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MOTORCYCLE SEAT PADS

Have you recently bought on of those "awesome" gel-filled motorcycle seat pads from your local dealer or off the internet?  Well if you did, I hope you bought a thick one, because I'm sure your ass really hurts after they made you drop your drawers and grab your ankles after you handed them the cash.

I recently was in the market for a motorcycle gel seat pad for my sport touring bike.  I checked every dealer and just about every internet site (including eBay) for a simple gel pad.  I was amazed at what people are asking for these things.  Prices ranged from $70 to $150!  That's a lot of money for a slab of gel and some nylon.  I actually found gel pads for horse saddles (4 times the size of a motorcycle seat) in the $30 range.

Rather than deal with a sore ass or an empty wallet, I looked around and opted for a gel seat cover for a "spinning" or large cruiser pedal bike.  The seat cover is about an inch thick with gel, has a nylon cover and a no-slip bottom.  It is remarkably similar to the $100 motorcycle seat pads I found on the internet, but it only cost me $30 at REI.  Later I found that you could buy the same seat pad new on eBay for around $15.  These pads even have the "medically approved gel", something that the actual motorcycle pads do not even have.

The type of bike seat cover I am talking about is one for those huge "granny" bicycle seats.  Look at it this way, if this gel seat cover is good enough for your 80-year old grandma, it should work just fine for you!  The specific one I bought is a "Trico Sports - Painreliever - Gel saddle pad for spinning, ATB & road - Size X-Large".  I paid $30 for it at REI, but like I mentioned before, you can find similar pads on eBay for around $15.  There are several different brands and models, so check around to find one that will work on your bike.  The most important thing to look for is the no-slip material on the bottom of the pad.  This will prevent the pad from sliding around (when weighted) on your motorcycle seat.  Also make sure you are comfortable with the gel thickness.

The only modifications I made to the pad were trimming back the nylon that would normally wrap under the bicycle seat, and the sewing on a strap to hold the pad in place when I am not sitting on it ($1.50 strap from REI).  Obviously you could get as fancy as you want by re-covering the pad with sheepskin or leather and adding some dingle-balls.

So basically, you can buy one of the "motorcycle specific" pads to relieve your ass-pain on a long ride (only to have more ass-pain after seeing the cost), or you can look at your local REI, Walmart, or bike store for a better quality, cheaper pad that will work just as well, if not better.

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