AIRHAWK® Motorcycle Seat Cushion Cruiser, Medium

There's no getting away from it, sitting on an Airhawk for the first time is WEIRD!However, letting more & more air out gradually lets your butt settle in & finally, once you've got it just right, it feels comfortable & not so weird. Ideally you let so much air out that the bladder is fully compressed in the areas where it's bearing the most weight. I've not tried any long rides, yet but the "hardwood seat" on my Tracer 9GT's seat really needs something like this pad.It does seem to produce a bit of movement of the rider on the seat that is unsettling in corners, but I don't intend on dragging a knee in any twisties so no problems there. I do like the mesh panels that let air through, the ventilation should ease Summer rides, but I'd like to see a way of closing them off for when it's colder.I don't like the straps, the elastic seems weak & the clips that attach them to the pad look really weak & prone to breakage. I'm getting some stronger straps & clips as soon as I can.Am I glad I've bought it? Well try sitting on the wooden plank of a seat on my "Sport Tourer" for an hour WITHOUT this pad & you can guess my response. It isn't perfect, but it's cheap & easy compared to custom seats that can cost as much as $1000 & might not even feel all that good.Improvements to this product would be better straps & clips, closures for the vent panels & strengthening of the bladder where it rubs against the air valve causing a leak (I've reinforced this area on mine with small sticky, rubber pads I use for puncture repairs on my mountain bike). I'd also like to see a pad with a heater & I might try putting one in just to see what results I can get.Time will tell if this is a long term solution, but I see Airhawks on lots of touring bikes so that tells me that there's worthwhile something to them.

I purchased the Medium Airhawk Seat Cushion for my Harley Softail Deluxe just prior to a 9-day, 2000 mile trip incorporating 1/2 of Route 66. I can honestly say this cushion saved my a## on this trip.On most days, we made several stops along the way so the miles between were as few as 20 up to about 200; however, we had 2 long days at the beginning and end of our trip of almost 400 miles each. Getting up and back on the bike the next day was tolerable, no matter how long we had ridden the day before.After 2000 miles, I was still sore and more than ready to get off the bike, but I know I would have been in much worse shape a lot sooner without it. Previously, on trips only half this long and using other cushions (sheepskin and gel), I was sore for several days after we got back and had no interest in riding for a while. I packed the gel cushion after the 2nd day because it felt more like a brick than my bare motorcycle seat. This time, with the Airhawk, I was ready to get back on the bike a couple of days after our return.I have also used the Airhawk on a few "shorter" trips since - one that was 250 miles and a couple about 100 miles. I feel it's a great improvement over the stock seat for any trip longer than 50 miles.However, after 200 miles in the saddle - no matter what anyone else says - my behind aches and not even this seat cushion can make riding a bike long distance just like floating on air!It does take a little adjusting to get the air just right so you're not too bouncy yet have enough cushion. That process is not difficult, and I recommend getting it "just right" during a shorter trip locally before setting out on a long journey.Overall, I'm very happy with the Airwhawk and highly recommend it. Just don't expect to feel like you're riding on a Barcalounger instead of a motorcycle!

I purchased a V-Strom 650 in January and I have several thousand miles on it already. It's a comfortable bike all around but the seat seems a smidgen too hard. I didn't have a problem with an hour or even two hour ride but after that -- OUCH !! I started looking for beads but many forums recommended the Airhawks. I wasn't sure what size to get but thought the medium would work well; some V-Strom owners said the smaller the better while others recommended the jumbo "R" size. Anyhow, this one, in my opinion, is the correct size. I've read on various forums and also on the instruction manual that comes with the product that if you're not comfortable, you probably have too much air in the bladder. I was very cautious not to put too much air and ended up adding more and more air until now I believe that I have it set correctly for my weight and the temperature. I've ridden probably 400 - 500 miles and the difference in comfort and ability to continue riding is significant. I like how you can move around relieve some pressure on the other hand, it's takes a little getting used to acceleration / deceleration / direction changes causing your butt to move relative to the seat. But you do get used to the movement. Overall, it seems to be a good investment and I'd recommend one to a friend. Note that there are two types: the more expensive neoprene version and this less-expensive version. I would love to see a way to adjust the bladder while riding. There is a company that sells a small pump (like on a blood pressure cuff) that allows the rider to inflate and deflate on the go. This would help to get the air pressure correct faster and more conveniently.