planted but also feels like a brick compared to the Airhawk R.

Somewhere down the road we may look at the Ultimate or a Russell Mayer Day Long. Have had a Russell Mayer on the last two BMW two wheelers we owned and they were definitely good for as long as you wanted your day to be. In the meantime, the Comfort seat with the gel pad in front and Airhawk R in back is a working combination.