Wild-Ass Classic Motorcycle Cushions

The Princess and the Pea
- Saddle Pad Comfort and other Important Considerations

First things first. These are by far the most comfortable and best quality lightweight air-cushion saddle pads. There are two negatives: 1.) Cost. The reasons will become clear below.  2.) Their overly gigantic label which is sort of an eyesore to some. If you can overlook it, and afford the high price, one of these pads will make your bottom happy for the rest of your life. And if the big label yelling “Wild Ass” bothers you (?) DIY remove it or simply color it black with a felt-tip marker.

Some historical background. The pioneer for this type of pad was the Airhawk company. The motorcycling founder adapted medical-use inflatable neoprene pads which had been developed to reduce or eliminate skin ulcers (bedsores) in long-term bedridden patients and those confined to wheelchairs. The technology also worked perfectly for long-distance motorcycle riders. Eventually Airhawk’s founder sold that business and the company stopped using the expensive neoprene and moved to a far less durable polyurethane material for cost reasons. A few years later Wild-Ass was formed specifically to continue making medical-grade neoprene pads. Because they are a superior pad.

Personal notes. Though I’m far from a connoisseur of motorcycle saddles, my ancient neoprene Airhawk pad is around thirty years old and still works perfectly. For me the Airhawk/Wild-Ass inflatable technology is a game-changer only when one is looking at thousand-highway mile days – especially aboard sportbikes or big dual sport bikes. These days I don’t do as much of that type of riding. I also am biased toward very firm saddles. Back when I was younger after maybe a hundred thousand miles aboard a 1978 R100R BMW, I took its stock worn-out saddle apart to make it firmer. Inside a cavity cut into the underside of the stock saddle’s foam I glued in a 1.75” thick slab of a very firm foam called Vibrasorb. This worked great for several hundred thousand more miles. Eventually that bike was supersceded by a second-hand 1981 R80GS BMW whose stock saddle simply clipped onto the bike’s frame. Stock replacement saddles were inexpensive so over the next twenty-five (+-) years I went through three of them and each new one made a big difference for several years. Saddle foam wears out if you ride a lot. Today, I mostly ride a 1994 Honda XR650L which I’ve had since that year. So far it is on its third cast saddle foam insert. One can purchase replacement dirt bike saddle foam castings in several firmness’s, so when the foam seems to be getting too soft, I order another ‘firm’ foam casting (specific to this model bike). They’re easy to install with a good quality staple gun.

Summary. I still have both an Aerostich sheepskin saddle pad and my old Neoprene Airhawk. If you are doing a lot of miles, or have a sensitive backside (…you know who you are), give one these technologies a try. It will change your life.

-- Mr.  Subjective, November 2025