Anyone got any long term, high mileage experiences of these type of things ???

I ride a DRZ400 and an Africa twin and my ass is numb after a few hours...

I even have a corbin and a sheepskin on the DRZ but it's very little improvement.. Airhawks are TOO expensive and I hear they burst a lot...

Thanks, Ted

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Maybe you could try a sheepskin. They 'breathe', and can just be shaken if they get wet. I found the gel pad very clammy on my buttocks and crotch, and they are expensive. I use the neck area triangle, its a natural seat.
Peter, in Oslo

I use one of the Gel things under a sheepskin. Makes a difference, but not sure how much, I'm one of those people who can do 600 mile days on a stock XT seat so it's hard to tell. Feels nicer though.

Andy

Sheepskin.

Comfy, cheap, and can be used in your tent, under your feet, lower back etc, for extra comfort...

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

Yes, im well experienced with sheep skins and already have one !

I was thinking of something to go under it as although the sheepskin helps, it only delays the pain by an hour or two.

I did 10 hour days at times on my XT600 with a sheepskin and that was unbearable. I got another sheepskin in Argentina with sown in foam and that was an improvement but thought the gel pads might be even better !

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

try a pair of Astana Kazzinc bicycling shorts
Those + 1 sheepskin = butt heaven

I think you're talking about the holy grail of Glutteae Maximae. I think there comes a point where no end of improvements will make the saddle cofortable. In the case of the DRZ and the @, and my XR for that matter, the saddles are not designed to be ergonimic over long periods. They are all pretty narrow from what I remember.

The shape of the saddle is simply not made to support the rider in a comfortable position. This includes the angle of the hips, thighs and the spoinal column. You feel it in your @rse, but it's all these factors that contribute.

I have a tractor seat on my Ural. It was bloody uncomfortable. I have since moved it back to the second bolt point provided and its loads more comfortable: nothing to do with padding, but all to do with the angle of my back in relation ot my arms and legs and where my body's (excessive, IMO) weight sits. A sheepskin improved it further, but would have done little had I not moved it to start with.

The most comfy bikes I have had were my CBR1000F, and my R1150GS. My CBR 600 was OK, my ZXR750 was a court sentence etc. Other bikes had varying comfort levels.

It think your best solution is a 10 minute walk around every couple of hours: it's free and will probably allow you to cover more miles in a day than a gel seat would.

My thoughts...

__________________
Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

I have found cycling shorts to be a pain in the ass.

I have played with different foam. from camping matts etc and a blow up seat mat but mostly no luck.

The sheepskin has been my best addition. £9 can't go wrong from Lambland Devon - Quality Sheepskin Rugs and Moccasins handma.. you need to click here then select LIFEstyle - Motoring and then bike seat pads

I find flat and narrow seats such as the xt and ttr are much better on the derier than seats with humps and bumps (like my current Ten) it always seems just a bit wide at the front.

Wish my moto seats were as good as my faithful BROOKS saddle on my mountain bike.

I have tried one of the gel pads on my MZ Skorpion and thought it as a complete waste of money.
Cheers Ade.

I have tried pretty much everything over the year: sheepskin, gel pads the are inserted into the seat, gel pads that sit on the seat, Air Hawk and various custom seats.

Sheepskin help especially in the heat but in my mind do not really aid in comfort in the long haul.

Gel pads are better but watch out they get very hot when left out in the sun. They also feel “funny” when you are sitting on them. It has been described as sitting on “wet dog poo”, but having never done that I cannot make a direct comparison for you

The Air Hawk is excellent as an add on devise. It helps to relieve the sore points, it helps prevent the transfer of vibrations from the bike to your arse ( a major cause of soreness), it is adjustable for firmness (I have found that the least amount of air works best), and it helps to keep you cool in the heat. We have two of them – wife’s and mine – with lots of miles on them now without an issue.

If you really want comfort get a professional to make you, or modify, your seat to fit you better. There are some excellent after market seat available such as Corbin, Sargeant, etc plus a plethora of custom seat makers such as Russell. I have had a Russell previously and it is a wonderful seat albeit ugly – but hey I am riding the bike not putting it in a bike show. I installed Sargent seats on my last two bikes – R1150GS and my current Suzuki Vstrom – and after the break in period find them very nice to ride for extended times. That said I still carry the Airhawk with me in case it gets very warm or I get really sore then I can use is in conjunction with the Sargent seat for all day comfort

Like most things in life you get what you pay for. I have found now that it is just cheaper and better to get a correct seat made for the bike and the type of riding I do than to piss around trying to be cheap – which I am – and still not be happy with it. Over the long run you won’t regret spending the money to make sure you are comfortable. You will regret wasting money trying to get something to “work” or to “get by with”.

Just my few cents worth

DP

Some of my first long trips were down to the Algarve for the Faro Rally. In year one I travelled on a "solid mount" Harley Sportster and knew about it for about a week after. In year two I did the same trip on the same bike with a new gel pad on the seat, no discomfort whatsoever. I can strongly recomend their use.
I graduated to a Harley Tourer and still found I needed a comfort stop every 100 miles, then I stopped smoking and the problem went away. It's supposed to do with all the toxins from smoking in your system settling around the arse area. Has anyone else experienced this unexpected bonus from quitting the weed?

Hi There,

Regarding the airhawk getting holes/punchured.. my wife has had one on her bike for the last 7 months and had no issues at all despite very hard use. One guy i know has one which got a hole in it which he repaired on the road with a tyre tube repair kit

Airhawk cushion for £15 - ::. UKGSer.com .::

This is just what you need mate! This is a thread I added on another forum. Just make sure you use the link a few posts down to the manufacturers site. I bought mine from the manufacturer but couldn`t find their site when I done the post.
Cheaper than a cheap, cheap thing and very effective provided you inflate as you would for an airhawk i.e. very slightly.

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This old world keeps spinning round, it`s a wonder tall trees ain`t laying down.

I know you said no Airhawks ... but ... have to give my thumbs up to them. No other seat pad compares for comfort, IMHO. They are durable ... have 80,000 mis. on mine. It did suffer a leak, at the seam. Repaired with tire puncture glue and no further problems.

The only thing better for a DRZ is a Renazco seat. Then no Airhawk is needed, because the Renazco is an extremely comfortable seat.

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http://ridefar.typepad.com

I would love the Renazco, unfortuntaly the $350 price plus international shipping and customs and tax charges to get it here makes it pretty much impossible

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.