Seat cover repair

[degrom]

Hi.

Has anyone repaired a tear in a seat cover before? I was thinking of asking my mother in law to re-cover the seat,but now I am thinking of giving it a go.

I was at Spot-Light the other day and they sold vinyl,but it looked a bit cheap. Any ideas on where to buy the stuff that goes onto bike seats?

Any info on the subject is welcome.
Cheers.

[geoffm]

I got quoted $60 to recover the BMW seat by an auto upolsterer. At that price, it wasn't worth the effort. Years ago, I did the one on my B120. It came out ok, but it was fiddly to get it right without wrinklers. We have an industrial leather and canvas sewing machine. I doubt a domstic sewing machine will handle a decent grade of vinal or leather.
There are aftermarket seat covers available - might be worth looking at.
Geoff

[Cajun]

degrom - just call in to your local auto upolsterer, for some vinyl if you wanna go down that route.

If you are just wanting a basic cover, and no foam changed, but if you have problems with the foam, you are only asking for trouble

[degrom]

degrom - just call in to your local auto upolsterer, for some vinyl if you wanna go down that route.

If you are just wanting a basic cover, and no foam changed, but if you have problems with the foam, you are only asking for trouble

Thanks for the response... The vinyl used on the seat is getting old and is cracking from heat and use.

It's a straight forward seat with no sowing needed. The foam still feels okay,so I don't think I will need to replace that.

[NighthawkNZ]

I had my seat recovered for $50 about 1 years ago... and as someone else said at that price... its not worth the hassle of doing it yourself...

[degrom]

I had my seat recovered for $50 about 1 years ago... and as someone else said at that price... its not worth the hassle of doing it yourself...

Did that include the material as well?
And how does the results look?

Thx

[crashe]

What is better to use..........?

Leather or Vinyl???????


I have a wee crack in my bike seat....... had to put duc tape over the part as it was letting water in.



I have a VIRAGO with a 5 studded seat...

I also have a very nice piece of leather that is sitting around....
Could that be used.

[degrom]

What is better to use..........?

Leather or Vinyl???????


I have a wee crack in my bike seat....... had to put duc tape over the part as it was letting water in.



I have a VIRAGO with a 5 studded seat...

I also have a very nice piece of leather that is sitting around....
Could that be used.


As I see it Vinyl is better. Lasts long and is easy to work with...

It's not as nice as ostridge leather but then again it does not go for the price of an ostridge...

Leather also does not fit all bikes. Just think how nice a 2007 R1 would look with a sheep skin leather... LOL

[McJim]

My wife covered my seat with black vinyl from Spotlight. It's heavier duty then the stock stuff - looks naff on the roll but looks the bollox on the bike. Sewed a couple of gusset shapes into it to give it 3D form. Looks like a proper professional job. apparently we're going to fix gijoe1313's seat too - he gets all over the country - maybe we should put a little trademark or advert on the work once done.

[Steam]

Some ratbiker recovered his seat with layered tractor innertube. It looked really awesome, but then a hot day came along and he burned his bum after it had sat in the sun for the afternoon storing up heat.
True story!
or so I heard.

[degrom]

My wife covered my seat with black vinyl from Spotlight. It's heavier duty then the stock stuff - looks naff on the roll but looks the bollox on the bike. Sewed a couple of gusset shapes into it to give it 3D form. Looks like a proper professional job. apparently we're going to fix gijoe1313's seat too - he gets all over the country - maybe we should put a little trademark or advert on the work once done.

Are you going to fix the Hornet's seat?

It looks fine in his profile picture(Would be nice if mine looked like that... :)

[NighthawkNZ]

Did that include the material as well?
And how does the results look?

Thx

Yes and looked great :-) I was happy :yes:

But may differ for different seats and how experienced the upholster is etc etc....

[McJim]

Are you going to fix the Hornet's seat?

It looks fine in his profile picture(Would be nice if mine looked like that... :)

Yeah, well, apparently he farted and blew a hold clean through the centre so it's re - cover time...this time with a fart proof grade of vinyl.

[degrom]

Yeah, well, apparently he farted and blew a hold clean through the centre so it's re - cover time...this time with a fart proof grade of vinyl.

The vinyl you are talking about, is that the normal black vinyl they sell at Spot-light or do they need to go get out of some hidden corner in their store rooms?

The ones I saw look dodgy, but I might change once it's on the seat. Do you keep the old foam as it is, or do you add more/new?

[McJim]

I've attached photos of the seat - this shows the vinyl I used which was on a roll in the middle of the store at Mt Wellington.

[degrom]

I've attached photos of the seat - this shows the vinyl I used which was on a roll in the middle of the store at Mt Wellington.

That looks like new!!! My seat will be even easier to cover. Straight forward compared to that one...

[Pixie]

What is better to use..........?

Leather or Vinyl???????




Leather's good if you enjoy having a wet arse after the seat's been in the rain

[Pixie]

Some ratbiker recovered his seat with layered tractor innertube. It looked really awesome, but then a hot day came along and he burned his bum after it had sat in the sun for the afternoon storing up heat.
True story!
or so I heard.

Teach him to leave his bum in the sun

[Pixie]

Reid & Twiname supply the auto upholstery trade

http://www.retwine.co.nz/

[MotoGirl]

You can put leather on your bike seat, but after a white it'll lose it's shape. I'd recommend using Vinyl as it holds its shape, and provided you look after it (i.e. sno-seal any seams), it'll keep your foam dry too.

Also, use stainless steel staples when you put the cover back on - otherwise they'll rust and then they're a bit*h to get out again!

[crashe]

Cheers for all the tips guys and gals....

Now to find me a nice piece of black vinyl......



I will keep the leather to make me some 'chaps'

[gijoe1313]

My poor little ol'Hornet's seat is showing the worse for wear 'cause it's owners a plonker who thrashes it around everywhere and rides it for thousands and thousands of km's without respite!

McJim and Chickadee has done a stonk'n good job on his seat, I was :gob: when I found out! Now, just need to let them have it long enough so they can actually do the job...every time I get on my little ol'Hornet, I always seem to end up in a different galaxy! :innocent:

Wonder if they can run me up some riding leathers in Blood Angels Red?

[degrom]

My poor little ol'Hornet's seat is showing the worse for wear 'cause it's owners a plonker who thrashes it around everywhere and rides it for thousands and thousands of km's without respite!

McJim and Chickadee has done a stonk'n good job on his seat, I was :gob: when I found out! Now, just need to let them have it long enough so they can actually do the job...every time I get on my little ol'Hornet, I always seem to end up in a different galaxy! :innocent:

Wonder if they can run me up some riding leathers in Blood Angels Red?

Yes... I have seen their work and it looks like it was factory fitted.

I will try the seat in the New Year. (All the shops are closed at the moment.)

[McJim]

hXc and gijoe1313 are both now in receipt of refinished saddles - I don't want to blow my own trumpet so I'll leave it to them fellas to pass comment should they feel the need.

Spada is hXc's and the Hornet is gijoe's.

[degrom]

hXc and gijoe1313 are both now in receipt of refinished saddles - I don't want to blow my own trumpet so I'll leave it to them fellas to pass comment should they feel the need.

Spada is hXc's and the Hornet is gijoe's.

I think you should start taking online orders!!!

Great stuff!!! Really like the Hornet's seat... Exactly what I am after!!!

So is that the stuff you bought from Spotlight again?

[yungatart]

hXc is stoked with his new seat, a little bit of extra padding worked wonders for the butt callouses too, or so he tells me...
Looks a very professional job too, especially when one considers that Chickadee did it with a very sore elbow, helped by McJim who had a very swollen hand.
I'd recommend them to anyone!

[McJim]

I think you should start taking online orders!!!

Great stuff!!! Really like the Hornet's seat... Exactly what I am after!!!

So is that the stuff you bought from Spotlight again?

Yep - that's the vinyl from Spotlight. I have to confess the first time I saw it I thought it looked nasty but then I saw how thin and cheap the factory fitted stuff was - this i twice the thickness (and bloody hard to stretch!).

It's got a lather lookalike texture on it but this smooths out with AF (Arse Friction) so all good - the little wrinkles on gijoe's seat had gone by that afternoon.

[degrom]

Yep - that's the vinyl from Spotlight. I have to confess the first time I saw it I thought it looked nasty but then I saw how thin and cheap the factory fitted stuff was - this i twice the thickness (and bloody hard to stretch!).

It's got a lather lookalike texture on it but this smooths out with AF (Arse Friction) so all good - the little wrinkles on gijoe's seat had gone by that afternoon.

I must say my mouth is hanging open about the results!!! :gob:

I will definitely give it a try. What did you do with the foam?(My seat is about 18 year old... LOL)

[shanks]

hXc and gijoe1313 are both now in receipt of refinished saddles - I don't want to blow my own trumpet so I'll leave it to them fellas to pass comment should they feel the need.

Spada is hXc's and the Hornet is gijoe's.

Woah! That looks amazing! Did you use a staple gun? My seat cover has ripped off at a few places and needs replacing. So thought I might have a go at it. Any advice?

[gammaguy]

interesting options and prices for the Kawasaki ZX10,prices in USD


53003 53003-0120-MA
LEATHER,FRONT SEAT,BLACK
$76.55


53003B 53003-0121-337
LEATHER,REAR SEAT,L.GREEN
$76.55


53065E 53065-0016-777
COVER SEAT,GREEN
$62.32

[vifferman]

The seat cover on my bike was knackered from being parked all day in the sun - went all stiff and inflexible. There's a trader on TradeMe selling replica bike seat covers for around NZ$70 - I bought one for my VFR after not being able to find vinyl that didn't look all shiny and cheap. It looks pretty much like the original - very well made, and good quality (non-shiny!) vinyl.
I didn't think I could use short staples in my pneumatic staplegun, and I couldn't hire an electric staplegun despite ALL the hire places advertising them, so I bought a $29 staplegun from Mitre 10. That did the job (it was the only one with a 'nozzle' that protruded so I could get staples into the awkward corners).

While I was at it, I stuck some extra 30mm foam on the top of the seat as extra padding so I sit slightly higher. (The reason is so that my legs are slightly less bent, and my head is sitting higher in the airstream over the windshield). I shaped it with an electric bread knife, and glued it on with spray-on adhesive before fitting the cover. Piece of piss!