Fego Float air cushion seat product review: on the commute

Introduction

The Fego Float hasn’t been seeing much action since we received it, but of late, the KTM 390 Duke has been my weapon of choice. You see, my commute has now changed to a lot of highway riding. I spend an hour cushioned by the Fego Float every day, and here’s what I’ve found on my commute:

On the commute

It’s an odd feeling at first on a streetbike like the Duke – you sit really very high after the Float is installed. Since the stock seat slopes forward, you tend to get pushed in that direction… but not with the Float. The leather saddle grips your derriere and holds you in place. On a Duke, the suspension is quite stiff, so rough roads can be quite a pain in the you-know-where, but the Float takes the edge off all the bumps, and it is especially effective with sharp ridges and small but deep potholes. We imagine that the extra height will make it a better riding position for the rider on certain cruiser motorcycles, but we aren’t sure how well it will sit with short riders.

There is a downside, however. The Float for motorcycles does not come with an air pump along with it, so it will only have as much air pressure (translation: support) as your lungs and lips can manage. If it is too low, it will spread the pressure from the seat bones to places where weight gets quite uncomfortable, even on a half hour commute. The other troublesome thing about it is related to the Duke: unlike a lot of bikes, the Duke’s rider seat is bolted into place. If the elastic straps that hook the seat into place slip and go under the seat, you’ve got two nuts to unscrew and redo (see installation article) which is a good ten minute job.