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[Para Bellum]

Would like to find a better fix than using an AirHawk pad, but not sure if the hammock seat can be modified with foam or gel.  What's been the result?

[Jswerve]

Would like to find a better fix than using an AirHawk pad, but not sure if the hammock seat can be modified with foam or gel.  What's been the result?

I've never seen any one not like the hammock? It's got some kind of suspension in it doesn't it?

[Para Bellum]

The suspension in the hammock seat does help absorb bumps.  I'm wondering if the foam over the suspended "strap" is worn out, though, because it seems like I can feel the edges of the strap.  No surprise if it's worn, since it has 35K miles on it.

Have thought several times about opening the seat up to find out if I can refresh it or mod it.  Might try to make it into a homegrown "Danny Gray air seat."

[OBB]

The suspension in the hammock seat does help absorb bumps.  I'm wondering if the foam over the suspended "strap" is worn out, though, because it seems like I can feel the edges of the strap.  No surprise if it's worn, since it has 35K miles on it.

Have thought several times about opening the seat up to find out if I can refresh it or mod it.  Might try to make it into a homegrown "Danny Gray air seat."

Just read on the RG site last night that someone opened up their seat and stuck their airhawk inside the seat. Takes away the adjustable factor though.

[Para Bellum]

Just read on the RG site last night that someone opened up their seat and stuck their airhawk inside the seat. Takes away the adjustable factor though.

Can just see the filler tube sticking out in the middle of the seat 

Might look perverted.   

[TinSpinner]

According to Mean City Cycles the hammock seat is not one that can be modified, at least they won't do it. I don't like the hammock seat, others with larger sitters seem to love them.  My little skinny butt sinks down in it too far and I get cupped but never kissed. The Airhawk has helped but I know I'll wind up replacing the seat.

[2015FLHTKSE]

I can confirm what TinSpinner says, Allen of mean City Cycles is a friend of mine and told me the same. 

[DesertHOG]

The suspension in the hammock seat does help absorb bumps.  I'm wondering if the foam over the suspended "strap" is worn out, though, because it seems like I can feel the edges of the strap.  No surprise if it's worn, since it has 35K miles on it.

Have thought several times about opening the seat up to find out if I can refresh it or mod it.  Might try to make it into a homegrown "Danny Gray air seat."

Hammock seat is the best that HD makes and I believe it to be the best "stock" seat available for HD touring. If you are getting shock over bumps. change to a high performance suspension. I weigh on the north side of 400lbs and have the Bitubo suspension with the hammock seat. I just completed a 1040 mile IBA saddlesore ride through all kinds of terrain and could not be any happier with the performance of the hammock. Any discomfort I had was from my underpants getting moist and clumping around the seams.

The only other solution I would consider is the Russell Day-Long. If you want to go that way, buy a used 2-up off eBay and send it to Day-Long. http://www.day-long.com/gallery_Harley_davidson.html

And don't send your hammock to Russell Day-Long .. if you don't want it, sell it on eBay cause you should get a premium price for it.  I bought a tallboy 2-up for my FLTRUSE2 to sacrifice to Russell Day-Long but after trying the Hammock again, I considered it a waste of money.

Also, the Danny Gray Airhawk Bigseat gets a lot of good press on this and other forums but my experience is that it's too low, thin and again you feel the bumps. I bought one off eBay. Rode it for 500 miles and listed it on eBay again. Another member, 2k, had the same experience with the Danny Gray Airhawk.

DesertHOG aka Simon

[Dan_Lockwood]

I'll admit right up front that I do NOT have any experience with the cushy seats etc and I still run a stock '10 SESG on my '09 SERG.

But I can relate my experience in street rodding.  I think it may be relevant.

In my '40 Willys coupe I bought a new Glide bench seat and it came with a foam kit for the upholstery.  When I first sat on the foam with a towel over it there was this great feeling of softness and comfort.  I had the interior done in red leather, black street rods have to have a red interior, it's an unwritten rule...

So on short trips it was great.  Then I had the chance to be part of Rod & Customer Ego Rama Shootout.  I lived in Michigan and we were to all meet in Wendover UT right next to the Bonneville Salt Flats.

By the time we drove to Bonneville, my butt was starting to hurt.  I continued to drive for a total of 6300 miles in 23 days and by the time I was home my butt was REALLY sore.  While on the shootout I got some advice from an older rodder, George Poteet, some of you have probably heard of ole George.  He knew exactly my problem and gave me a suggestion and boy did it work.

The problem was that my seat felt great and it was soft.  But the seat began pinching my butt and legs because of the softness.  George told me that on every Glide seat he has installed in his cars, he takes additional foam and builds up under the seat springs to add more stiffness to the seat.  So in this case when I did that the seat felt a lot firmer and still with a little give.   I didn't sink down into it as I used to.  I went on another couple thousand mile run and I didn't have the sore butt like before.

So I'm thinking that on bikes you can probably go TOO soft and your butt and private parts are going to be pinched.  I've found out that a good fitting firmer seat gives me more long haul comfort than a soft feeling seat short term.

I'm afraid that with memory foam or thicker gels, one might get too much padding and cause issues.

Come to think about it, my Mustang seat on my '76 FL is quite firm and at first I thought it was too hard.  But over the years of riding this thing, I've found it to be very comfortable because of the firmness.

So that advice and $.50 will by you a soda from our machine.

Good luck with your seat choices.

[Para Bellum]

Thanks for all the good advice and info.  I'm going to do some more research before making a decision.  Seat padding is individual, but I have found that soft doesn't work for me.

[cahdbiker]

DoubleCoppers, I have an 09 SEUC needed to drop my seat height so I had some foam shaved off front portion and also had a Gel Pad installed. The upholstery shop, which is local to me, contoured my seat to meet my needs and reinstalled the heater. Everything turned out fine, and the heater still works fine. I have been on two 3k mile trips since then and no issues at all. I have posted about this before.  CAHDBIKER

[Para Bellum]

CA, Thanks for that also.  Has the gel held up OK?

[cahdbiker]

 Yes, the gel is just fine. I had it done about 4 years ago if I remember correctly. CAHDBIKER

CA, Thanks for that also.  Has the gel held up OK?