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South Africa, Pretoria
1 Level
742 Review
43 Karma

Review on Motorcycle Motorbike Compatible Adventure Motorcycles by Tim Purdie

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Excellent value for money

I drive between 1,500 and 2,000 miles a month so comfort is important to me. My stock Concours 1400 saddle was fine until it started cracking and chipping after about 120km (the car drives 24/7, and the Texan sun and DFW are not ozone friendly). I bought a 'premium' gel seat cushion which lasted about 6 months before a 'hole' formed in its mesh cover and within a week or two the gel was being squeezed out of the gel insert which was starting to soak through coming out of the hole in sticky pieces. Also, the straps holding it in place were elastic, which constantly lost strength (requiring constant adjustment), causing the pillow to shift after a week or so or after a long ride. I found this virtual clone in looks and size but with air. Pillow instead of another gel pad, replacing my previous gel pad. The mesh cover is also heavier and the shoulder straps are NOT elastic. The pad hasn't moved more than 1/2 inch since it was installed a few months ago. Driven 3-4 thousand km. I attribute this to inelastic tethers. The upholstery still looks like new despite the kilometers. The previous gel pad looked worn out almost immediately. I almost expected that seams or some other issue with the construction would be an issue. But so far so good. What compared to the previous gel seat (they cost 3x as much) I've already got my money back from the seat. For short rides (about 150 miles) it's not as comfortable as a regular seat but not by much. For long rides great if you pump it up properly for your weight and shape of buttocks. I first inflated it with my mouth as much as possible to give it the approximate feel of a gel fit. It turned out to be too much. After two or three adjustments, I lowered the pressure enough that a passenger who felt the pillow with his hand showed that it wasn't inflated enough by the time they sat on it. GOOD ADVICE. This pillow doesn't require a lot of pressure. It comes with a hand pump which is completely unnecessary. Your lungs will inflate it slightly. Start with a little more pressure than you think you need, then gradually decrease it until it's comfortable for you. So you inflate it once and set it DOWN. The air inflator is a metal screw valve located on the back of the pillow just inside the zipper that runs all the way down. Just inflate, ride a little, deflate a little, and repeat until you're comfortable. The air insert is of very heavy construction with very reliable heat sealing around the perimeter and between the many individual air cells. All cells are interconnected so that, for example, when you sit on the narrow end of the seat, some of the air is forced into the rear air chambers. I chose a pressure that is comfortable for the city when sitting in the front of the saddle, but on longer distances when I move a few inches backwards the wide part of the pad supports me comfortably. In short, don't expect the right pressure when you first install the pad. Be ready to make a few or more adjustments right away. Oh, and it hasn't leaked a bit so far.

Pros
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • So-so