What Foam for a Motorcycle Seat?

We all want our motorbike seats to be comfortable, especially if we’re planning for long driving, but have you wondered what foam for a motorcycle seat? Here’s the answer.

Closed Urethane and open Urethane are the two-seat materials commonly used in motorcycle seats. The closed Urethane is a bit firmer than the open Urethane, and closed cells have an entrapped gas that absorbs almost all shocks. Closed urethane is ideal for racers, whereas open urethane is suitable for city riders.  

Let’s look at what it means and what you can do about it. 

While writing this post, I leave no stone unturned so you can know everything about foam used in motorcycle seats. 

Why is Motorcycle Seat Foam Important?

Before going further, you need to understand why a motorbike seat is crucial when it’s about long driving. 

Choosing a motorbike seat is crucial when it’s about long riding, so it doesn’t cause hip pain to the rider. The ideal motorbike seat should absorb kinetic energy or shocks. 

Motorcycle seats are one of the most significant factors contributing to back pain which I think no one is talking about. 

Good motorcycle seats are supposed to divide your body weight equally in all directions, protecting you from back pain. But nowadays, motorcycle manufacturers aren’t spending many bucks providing good motorbike seats.

You should at least spend some bucks adding cushions to your motorbike seat. Soft cushions will help you by distributing your all bodyweight uniformly.  

At the same time, the motorbike seat shouldn’t give back shocks while absorbing it as doing this would cause back and hip pain issues, preventing you from riding the motorbike. 

In simpler words, your motorbike seat is crucial to absorb shocks to prevent you from spine/ back and hip pain. 

Can a Motorcycle Alone Cause Back Pain?

No, the motorcycle doesn’t cause back pain, but your seat material, handlebar, and footpeg position may do. Many people ride the same motorbike as you, but they aren’t complaining about back pain. 

It means there’s something wrong with your seat material, sitting position, seat position, and handlebar position. And there’s nothing wrong with modifying your motorbike according to your body type.

I can relate to how hard it is for you to cover a long distance on your motorbike with this back pain. 

What Foam for a Motorcycle Seat?

Indeed you understand why motorbikes are crucial; now the question arises, what foam for motorcycle seats? 

According to experts, two types of materials are hugely used in motorbike seats: closed-cell polyurethane and open-cell polyurethane. 

Although the names are similar, there’s a significant difference between these two materials, which I’ll explain in the next section. 

Closed Urethane vs. Open Urethane?

So far, you understand why the motorbike seat is crucial and what foam the motorcycle comes with; now the question arises: What is the difference between closed Urethane and open Urethane? 

Open Urethane comes with an open cell which gives you an air cushion experience by allowing air to pass through them; thus, experts always recommend using closed urethane material in your motorbike seat. 

This type of material is best when using the top cushion layer because of the highly flexible specification it comes with. 

Unlike open Urethane, the closed-cell urethane material comes with an entrapped gas-filled material while manufacturing the material. The closed urethane material comes with a close cell that acts as micro springs to provide the cushion material feeling.

Closed Urethane or Open Urethane, Which is Best?

The closed urethane layer comes with a closed cell while the other comes with an open cell; now the question arises, which one is better for you? 

In the above section, you understand some fundamental differences between the two types of material; the only difference is that one comes with open cells while the other comes with closed cells. 

Both types of material have advantages and disadvantages; open urethane material comes with an open cell that can entrap the water when raining. 

And after rain, your motorbike seat will start to deteriorate, and soon you won’t experience any cushioning experience while riding. The closed Urethane is also not as soft as the open Urethane but provides a better grip while riding. 

As mentioned above, both have advantages and disadvantages, now the ball is in your court, and you have to choose which is best for you. 

Does Riding Style Impacts Seat Material?

Both materials have advantages and disadvantages, but are you still confused about which one is better for you? Well, your riding style will help you choose the seat material. 

As mentioned above, open Urethane can entrap the water on rainy days and firm your motorbike seat. The closed Urethane comes with not-so-good cushion properties. 

Suppose you like participating in a racing tournament and riding a motorbike at high speed. In that case, you may need a motorbike seat with a good grip. Thus, you should choose closed urethane material.  

But suppose you’re an average city rider who just wants comfortable cushion material. In that case, you should go with a seat made from open urethane material. But always make sure to use a water-resistant seat cover to protect seat from rainwater. 

How to Make a Motorcycle Seat More Comfortable? 

So far, you understand the fundamental difference between the two types of material and which one you should use according to your riding style. Now, how can you make a motorcycle seat more comfortable? 

Install a Foam Pad: 

The most crucial change you can bring to your motorbike seat is to install a foam pad made from an air cushion or gel pad. 

In the air cushion, you can get a pad made from air pockets that can absorb almost all the shock you get while riding. The most exciting advantage of the air pad is that you can customize the location and amount of air cells in the pad. 

The more air cells, the more efficient the air pad will be, so make sure you choose one which suits you the most. The air pad will be placed on the motorbike seat without a strap and doesn’t move from its place because of friction between the seat and the pad. 

The air pads also come with a valve on the corner to adjust the seat height according to your preference. 

Another pad that is more common than the air pad is the gel pad. Unlike the air pad, the gel pad comes with cells filled with shock absorber gel. 

The shock absorber gel absorbs almost all shocks but is not as good as the air shock absorber, making the shock absorber less efficient than the air pad. 

I’d highly recommend using an air pad if you suffer from extreme back and hip pain problems. Still, if you’re someone who is buying the pads just to make your seat more comfortable, a gel pad would be enough for you. 

Stand a Bit: 

Ok, this won’t make the motorbike seat more comfortable but will help to ease the back and hip pain. 

Experts always recommend standing a bit when stuck in a traffic jam; doing this will help your back muscles to relax. If your motorbike comes with back support, then you can stand by taking the back support. 

And if you don’t find any place to stop your motorbike, you can move and change your sitting position to relieve your back and hip muscles. 

Change the Seat: 

The last thing you can do when nothing works is to change the seat. I can understand that changing the seat is the most expensive option. Still, some people don’t like installing pads and shifting their position. 

And the last option that the rider has is to change the seat and install one which is more comfortable than the old one. 

Cruiser motorbikes are usually comfortable and that’s why rider choose them to protect themselves from back and hip pain, but do they do actually protect you from back and hip pain, CLICK HERE to find.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Final Verdict:

What foam for a motorcycle seat? According to experts, closed Urethane and open Urethane are the two-seat materials generally used in motorcycle seats. The closed Urethane is a little firmer than the open Urethane, and closed cells come with an entrapped gas that absorbs almost all shocks.