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Gel Seats

Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Messages
13,454
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18
Location
The end of the road between Sodom and Gomorrah
First Name
Jack
Last Name
Giesecke
Anybody use a gel seat? I have a gel pad I put on the seat to sit on, but I'm not real impressed with it. It's gushy and you sorta float around on it. Feels wierd until you get used to it. Don't like it at all on the SV cause I can't move around on the seat with it. Anyhow, friend of mine gave me a Suzuki accessory gel seat. I put it on the bike, looks cool, sort of a carbon fiber seat cover look on the gel part. But, it don't feel as soft. It does, however, feel like it'll conform to the butt better. It isn't gushy like the pad. I'm wondering if it's gonna be any better than the stocker? Time will tell, I guess. The stocker was a butt burner in about 250-300 miles at the most, usually less. I've done 400 mile days on it, but had to use the Gel pad for the long straight interstate parts of the ride.

Well, if it doesn't improve things, at least the price was right.
 
I have a Suzuki gel seat on my SVS and it made a world of difference. Where a 500 mile ride on the stock seat was very uncomfortable an 800 mile ride with the gel was extremely tolerable. It is the first thing I recommend people get for the SV (along with riser clip-ons for the SVS)
 
The Suzuki Gel seat is 100 times better than stock :-D .

I take the bike out to San Antonio on occasion. Before the gel seat, I would begin getting uncomfortable after about 30 miles and have to stop every 60 miles. With the gel seat, I dont get uncomfortable till about 60 - 70 miles and don't stop till about 100 - 120 miles.

Chris :chug:
 
Thanks! Wow, now I'm ready for a ride to try that seat, LOL! I've already got hawk bars on it which makes the bike many times more comfy, about 1" of rise and about 2" further back and they're wider than the stock bars, much better. I can crowd the tank and sit almost upright with them and they're perfect out on the open road. The seat was limiting me. The pegs are a little tall, cramps my legs a bit, so I stretch and stand on it on a long ride a lot. But, now I'm stoked! Maybe I've finally turned that thing into an acceptable sport/TOURING bike. It was already a great handling sport bike and great fun to ride. :-D
 
Jack Giesecke said:
The pegs are a little tall, cramps my legs a bit, so I stretch and stand on it on a long ride a lot.

One thought on this. I went and got a set of SV pegs to replace the SVS ones (my wife didnt like the higher pegs either). This also helped out. I got them on ebay for about 25-30 bucks I think. You have to get an SV rear break rod also becasue it gets shorter when you move the pegs forward and down. Just an FYI.

I too got the Hwak clip ons. Boy does it make a difference, kind of makes it feel like a whole different bike, and I would swear that with the handles more up, back and out then the SVS clip-ons that not only is the bike more comfortable but also more flickable. Was a great $40 investment.
 
Thanks. I'll try to ebay some. I'd thought of doing that, but didn't really know how it'd work out. Might limit cornering clearance if I go to a track day or something, but in that case I can always put the stock pegs back on for the track day.
 
Is the SVS that uncomfortable? :eek: Only 30-60 miles? :eek: That's only a one way commute to work for me! :eek: I need a bike with at least twice that...

I had almost decided on the SVs until I read this thread.
:oops:
 
sbaker33 said:
Is the SVS that uncomfortable? :eek: Only 30-60 miles? :eek: That's only a one way commute to work for me! :eek: I need a bike with at least twice that...

I had almost decided on the SVs until I read this thread.
:oops:

I have never heard of anyone having that much of a problem with the stock seat. I could routinely do 200-300 mile hill country rides on mine. I switched because I really wanted to start doing much longer trips, 500+ per day and I felt the investment in the gel seat was worth it.

I would not worry too much Shannon, its not a gold wing seat, but it surely isnt the foam pad of an RC-51, GSXR or the like either.
 
Mine gets uncomfortable after about 100 miles or so, but no so much that I have to stop. I'm looking to get a gel seat too, just have to find a good deal.
 
I guess people's butts are different, LOL! But, no, I get 200 to 250 on the stock saddle before my butt starts to burn. You'll notice SVinAustin says 600 in the stock saddle, 800 with the gel seat. Well, personally, even on my Gold Wing my butt is burning after 800 miles! :lol: But, by that post, I'm thinking the gel seat should get me at least 400 miles will tolerable burn, the most I've done in a day on that bike. I'll still take the gel pad along just to change up things, helps on a long ride.

I ain't even into the ride after 30 miles. It's about 110 miles to Houston from here and I do that easily on my SV with the stock seat. The bars, like any sportbike, need to rise for comfort, especially in city traffic. For your purposes, the SVS with either Hawk bars or a $250 set of Helibars would work great! I have the older chassis, though. The new chassis is a little bigger I think. Still, I don't think you'll find the SV inappropriate. As sport touring goes, it's on the sport side of the equation, for sure. It's no FJR or ZZR or that, it's not even a VFR for comfort, but close if you add the do dads to get it that way. It is VERY sporting, very quick handling on a back road, a shear pleasure to ride on a twisty road and quite entertaining every time you thumb the starter. I really like this bike, just trying to get it more comfortable for the looooong rides. I'm thinking I might try to ride it to Aridzona this summer, maybe. Half way out I10 toward El Paso I may be wishing for my Wing, but that'll disappear when I get to those twisty roads!
 
gel seat

I have had two seats that I had modified and put gel in. The first was on a Kaw Concours the current one on a BMW RT. 700 / 800 mile days are no problem.
There is a world of difference in having a gel seat or having a gel pad on top of a seat.
 
MCN recently tested some seat pads (May 04 issue) and they didn't like the gel stuff either.
They recommended the Airhawk www.airhawk.cc or Aerostich sheepskin saddle pad.

Personally, I don't have any trouble doing 600+ miles a day on the Futura's seat, its got one of the best OEM seats ever produced. It looks like the Airhawk is the way to go if you're not lucky enought to ride a Futura. ;-) :mrgreen:
 
I can ride 200+ miles on my Silver Wing's stock seat. Much over that and it gets a bit uncomfortable. I considered buying a custom seat, but there isn't much choice when it comes to scoots. Someone mentioned an article in Motorcycle Cruiser that reviewed several gel, wood, and air seat cushions. After I read the review I decided to purchase the recommended Airhawk. I'm glad I did. It's great! I'd recommend it to everyone.

Ride safe and far,
 
For people who have run the gel seat, seems I heard they tend to get real hot sitting out in the sun on a summer day. What do you do about that?
 
Sleepy Weasel said:
For people who have run the gel seat, seems I heard they tend to get real hot sitting out in the sun on a summer day. What do you do about that?

Put some aluminum foil over the seat to reflect the sun. Or buy an AirHawk.
1264.gif
 
I have seen people recommend a sheepskin from Ikea, it is something like $15.00 and you can cut it to size. The only issue is that it is white. They do not show it online, but I have seen it in the Houston store sometime ago.
 
Park in the shade?
Carry a white towel and drape it over the seat?
Move out of Texas?
:lol:
 
Squeaky said:
Park in the shade?
Carry a white towel and drape it over the seat?
Move out of Texas?
:lol:

The only shade at my office comes from a tree full of poopin' birds, and I own property in TX, so the towel approach is the least drastic.
 
Jack Giesecke said:
Anybody use a gel seat? I have a gel pad I put on the seat to sit on, but I'm not real impressed with it. It's gushy and you sorta float around on it. Feels wierd until you get used to it.

Well, if it doesn't improve things, at least the price was right.

This product, installed on my cruiser (Kawa VHN800A) allowed me to double my ride time comfort: http://www.saddlemen.com/index.html
I also swear by my ProPad for my Goldwing: http://www.thepropad.com/shop/detail.asp?product_id=6101-Large_Fabric_Top_Pad

Gel is my friend!
 
I put a Corbin on my R6 about a year ago and have never looked back. I just have to remember to take my wallet out of my back pocket or else I will be feeling it about 50 miles later.

corbinseat.JPG
 
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