I just got a new Russell seat and while the early results are mixed, I am going to be patient through the break-in period. Cheap it is not. At close to $700 I say Yikes!
En route to the Russell seat I tried a number of things and surprisingly the cheapest seemed the best. Here goes:
1. The seat my (used) bike came with included a Spencer mod. I was able to (just barely) tolerate it on a 250 miles ride. I was squirming all over it by then, so don't misconstrue this as "it was comfy for 250 miles" 'cause it was not. But I finished the ride. I knew at this point that the seat needed help and started looking for a solution. My sense was that the seat's configuration was too narrow, tipped forward and was "unbreathable" because of the vinyl. That's a lot of problems to overcome.
2. A buddy loaned me his Air Hawk. At first I thought I liked it, but after endlessly fiddling with the level of air, I finally gave up and thanked him for loaning it to me. These things are really expensive...close to $200. If you are worried about "nickel and diming" your way to spending the equivalent of a custom seat, the Air Hawk makes a good place to start. I say: don't waste your money. With too much air, it felt like I was rolling around on a bubble and was very disconnected from the bike. Too little air and it just disappeared, offering no help at all.
3. Met a BMW rider up in the mountains who had a Bead Rider. Sat on his bike for 3 minutes and liked it, so I bought one. Not hideously expensive, but with the optional straps and shipping I spent over $60. And survey says? Not a bit of help...hard and doesn't change the flawed shape of the seat. Plus, I didn't like the sensation of "floating" around on the seat...the movement was unsettling to me, especially when riding twisty roads. Its in my closet now...all shiney and bright. Make me an offer.
4. Met a guy at a local MC hangout who was riding a Gold Wing. Discussions turned to seat torture and he pulled out his solution. It was a $20 seat pad made for a car that he bought at Walmart. In fact it was his second one and was worn out and tatered...usually a very good sign. It felt comfortable to me and I thought what the heck...Bought one and used it on every ride I took. I think it did two things...first, it offered reasonable padding and some air pockets under my rearend..which kept me out of direct contact with my vinyl seat cover and helped with cooling. Second, because it extended over the edges of my seat it effectively widened my seat. The extra width offered more support for my generously contoured bottom...which is one of the problems I have with the design of the stock (and Spencered) seats. Not a cure-all...but the best and cheapest help I found.
Now, the Walmart special didn't make my bike suitable for an Iron Butt ride...but maybe I'm not cut out for that anyway. But in terms of "most bang for the buck"...head on over to the automotive section of Walmart with a $20 in your fist.
Good luck.
Bob
