Nighthawk stock seat improvements

[kbutler6]

Hi all,
What are your suggestions to improve seat comfort for long rides?  Gel pad, air pad, add memory foam under seat cover, Corbin, etc?
Thanks,
Kevin

[Bob H]

I got a Corbin off Ebay 10 years ago - they show up now and then and tend to be worth the asking price because a new Corbin is $500.
For me it is the shape more than the "soft foam".

My Corbin is hard as a rock compared to the stock seat, but I can ride all day because it distributes the weight without hot spots on your sit bones.

[Hogzilla]

I would take a guess that using a pillow or DIY padding won't help you as much as you might expect but for economy sake, sure, try some simple products that can be attached before spending for a new seat. 

Many years ago I rode a Shadow 700 from WA to Ohio.  3 days of sitting hell which, to be honest, didn't really start until I was about 350-400 miles into the journey (about 5 hours).  That was a different seat altogether than the bench-style of the hawks.  The shadow seat looked like a comfortable cruiser but it was all show, from my experience.  I had a small towel with me to adjust weight distribution but really, all it did was allow one cheek to get brief relief at the expense of the other. I was constantly adjusting as I rode which can quickly become a hazardous endeavor. Sadly I lost it outside Chicago on the return trip when I sat up during one such adjustment and much of the balance of my trip was spent giving my quads a nice workout.

My point is, if you think you are road tripping for more than several hours without a break, then I'd suspect a new seat will be worth the cost to you.  If it doesn't work out, you can probably sell the seat without much of a loss (depending on the color you choose). 

You may also want to look into getting engine bars for installing front foot pegs which allow a bit more variety in your ride position.  I never rode a bike for more than 3 hours without a long break after or before that ride.

[Pete in PA]

Airhawk can be a big improvement. The trick with them that No one gets right is a very minimum amount of air goes in them.

Funny, I just took a long ride on my new to me 92 Nighthawk 750 and found I had less butt burn then on my last 3 bikes!  My FJ-09 even has a Sargent seat! It's the length being able to move around plus the angle of your legs to the pegs.

[Hend238]

I sure like my Butt Buffer. Of course I still get sore but(t) not until after the 3rd or 4th fill up. One benefit is that it raises my sitting position just a little bit which helps a lot. My long legs don't feel as cramped. Anyway, I've seriously considered having this Butt Buffer cushion sewn in under the seat cover for a permanent installation. I'm just not quite ready to mess with a perfect OEM seat.

I once sat on a Corbin seat and it was very uncomfortable for me. The ride height was lower and shifted my arse forward. The OEM seat is way more comfortable than the Corbin for me. I'm 6'2" 220 lbs for reference.

[mollusc]

I sure like my Butt Buffer. Of course I still get sore but(t) not until after the 3rd or 4th fill up. One benefit is that it raises my sitting position just a little bit which helps a lot. My long legs don't feel as cramped. Anyway, I've seriously considered having this Butt Buffer cushion sewn in under the seat cover for a permanent installation. I'm just not quite ready to mess with a perfect OEM seat.

I once sat on a Corbin seat and it was very uncomfortable for me. The ride height was lower and shifted my arse forward. The OEM seat is way more comfortable than the Corbin for me. I'm 6'2" 220 lbs for reference.

I had the exact same experience with a Corbin on my 700S.  Hated it, and removed it almost immediately because I could barely ride the bike.
If you don't want to mess with your seat cover, you could possibly get an aftermarket cover off eBay and attach it over the top of the current one, with the pad between the two, or get one of those perforated rain covers that attach semi-permanently and install the pad in the same way.

[Hend238]

I just realized I never responded. Thanks for idea mollusc. I'll consider it.

[kbutler6]

To Pete in PA and other Airhawk seat pad owners,
What size Airhawk did you go with?  I have a '98 Nighthawk 750 and I measure the seat as 10" wide and 13" long for the "seatable" area.  But I'm still not sure which Airhawk model to go with.

[Bob H]

I got one of these last month, it would fit your seat


It is a $30 knock off of the airhawk pad. I am sure it is lower quality, but it doesn't leak.
I did what Pete said and did not overinflate it (if you do you roll around on the seat).

The sweet spot for me was blowing a small amount of air in, and tweak it so that one hand pushing down in the middle of the seat bottoms out. Then 2 hands on the seat do not bottom out but "float on air".

It took the pain out of the bony parts that you sit on.  At first I was horrified by the appearance, but now I don't care. It works that well.

[Gene]

 I have a similar problem with the stock seat of my 85 650 Nighthawk. I HATE the rise in the back. I have long legs, (6'1") and I have to bend my legs at a greater than 45 degree angle since I'm forced to sit forward. The old bench seats were much better

[Willie]

Now that I've decided to shift my focus to addressing the seat on my 700S, I thought I'd respond here and kinda restart the thread.
Fwiw, my plan is to find a worn out OEM seat on eBay and reupholster it myself.
Stay tuned.

[mollusc]

I did that with a blank seat pan for my 700S.  I used lightweight high density foam and carved it to about the same profile as the OEM so that I could use an OEM-style aftermarket replacement cover.  It turned out very nice, and I spent a long time on it, but it was no more comfortable than the original.
I ended up just using a gel pad on the original seat when I used to take the Nighthawk on distance rides.

[Willie]

My stock looks great. My only complaint with it and the same I've had with every 700S I've owned is that it isn't level, I always find myself sliding up toward the tank. IF I were to make another one, like mollusc did, I'd try to make it a little more level. Time will tell if I attempt this or not.