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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: bmc5733946 on July 26, 2025, 04:40:29 PM

Title: Seat cover installation
Post by: bmc5733946 on July 26, 2025, 04:40:29 PM
I purchased a custom seat cover from overseas (Poland). I am not an upholsterer so I have questions. Should I plan to glue the new cover to the foam? I can see that the existing cover is glued and stapled to the underside of the seat pan and will plan to replicate that. What glue to use? The bike is a 2006 Breva 750 ie.

Thanks for any info!

Brian
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: bigbikerrick on July 26, 2025, 05:24:20 PM
I like to use weldwood contact cement, in the container with a little brush in the cap. I also use a staple gun with 1/4" staples. I dont normally glue the cover to the foam. I use  plastic from a trash bag to make a waterproof cover, that I lightly glue to the foam, using a spray adhesive. I blow drier will help heat the cover, to help it form to the seat.
Rick.
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: DoubleGuzzi on July 26, 2025, 06:56:48 PM
I use spray repositionable contact adhesive - a "game changer" for fitting seat covers. Followed by an electric stable gun that has a longer reach than some of them and good range of adjustment pressure.
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: Clifton on July 26, 2025, 07:27:28 PM
Brian, I have reupholstered a number of seats using Seat Concepts kits. Here's their step by step instructions.

https://www.seatconcepts.com/seat-installation-tips
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: n3303j on July 26, 2025, 08:35:27 PM
Stainless Steel Staples please.
Boat guys use them regularly.
Available in popular sizes.
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: Oca Grassa on July 27, 2025, 12:07:10 AM
I generally don’t use adhesive either. On some seats I use it only where the rider sits to keep the vinyl from moving while I staple it.

I use a pneumatic Bostich stapler & usually 1/4 crown upholstery staples. Done a bunch of seats both for my own bikes and friends projects too.

Here’s a pic of my last seat…and one that needed both adhesive (3M head liner spray adhesive) and a heat gun to make the vinyl more pliable (done in winter):

(https://i.ibb.co/sJgLBSbk/IMG-4302.jpg) (https://ibb.co/sJgLBSbk)


It’s off of an EX500. The foam wasn’t the greatest either but I wasn’t asked to fix any of the foam deterioration before recovering.

The vinyl is just some off cut stuff that being sold cheap at the fabric store my wife goes to.
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: kingoffleece on July 27, 2025, 08:21:57 PM
Leather will stretch.
We never used plastic under the seat.  Way too many complaints about swampass.
Traps water and leads to mold and rot.  I know-it never happened to anyone, ever.  I made a lot of money on those guys.
We used a spray tack glue.  When a guy makes it for himself, if it wrinkles, it's no big deal.  When a seat maker has that issue, it's all over the internet about how crappy they are, customer service sucks, craftsmanship is horrible.

We used spray tack.
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: bigbikerrick on July 31, 2025, 02:03:48 PM
Can you please post a photo of the finished product?
Thanks
Rick.
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: Clifton on July 31, 2025, 03:13:21 PM
Leather will stretch.
We never used plastic under the seat.  Way too many complaints about swampass.
Traps water and leads to mold and rot.  I know-it never happened to anyone, ever.  I made a lot of money on those guys.
We used a spray tack glue......

I always added plastic between the foam and seat cover to prevent any slight amount of water that could get through the holes caused by stitching. I also applied 2 coats of tent seam sealer to the seams on the underside of the cover to hopefully prevent it in the first place. This is how I did all the Seat Concepts seats. The covers were vinyl and never had any water or moisture problem. TBH I never felt any of the leather Corbin seats I had "breathed" any better than any vinyl seat? Sure vinyl doesn't and plain leather can somewhat breathe. I attributed this to the fact that the seat leather had been well waterproofed plus Corbin applied an adhesive barrier between the leather and the foam.
 
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: bmc5733946 on July 31, 2025, 05:57:56 PM
I was not able to do the installation myself. My hands could not stretch the material well enough. I am 74 now so I gave myself a break and took it to a pro who charged me $150.00 which I consider a great price. He said that to replicate the cover I brought to him and install it would be between $400.00 and $600.00. I have that much in another seat that I bought from Portugal. Made to my specifications but I don't like it as much as this one. Click the image for embiggening.

This is the recover over stock foam from Poland.

(https://i.ibb.co/FqVjdpwG/20250731-185923.jpg) (https://ibb.co/FqVjdpwG)


This is the custom seat from Portugal

(https://i.ibb.co/7d41T3vy/20250731-190009.jpg) (https://ibb.co/7d41T3vy)


Brian
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: blackcat on July 31, 2025, 06:15:28 PM
Brian, the new cover looks great!
Title: Re: Seat cover installation
Post by: bmc5733946 on July 31, 2025, 06:22:18 PM
Yeah, I think so, too!!
Thanks, bc!

Brian