Numb bum? Who hasn’t experienced it on a long-distance ride? I certainly have, and I’ve dealt with it in a number of ways, from regular breaks to spending a small fortune on a special saddle. The first is inconvenient if I really need to make a deadline like a ferry, the second is financially ruinous and still only relates to a single bike.
So, some time ago I managed to get hold of a ComfortAir seat cushion. It’s something that can quickly and easily be swapped between bikes and is said to “alleviate back pain, dampen vibration and reduce painful pressure points”. The great news is that I have been known to suffer all of those things when using my Crobba Customs-built Honda 500 Street Scrambler because it is currently fitted with a 1977 Triumph Bonneville seat. Yes, it was a stop-gap, but that was 5 years ago…
The ComfortAir uses air floatation technology – pockets of air – to distribute your weight evenly over the seat area. It’s easily inflated by mouth and really helps blood circulation. The cells are interconnected so the air can easily move around to alleviate pressure points and also stay cool.
There are 4 styles available and not surprisingly I chose the ‘adventure sport’ style one. Shapes vary to suit the way you use the saddle, so for feet-forward cruiser style bikes there’s more substance at the rear for example.
There’s a non-slip base and two straps which fit round beneath the seat and are adjusted to suit. In the 2,500 miles I’ve so far used it, it hasn’t budged once I’ve placed it. Inflation and adjustment happens in situ and is easy to do. The only real comment I have about that is that the inflation tube and valve is a quality brass item, but on a frosty morning I was concerned about my lips sticking to it, but I’d still rather enjoy quality manufacturing than risk failure. It needs very little air to make a massive difference; you don’t want it hard or it won’t function.
I can categorically state that comfort on my Honda has been transformed, and at £69 has been achieved for an awful lot less than buying a new seat. Thankfully the quality of all the materials employed in the ComfortAir seem to be as robust as the valve, so it should serve me well for a long time.
One added benefit is that I sit a little higher so the distance to the footpegs has increased, making a really positive improvement to overall comfort. This is particularly noticeable on long motorway slogs when you find you don’t really move for ages.
Prices for ComfortAir Seat Cushions start at just £65 (for the pillion version) and are covered by a 30-day money back guarantee. See the complete range at comfortair-moto
Paddy Tyson
