Motorcycle Seat Upholstery Technique

[Lumpy Idle]

i thought the list might find this utoob viddy interesting. he reshapes/softens the seat and then reupholsters it. it is all done without a seam on the  sitz platz part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og0raStEtF4

[oldbike54]

 

 Dusty

[Rhodan]

Nice!  The problem with videos like that is you don't realize how deceptively easy they made it look until you're halfway through the project and realize you've totally mucked it up.   

There was a British program called An Extra Slice for a while.  It was (is?) a baking show about a baking show.  Without going into too much detail, the viewers would send in pictures of their bakes.  For example, they'd be aiming for a classy cake sculpture and end up with something like this: 



I've been there on many projects. 

[s1120]

Nice!  The problem with videos like that is you don't realize how deceptively easy they made it look until you're halfway through the project and realize you've totally mucked it up.   

There was a British program called An Extra Slice for a while.  It was (is?) a baking show about a baking show.  Without going into too much detail, the viewers would send in pictures of their bakes.  For example, they'd be aiming for a classy cake sculpture and end up with something like this: 



I've been there on many projects.

My daughter has been watching a show like that called "Nailed It"  its vary funny.

[Guzzistajohn]

Somehow I get the idea that’s not his 1st rodeo. He has the skills and tools to do a good job.

[twowheeladdict]

I have a local guy who has done several of my seats.  I spent one Saturday with him chatting while he was working his magic. 

Many different densities of foam spray glued together and shaped using templates as guides to make sure the seat is symmetrical. 

He has to know the orientation of the seat on the bike to ensure that the seating position doesn't slant the rider forward, backward, etc.  Doing that just from photos of the intended bike is quite a feat.

He decides how to lay out the material, and what type of material for the cover.  He then has to decide a pattern to help it lay right.

With me there watching and us talking bikes it took him 8 hours to make that seat for me on my own pan.  He is a lot more economical than all the big names but builds as good if not better seats.

You can buy one of his stock designs or have something custom made for your wants.  I had him create a "flat" seat for my Kawasaki Versys so I had more room to move around when riding the twisties and touring.

https://www.terryscustomseats.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Company/Terrys-Custom-Seats-150069175036324/

Many reviews on forums regarding his seats.
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=_DM_XPyWBM7j_Ab64ZLIBA&q=terry%27s+custom+seats&oq=terrys+custom&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i10l8j0i22i30l2.156.4338..7942...1.0..0.170.2366.0j15......0....1..gws-wiz.....0..0j0i131.VRGDOAyJAqA

[ajpjive]

I sure wish I'd learned more about seat upholstery from my father before he passed. I remember back when he first set up his upholstery shop we were pretty well dead broke. To bring in some extra cash he started selling high-quality repro seat covers, branching into Ebay a couple years later in 97/98. Sold a bunch of covers and reupholstered a lot of saddles, mainly for 60's-70's Honda CBs. 

He always did a bunch of the same tricks the guy in this video is using. An electric bread slicer makes a pretty quick way to cut foam!

-Andy

[Lumpy Idle]

yeah, it is mesmerizing to watch someone who is really good at what they do. with the skill, the proper tools and time lapse editing these things start to look deceptively easy. then you try it for the first time you're all thumbs.

[Guzzistajohn]

Watched a guy on this old house carpet some steps one time telling how easy it was. I know from 'sperience that's BS, said the ex union floor installer. Been there, done that, but not anymore!

[Tom]

He always did a bunch of the same tricks the guy in this video is using. An electric bread slicer makes a pretty quick way to cut foam!

-Andy
[/quote]

A serrated knife works but at a slower rate.  Cut a little at a time and check to make sure that the cut is even.