Convert Seat Rebuilding

[ozarquebus]

I like the standard Convert/G5 seat and need to strip and rebuild one up off my plastic seat pan since some PO recovered in a style that resembles a Great War Dirigible (before strafing run).

It appears from internet surfing it is the same long seat cover as for an 850T3 as well.

...but am too cheap to buy a whole new seat for $350.00 to $500.

Has anybody ever bought a replacement seat cover for a standard long seated Convert/G5/T3?

Do you think if someone was to be cutting their own foam (me), they could just about make any long seat cover fit?

Have seen plenty online, but wonder if anyone has similar experience recent positive outcome with a good seat cover source or even sewing one from scratch.

Here is the 60 Euro seat cover from GB.




Here is the high quality reproduction for 350 Euro
oops, wrong picture here is a new pic by editing:

[acogoff]

     I know nothing about this seller, but this Brit offers the seat foam of two types for about 170 bucks shipped. Maybe someone on our bunch has tried them.

    www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-Motorcycle-Seat-foam-Pre-Formed-Moulded-Seat-Foam-Ready-to-Fit/261430021189?hash=item3cde718c4

[Tom H]

If you just want to do the seat cover, you might check Harpers. I think they still do covers.

Tom

[John Ulrich]

Save yourself some aggravation and call Jim at Neds in Riverside IA.  Ask what he's charging.

[Moto]

The T3 seat was the same as the T's, with a sleeker profile than the G5 and Convert. All the replacement covers I've seen offered as T3's have really been the G5/Convert profile.

I took apart the panels of my original T3 seat cover and had the upholsterer use them as a pattern to make a new leather cover. It reproduced the original profile very well. I recommend this method.

Moto

[ozarquebus]

Jim at Ned's answered the phone on the first ring in a cheerful way, but said his upholsterer stopped rebuilding bike seats and the last one he did was $240.

Might be a good time to go into the upholstery business.

[guzzista]

     I know nothing about this seller, but this Brit offers the seat foam of two types for about 170 bucks shipped. Maybe someone on our bunch has tried them.

    www.ebay.com/itm/Moto-Guzzi-Motorcycle-Seat-foam-Pre-Formed-Moulded-Seat-Foam-Ready-to-Fit/261430021189?hash=item3cde718c4

I did purchase the foam from that particular seller and it is of decent quality. OTOH, if you are having an upholsterer do your seat, you can bypass the hassle and have the same shop repro the foam and possibly save some bucks overall(?).  I also purchased a  Brit cover as  Ozarquebus posted and it is  decent and fit OK for the money, but the Harper covers seem of better quality IMO. As Moto pointed out, the cover can also be reproduced off your old one. I purchased the foam and cover because I wanted to do my own seat from a T3 base . Turned fine overall, but about the same cost as Neds....





./SP

 BTW the  replica G5/Vert/SPNT is more comfortable than the one in my pics. Currently on my SP

[Moto]

...I purchased the foam and cover because I wanted to do my own seat from a T3 base....

Guzzista,

That's a nice job on your seat!



It looks like you did the lettering on the back of the seat, in the general outline-font style of the original. How did you do it? Tape inserts in the stenciled letters? What paint did you use? How well has the paint held up, and for how long?

I'm really impressed and am interested in upgrading my own seat with a Guzzi logo on the back.


Oops. Now I see you said you purchased the cover, no doubt with the logo already on it. Still, it's a nice job!

Moto

[acogoff]

    Guzzista, is that the original chrome edgeing or aftermarket? Looks very nice.

[guzzista]

The seat cover did not have the plastic chrome strip as on the original so I used a common chrome( plastic) and black rubber strip as on Norton and Meriden Triumph seats. These used to be available at any Brit bike shop.  Here is one I found for this posting :

https://www.baxtercycle.com/product/norton-triumph-seat-trim-black-with-chrome-band-uk/

[Markcarovilli]

Guzzista

How is that chrome strip attached - I want to do this....

Thanks,

Mark

[ozarquebus]

very nice looking seat...and SP

[SIR REAL ED]

Jim at Ned's answered the phone on the first ring in a cheerful way, but said his upholsterer stopped rebuilding bike seats and the last one he did was $240.

Might be a good time to go into the upholstery business.

Rebuilding your seat or costuming it is a great project.  Cheap and not too difficult.  Don't shy away from attempting it.  If you keep your old seat and cover, you can always go back.  Lots of information on rebuilding motorcycle seats on the internet.  Just replacing stock seat foam with rebond foam in the same shape will be a huge improvement.

IME, local upholstery shops love tacking on new and different projects and custom covers are inexpensive.

[guzzista]

Guzzista

How is that chrome strip attached - I want to do this....

Thanks,

Mark

  the aforementioned strip is  U shaped . Just tuck it over the edge to hold down cover .  The small tabs on seat base can be bent down on the inside over the strip.  A warm day and the cover laying in the sun helps a lot

[Matt Story]

Here's a link to a topic where I was sharing how I redid my 850-T seat.  It was the first thing I sewed on my new to me 1940's singer.

https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=50704.msg760087#msg760087

[ozarquebus]

Matt,
Glad to hear the old Singer handled it.
 My mom will probably holler at me from heaven for using her old White sewing machine from the same era when I sew the too-heavy material for the G5 seat.
  I have my dad's old Consew upholstery machine, but I have been having trouble with the lower tension; it is throwing loose stitches on the bottom and this model does not have a lower tension adjuster. Still fiddling.