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September 26, 2015 3 min read 0 Comments
I think KTM 690 Enduro seat is not so bad. Much better than seat on my previous bike, BMW X-challenge. But it is far from comfortable seat. On longer rides my but becomes sore. I try to change position and to stand up from time to time, but better seat would be more than welcome.
I recently purchased Airhawk 2 seat cushion pad, to give it a try. I liked the idea. Video bellow explains everything.
It is not too expensive, around USD 80, but I had to pay extra for shipping and import tax.
After some consideration, I choose size "Cruiser small". It is 45 cm long and 30 cm wide in widest section. There is "Dual sport" model too, 29 cm long and 28 cm wide, but I didn't liked triangular shape. Imo, "Cruiser pillion" (28x23 cm) is too small, and I am not the only one to think that - check this post on great Project KTM 690 Enduro R blog.
Product is really well made. Rubber cushion pad is made from high quality rubber. Valve looks very good too. Exterior cover is very soft and comfortable, yet it looks durable. But attachment straps are definitely not to be used on dual sport bike. I solved that very easily - I used shoe laces instead of provided straps. And it works great.
Once tied to the seat, pad stay in place. KTM 690 Enduro seat is very narrow, and "Cruiser small" in its middle part, is a bit wider then the seat.
During test ride, I moved it few times, front and back, until I found position that was OK for my riding style.
Riding curves, I like to sit on front part of the seat. But on open road, I sit in the middle of the seat. This position of the pad proved to be very good.
I found that it is very important how much cushion pad is inflated. At first, I was a bit uncomfortable in the seat. It was soft, but I was hoovering above the seat, feeling unstable. Then I deflated it a bit, and all got better. I believe that pressure is the key. Now it is still soft, but I don't feel like I am sitting on top of it, more like I am sitting in it. After some time, I forgot that is there. Which is a very good thing.
While riding on pavement, I stood up a bit, to try if I can squeeze the seat with my knees (which I do on off road), and seat pad was not in a way. I still have to test it in real off road conditions. But even if it doesn't perform well off road, I can take it on and off in 30 sec.
So far, I used it just on one 300 km pavement ride. I still need to do some experimenting with position and pressure, but it is definitely much more comfortable now.
I will update this blog to let you know how it will perform in future.
UPDATE - October 3rd, 2015.
I did 500 km asphalt ride today.
Airhawk is definitely an improvement. Even after 500 km of asphalt, sitting all the time, my butt was not sore.
There is actually only one thing that may be annoying to someone. When I sit in the middle of the pad, it forms in a way that pushes my legs apart a bit. Not too much, it doesn't affect riding, but it felt a bit strange in the beginning. I got used after some time. This is because cushion pad is wider then the seat. But, probably that is why it is more comfortable than the seat.
All in all, so far I am very happy with Airhawk.