Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: stevewfl on July 29, 2013, 09:35:32 PM
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I hope the Airhawk R is everything folks tell me it is?
I just pulled the Amazon.com order trigger on one. Its meeting my C14 and I at my mom's in Columbia, SC Thursday :D
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Ah, the old scrotum reliever- how could it be anything but great?
:-)
Seriously, Airhawk makes a great product. Other than the new one which is a low cost entry level product, I think they are all great. I am a happy customer for years now.
The low cost product is not as durable or as pliable as the neoprene versions. Not sure which product you have but all work to alleviate pressure points; the low cost version just won't last as long as the more expensive products and they are not quite as conformal to the human shape. To Airhawk's credit, these low cost products were introduced to bring in newcomers and not as a general competitor to the existing products.
Brian
I hope the Airhawk R is everything folks tell me it is?
I just pulled the Amazon.com order trigger on one. Its meeting my C14 and I at my mom's in Columbia, SC Thursday :D
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I just bought one a couple of weeks ago, and have been really, really happy with it. It's made a nice difference.
Jeff
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How much did ya get it for Steve?
Brian,
What size is best for a Corbin on the Connie? How much height does this add to the seat in terms of sitting on the bike and reaching the ground at a stop?
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I have the 14" one on my stock '12 C14 seat, and it fits pretty good. It's not the current model -- I bought a 2009 one that was "used" but actually new in box for dirt cheap.
ZG, if you want to take a look sometime, let me know.
-Jeff
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What size is best for a Corbin on the Connie? How much height does this add to the seat in terms of sitting on the bike and reaching the ground at a stop?
The Airhawk R only comes in one size and it fits nicely on the Corbin. I have mine (Airhawk R) shifted more to the front of my Corbin, so as far as seat height change, 0 to +1/8". They look like they would put you an inch or so higher, but the photos that you see are of fully inflated ones. You are not suppose to have that much air in them when using. Go to the two links below for more info.
http://www.airhawk.net/airhawk-r.aspx (http://www.airhawk.net/airhawk-r.aspx)
http://www.airhawk.net/multimedia.aspx (http://www.airhawk.net/multimedia.aspx)
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I have one of the cheap ones on my FJR. Works better than I expected, at least as good as my last custom seat.
I think you'll like the Airhawk R.
You move around a little bit on it which is odd at first. You might want to take it off or flip it up when you ride the twisties.
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How much did ya get it for Steve?
Brian,
What size is best for a Corbin on the Connie? How much height does this add to the seat in terms of sitting on the bike and reaching the ground at a stop?
$159 if you order from Amazon instead of Airhawk. May be a few bux cheaper new on fleabay but i needed to use my 2-day free delivery for amazon prime to mom's house =)
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I have one and like it a lot on my custom seat. I just can't wear my normal boxer briefs with it or I end up sitting on my bag :o
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I love my Airhawk. It took me a bit to figure out how much/little air to put in it but once dialed in it works great. I rode 600 miles stopping only for fuel and was completly comfortable with it. You're going to like it.
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I have an older airhawk and although it seems to be a quality product I never use it. I love my Corbin seat but on long days it starts to get to the gonads. It will be interesting to hear how you like the Airhawk R. Might me a good solution for me on 500 mile plus days.
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I have one and like it a lot on my custom seat. I just can't wear my normal boxer briefs with it or I end up sitting on my bag :o
:o
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I have trouble even saying the words. The right size is <gulp> medium cruiser. [spit, spit]
Brian
<snip>
Brian,
What size is best for a Corbin on the Connie? How much height does this add to the seat in terms of sitting on the bike and reaching the ground at a stop?
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That is the big problem- most of us want to put too much air in it. Once you get that under control, you can ride almost forever. At least all the way to the hospital in my experience....
Brian
I love my Airhawk. It took me a bit to figure out how much/little air to put in it but once dialed in it works great. I rode 600 miles stopping only for fuel and was completly comfortable with it. You're going to like it.
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There is that..... ::)
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That is the big problem- most of us want to put too much air in it. Once you get that under control, you can ride almost forever. At least all the way to the hospital in my experience....
Brian
Would the best approach be to fill it up and then sit on it and then let air out until you just barely touch seat? :-\
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There are two ways I have found that work for me, and one will get me endless ridicule. But that is OK 'cause I am happy to 'take one for the team' so you can all adjust your bottoms correctly....
The 'sit and leak' method (as I like to call it) really does not work because you never know how much air is in the cushion or how much you have let out. The biggest problem with Airhawks I think is overfilling them but no one seems to have a good method of adjusting them with any precision.... until now! Follow the simple step- by- step directions below and you too can reach heinie nirvana.
First of all, the easiest way to tell how much air is in the thing is to take the cushion out of the sleeve (easy), put it on a flat surface, blow it up until it is full and leave the stem open. The cushion will deflate until each cell is full but not pressurized. Now pick an amount of cells, I find half of them works great for me, and squeeze all the air out of them. In other words, leave 1/2 of the cells full of air and squeeze all the air out of the other half. I find using a hardcover book or cutting board or something helps in squeezing down the cells (no need to push, just get them more or less flat). Close the valve, replace the cushion and try it. Now if you want to adjust it for more or less air, just repeat all of the above but leave an extra cell or two full of air, or empty and extra cell or two. This way you can adjust it a bit at a time but mostly, you can repeat the way you fill the cushion in the future! That is the biggest problem I find- just how much air is in the cushion and how much more are you adding (or now much are you letting out)?
The second method is this: sit on the cushion, on the bike, just as you would ride it- feet on the pegs and all. Now, slide your hand under your butt and feel around for you sitz bones (the ishium), there is one on either side. It is pressure on the ishium that will cause major pain and in some cases serious medical conditions (seriously- Christopher Reeve). Feel how much air there seems to be between your ishium and the actual saddle: you want no more than 1/2" at least to start. While sitting on the bike you may be able to let a bit of air out of the cushion but you won't be able to blow any air into the cushion that you are sitting on- at least no one I know has been able to and I would pay good money to see that. The problem with this method (besides some people enjoy it so much they keep at it until they are arrested) is that it is tough to impossible to know how much you are adding / subtracting from the cushion. That is why I recommend the 'cell count' method outlined above.
By the way: you can use the cell count method to help someone else adjust his / her Airhawk but I have found that is not always the case with the 'find the ishium' method. I helped this one woman this one time and her husband seemed really put off- I have no idea why because the entire seat adjustment was a raging success IMO.
Best of luck with your seat and please feel free to post picture on any other forum on the internet.
Brian
Would the best approach be to fill it up and then sit on it and then let air out until you just barely touch seat? :-\
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Would the best approach be to fill it up and then sit on it and then let air out until you just barely touch seat? :-\
^ That is how Airhawk recommends you do it.
I have an older airhawk and although it seems to be a quality product I never use it. I love my Corbin seat but on long days it starts to get to the gonads. It will be interesting to hear how you like the Airhawk R. Might me a good solution for me on 500 mile plus days.
I use mine all the time with my Corbin.
(Bought the Corbin used, so it has already started breaking in to the PO's shape.)
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Brian,
Thanks for "taking one for the team", excellent methods. :)
I really like the part about, "... the 'find the ishium' method. I helped this one woman this one time and her husband seemed really put off- ...". ;D
Pilgrim
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That wasn't her ishium and who do you think you are, TSA?..........
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;D ;D
Nah, I didn't make her take her shoes off or anything....
Brian
That wasn't her ishium and who do you think you are, TSA?..........
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How kind...
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I maintain my gentlemanly behavior at all times. Mostly. And besides, feet ain't one of the attractive parts....
I sure do hope all of this is helping someone properly fit their butt to an Airhawk....
Brian
How kind...
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The problem with that method is- how do you know when you are just about to touch the seat? And if you do touch the seat, how do you know how much air to put back in to bring you back up to that magic 'almost' part?
In my opinion, that is one of the biggest problems with people not liking Airhawks- not having the right amount of air in them. Another problem with them is that they are not that durable IME although carrying a spare on long trips pretty much takes care of that problem. The first sign that your Airhawk has sprung a leak might be a horribly sore butt and while it is amusing, it ain't a lot of fun if you have much farther to ride.
By the way, I noticed the other day I am starting to wear through the nylon cover of my current Airhawk- this makes three covers since I've owned a C-14.
Brian
^ That is how Airhawk recommends you do it.
I use mine all the time with my Corbin.
(Bought the Corbin used, so it has already started breaking in to the PO's shape.)
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It's on the bike, glad i paid a little extra forthe r model it fits perfectly. Tomorrow will be miles and adjusting. Thanks for ask the details about airing it
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/mobile/CAM00061.jpg)
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I think most people end up liking them. They do what they claim to do- they remove pressure points and distribute your weight across all the square inches behind you rather than a couple of pressure points.
I think Airhawks and HIDs deliver best what they promise. Not that other products do not, just that I think these two hit 100% without the 'but' that goes with so many other products.
My only suggestion would be to give it a bit of time to get used to it and learn how to set it up. I hated my first Airhawk and it was mostly because I overinflated it and it did not work well for me on the stock C-14 seat (too much fore / aft curvature). On a flatter, wider saddle they are the cat's whiskers I think.
One other thing- take it off the bike if it is going to rain if you are not wearing waterproof pants. The Airhawk itself is perfectly fine getting soaked but between the nylon webbing cover and the crevasses between the air pockets, they hold about 2 gallons of water and will not dry out in a single summer. At least throw a plastic bag over it to keep it from getting soaked. A wet Airhawk will soak your crevasses right through your pants for weeks at a time. :-(
Best of luck with it.
Brian
It's on the bike, glad i paid a little extra forthe r model it fits perfectly. Tomorrow will be miles and adjusting. Thanks for ask the details about airing it
(http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/mobile/CAM00061.jpg)
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it did not work well for me on the stock C-14 seat (too much fore / aft curvature). On a flatter, wider saddle they are the cat's whiskers I think.
What seat do you have it on Brian? Corbin?
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Yeah, Corbin with Airhawks, front and rear. The Corbin / Airhawk combination fit like they were made for each other and the shape of the Corbin is ideal to support an Airhawk without much air in it at all.
Brian
What seat do you have it on Brian? Corbin?
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Anyone using an Airhawk with a Russell seat?
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I did with lousy results. But bear in mind that all Russell saddles are custom made so my experience may not mean anything regarding other Russell saddles.
The edges of the Russell projected out from under the Airhawk and so I ended up with a pressure point on my thighs. And beyond that, the Russell is MORE than high enough stock and adding a cushion was making the whole riding thing difficult regarding wind noise, forward lean, etc. I sit rather high in the saddle to begin with so that was a bad combo. for me.
And as expensive as a Corbin is, a Russell is even more. A custom twin Russell, in leather, with a pair of Airhawks on top starts to get into pretty expensive territory (remember you need a stock seat pan to build a Russell on)- like $1,200 and no guarantee it will all work.
The Corbin is my fourth saddle used both with and without an Airhawk: stock, stock ZX 14 saddle (the bike sure felt sportier), custom dual Russell and a stock Corbin. Lots o' money tied up in my Heine (and not the way they do it in prison either).
Saddle comfort is a real problem in the motorcycling world, and an even bigger problem in the long distance riding arena. A lot of people have and continue to spend a lot of money on this problem with mixed and, unfortunately, non- repeatable results. What works for one person / bike often will not work for another. Up to about 4 or 5 hours in the saddle and a decent seat, maybe a wool cushion and some pain reliever is pretty effective. After 12 or more hours in the saddle every single ache and pain that can happen will make itself known. A really poor saddle and an hour's ride can install enough pain in my that it hurts all day after I am done with the ride. That is why I never shrug off anyone else's saddle time- I have a friend who is working her way up in mileage now and has hit 300 miles in a day (not all in a row). She is pretty proud of herself and she should be- she has minimal changes done to her bike and is 'toughing it out'.
And one final though- in addition to the pure sitting situation, it is really quite affected by peg location, peg size, handlebar location and angle, windshield height and general wind movement around the rider. Change the saddle and change all those things! And showroom 'testing' is worthless; you just cannot tell how a bike will feel at the end of the day after a half- hour test.
Brian
Anyone using an Airhawk with a Russell seat?
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You got that right! Thanks, Brian.
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Stock seat.
I did 19 hours in the saddle yesterday as a result of this thing. Combo of red dirt roads, slow twisty roads, and superslab. I'd have done 24 hours but messed around and took Ronda to dinner in Dothan Al.
This AIRHAWK R is a "must have" for me going forward. Last time I did that kind of day I was sore as heel and hating it. I'm fine today
The crazy pics are here: http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=14647.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=14647.0)
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stevewfl, did you use that airhawk on a stock seat??
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Me and the SO love our Airhawks. Much much much better than our Butt Buffers. Granted there is some sliding, but the pain on super long days is nearly gone.
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stevewfl, did you use that airhawk on a stock seat??
yes sir. and my stock seat has >79,000 miles on it. Its about mush.
I was considering having the seat re-done by the gentleman in FL who does seats, but since the airhawk no reason.
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All riders need happy butts. Happy butts mean longer, more fun filled rides. But all butts be different. One man's happy butt is another man's hemorrhoid. I tried the Airhawk R. Butt be happy, but… Ride not be fun. Sort of like sitting on a rocking horse. Rock forward on braking – rock back on acceleration. Kept stopping and letting more and more air out. Made no difference. Sent it back and got a Seth Lamm seat. My butt now be happy.
Butt seriously folks…
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I have the corbin I recently bought and hope things will be better on my upcoming trip. I did buy an Airhawk R today though after reading that most people say they help quite a bit. Figure it won't hurt to have if the corbin does'nt fit the bill on my ride
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I have a Suzuki gel on my Vstrom and it is not too terribly bad, although not quite wide enough. I may give Airhawk a try, allot cheaper than a new saddle.
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I have a Suzuki gel on my Vstrom and it is not too terribly bad, although not quite wide enough. I may give Airhawk a try, allot cheaper than a new saddle.
I'm amazed with mine
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Just to reiterate, it takes far less air than many think. If it is not working take more air out. It will almost feel flat.
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I have the corbin I recently bought and hope things will be better on my upcoming trip. I did buy an Airhawk R today though after reading that most people say they help quite a bit. Figure it won't hurt to have if the corbin does'nt fit the bill on my ride
Now don't get me wrong, I like my Corbin, but I'd suggest you take it for a long day ride before committing to riding with just it for multiple days. I will often start out with the Sheepskin on the Corbin and then later in the day, when it starts to hurt, I'll slip a Thermarest camp cushion under the sheepskin with just a smidgen of air. Not quite an Airhawk, but it helps.
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Broke down and ordered the AirHawk R until I can spend the $ and time to get a Laam seat made. My seat was modified by Spencer a year an a half ago, and while being soo much better than stock, I can't go more than 45 min without the hot spots and pain starting. Should have it Saturday or Monday.
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I have the Spencer mod and love it. Did the SS1000 and BB1500 on it last year without anything additional. I have a sheepskin but stopped using it, because it didn't really help much. So after reading this thread, I decided I needed to try the Airhawk R. I rode on it from Minneapolis to Indianapolis and back, for the MotoGP races. About 650 miles each way. While my butt was marginally better, my shoulders and arms were in terrible shape from the higher seating position. Yes, I did go through all the air adjustments, getting it to the proper inflation, meaning not much air. Anyway, I'm thinking it will be a nice cushion for my girlfriend to sit on in the pillion position.
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Seems to me, if you have it properly inflated, you should only be about 1/8" higher than normal. But maybe that's not true because you wouldn't be compressing the seat foam as much as mormal.
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Seems to me, if you have it properly inflated, you should only be about 1/8" higher than normal. But maybe that's not true because you wouldn't be compressing the seat foam as much as mormal.
I will definitely give it another try but I didn't get the miraculous change like stevewfl. I really don't know how you can ride in the dirt with it. I move around too much on it. Maybe I do have too much air, but I did try it with less and didn't like that either. Oh well, everyone likes different stuff.
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I will definitely give it another try but I didn't get the miraculous change like stevewfl. I really don't know how you can ride in the dirt with it. I move around too much on it. Maybe I do have too much air, but I did try it with less and didn't like that either. Oh well, everyone likes different stuff.
If you want to sell it let me know :)
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I have to say it help quite a bit on my1800 mile ride . I rode 16 hours including breaks and it was nice. Coming home from Bay Area to tucson was nonstop 14 hours. It was comfortable but not perfect. I tried just using the corbin but way to hard after a bit and put airhawk back on. I'm definitely gonna use it most of the time except short rides. I did not care for the feel in traffic when it got slow. Just seemed to loose? It's definitely better on long haul than my seat alone ever was.
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I had an airhawk for a couple of years now. Replaced a PRO PAD......till Pokey's Labor Day Ride.....then the Airhawk went flat. Put the ProPad back on and realized how much better the AH was. GOnna have to spring for a new Hawk soon.
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If you want to sell it let me know :)
2nd dibs, i need one for the klr :D