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A Dodgy Hip, A Mesh Seat Cover, And Pants
Blog Date - 23 July 2026
I have 3 screws in my hip. They are there because the nice people at Preston hospital put me back together after I had a little accident with another motorcyclist back in 2002. I was warned back then I may have a few aches and pains in the hip as I get a little older - and here I am some 24 years later - a little older and there are indeed a few aches and pains now.
3 selft tappers, be right as rain.
Recently I had a thought - and thoughts are dangerous. It rains a lot in the UK (although recent weather conditions contradict this statement). When it rains and I am riding the motorcycle I get wet. To keep this wetness from my garments and my person I apply waterproof garments atop of my riding garments. This method has proven (mostly) effective over the years although it can be "a bit of a faff".
The lower garment, waterproof trousers, have an issue. Like anything waterproof trousers will eventually fail and when they do fail they fail in the crotch area - the area one would most like to remain dry. It is my belief this failure is caused due to the action of walking (when one is off the bike one has to walk by necessity). When walking the crotch area is subjected to a creasing, folding, crushing, and rubbing action which I believe damages the waterproofing, in particular the seam sealing strips.
Berghaus Deluge Full Leg Zip. The easiest pants to get off and on.
The crotch area is also subjected to the worst of the rain when riding. Water runs down the front of the waterproof jacket - to the crotch. The "V" of the legs around the tank combined with the headwind also lead water toward the crotch. The collection of this water is kept partially in place by the vinyl seat. Therefore the crotch gets the most of the rain, and is the area most likely to fail.
The only real solution is to replace the waterproof pants at this point. However my dangerous thought was pondering if it is possible to reduce the amount of water around the crotch. This will not fix nor bypass the leaky crotch in failing waterproof trousers but it may reduce the impact of the inundation until new waterproofs can be purchased.
Obviously a big barn-door fairing will help - but I have neither the will nor the means to purchase a BMW RT1250 or adapt a vintage Rickman fairing to fit the CB500X. I pondered the vinyl seat though. What if rather than creating a "crotch puddle" to sit in the excess water could be drained away?
I mean this should keep at least some of the rain off?
I toyed with the idea of creating holes in the seat but that would allow water under the seat where the airbox sits - not the best of ideas. Certain folds and creases in the vinyl could be engineered to allow water to drain? Oooh a better idea!
You've seen these mesh seat covers ain't ya?
I've seen these mesh seat covers for quite some time now. They're marketed with the benefit of providing an air gap betwixt your backside and the vinyl seat - thus providing a slight cooling effect because as we all know motorcyclists only ride when the sun is shining. Me being me I pondered if it might also provide an escape route for the excess rainwater that may gather around one's private parts.
I have never used a mesh cover and therefore I've no experience with them. You can purchase branded items for over £80, yet Ebay will sell me a cheap Chinese copy for £18 (or less). Because of my lack of experience and being fiscally prudent (tight) I decided on the cheap knockoff. If perchance I have success with the cheap cover but it falls apart due to poor quality I may then invest in a higher quality choice. The item arrived in a timely manner (UK supplier) and was duly fitted - a fairly easy affair once you get to grips with it.
This was just before my holiday in France. When I was riding to France I had the new cover fitted and was wearing work-style pants in heavy cotton with kevlar linings rather than the regular cordura pants I wear. The first thing I noted about the mesh cover is that it is slippery - when wearing this type of pant. Normally with your behind on vinyl there's a high grip coefficient between the vinyl seat and the pants - the mesh cover greatly reduces this grip.
They look like regular cargo pants, but they're reinforced.
All through my French holiday on longer rides my hip was aching - more so than the usual levels of minor discomfort. I put this down to age and distance. I can confirm that the mesh seat cover does provide A LITTLE better cooling than sitting directly onto the vinyl. It's not night and day, but the difference is marginally noticeable.
Anyhow upon my return from France I put on my cordura pants - and these are noticeably less slippery upon the mesh than the work-style pants. And (here I finally get to the point) there is a marked reduction in the levels of hip ache I am experiencing. Why? I am not noticeably sitting any differently from one trouser garment to the other - but logically there MUST be some kind of difference.
I have 2 working theories.
1 - It may be subtle, it may be miniscule but the slipperiness of the work-style pants on the mesh cover is placing me differently in the seat. It's possible I'm sub-consciously working some muscles to keep myself where I wish to be and putting pressure on the hip. The higher grip of the cordura pants is somehow easing this pressure or positioning my derriere better.
2 - The actual pants. Could it be that the fit of the work-style pants pushes my hip out or pulls me in an odd way? The work-style pants are a snug fit whereas the cordura overtrousers are baggy.
And this is currently where I'm at. The obvious experiment is to remove the mesh cover and ride with each of the pants on in turn. This will be done sooner or later. Oh - right - yes of course - sorry. You want to know if the mesh also improves the wet weather water displacement? I can't really comment - it's not rained enough to find out yet.
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Reader's Comments
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Pants? Pants?!!!! They are what we wear UNDER our trousers! Or maybe you're trying to curry favour with your transatlantic readers. You must have some....
I had a pair of those full length zip type but found them very unwieldy. The best overtrousers I had were Helly Hansen trawlermen's bib & braces made of reinforced vinyl and available in a fetching shade of navy blue (and probably bright yellow). Not very elegant but very strong and with welded seams didn't leak. The bib part also stopped water running up under the jacket. Well, didn't stop it but kept it away from the oh so tender flesh underneath. I think I may have mentioned them here before. I still have a pair in the boot of the car.
Mind you I think I've mentioned everything I know here at some time in the last 10 years or so. Maybe I'm your oldest / longest lasting / most persistent (delete as appropriate) contributor.
Oh by the way some of your pics aren't appearing - just the descriptors. Oh, they've appeared now......
28/07/2026 11:34:29 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Oh the first damp feeling in the nethers is always a pleasure. Why is it always so damn cold too.
I'll watch out for your findings with much interest. But no pictures please of wet bits.
My Weise Hydra leather pants (sorry Ian but pants is the new norm for troosers) are still not broken in and I think require a good soaking on the outside, I've probably done around 3000 miles in'em but they feel like they need 30,000 more. I can't say if they keep the water out either as they've seen little wet.
I read about the overtrousers with interest, I'll have a look if they sell them in big boy sizes. Do they fold down to nowt? We need to know. I've never used a mesh covering and I don't think I ever will but never underestimate "monkey butt" and always remember with regards the Savlon; lips first!
Upt.
28/07/2026 12:53:16 UTC
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