Ok, here’s some pics of the Air-Flow Seat Cover on my ST seat (I was using the RDL seat for my recent trip on the 2000, but now I’m using the Saddlemen seat (the air flow cover is size XXL Curved, which I assume applies to the OEM seat). I was able to get it to fit reasonably well on the Saddlemen seat but it makes clicking the seat back a slight bit more challenging, but I accomplished it.
Installing it wasn’t too difficult, just carefully stretching the material around the seat and trying to fit it properly was a trial and error period, but once it’s fitted, it seems to conform to the seat better. It uses a larger elastic strap to slide on the seat and then a couple of Velcro straps to finish fitting it to the seat.
So, how is it? Pretty good actually…with the seat alone (and this applies to the RDL seat as well, but you can go further in the RDL seat since you’re not sitting on your sacrum and more on the hips), no ’spacer’ between your jeans and the seat, swamp rump pretty quick (maybe in 40 or so minutes (we’re talking summer in the south)…by the way, humidity in upper 90s % and Temp when I left this AM about 74 up to about 85 when I got home). Bead Rider worked reasonably well and lessened the swamp rump a bit, so that I could do maybe 100 miles on the Saddlemen seat/Bead Rider combo then I had to get off for a bit. This Air-Flow cover does a better job than the bead rider, such that I really didn’t get the swamp rump at all, and it extended my seat time before I felt I had to get off the bike to ‘air out’ a bit. Bead Rider is nice in that you can slide on the beads to change position for comfort. Usually, I find myself standing on the pegs to air out the backside, but this am, I didn’t need to at all. As for the advertised ‘air conditioning for your butt’, that’s largely hyperbole, although when I did stop for a break and again took off, I did feel some air movement under the bum, so that was refreshing, I guess.
Regular saddle: heats up in the sun, butt fatigue more easily, swamp butt as previously mentioned.
Bead Rider on seat: slideability if that’s a thing, some air movement, but gets hot in the sun (black beads directly on the seat gets pretty hot and quickly)- I mention these because I bought them a couple of years ago and it’s good to compare them to the Air-Flow cover (in fact, then I used the Bead Rider, I left it on all year round)
Air-Flow cover: better air movement, more seat time while using it and it does make for a more comfortable seat. Does NOT get hot in the sun, which is very nice.
RDL, well that’s the king of seats…I’m not selling that one, but it still will get used from time to time.
Price-wise they run about $75 each (I bought 2 of them as I have 2 Saddlemen seats) with free shipping. Probably a little pricey for what you get, and some online have commented they could get pretty much the same thing on eBay for less. I feel, for me, it was $$$ well spent vs getting another seat. I’ll keep all my stuff (Bead Riders and the RDL) maybe just use them all at different times of the year, with the Air-Flow cover for summer duty primarily.
Last note…the Air-Flow covers took about 2 weeks to get them in the mail. I did email them to find out what was going on and then received them a few days later. If you decide to get one, be sure to get the extra 10% off coupon mailed to your email address…it saved me $15 off the 2 covers.
airflowseatcovers.com
