Anyone who has ever ridden a new generation BMW K1200GT has tales of wonder and regard for nearly everything other than the saddle . . . which is truly awful, one of the worst in all of motorcycledom, and absolutely the worst in the class.
In the past I’ve gone immediately to having a custom saddle made, but for a bunch of reasons (I don’t feel like spending the money just now; it offends me to spend this much money on a bike and have such a rotten saddle) I decided to try some lower cost solutions.
First step was an Alaskan Leather sheepskin left over from a previous bike. That helped, but not by much.
Next step was the Taxi Driver’s best friend, a bunch of wooden beads. The best solution for motorbikes is made by Bead Rider (the other choice is to hack your own). The company offers two basic solutions, the old standby made of wood, and a newer version made of dead dinosaurs. I chose the former.
The product itself is very nicely made wraps nicely around the edges of the seat. Installation is challenging only if you can’t figure out how to get your seat off your bike. The basic idea as I understand it is twofold: relieve all those nasty pressure points and 2) get some airflow under your butt (means more in hot weather). I’m not sure I can explain all the technical reasons why the first is true, but I can tell you after putting about 500 miles on the rider, that it’s a vast improvement.
Riding around town isn’t enough of a test so I literally took it to the track where I taught the excellent ASS program offered by Puget Sound Safety. I move around on my saddle and hang off the bike a fair bit. I’m sure someone will find the thought of this horrifying, but I found the beads were a terrific seating surface for this kind of riding, allowing me to slide across the saddle in quick transitions slick as could be. The beads completely eliminate any up/down motion by the rider.
Finally, it was time to go long. I saddled up the BMW and rode first to Baker City Oregon via a combination of highways and bi-ways with the same good results: Significantly less butt-ache and fewer pressure points. From there, on to Winnemucca where I switched to a sheepskin pad backed by temperdic foam, the subject of another review.
So all in, I’ve put about 700 miles on the Rider and can say without a doubt it is a vast, vast improvement over the stock K-bike saddle. There is no downside to owning the Bead Rider than I can see. For the price, it’s an outstanding value and well worth trying.
Tags: BeadRider, Iron Butt, K1200GT, Puget Sound Safety
I’m sold. That seat on my R1150GS is tough. We’re off on a ride in about 5 days – did you buy it over the counter in Seattle? Thanks!
I bought it from the manufacturer. Since then I rode one of those sheepskin covered gel pads. That’s the hot ticket. Try: http://www.alaskaleatheronline.com/servlet/the-Gel-Pads/Categories.
How would you compare with this one http://www.charyconfort.com/ ???
I’ve never ridden that one. My advice is is you can buy it and try it you should. If you don’t like it, send it back.
I’ve got a 2000 Ducati 748 that gives me monkey butt after like 200 miles. I’ve been scoping out a Seargent or Corbin seat but maybe beads are the answer!
It’s a cheap experiment and they guarantee your satisfaction. I had an Aprilia RSV1000 Factory which is sort of like your 748. I had a custom seat built and it made a little difference but not a lot. There are two issues if you think about it. Lack of padding and the riding position. For back road strafing, none of that maters. For hours in the saddle they both do. The beads get some air circulating and do relieve the pressure points. I went to a padded sheepskin butt pad and found that was a better solution for me. YMMV.