DIY Seat Modification?

[In10city]

After 13 hours Saturday and 10 Hours Sunday I discovered that I can't lean on the tank and take the weight off my rear end and my butt bones (is there a medical term for them?) started feeling a bit bruised. I still have the factory seats and I consider them very comfortable but I guess everything has it's limits. I have 2 sport touring bikes and I'm trying to farkle both of them so I don't have a lot of spare money laying around and I was considering adding a layer of 3/8" gel padding to each seat under the vinyl cover. SHOCKtec Air2 Gel HD

I've re-uhpolstered most of the equipment at the gym and feel pretty confident working with the vinyl and a staple gun, I was just wondering if anyone else had tried this and how it worked out. The company also sells a motorcycle specific pad but I was just going to buy a half roll of 5 square feet so I could do both bikes.

 

[FJRJeff]

After 13 hours Saturday and 10 Hours Sunday I discovered that I can't lean on the tank and take the weight off my rear end and my butt bones (is there a medical term for them?) started feeling a bit bruised. I still have the factory seats and I consider them very comfortable but I guess everything has it's limits. I have 2 sport touring bikes and I'm trying to farkle both of them so I don't have a lot of spare money laying around and I was considering adding a layer of 3/8" gel padding to each seat under the vinyl cover. SHOCKtec Air2 Gel HD
I've re-uhpolstered most of the equipment at the gym and feel pretty confident working with the vinyl and a staple gun, I was just wondering if anyone else had tried this and how it worked out. The company also sells a motorcycle specific pad but I was just going to buy a half roll of 5 square feet so I could do both bikes.

I don't have any experience with this directly, but you need more than just a gel pad. You want to cut down the foam under your rear, and add some in the back to spread your weight around, and get some pressure off the sit bones (yes, there is a term for them, but who cares?). The gel may give you some short term comfort, but I don't think it will provide a long range answer without other mods to the seat.

Just my .02.

 

[jayshaw91]

I'd agree. Being a pedal biker, harder seats are actually better for you after you get used to them, hence Corbin's philosophy. Softer isn't usually better. A denser foam may help.

 

[teerex51]

In10city

Back in May I posted a write-up of a stock seat refurbishment using gel pads from JCWhitney's

HERE IT IS

Just scroll down till you get to the photo part

Stef

 

[In10city]

Thanks Steph, that's the sort of thing I was thinking. I was actually goign to just add a layer of the gel insert to the whole seat without cutting any of the foam. The gel pad I'm looking at comes in a 5 square foot sheet and I can cut it to fit my needs. I've also seen upholstry shops using a high speed air tool to trim and shape this type of foam, if I could have them just remove about a half inch from all the seat that would account for the additional layer of gel so the seat height would not change.

More planning and thinking and I probably won't attempt this until I get back from 'parts unknown'.

 

[teerex51]

More planning and thinking and I probably won't attempt this until I get back from 'parts unknown'.

Watch your 6 in those parts B) and when you get around to redoing yr seat please make sure there's a layer of foam (however thin) between the gel pad and the seat upholstery.

If the bike sits in the sun for hours the gel pad will soak up enough heat to fry your butt :blink:

Stef

 

[FJRScorpion]

I would like to know if anyone has had trouble sitting on their seat (with the gel pad) because of excessive heat absorbed during the day while sitting in a parking lot. A friend of mine's felloworker has tried covering his seat with a towel, pouring water on it and even wrapping ice in a towel and letting it sit there. He rode basically standing up on the pegs just to get home the first three days. He eventually put an original stock seat on his bike so that he could ride it back and forth to work. Needless to say, he's very upset and didn't expect that trouble. He bought his bike with the improved seat, probably thinking it was a good thing. Is this a common problem with the gel inserts?

This is odd, Stef's post just showed up when I entered this reply!

 

[alan sh]

I would like to know if anyone has had trouble sitting on their seat (with the gel pad) because of excessive heat absorbed during the day while sitting in a parking lot. A friend of mine's felloworker has tried covering his seat with a towel, pouring water on it and even wrapping ice in a towel and letting it sit there. He rode basically standing up on the pegs just to get home the first three days. He eventually put an original stock seat on his bike so that he could ride it back and forth to work. Needless to say, he's very upset and didn't expect that trouble. He bought his bike with the improved seat, probably thinking it was a good thing. Is this a common problem with the gel inserts?
This is odd, Stef's post just showed up when I entered this reply!

Me too. In fact, my gel pad is coming out next weekend. It's too hard and, as you say, it absorbs heat like there's no tomorrow.....