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Alaska Leather Butt Pads

An earlier review by Tessler :laugh

0623AirheadsatAerodrome0752.jpg

No wonder. That's not an Alaska butt pad, looks more like a Dairyland butt pad and you know how cows smell.:D
 
I almost always love my stock BMW seats - with an Alaska Leather buttpad. It really does make all the difference!

Voni
sMiling for over 800K

I've been riding BMWs since...a long time ago...all on stock seats with no pads or marble mats. I don't think any of them thar seats were worse or better than any other...except the '78 R100RS came with a first aid box under the front end of the seat. That one was a bit short on padding for about 93K miles. I think riding in the somewhat sport position, that is with short bars leaning slightly forward, you don't sit on your butt. Butt (borrowing from BG here) rather, you set on your thighs more and your butt is a bit out in the breeze. Lean on the tankbag a bit. Very comfy and feel one with the bike rather than wobbling around like an upright stick.
So there.
 
What do you want the buttpad to do?? I tried a sheepskin buttpad and it was very comfortable, butt I gotta have some airflow down there or I get a (forgive the overshare please) rash.

I love my BeadRider seat AND the company is owned by a BMW rider!! All standard disclaimers (No affiliation, YMMV, etc.) apply - just a happy customer.

http://www.beadrider.com/

Ditto on the Beadrider, Boxergrrlie--I like mine alot!
 
What do you want the buttpad to do?? I tried a sheepskin buttpad and it was very comfortable, butt I gotta have some airflow down there or I get a (forgive the overshare please) rash.

I love my BeadRider seat AND the company is owned by a BMW rider!! All standard disclaimers (No affiliation, YMMV, etc.) apply - just a happy customer.

http://www.beadrider.com/

I bought one from Whitehorse Press that is either a beadrider, or identical. I think it's tops, for my bottom.
 
I've been through several things in this department. On my K100 I tried an AirHawk. $187 For a mild improvement (BTW I now work in healthcare and I'e seen similar products (sometimes form the same manufacturer) in healthcare catalogs for a fraction of the price).
Then I got The BatBike, an R100R- and I'll go up against anybody who says that their stock BMW seat is worse than the R100R seat! The AirHawk actually made the R seat worse, due to the very poorly-designed 'scoop' of the seat.
The seat was so bad that I sent it to Rick Mayer. The result is mostly pretty good, but not for long rides because I've figured out that my legs and torso are just too long for the bike's ergonomics.
So then I tried to improve things a little more with the Alaska Leather Buttpad. It was OK, but *just* OK. The added height (something I really need with this bike) was barely noticeable, altough the general comfy feel was pretty nice. One gripe is that it has only a single strap to secure the pad- not good for the seat of the R100R/Mystic/87-95 GS, which has a forward protrusion that goes up onto the tank. Whenever I stood on the pegs, the front tip of the pad would blow back over the rest of the pad. Most annoying. One great thing I can say for the pad though- it takes a good soaking with aplomb, as I learned in the hard rains leftover from Hurricane Dennis on the way to Lima. At one point while I was putting on the rain-suit, the pad took enough water that I could barely make out the fuzzy surface. DANG. But after being placed in the output-flow of a hotel air-conditioner overnight, it was just fine. But I would soon conclude that the sheepskin wasn't very helpful in hot/humid conditions.
Now I've got the BeadRider- and I want to know where people get the $10 ones!!! This is the best improvement I've used yet, and the airflow through the beads makes a real difference down here is sauna-esque TexSux. Also with the problem with the shape of the seat, with the BeadRider the fix was simple with a black mini-bungee hooked between a couple of beads on each side and run under the tip of the seat. Great product and I would definitely buy it again!
 
Anyone ever try any other kind of hide? I have a couple of goat skins, and Caribou hide that are doing no good. The last is a lot like cow hide. The hair isn't kinky as a sheep, but it's heavy hair????

Gary
 
I forgot to mention, IKEA sells sheepskin as throws for cheep ($20 for one big enough to cover most motorcycle bench- type seats). They're white, but if sheepskin is your thing, you can get one of these and cut it to whatever shape you want.
 
AlaskaLeather Butt Pads are Da Bomb

Have one for both myself and the lovely young lady :deal who rides with me all the time. No more sticky butt (referred to among friends as "swamp a$$") and a little extra padding too. Great way to inexpensively extend riding distance by increasing comfort.
 
Alaska Sheepskin pads

I agree w/the BatBike - I've got a '92 R100R, and the stock seat must have been used during the Spanish Inquisition torture sessions - hard, stiff, very little cushion left after only a couple of seasons. I know we all could call up a custom seat-maker for an answer, but my wallet took me to the Alaska Sheepskin pad. I purchased a blemished sheepskin from the owner/maker herself (fun lady). It has a seam on the bottom that doesn't affect the ride in any way. I paid $30 at the '04 Ohio Rally. The owner let me pick through a huge pile for the thickest one.
The pad did what it claimed to do - warm if needed, air circulates pretty well, added comfort and distance on the bike. If it gets wet, you'll simply need to dry it out at the next opportunity for it to retain most of its qualities.
I also soon bought an Airhawk ($60 on eBay) and was very impressed - great air circulation, no wetness problems because of troughs between rubber construction, and uniform support throughout. Since I now had both of these devices, I wondered about putting them together - one of my better ideas!
Using both the Sheepskin and the Airhawk at the same time raises the rider a bit.
But for long periods in the saddle, I challenge anyone to find a more comfortable arrangement short of the custom seats (AND for less than a c-note!).
Plus, I can use either depending on the conditions (wet, around town, etc.).
It may not work as well for someone else, but it's been superb for me.
 
Sheepskin, custom seats, stock seats, all about the same to me.
The Airhawk was like a miracle. Yes, it's spendy. YMMV.
 
If you frost a turd it's still a turd. A leather seat pad will help improve any seat but it will make a small improvement.


I spent $450 having my seat redone with gel packs and leather, better, yes! But (sic) for $40, the Alaska buttpad was the Sh#t! It does more for long rides then my seat that cost me 10times that. No more baboon butt for me!:doh
 
PM sent

Got one for my 2005 R1200RT original seat. Tried it on a number of trips, but did not notice any real difference in comfort.

Then spent bigger bucks for Sargent seats, and couldn't be happier - they will be a standard after-market upgrade on any future bike I may own.

Anyone want my barely used Alaska Leather Butt Pad - $20 (plus shipping) to whomever wants to go that route; just wasn't right for me. Drop me a line (greenwald@charter.net).

Ride Alert!

re:buttpad.
 
I guess opinions are like butts, everyone's got one. My buttpad widened the seat and decreased slippaged just enough. For now it's working for me. With all due respect to Mayer and Sargent, until they custom fit your tush and you ride it for a bit, you really don't know.

Also, the buttpad seems to have eliminated the "sweaty nether region syndrome".

'Nuf said. *ahem*
 
update on my sheepskin butt pad

I bought a sheepskin butt pad at a local shop and put it over my beads and gel plad. so I now have beads, a gel pad, and the sheepskin over all. Looks nice and it sure made the riding nicer. I just finished four days. Pittsburgh to Albuquerque via the back roads of Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. I loved my seat situation. I was able to ride 12-14 hours a day, admittedly with many gas and coffee breaks as well as some breaks to wait out thunderstorms. So my seat situation is fine, and I didn't have to buy a custom seat. Total cost, $35 for the beads, $70 for the gel pad and $44 for the sheepskin. I'm very happy with it and will not need to explore a custom seat!
 
bought a alaska leather rally special for the GS haven't really tested it, but so far so good
 
I bought a sheepskin butt pad at a local shop and put it over my beads and gel plad. so I now have beads, a gel pad, and the sheepskin over all. Looks nice and it sure made the riding nicer. I just finished four days. Pittsburgh to Albuquerque via the back roads of Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. I loved my seat situation. I was able to ride 12-14 hours a day, admittedly with many gas and coffee breaks as well as some breaks to wait out thunderstorms. So my seat situation is fine, and I didn't have to buy a custom seat. Total cost, $35 for the beads, $70 for the gel pad and $44 for the sheepskin. I'm very happy with it and will not need to explore a custom seat!

Beads. Gel. Sheepskin. Beads. Sheepskin. Gel. Beads.
Rich, can I interest you in the following seat? ;)
fairy030-1.jpg
 
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