Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Equipment, Travel > Equipment Reviews
Equipment Reviews Post YOUR REVIEWS of ANY Motorcycle, Camping or Travel Equipment and accessories. Tell us what worked and didn't work for you!
Photo by Daniel Rintz, Himba children, Namibia

The only impossible journey
is the one
you never begin

Photo by Daniel Rintz,
Himba children, Namibia



Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 27 Aug 2013
Registered Users
HUBB regular
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Bristol
Posts: 67
Airhawk 2 Review

So we decided to purchase ourselves an Air Hawk 2 so we would be able to have a bit of a bum relief on those longer days travelling on our Chasing Horizons Charity Round the World Motorcycle trip. As we have a rally kit seat, it’s pretty rock solid which is no problem for those days off roading and standing. Some people even find comfortable after a couple of hours of riding (Sam being one!)! But... my delicate derriere wibbles at the thought and thus... the Air Hawk 2 was a happy grab.

Air Hawk 2

Our Rating:
Comfort: 7/10 (Sams Comfort Score: 4/10)

Fitting: 1/10 (on KTM 690 Enduro R 2012)
Quality: 8/10 (I want to push this much lower because of the fitting and straps but the actual rubber interior is brilliant quality)

Cleaning: 9/10

Pricing: 5/10


above: my now ancient, well abused Airhawk 2

Overall: 5.4/10

How it works:
In short, it’s a blow up seat with a variety of pouches of air that you inflate via one metal inlet. When you plonk your bum on it the air moves from pocket to pocket to level out. Depending on your preferences you can make it so the air distributes about a fair bit by semi inflating it or alternatively make it a little more sturdy by fully inflating it.

Comfort:
This is what it was all about. Comfort. For me, no-man-bits-Clare, it’s pretty near perfect comfort wise. I have different butt and riding days so it’s nice to be able to inflate/deflate it with ease depending on my mood/the length of the day/style of riding. I have no real complaints other than the fitting which can end up being a right pain in the arse (no pun intended!). I will go on to talk about that in the fitting section though.

Sam, however, has a few issues with its comfort to say the least! When he has it at a “comfortable” setting (half blown up) he takes a seat and as the air moves according to his body weight it shifts backwards... and forwards. This inevitably pushes up his... well erm... family jewels, causing his eyebrows to raise beyond his forehead and his voice change to a pitch that makes herds of dogs go wild. He did use it for a while through certain parts of Africa, normally close to fully inflated to prevent the uprising of the man jigglies. Although he says it alleviates pressure from his butt bones, he’s now grown used to his hard seat and this now takes preference and the Air Hawk 2 is left disused in my pannier.

The thing is, this probably has a lot to do with the seat it’s on. As it’s quite narrow, there’s more area and emphasis on pushing the air up front. Sam’s wondering whether on a more girthier seat it might provide less cleavage in his nether regions than this seat. Any thoughts people?

Quality:


As far as I’m concerned the quality of the actual inflatable rubber pouches is phenomenal. Daily use for 8 months through minus temperatures, torrential rains, horrific heats and my clumsiness and it’s faultless. The metal tube you use to inflate the Air Hawk 2 did get a little stiff in the deserts but nothing a bit of vaseline didn’t resolve.

The exterior cover is pretty tough wearing too. A soft upper material which is stretchy has managed to stay in reasonable good condition and not stretch. The underside is a rubbery texture to prevent slippage when it is attached (ha!)
The major let down though? The hoops and straps to attach. Some of the had hoops ripped off by Italy (less than 2 weeks into our trip) and the straps? They’re bra straps!! No joke, plain and simple bra straps. I just threw them away and ended up stitching on an alternative solution. When you’re spending quite a whack on this I just cannot understand why on earth they did not consider reinforcing the loops and devising a much more suitable strap.

Fitting:
As said... bra straps. I mean seriously, what the monkeys were they thinking!? They give you these detachable bra straps to hook loosely on to non-reinforced loops and tuck under the seat to attach to the opposite loop on the cushion. They’re semi elasticated and adjustable (as per standard bra straps) but they do not give you much flexibility when replacing the seat. To have the seat fitted well you have to have the straps reasonably taut, which in turn on the KTM 690 Enduro R 2012 seat means the straps put a lot of pressure on the internal electrics under the seat... not something I was particularly comfortable with. If you loosen them up... the straps end up wiggling loose from the loops as they are just so shockingly diabolical.

I mean look!!! Look at it now...





It's a rubbish system. Plain and simply pants. Eventually they ended up tearing the loops off. Most irritating. I spent a couple of evenings trying to sew on velcro alternatives (have you ever tried to hand stitch velcro?! Broke two needles... absolute bugger!) and then stuck velcro on the underside of the seat to hold it in place. This worked very well until Sudan and it’s shocking 55 degree celcius heats which melted all glue! Now? Well I partially tuck it under my tank bag and then tie the front velcro bits to my tank bag. The back flaps about if I stand which is annoying but meh! It works!

Cleaning:
Removable cover = simple quick cleaning! Job done!

Pricing:
For the actual inflatable cushion I think it’s top notch quality and of a reflective price... but then it’s horrendously let down by some incredibly crazy idea of being able to attach it by bra straps and loops which aren’t reinforced. It’s as if the makers brought this amazing product together and the night before the release realised that they had forgot to figure out how to fit it to the bike and used the nearest resources they had to rectify this - bra straps! I cannot see how any more thought went in to it... complete fail!

Overall:
Despite my rather grumpy reflection on the fitting, I love my air hawk 2 and rarely travel without it. Even offroading I just deflate it and leave it on. It’s saved my butt from becoming a monstrous pain, such a comfy design.
Sam... has reservations. Again though, most probably due to the seat it’s on although he’s telling me it’s because he’s hung like a donkey! Men!! *rollseyes* 


Hoping it’s been a helpful review
__________________
Chasing Horizons Facebook
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 13 Sep 2013
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Hessen, Germany
Posts: 187
The only problem I have with the AirHawk, or similar products is that one feel detached from the bike when sitting on them.

The only positive I have to say about them is that they are cheaper than a seat rebuild, but at the end of the day a good seat is always an better option.


Casper
__________________
www.exilepixel.com
www.c-note.dk
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 24 Sep 2013
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Posts: 14
Air Hawk is the best I've found so far...but

I always feel a little detached from the machine when I'm riding on a day full of twisties. No matter how much or how little it is inflated, I feel "unsettled" when aggressively riding a challenging route. During every change of direction and acceleration or deceleration, I continue to shift in my seat even after the bike gets settled in the desired track. Kind of unnerving until you get used to it.

That said, I really love the comfort on those X-country days that are mostly motorways and tollways. Limited "sport bike" roads, i.e. long stretches of straight pavement, and endurance riding are when the Airhawk proves it's worth.

I agree the strap system needs improvement. I've even thought about removing some padding in my seat, under the upholstery, and putting the Airhawk in its place. Just haven't figured out the inflation scheme yet.

Good for long hauls, challenging on a twisty day.

Just my humble opinion.
__________________
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Utterly Idiotic Touratech Fuel bottles - a frank review s445203 Equipment Reviews 46 27 Mar 2016 00:20
Airhawk or sheepskin floyd Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? 17 8 Jan 2014 22:20
Honda NC700X - DCT review Lars1974 Which Bike? 8 23 Aug 2013 19:46
Hard vs Soft Luggage - Our Metal Mule and Enduristan Review and Solution Pheebs Equipment Reviews 0 9 Feb 2013 09:18
Jacket Review, Revit Ventura GearChic Women's Topics 2 11 Nov 2012 19:45

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

HU Event and other updates on the HUBB Forum "Traveller's Advisories" thread.
ALL Dates subject to change.

2024:

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

HUBBUK: info

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:03.