Another fan of the wooden bead seatpad

[daviddowns2000]

I just finished a 12 hour ride sitting on a homemade version of the Beadrider (cut to fit from a $9.99 AutoZone beaded seatback and bottom, actually had enough material to make two identical seat pads), and my tushie feels like it has been kissed all over by a...well, maybe not, but it does feel pretty darn good for 12 hours in the saddle. I hadn't done any long rides for a while and for $9.99 thought I'd give it a try, glad I did.

 

[MartyA]

I just finished a 12 hour ride sitting on a homemade version of the Beadrider ... glad I did.

On my 8th year of sitting on the beadrider. Sally also agrees - don't leave home without 'em.

 

[HartClimbs]

+1. Makes a big difference for me on any ride over a few hundred miles.

 

[mdisher]

My take on the bead rider:

Bought one on a whim, cant' remember the fej I saw one on and *thought* that might work.

First ride, I hated that thing, instead of having my two major pain points, I now had like 128 equal pain points spread all over my ass.

But after you get used to them they are quite nice, especially in the heat to get some air circulating around the boys and what not.

Yep I have one, use it on long/multi-day trips, just not all the time, cause it does look kinda dumb and make people think you're a cab driver.

 

[mattster31]

Yep I have one, use it on long/multi-day trips, just not all the time, cause it does look kinda dumb and make people think you're a cab driver.

You just need to add the gold covered kleenex box on your GIVI and you're all set. <_<

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Bought one before my 6000 mile multi-day ride because I didn't have time or money (well mostly money) to get a custom seat. It helped me up to 300-400 miles. After that the seat hurt just as much as plain stock. Custom seat is high on m list before next riding season. But the first few hundred miles each day were more comfy I think....

 

[AFCJER]

+1 on the beads

My wife and I did our first ss1000 a couple of weeks ago with stock seats. We chopped up a $10 beaded car seat cover and restitched for each of us and we were quite comfortable. Highway pegs are on order but I'm not planning on upgrading the seat any time soon.

 

[johnny80s]

Okay I guess it is time to try the beads.

 

[BikerGeek99]

I added the beads just before our Labor Day weekend ride from Central Ohio to the Finger Lakes in New York.

All in all, our experience is dead-on with Renegade and ShinyPartsUp.

I took 'em off for commuting. I'll put 'em on before we head for EOM on Friday.

 

[SkooterG]

I only use it during the Arizona summer. It's not as comfortable for my ass as my Bill Mayer custom seat for the long trips and big miles. It does provide most excellent ventilation however, so when it's hot out and I am riding local - I use it then.

 

[zenwhipper]

They work! I got one, love it for longer rides. :clapping:

 

[MartyA]

Years ago I noticed that I could ride longer in the cold before monkey butt set in. I came to the conclusion that 2 things cause monkey butt - sweat, causing clothing to stick to skin and seat at the same time; and pressure points.

The beads help evaporate sweat on hot days, and yer butt can make little moves around the seat without sticking to the seat. But beads don't do much for the pressure points. A good seat will help with that pressure point pain. A really really good seat can avoid the pressure points pain and keep yer butt in place so it doesn't try to move while it is sticking to the seat. That means beads might not be needed. It so happens with the FJR I found the OEM seat just fine, no pressure point issues. Only needed the beads to make it completely right.

Now on my FZ the OEM seat caused instant pain, so I got the Corbin for that and still ride with beads on any trip over 10 minutes.

Well, my $0.02.

 

[LAGO RUNNER]

WOW..I just made fun of a guy who swears by the beads.. mabe I will give it a try.....All I know is that the stock seat is not comfy at all.. I have not yet had a long ride and will need to somthing before then..

 

[azitlies]

So very old topic... but why start a new one? The bead rider seat hasn't changed

Well not completely true, you can now buy one that is ceramic beads, that way they don't wear and change color etc.

Just did almost 150 miles with mine, first time any distance. This isn't mine but this is what they look like:

edit to add:

hahahaha!! now this is funny!! that actually IS MINE! that was one I bought in 06 for my 05 ST1300, don't know where it is now... I've no idea how beadrider.com got this for their website... that's where this pic is from. LMAO too funny

My impression so far: I think they definitely help, but not exactly what you would call "comfy". At first they are kind of hard, and I'm thinking "no way". but after a while it became clear... it's not going to get any worse. Instead of having a couple of excruciating pressure points found on my last long ride, this seems to have the points all over, spread evenly.

At this point anyway, it seems to help quite a bit. In the Spring I'm going to Cali and travel up and down the Coast... will report back

 

[TomInPA]

I realize this is another Zombie thread, but I tried a bead seat pad this summer on the cross-country trip. It did help with ventilation, but threatened to put permanent marks into the leather on my Rick Meyer seat. Must be a softer leather, so the long and short is, I tossed the beads and saved my seat. There are still a few subtle marks from the beads.

 

[azitlies]

Interesting Tom, after a while this morning, I swear it seemed like the beads kind of sank into the seat a little, and got more comfortable.

Will keep an eye out to see if they seem to be affecting the seat in any way.

The one I got for my feej is actually a size smaller than what they recommend. So don't have it hanging over the sides, which seemed to help as that's where my pressure points were, on the inside of my legs. So mine is just up higher but not wider.

But after 150 miles and no serious soreness, think it might work

 

[JR'SFJR]

Been using a bead seat for a long time, mainly during hot afternoons for ventilation, on high mileage days. I find on cool-cold mornings, it can work too well, getting a cold butt.

 

[Speedygg]

Been using a bead seat for a long time, mainly during hot afternoons for ventilation, on high mileage days. I find on cool-cold mornings, it can work too well, getting a cold butt.

+1

 

[K Rider]

I guess I'll be different. Bought the beadrider and used it on a 450 mile day. Hurt so much more than the stock seat, took it off after 300 miles. For the other 150 miles the stock seat felt great, compared to sitting on the wooden beads. One thing to keep in mind, I don't have a lot of natural padding down there, maybe that makes a difference.