I’m in the constant hunt to improve motorcycling comfort so when I finally came across a pair of underwear with memory foam specifically designed for motorcycle seats I decided to spring for a pair.
But do they work? Let’s find out.
I’ve got a Corbin aftermarket seat on my Zero SR/F. While it was an improvement from my stock seat my butt still started hurting after about 50 miles or so.
When I decided to go on a 1,400-mile ride from Florida to Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, I decided to order a pair of Rippl Impact ApexRides motorcycle underwear.
Answering the big question first: Do they work? Yes.
Over a one-week period I rode 1,394 miles with the underwear on, with the longest day in the saddle being 301 miles.
The last time I tried a trip like that I had a severe case of monkey butt that lasted for days and made a good chunk of the return trip miserable.
Also, to clarify, these shorts aren’t a review unit sent by the manufacturer, I bought them with my own money.
What makes the underwear different than any of the other riding shorts I’ve personally found is the memory foam’s shape is designed specifically for motorcycle seats.
The other stuff I’ve seen is actually cut for bicycle seats even though they’ve also been advertised to work for motorcyclists.
The shorts aren’t perfect. I still got sore but they definitely made a big difference, especially on riding days under two hundred miles on back roads where I could stand up and stretch occasionally.
Their biggest downside is they feel intrusive when you wear them, especially the first few times.
Once you’re suited up and finally riding, you quickly forget they’re there, or at least I did.
When I got to my riding locations I wanted to get out of them as quickly as possible. I’ve been wearing them over my regular underwear but under my jeans.
They’re made of a combination of spandex, Polyster and memory foam. Rippl says they also have moisture wicking.
I found they don’t work as well once the temperature gets above about 90-degrees Fahrenheit since sweating in them can add a different type of discomfort. Although I guess that’s true of most riding gear.
I’ve only seen a handful of reviews on the shorts and least one rider said the Rippl Apex Rides didn’t work at all, so take that for whatever its worth.
But I found them to help, so I’ll continue to use them on longer rides.
Speaking of motorcycle comfort, here’s an earlier review I did of Corbin’s seat for the Zero Motorcycles SR/F. If you find either review useful, please drop a like on YouTube. Thanks for reading and watching.