Motorcycle Seat and Cushion Reviews

Our Bums Feel Great After Weeks of Testing the Best Motorcycle Seats, Saddles and Cushions

Aftermarket seats for a motorcycle can literally be the difference between pleasure and pain. It doesn’t take long for us to get uncomfortable on a bike so we are avid aftermarket seat guys here at wBW.

As always when we test cushions or seats we’re in the saddle, on the road and really putting them through their paces weeks at a time. Any seat can be comfortable for a week or two but as time goes on you really understand the nature of a seat. The other thing to note is that it goes without saying that cushions are highly personally so read our reviews, but more importantly try to test some out yourself. You know where you normally feel pain after sitting for a while, you know how hard or soft you like your seat to me. That matters.

There are few things to think about when it comes to price. Custom made seats are awesome but they aren’t cheap. Removable cushions are reasonably priced and have lots of options (shapes, sized, materials, cushion material).

There is a huge selection of aftermarket motorcycle seats, cushions and seat pads and we couldn’t get to all of them. We continue to add new reviews so come back and check it out.

Disclosure: We make money (and keep the site running) through ads and affiliate links. That means that when you click a link to sites like RevZilla or Amazon you are supporting us because we may get a commission if you purchase. We have developed a policy that you can find here but the gist is that our reviews are 100% unbiased and we don’t take payments or allow potential commissions to dictate what we say about products. 

Best Motorcycle Seats, Saddles and Cushions

Best Seat Covers
Best Seat Cushions
Best Seat Covers

 

Recent Reviews

Definitely check our recent seat and cover reviews here.

More Specialty Motorcycle Seat Information

Sheepskin Seat Covers: Sheepskin seat covers available at The Good Wool Store. GelSeat has sheepskin seat covers and other sheepskin products. Alaska Leather is the “home of the Alaska sheepskin butt pad”.

Motorcycle Saddle Cushions: The Butt Buffer is a polymer insert or pad that is claimed to reduce butt burn, lower back pain and fatigue; see the wBW Review of the Butt Buffer seat pad. Airhawk motorcycle cushions for chronic butt burn; expensive, but worth every penny. The Bead Rider custom beaded seat covers.  Alaska Leather is home of the “sheepskin butt pad”. The Pro Pad is made of a special polymer and comes in various sizes to fit different motorcycle seats.

Custom Motorcycle Seats: KonTour Seat makes nice-looking custom made or rebuilt saddles, using a “6 layer, air cooled, infinitely adjustable, damped, temperature regulated and breathable composite”. Russell Day-Long Saddles.  Corbin Saddles.  Sargent Saddles. Mayer saddles appears to be back in business; but both Mayer brothers have websites; try Rick Mayer or Bill Mayer, your choice I guess. How about modifying your own saddle with help from Dynamic Systems, Inc., foam and related products? Rich’s Custom Seats.

Motorcycle Seat Rain Cover: See the wBW review of the Wraptor motorcycle seat rain cover, which protects the motorcycle seat and handlebars

Used Motorcycle Seats and Saddles: Try RL Motorcycle Saddles – they have saddles of all types for many motorcycles and also sell Airhawk cushions.

Owner Comments and Feedback

From “N.C.”:  “I have personally used several seats. Corbin – good quality, firm. I liked it a lot, my wife was less impressed (she wanted something softer). So I kept the Corbin on my Sportbike, ’cause I found it well shaped and could move around easily.

I did need one adjustment, and Corbin made it free after I called / emailed to explain what I wanted and shipped the seat back. After the rework (to make it less sloped forward), it was fine. NOTE: My bike had aftermarket front forks, so it was over an inch shorter than stock – likely contributing to the seat forward slope.

Rick Mayer – I had good results from him. Leather dual seat for a sports-touring bike (Triumph Trophy). Leather quality good, workmanship good, comfort very good for both me and my wife.

SARGENT: their off-the-shelf seat is fine, and their custom work looks good but I’ve never been on one.”

From “B.B.”:  “I found a simple solution for a comfortable seat for my 1993 Harley-Davidson FLHS Electra Glide Sport. I am a retired Motor Officer from northern New Jersey.

Unfortunately, my wife and riding partner passed away recently, so I decided to set up my motorcycle as a solo ride.

I was fortunate enough to attend the NYPD Motorcycle School in 1994, and then return for an instructor course that they hosted from Harley-Davidson and Northwestern University Traffic Institute the following year.

Each course was three weeks long, spending around six hours a day in the saddle. Despite the lengthy riding time, my butt never got sore or numb.

I purchased a Harley Police Motorcycle parts catalog for my year bike on EBay, using it to get the parts numbers needed.

I then found a used solo police motorcycle seat on EBay, and ordered a mounting kit through my Harley dealer (I also removed the rear passenger footboards, but that was just my personal preference).

The parts bolted right on and I added a used Motorola radio box, again from EBay, to complete the look (the radio box fits a container with three hot dogs from my favorite local hot dog place perfectly).

Luckily, my year motorcycle used springs on the seat, which made installation very easy. Others may have to add on an air cylinder for the seat (also usually available on EBay, sometimes as a set with the seat).

For those who wish to bring along a passenger, Mustang makes a seat for behind the police saddle that looks very comfortable. It is only for model year 1997 and later.

The Harley police seat is the most comfortable saddle I have tried, and makes riding a dream. This worked out great for me, and may be an option that others might wish to consider.”

From “T.B.”:  “I ordered rider and pillion seats for my 2007 R 1200 GS from Rick Mayer Cycles in April 2007 and waited four months for them to arrive.

With the seats, I ordered a cover tailored specifically for the two seats. What I received was bag-like affair that fit so poorly that it was never put to use.

A note provided with the order stated that the cover was backordered, would be shipped when available and that the provided cover was “temporary”.

Five months later I had yet to receive the cover and contacted Mayer to determine its status. The response was “Are you sure we did not send it to you?”  I responded in the negative and have yet to receive either a response or a cover.

I have since sold the motorcycle and am now requesting a refund to which I have yet to receive a response. And that is after 8 months.

With respect to the seats, they were quite comfortable; however, I was not greatly impressed with the quality.

The leather on one of the seats included a minor flaw and the manner with which the leather was stapled to the seat bases was quite crude. The quality certainly was not what I expected for over $1,000.

I am left with an impression of arrogance and an absolute absence of concern with customer service and Mayer will not have me as a repeat customer. I have ordered seats for my 2008 K 1200 GT from Sargent.”

From “K.W.”:  “I just had the seat for my 2003 Honda Silver Wing done (by Spencer’s Motorcycle Seat Mods) to great effect.

Before the mod I could not ride more than 30 minutes or so before my toes would go numb. Now, I can ride for hours.

As an added benefit I now sit in the seat rather than on top of it.

Where I used to have to lift my butt off of the seat on bumpy stretches of road (no shortage of those here in Vermont), I can now ride them out while maintaining much better control of the bike.

I asked for the more expensive “LD” option which set me back a whopping $90.00 to have the front and back of the seat done. Turn around time was ONE day!

About a week after I found (their) web site, Rider magazine did a write up of this new service. There is a link to the article on (Spencer’s) web page.”