Can You Ride Longer on an Airhawk Motorcycle Seat?

Summer is finally in full swing, and that means one thing: motorcycle season is upon us! For many riders, the warmer weather is the perfect opportunity to get out on their bikes and explore all that our great country has to offer. But if you’re like me, you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of every ride. So can an Airhawk seat help you ride longer? Let’s take a closer look.

Benefits of an Airhawk Motorcycle Seat

When it comes to Stock Motorcycle Seats, they tend to leave a lot to be desired. Riding for more than an hour or two can become a little uncomfortable. As the ride stretches on and you pass four hours – well, those situations can become quite painful.

As someone who enjoys long rides, I found myself wanting something that would keep me comfortable. I didn’t want to take a chance on an expensive Corbin seat without trying one first. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option, and I had to look for alternatives. That was when I discovered the Airhawk Motorcycle Seat Cushion. It utilizes your existing seat and places an air bladder between you and your rigid stock seat.

The idea is that by riding on a cushion of air you can eliminate the typical pressure points associated with being seated for a prolonged period of time. Even better is that the bladder is designed to create pathways for outside air to move between you and your motorcycle. This keeps you cooler than riding on foam or gel that doesn’t breathe well.

By placing your butt on a cushion of air and allowing outside air to keep you cool, the premise is to keep you comfortable for longer periods of time – letting you crush those miles!

Installing Your Airhawk Motorcycle Seat

Installation of the Airhawk Motorcycle Cushion is very simple. The first thing you’ll need to do is remove your existing seat. In my case with a Yamaha MT-09 SP, that means inserting the key under the tail, rotating the key to disengage the latch, and pulling the seat towards the rear. The seat will then disengage and can be lifted away from the bike.

Once removed, place your Airhawk Seat upside down on a table or work surface. Now place your existing seat upside down on the Airhawk. With both seats upside down and stacked one-atop the other, wrap the elastic straps around your existing seat and connect them to the Airkawk. Synch the straps down to keep the seat from moving and you are effectively finished. All that is left now is to re-mount your seat on your motorcycle.

Once your seat is reattached, open the zipper on the rear of the Airhawk. Locate the fill valve inside the seat and open it by turning the cap counter-clockwise. Once open, blow inside the valve to fill the bladder with air. When full, turn the valve clockwise to close it and prevent air from escaping.

Now you are ready to sit on your bike. Once seated, reach behind you and slowly begin opening the valve. Release the air within the bladder so that you begin to sink into the seat. You want to release enough air that your butt is between 1/4″ and 1/2″ above your stock seat. Close the valve and shift your weight in the seat to ensure that you aren’t bottoming out on the stock seat. If you are, repeat the process to add air.

Once you are satisfied with the amount of air in your Airhawk Motorcycle Seat, close the zipper and take your motorcycle out for a test ride. You may need to fine tune the air pressure a couple of times before you find the sweet spot.

Can You Ride Longer?

Because the Airhawk Motorcycle Seat is an accessory rather than an outright replacement, it comes in at a much more budget friendly price point. This was a large contributing factor and ultimately why I purchased one. The perceived value was high and the risk was low – especially since I purchased mine on Amazon and could easily return it!

The maiden voyage on my Airhawk was a group ride from my home in Pennsylvania down to Lewes Delaware. From there we took the ferry over to Cape May and rode back home. When it was all said and done, we rode for roughly 285 miles over a twelve hour period. There were fuel and rest stops along the way but even so, without the Airhawk I think I would have been in agony.

The Airhawk wasn’t perfect but it was considerably more comfortable than my stock Yamaha MT-09 seat. I took advantage of our stops and tweaked the air pressure several times to keep the pressure points moving. My butt hurt when I finally arrived home but it wasn’t awful. Because of that, I would most definitely recommend this product if you want to extend your motorcycle rides.

If you’re a rider who likes to take weekend rides, hit up your favorite twisties or just generally enjoy spending time on your bike, the Airhawk is definitely something you should consider. It doesn’t have to be a long ride for the Airhawk to make an impact either – even short stints around town will be more comfortable with this seat cushion. Have you tried out the Airhawk yet? If so, let me know what you think in the comments below!