Do air cushion seat pads really work? 500 miles in 12 hours with Comfort Air

I've wanted to ride right around the coast of East Anglia for a while now. There are some beautiful roads with plenty of picturesque villages, especially if you stay off the main routes. But to do it in a day means a long time in the saddle. Having been offered a Comfort Air seat pad to test, it seemed the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
So in the video, I travel through Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire stopping at Wells-next-the-sea for Fish & chips, hugging the coast as much as possible up to Skegness, and then heading inland to Cadwell Park race circuit and my hotel. Did the comfort air seat pad really work? well, watch and find out.
You can download the route .gpx file here - jmp.sh/yCx95sT
People usually ask about the gear I'm wearing or using, so here are some links;
Comfort Air Seat Pad - comfortair-moto.co.uk/
Rev'it Territory Jacket - tinyurl.com/RevitTerritory
Rev'it Caliber Gloves - tinyurl.com/Calibergloves
Knox Action Pro Shirt - tinyurl.com/knoxshirt
Rokker Tapered Riding Jeans - tinyurl.com/Rokkerjeans
TCX Blend 2 Boots - tinyurl.com/Blend2boots
SW-Motech Pro City Tankbag -tinyurl.com/SWMprocity
Kriega US-20 Bag - tinyurl.com/KriegaUS20
Dunlop Meridian Tyres - tinyurl.com/DunlopMeridian
Oxford Aquatex Bike Cover - tinyurl.com/Oxfordcover
00:00 - Intro
02:16 - How does the Comfort Air seat pad work?
04:47 - Things to consider when using it
05:58 - Essex into Suffolk
07:00 - Bike walk around
08:00 - Suffolk into Norfolk - fantastic roads!
10:43 - Fish & Chip Stop - Wells
13:36 - Norfolk into Lincolnshire
15:42 - Skegness! time to head inland
18:21 - Hotel & Update (mileage, time & comfort)
21:27 - A quick visit to Cadwell Park Circuit
22:44 - Some action from 'The Mountain'
24:07 - Final Numbers, conclusion and pricing

[@youcanthide004]

Wow, what a fantastic journey mate. Thanks for bringing us along. Greatly appreciate your review. Ride safe.

[@mancavemoto]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@michaeldux7988]

The air seat and heated clothing in the cold season are so good that once experienced you never want to miss these options again. Thanks for the video.

[@mancavemoto]

Absolutely!

[@snake_eyes_garage]

Fantastic review! A perfect addition to my old Norton and Triumph. :-)

[@mancavemoto]

Cheers

[@marcusrichardson3472]

What a great film, thanks

[@mancavemoto]

Cheers

[@curnobullen]

Great video Tony. Will definitely get one for my next tour. 👍🏻

[@mancavemoto]

Thank you

[@ianmorgan7198]

Great road trip review, the roads and views were excellent, will definitely be adding your coastal route to my 'must ride' list.

[@mancavemoto]

Have fun! you can download the route here jmp.sh/yCx95sT

[@ianmorgan7198]

@@mancavemoto Thank you , will definitely add your route to my 'must ride list '

[@classicdice21]

Nice editing job! Very well timed.

[@mancavemoto]

Cheers

[@tomsumner7746]

Doesn't matter what it looks like when it's under your backside for hours! Nice review

[@mancavemoto]

That is very true

[@rayfraser1773]

Loved it !

[@mancavemoto]

Cheers

[@domster200]

Top job Tony, I use an air hawk on top of a gel pad on my cruiser, sorted!

[@mancavemoto]

Nice

[@JLOSTAFF1]

Interesting. 👍 Amazed you could get right up to track at Cadwell without being challenged.

[@mancavemoto]

Cheers, yes on track days you can enter for free and go to any of the spectator locations

[@jonparr1148]

I’ve been using one of these on my Honda VFR1200 for over a year now and it’s transformed the comfort. Used to get numb bum issues after 45-60 minutes. Now 2 - 3 hours plus before taking a break (for other comfort reasons !) no problem, plus less fatigue in the legs too. Throughly recommend you try one before considering a new or custom seat, less than half the price of doing that and you can switch it between bikes if you have more than 1

[@mancavemoto]

Thanks for the info, good stuff

[@mono6906]

Nice review, as I have a mountain bike, I use a bib short with thick pad - 2 cm - ; however the seat of my 690 duke 2015 is not so bad... ; and a well-adjusted rear shock really helps

[@mancavemoto]

Thanks for sharing!

[@MOTOUK1]

Awesome Tony, definitely i take my one on long trips, it does help and wouldn’t tour without one, however my ride for the Europe trip is a comfier one than my MT10 so lets see how the Tiger 1200 does! I am still taking my cushion just in case i need it 😉🤣

[@mancavemoto]

Cheers, yep it really surprised me

[@oldbloke9270]

Hi Fella. I just wish I had seen this before I travelled from Frinton on Sea in Essex to Dunoon in Scotland on my Kawasaki J300! 566 miles in 12 hours and am wondering if my backside will ever fully recover lol! Nice video keep safe fella. Best, Old Bloke.

[@mancavemoto]

Ouch! Hope things are easing. Take it easy mate

[@carlogardella5808]

I have a Ducati Monster 797 with a custom made saddle that looks nice but terribly uncomfortable. I was wondering if this air cushion is effective against vibrations coming from a very hard saddle

[@richardgiles2484]

I've got one and use it for a 400mile trip like Scotland and then leave it off for the A&B roads and it works well 👍

[@mancavemoto]

Thanks for the info

[@robyn1690]

Nice video, is that the R version screen you’ve got on the 790? If so how does it compare to the MRA screen you had? I’m looking at options for my 790s. Thanks.

[@mancavemoto]

Cheers, yes I switched it for the summer to get more airflow, I’ll probably put the mra back when when the weather starts to turn

[@timholt2907]

I have an old Air Hawk for my 1200 Bandit. After 100 miles without it is as far as I can manage. With it improves things no end. Air pressure needs to be fairly low or it lifts me up and makes my wrists ache. I suppose its the shape of the seat as my 20 year old Harley seat is comfy all day long.!

[@BN1960]

Definitely a Tony's Top Tour - nice one Is the route available at all (cheeky I know :))

[@mancavemoto]

Cheers Nigel, I can always email you the route file. Once I get my website sorted I’ll put them all on there. Any other suggestions in the meantime would be gratefully received

[@BN1960]

@@mancavemoto that's very kind of you Tony - I'll message you In the meantime, how about a tour of Essex sights via B roads - Layer Marney, Tilbury Fort, Southend seafront, Flatford Mill, Stow Maries WW1 aerodrome and so on

[@iqofafish1073]

I've got two on my Rebel, main and pillion. Won't ride without it now. Prior to using them I could only stand the bike for about 40 mins, now I can get 2 hours out of it without too much discomfort, which is about the max you get out of a full tank on a Rebel anyway. By the time you've filled up and get going again it's pretty much like starting fresh.

[@grahamhughes1036]

i've got a rebel too, be interested to know which ones you got, and from where?

[@mancavemoto]

Thanks for sharing, useful info

[@iqofafish1073]

@@grahamhughes1036 Got the Cruiser and Pillion ones from Sportsbikeshop. Fits the 1100 nicely.

[@opichocal]

I have an airhawk that saves my butt every ride. I tried the purple pillow knockoff that helps some but air is much better. Stay away from the eBay knockoff air cushions because they fall apart in 6 months.

[@mancavemoto]

Yep I think any of the decent air ones will be worth looking at

[@twowheelsoneleg5672]

I had an airhawk for a while but couldn't get on with it. I felt I was floating/moving around too much

[@mancavemoto]

This was the same until I let a lot more air out

[@timcx]

Great video thanks, any chance I could have a copy of the route you took?

[@mancavemoto]

Yep either message me, or if I can work out a place to allow people to download them I will.

[@mancavemoto]

Hey Tim, you can now download the route from here - jmp.sh/yCx95sT

[@ecosse_adv]

Hi Tony, Bike cover...what size is it?

[@mancavemoto]

Size L

[@tiffinhappy9744]

For whatever reason I tried a lot of different air amounts in air cushion and it didn’t help me. I ended up going with Butt Buffer and it worked much better. I do know that aircushion helps a lot of people though

[@marklengal9990]

How would you compare to a gel seat pad?

[@mancavemoto]

Similar, but this pad has the added benefit of being able to amount of cushioning. I liked to use it with very little air in it so I had good feel on the seat but didn’t have any hotspots.

[@borderreiver8288]

What's the difference between medical grade pvc and ordinary pvc? I nother words does the medical grade classification actually make a difference? Good review, I'm doing a trip from Northumberland to the south coast later in the year so seems like this might be money well spent for me!

[@mancavemoto]

Apparently their is a difference in the make up of the material. I don't think it makes any difference to the product, but from what i can see it easier to recycle due to less 'harmful' chemicals?

[@borderreiver8288]

@@mancavemoto ok thks for quick reply n info. Cheers.

[@RichO1701e]

I'm literally in Sports Bike Shop now purchasing one! 😂😂

[@mancavemoto]

Good choice!

[@atinshed]

Over the years I've tried one on several bikes, and generally disliked it. However, it found its niche, and is living out its days on the tractor.

[@mancavemoto]

Is that an actual Tractor or a GS? ;)

[@atinshed]

LoL, good one, Tony; I wouldn't have been game to make that comment for fear of upsetting the BMW fanboys. Yes, an actual tractor; although I also have a Yamaha XT250 for 'bush-bashing' and a T7 for the road.

[@shamuso1596]

I find as I get older, very snug undies to keep any thing from dangling helps greatly.

[@mancavemoto]

😂😂

[@user-sw2lv3zp6o]

I have an Airhawk. I have never got on with it.

[@mancavemoto]

They can take a bit of perservering with I found, until you get the air level right

[@cpuuk]

It's an Airhawk in all but name, just cheaper ;-) KTM standard seat is 2nd cousin to a plank. KTM ergo seat is 3rd cousin to a plank.

[@mancavemoto]

Yep, theres a few air cushion solutions on the market, they all perform much the same way. Plank is a good description lol

[@lipsee100]

First off the main competitor for this product is the Ikea sheepskin rug (aka that Bonnie you saw) they are cheaper and likewise dead comfy.. Secondly you missed the best country lane in the country, its called "Bluestone Heath rd " and is the next left or right after Cadwell pk.. thirdy some of those lanes you rode down ,you looked abit too fast to my eye, it could just the way it was film ,,all in all I enjoyed watching

[@mancavemoto]

There are a few airbag competitors, the sheepskin is a different story, effective but maybe not as practical. I didn’t show any of the route after leaving Cadwell, and finally nope nearly all of those lanes are National speed limit. Thanks for watching

[@johnsumser9743]

Nice jacket!

[@mancavemoto]

Yep I love it! It’s the Rev’it Territory

[@davidforsdike4343]

Pity you did not have time to explore the wolds. Great mostly traffic free roads.

[@mancavemoto]

I’m definitely going back up there for some more riding

[@mamlukavlogs6353]

I prefer honey comb cover than air cushion seats . It doesn’t fit the buttocks orientation

[@arthurramm8664]

Occasionally telling us where you are would have improved the video by a factor of 100.

[@procurement3681]

7:33 that's...not corn, unless that's what they call wheat in the UK, you never know lol

[@mancavemoto]

We do! Wheat, Barley and Oats are often referred to as Corn ie grown in a Cornfield. I’m assuming you’re in the US? In which case what you call Corn we refer to as Maize

[@humourless682]

Believe it or not a cheap sheepskin works a good deal better than these snake oil devices, is far less money, and isnt horribly uncomfortable plastic.

[@mancavemoto]

They work differently, so not better or worse, just different. I don't see why an item that makes you more comfortable is a 'snake oil device'? and you can pay more for a decent sheepskin too. As I showed in the video air cushion pads are far from being 'horribly uncomfortable plastic'. This one works. I'm not saying its the only solution, as you may have noticed a sheepskin cover apperared in the video, so its horses for courses.

[@jaybd9329]

Never understood how a sheepskin can do anything other than keeping your butt warm. How does a layer of fur alleviate numbness which is the main cause of a sore butt, at least for me anyway?

[@humourless682]

@@jaybd9329 Try one and see. Certainly far more effective than plastic..............