Skwoosh Motorcycle Gel Cushion Review “Skwooshy“
Skwoosh Motorcycle Gel Cushion Review
By Bruce Ross, Reviewer, Total Motorcycle.com
Skwoosh Motorcycle Gel Cushion TekPad Gel
Universal ICS Motorcycle (available with Air-Flo3D) Code: UC0610
As tested price: $79.99 (STANDARD FABRIC $79.99 or AIR-FLO 3D BREATHABLE FABRIC $89.99)
The mistake that occurs most often when most people buy a motorcycle is not giving long term comfort a serious consideration. It is difficult to do considering that often you either get a period of sitting on the bike in the showroom before laying out your hard earned dollars on your dream bike or, if you are lucky, you get a ½ hour test ride to confirm that the bike is everything that you have ever wanted. Once the owner hits the road for their first day-long ride on their new machine the reality begins to sink in: “This motorcycle seat is excruciatingly painful”! More often than not, new motorcycle seats are given less design consideration than the clutch lever, other than to align with the contour of the rest of the motorcycle. So just how bad can they be? In the case of our Ducati Monster 696 – quite bad indeed. (ed. Also in the case of my stock Suzuki V-Strom seat). In fact, after three hours in the saddle it feels as though the pain would be somewhat less excruciating if you tossed the seat in the ditch and rode the frame fails home kind-of-bad. Which leaves this owner (as well as the owners of many new bikes) to ponder” Do I sell this bike and attempt to get something more comfortable, or do I try to fix the issue?” It’s a predicament as old as the motorcycle itself as people may not buy motorcycles for a comfortable seat, but they often get rid of them for lack thereof.
Enter the Skwoosh Gel Seat solution. Skwoosh is a manufacturer of gel-pad seats for all kinds of activities from kayaking to office chairs. Somewhere in the middle lies motorcycle gel cushions and for this Skwoosh manufactures a variety of cushions to cover most applications. There is a fair amount of science that goes in to the design of each cushion, as they are far more than just a normal gel-pad that some of the other manufacturers have on the market. Their Independent Comfort System or I.C.S. can be likened to an independent suspension for your butt cheeks. That’s right; there is no interference in the left cheeks comfort when the right cheek gets out of line!
For the purpose of this test we requested the cushion that they would most recommend for our Ducati 696 and the very friendly and helpful staff sent us the Universal ICS Motorcycle pad. This particular pad retails for $79.99 (US funds), and was shipped to our door in Calgary, Alberta in about 1 week. Our initial impression revealed that the “Skwooshy”- as our female tester nicknamed it, is a quality made piece with excellent stitching and base material. Installation was as straight forward as removing the motorcycle seat and slipping the restraining strap underneath. In our particular application no further adjustments were required, however there is built in adjustability in the retention strap if so needed. Skwoosh recommends taking the time to smooth out the gel packs prior to use to ensure that the cushion provides the most even comfort possible.
Installed – Top View
So how does it work? In the case of our Ducati 696 we had less than inspiring results. The reason for which became apparent after riding with the Skwoosh in place and then reviewing why it did not make the situation noticeably better. The stock 696 seat has a serious slope through the rider section that slides the rider towards the tank. This creates a lot of fatigue as the rider struggles to unlock from this position after spending longer than 45 minutes in the saddle. As the rider pushes back, they come up against the rise in the seat that tries to lock the rider in to position. The resultant friction where the rider meets the seat is the cause of significant discomfort causing the rider to need to step off of the motorcycle to recover. With the installation of the Skwoosh on this particular motorcycle the slide back to the stepped rise in the seat became shorter yet, causing the rider to be slightly more locked in to position than they even were without the gel pad in place. It is a testament to just how bad the poor design of the stock Ducati seat is that it can overcome what should have been the installation of increased padding for the rider. Therefore we decided to try the Skwoosh in other applications to determine if our lack of success was down to a case of terminally uncomfortable Ducati.
Mr. Skooshy: Please make the Ducati bearable to ride!
Mr. Skooshy: Please make the Ducati bearable to ride!
Our next application was to install the Skwoosh on a 2007 KTM Superduke. The KTM does not appear on the Skwoosh fitment chart (to be fair – not many non-cruisers made the online chart), and the stock seat is reasonably comfortable for a naked hooligan style motorcycle. Not many Superdukes will be purchased by owners looking to put in long distance days, however given an improvement in the seating comfort it would not be outside of the realm of possibility to do so. Again, the Skwoosh installation was a snap with an easy removal of the seat and sliding the gel-pad in to place. The results were more positive than on the Ducati, however limitations on the degree of comfort remain. After some experimentation in front-to-back mounting locations, the sweet spot to locate the pad was determined. If the rider remained in the sweet-spot of the gel pad itself comfort was actually quite good. However if the rider moved to the edges of the pad in search for a slight position change the edges of the pad itself became a detriment to the riders comfort. In the event that the rider moves around a lot on the seat during aggressive cornering or other hooligan-esque activities, the Skwoosh gel-pad remained in place however it comes with a minor reduction to the connection that the rider feels to the seat with the removable pad in place.
A lot of science goes in to making for a happy back-side
A lot of science goes in to making for a happy back-side
So where does the benefit come in riding with the Skwoosh? For motorcycles with a seat angle issue, or saddle shape issue that locks the rider in to an uncomfortable position such as our Ducati, the Skwoosh Gel Seat offers a minimal solution. However for bikes with a seat foam density issue or without enough seat foam to begin with the Skwoosh does provide a somewhat viable option for reduction of fatigue. We suspect that the real benefit of owning the Skwoosh would come from touring riders who become somewhat saddle-sore from their stock seats and need a change in pressure points part way through their day. With quick and easy installation the Skwoosh does manage to provide this, although not always without introducing additional pressure points of its own. Overall the Skwoosh is a quality product however consideration must be given to how it will affect your motorcycles seat must be given before deciding if it is the right product for you.
Skwoosh Motorcycle Gel Cushion Review Key Features:
Each SKWOOSH™ motorcycle gel seat is designed and built with wide fit latitude so it can deliver comfort and performance for many different styles, sizes and shapes of motorcycle seats. It is not necessary that top seat pads and cushions fit your bike seat exactly. With SKWOOSH™ construction, the cushion is free to “drape” the contours of your seat allowing for better fit while gel packs maintain cushion stability and deliver comfort performance regardless of the attitude of your bike. For added performance and comfort, the TekPad® gel in SKWOOSH™ will conform to your “riding shape” in less than 30 minutes. Always remember that it is the pressure-relieving gel packs, placed directly under your “sitz” bones, which provide the comfort and aid in absorbing vibration. Make sure that the SKWOOSH™ you choose is large enough to cover the area where your butt meets the seat. Simply choose the SKWOOSH™ that is the closest in size to the dimension of your seat.
With SKWOOSH™, there is no critical air inflation pressure to worry about, no height to adjust, no bulk to contend with and you don’t have to play around with Velcro®, buckles or clips – just sit, enjoy and ride in comfort.
Short of reconstructing a stock seat or building a custom seat, no other cushion delivers the comfort and vibration dampening of the SKWOOSH™ Universal ICS Motorcycle Gel Cushion. TekPad® gel relieves pressure, maintains circulation and eliminates numbness and discomfort caused by long rides. The combination of TekPad® gel, Independent Comfort Suspension (ICS) and all welded construction delivers trouble free cruising comfot in a thin (1″), lightweight (16oz.) compact shape.
Try SKWOOSH™ Universal ICS on any bike and enjoy miles of rider and passenger cruising comfort. – Model# UC0610 (Universal with Polyester)
– Model# UCAF0610 (Universal with AIR-FLO 3D™)
– Weight: 16 oz.
– Color: Black
– Open Dimensions: 15½”W x 14″L x 1″H
– Folded Dimensions: 7¾”W x 14″L x 2½”H
– Made in USA – Guaranteed Performance and Guaranteed Workmanship
UPGRADE TO SUPERIOR COMFORT with AIR-FLO 3D™ for only $10
The Cooler Breathable Fabric
AIR-FLO 3D™ has a unique three dimensional, internal structure that provides cushioning and allows it to breath. It is durable, lightweight, washable and performance proven.
BENEFITS & FEATURES
ICS INDEPENDENT COMFORT SUSPENSION
available with AIR-FLO3D Breathable Fabric for CHANNEL COOLING
EASY INSTALLATION – Cruising SNAP STRAP included with cushion
COMFORTABLE – Pressure relief gel – Prevents numbness and discomfort
CUSHIONING – TekPad® gel cradles your “sitz” bones – ride longer in comfort
DURABLE – Double welded Gel packs for extra durability
NON-SKID BOTTOM – Anchors cushion to seat
CONVENIENT – Lightweight, thin, compact and FOLDS for storage
NO MAINTENANCE – Washable
MADE IN USA – Guaranteed Workmanship – Guaranteed Performance
Skwoosh Motorcycle Gel Cushion Review Specifications:
MOTORCYCLE GEL PAD SIZES
SKWOOSH™ Passenger Pillion Gel Pad
8¾” wide x 11″ long x 1″ high
SKWOOSH™ Hopper Passenger Pad
15″ wide x 10½” long x ½” high
SKWOOSH™ ICS Mid Size Motorcycle Gel Cushion
13″ wide x 11″ long x 1″ high
SKWOOSH™ ICS Universal Motorcycle Gel Cushion
15½” wide x 14″ long x 1″ high
Examples of some good seat fits:
SKWOOSH™ Passenger Pillion Gel Pad
1975 Harley Davidson HDXLCH
Victory Jackpot – Passenger
Yamaha Raider – Passenger
Honda Shadow Aero – Passenger
Hyosung Alphs – Passenger
Yamaha Star – Passenger
Yamaha V-Star 1200 – Passenger
Honda Shadow 750 – Passenger
Hyosung Avitar – Passenger
Kawasaki Vulcan 800 – Passenger
Hyosung Aguila – Passenger
Yamaha V-Star 750 – Passenger
SKWOOSH™ ICS Mid Size Motorcycle Gel Cushion
Victory Vegas
Triumph Thunder Bird 900
BMW R1200G
Vulcan 900 Cruiser
Suzuki Intruder
Road King Passenger
Ducati 907 IE
Harley Davidson 883 Sportster
Yamaha Star
Hyosung Avitar
Kawasaki Vulcan 800
SKWOOSH™ ICS Universal Motorcycle Gel Cushion
Harley Davidson Road King
Honda Goldwing
Victory Jackpot
Yamaha Raider
Honda Shadow Aero
Hyosung Alpha
Yamaha V-Star 1200
Honda Shadow 750
Hyosung Aguila
Yamaha V-Star 950
Yamaha Stratoliner
Brochure: http://skwoosh.com/mm5/datasheets/Universal-Cushions.pdf
