What Size Motorcycle Seat Cushion Do I Need? A Butt Buffer Sizing Guide

Butt Buffer sizing runs on the width and length of your seat pan, not on your height or weight. Our Air Flow Classic and Pebble Polymer lines come in Small (11"x11"), Medium (16"x12"), and Large (18"x14"), and the Classic Top Cushion also comes as an 11"x8" P-PAD for narrower seats.

Key Takeaways

• Air Flow Classic and Pebble Polymer share the same Small (11"x11"), Medium (16"x12"), and Large (18"x14") footprint.
• The Classic Top Cushion P-PAD measures 11"x8" and lists at $27.75, half its $55.50 regular price.
• Military Motorcycle Seat Cushions cover six branches, AIR FORCE, ARMY, COAST GUARD, MARINE CORPS, NAVY, and POW MIA, each priced $115.00 to $130.00.
• Seat insert installation puts a Medium and Large combo directly into your seat's foam for $260.
• We ship to over 120 countries, though import duties and customs rules are the customer's responsibility.

How do I measure my motorcycle seat for a Butt Buffer cushion?

Measure your seat pan at its widest point, front to back and side to side, in inches. Then match those two numbers against our Small, Medium, and Large dimensions. Most solo touring seats land in the 16"x12" Medium or 18"x14" Large range, while sportbike and cruiser seats often fit the 11"x11" Small.

Grab a tape measure before you shop rather than guessing off the seat's overall length. A seat pan often runs narrower than the visible upholstery suggests, especially on cruisers with stepped or scooped saddles. If you're between two sizes, the full lineup on our shop page lists exact inches next to every listing so you can measure once and order with confidence.

Comparing sizes across the Air Flow Classic, Pebble Polymer, and Classic Top Cushion lines

The Classic Top Cushion also comes as a P-PAD at 11"x8" for $27.75, our smallest and most compact option, built for riders who just need pressure relief over the front of the seat rather than the whole pan.

Dean McDanel, in a Google review, put it this way after having two of our Air Flow Classic cushions installed: "This is the second seat I have had done. The first was on a 2011 Ultra Classic and was a great improvement in ride comfort. I recently had the seat on my 2018 Tri Glide done with the new and improved gel. The ride quality improvement was immediate. Relieved the pain and pressure from arthritis and extended the ride time between rest stops. Highly recommended for anyone looking for that extra comfort." Both of his bikes call for the Large or Medium Air Flow Classic footprint listed in the table above, which is typical for full-dress touring seats.

Do all Butt Buffer styles come in the same sizes?

Sizing varies by style. The Air Flow Classic, Pebble Polymer, and Classic Top Cushion lines share the same Small, Medium, and Large footprint. The Maltese Cross and Web Cushion run $55.50 to $107.50 across a range of sizes, and each Military Motorcycle Seat Cushion, covering every branch, runs $115.00 to $130.00.

The Maltese Cross Cushion and the Web Cushion are both built with embroidered and sheepskin fabric options, and their sizing tracks the same $55.50 to $107.50 price spread rather than the fixed 11"x11"/16"x12"/18"x14" chart above, so it's worth checking the specific listing for your seat before ordering.

Our Military Motorcycle Seat Cushions are styled by branch: AIR FORCE, ARMY, COAST GUARD, MARINE CORPS, NAVY, and POW MIA, each priced from $115.00 to $130.00. These are built for riders who want to show off their pride and get a comfortable ride, with a style for every branch rather than a one-size design stretched across all of them.

Choosing a cushion size for two-up riding

Riding two-up usually means two different sizing decisions, one for the rider's seat and one for the passenger's. A passenger perch is often shorter front to back than the rider's saddle, so it commonly calls for a Small or Medium rather than matching the rider's Large.

Measure both seat pans separately before you order, since a mismatched pair is common on touring and cruiser bikes with a stepped saddle. If you and your riding partner are shopping together, our quick order page lets you place both sizes in a single order without juggling two separate carts.

When a seat insert makes more sense than a top cushion

A top cushion sits on your existing seat and can be swapped or removed. A seat insert goes further: we install the visco-elastic polymer directly into the foam of your seat itself, so the cushioning becomes part of the seat rather than an add-on layer. Our Medium & Large Inserts Installed in Your Seat service runs $260.00 for that combination.

We also install single inserts in P-pad, Small, Medium, or Large sizing, plus front-and-rear combinations for two-up riders, straight into your seat's foam. That's the route to take if you want the lowest possible seat height with no added bulk on top, since nothing changes the seat's outer profile.

Frequently asked questions

Can I mix cushion sizes between the rider's seat and the passenger seat?

Yes. Riders regularly order a Large for the front seat and a Small or Medium for the passenger perch, since the two seat pans are rarely the same length. Measure each seat pan separately in inches, then order the size from our chart that matches each one rather than assuming both seats take the same cushion.

What size is the Classic Top Cushion P-PAD, and how is it priced?

The P-PAD measures 11"x8", our smallest Classic Top Cushion option. It's listed at $27.75, half of its regular $55.50 price, and comes in many colors. It suits riders who need relief over the front of the seat pan without covering the full 11"x11" or larger footprint.

Does Butt Buffer ship internationally, and does sizing change by country?

We ship to over 120 countries, and sizing stays consistent in inches no matter where your order goes. What does change by destination is customs handling: it's your responsibility to know your own country's import duties and customs regulations, since we're not responsible for tariffs your customs office applies on arrival.

Are the Maltese Cross and Web Cushion sized the same as the Air Flow Classic?

No, they follow their own sizing rather than the 11"x11"/16"x12"/18"x14" chart used for the Air Flow Classic, Pebble Polymer, and Classic Top Cushion lines. Both the Maltese Cross Cushion and the Web Cushion are priced from $55.50 to $107.50 across their available sizes, so check the specific listing for your seat measurements.

If you're not sure which size fits your seat pan, send us your seat measurements, your bike's make and model, and whether you ride solo or two-up using the form below, and we'll help you match them to the right Butt Buffer.