foam seat

[ital4me]

I am returning my 1979 CX100 to service after long storage. It still has the foam seat on it which I don't mind at all. I don't tour. It has no cracks but the black has faded a bit and the LeMans on the rear is almost gone. Is there a product you can use to protect the seat from drying out and cracking? I did a little research but didn't find an answer.

[Ncdan]

I am returning my 1979 CX100 to service after long storage. It still has the foam seat on it which I don't mind at all. I don't tour. It has no cracks but the black has faded a bit and the LeMans on the rear is almost gone. Is there a product you can use to protect the seat from drying out and cracking? I did a little research but didn't find an answer.

All auto stores have products that claim to “renew” old vinyl back to like new condition.
One can roll the dice and take your chances.

[kingoffleece]

https://mothers.com/products/back-to-black-trim-and-plastic-restorer-06112

This works well but understand that your fabric is old and most likely degraded.  There is no miracle cure.  I'd be very surprised if it didn't crack at some point sooner than later.

[JJ]

IMHO, and in my experience, this was "THE WORST" seat in the history of all motorcycles...

It was hard when new...and the foam got even harder as the years went by...You might as well been riding on a piece of wood!!! 

[cliffrod]

Since it designed to help critical parts soft and pliable without deterioration, Brake fluid can produce very good results on other soft synthetic things like upholstery and dash pads.  It won’t resolve rotted fibers of the fabric backing, but can help restore flexibility to the plastic/vinyl on the surface. 

Apply a little at a time. Repeat a few times as needed.  Then clean off excess well, even with a cleaning product, or it will come off on your clothing….

After the brake fluid has done the heavy work, the more $$ consumer products for the same can be used if you like.

[fotoguzzi]

I don’t remember mine as having any vinyl or other covering, wasn’t it just foam rubber that deteriorated into a crumbling mess?





I didn’t have either of them long enough to wear the seat out.

[73 sport]

  My '73/'74 Sport has the original seat and vinyl cover, it is in excellent condition. Every few years I rub a little bit of "baby oil" on it. A large factor is that when not ridden, it has always been garaged. 

[ital4me]

Does anyone one know what the finish over the foam is made off. Some have mentioned vinyl but I don't think it is. It appears that the seat is all one piece, Dense foam with some kind of skin.Honestly I am not expecting miracles here. I thought someone might have found a product to keep it from drying out. It has no cracks at his point just some fading. As far the comfort goes, My rides consist of an hour or two on our back roads here in northern New England. I am a big guy 6'2 240lbs. so maybe I am compressing the seat enough making it a little more comfortable. I might be alone in this but I like the look of the the seat. What are the restorers doing with these?

[n3303j]

Been using this stuff for years. Seems to help vinyl.
Sort of sunscreen for plastics.

[kingoffleece]

Foams and fabrics don't have an indefinite lifespan.  There is no restoration available, only preservation.  At some point replacement is needed.  This is the short answer.

[Tusayan]

The early Le Mans dual seat is a block of closed cell foam with retaining nuts molded in.  It has no cover and no surface finish other than that which occurred naturally from being in contact with the mold.  It also has no separate base, because it bolts directly to a one piece fiberglass part that incorporates both the rear fender and seat base.  Very clever and simple to make, plus it matches the 70’s race bike esthetic along with lots of flat black paint etc.

My Le Mans with its 44 year old original seat has 100K miles, most of which were with me sitting on it, still looks good and there’s no chance I’d put anything else on it.  It’s not supposed to be glossy like vinyl, that’s a distinctive part of the bike’s look and the shape is excellent: it allows you to move around and sit on your thighs and supports you under deceleration.  It’s not a touring seat by design but I’ve done lots of 500 mile days on mine.  The only time it ‘wore thin’ was on a 10 day long trip when we were riding all day, every day.

The later Le Mans III seat was made similarly,  but with a harder foam and shinier surface that was supposed to match a move away from the race bike look.  This in combination with a longer gas tank, less support for braking and thinner shape leads to a better match with the ‘upholstered 2x4’ story.  It’s significantly worse in function.  After that on the Le Mans 1000 they gave up, succumbed to conventionality and used a vinyl covered seat, which was also poor.

PS you can buy a new Le Mans seat but they're not particularly inexpensive. Although mine is still fine I’ve thought about buying a new one just in case they again become unavailable some day.  Maybe something for next years Christmas list.

https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2919