Make your own custom seat

pimpc1972 · 11-09-2005

I have been interested in changing my stock seat since it's very uncomfortable and pushes me up on the tank. I saw the earlier post on the $13 seat and it looks like a good idea if you want to use the same seat pan.

I'm also interested in making my own seat pan but don't have much info. I have some links for fiberglass kits:
www.polypangel.com
http://www.vtwinplus.com/Jan2005/tec...espeedseat.htm

Has anyone here had any experience with anything similar to this? Any experience with shaping foam and covering the seat. There's not much info out on the web.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks

HaOsLsE · 11-09-2005

dang..that is some cool work...but way outta my league...I'm not to handy at that, sorry to say .

longbeachgary · 11-09-2005

Great link pimp.
I was looking to replace a stock seat with a more comfortable seat and tried both Mustang and Corbin. Neither made a seat for my bike but they sent me this link to Sargent:
http://www.sargentcycle.com/readyfit.htm

78_KZ750_Cafe · 11-09-2005

yeah, that "space age material" is 1/8" black ABS plastic. its a thermoplastic that becomes workable at 235 degrees F. I've got a 2'x4' section in my basement that i'm considering either making into leg armor, lower leg fairing, or a new seat.

i also have a 1/16" panel, i still have to dream up something to do with it.

pimpc1972 · 11-09-2005

I'm leaning more toward the speed seat because of the ability to fine tune it and it also includes the closed cell foam.

Any ideas on how a seat like this would mount to the bike?

78_KZ750_Cafe · 11-09-2005

drill holes in it and bolt it down? that's how my seat is made. closed cell foam covered in batting that can comes off, seperate snap on covering. or you could rivet a ratchet clasp to the bottom and clamp it down, many ways to skin a cat.

similar topic, where the crap do you buy closed cell foam? I can only find open cell foam at the local fabric super stores... hey! real men can go in those places too. That stuff doesn't cut it for seats. i'm thinking of making a new bike seat this winter as well as making some furniture and i need to find some.

pimpc1972 · 11-09-2005

You can get it on the net, also try ebay.

wvKawBoy · 11-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by 78_KZ750_Cafe

I can only find open cell foam at the local fabric super stores... hey! real men can go in those places too.

I recently went in one of "those stores" with my S/O & after a while thought, there's got to be something in here for me, so I asked a lady working there if they had leather punches because I was planning to add chrome studs to my leather crash bar chaps & she said nope, sorry, they didn't have a "man aisle" & I said, Yeah, I know, I've been looking for it!

78_KZ750_Cafe · 11-09-2005

they do too have leather punches, that's where I got mine, as well as fabric rivets and a roundover die and punch. there's usually some cool stuff in there, like fine art prints, saddle grade vinyl, all kinds of adhesives, neodinynum magnet (wow are they powerful), fake flowers, crochet needles, lace... er, hey... um, d'oh!

pimpc1972 · 11-09-2005

here's a link to some foam on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...keTra ck=true

78_KZ750_Cafe · 11-09-2005

i was looking at the exact same ad earlier when you mentioned ebay. neat thing is that place is a half hour drive away. i wonder if they sell the the public.... hmmm

I bet a neoprene seat, properly cut, would be insanely comfortable.

pimpc1972 · 11-09-2005

my thing is, how would you shape this?
How do you keep a nice smooth surface on the foam after you cut it.

78_KZ750_Cafe · 11-09-2005

well, first off, you don't need a nice smooth surface. that's what the covering is for, you can cover up a lot with just the leather or vinyl. second you are still allowed to use batting to cover the foam to give it that really soft initial touch. third, if you really want a smooth surface on the foam, use a electric turkey knife to cut it, and a propane flame to smooth it down. it'll stink, but it will work really well. or, barring all those options, if you actually want a neoprene surface, take a piece of 1/4" sheet and stretch it over your formed section and staple it to the seat pan.

Like I said before, lots of ways to skin a cat.

*jukief* · 11-09-2005

I had mine cut down on the sides and raw gel inserted into the seat (he put a small piece of foam on top of the raw gel, too, so it wouldn't stick to the vinyl). I was going to replace the stock vinyl with leather, but he talked me out of it. Said the quality of the vinyl on my seat was very good and would last a lot longer than leather would. I've been really happy with the seat since I had this done. It's super comfortable, even on days when I'm riding for 10 or more hours. It cost me $80 to have the work done. I could have done it myself, but I don't have the proper sewing machine. I needed to resew a small place where the seam had come apart, so it was just easier to have him to do whole job.

pimpc1972 · 11-10-2005

I sent a email to the Speed Seat guys about their product and how it is attached to the frame typically.

He said that since the seat pan and foam are so lite, most are attached with suction cups or velcro.

I'm gonna order their product next week and I'll document the whole thing for your viewing pleasure.

KawiCruiser · 11-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jukief

I had mine cut down on the sides and raw gel inserted into the seat (he put a small piece of foam on top of the raw gel, too, so it wouldn't stick to the vinyl). I was going to replace the stock vinyl with leather, but he talked me out of it. Said the quality of the vinyl on my seat was very good and would last a lot longer than leather would. I've been really happy with the seat since I had this done. It's super comfortable, even on days when I'm riding for 10 or more hours. It cost me $80 to have the work done. I could have done it myself, but I don't have the proper sewing machine. I needed to resew a small place where the seam had come apart, so it was just easier to have him to do whole job.

Just purchased a seat and would like to modify it and leave my stock seat as is. The gel inserts sound interesting and would appreciate more info regarding. Where can these be obtained? My main goal is to see if I can narrow the girth of the seat so as to get my short legs back down to earth again.

My old platform boots I wore as a kid don't fit any more! LOL

BigJohn · 11-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by KawiCruiser

Just purchased a seat and would like to modify it and leave my stock seat as is. The gel inserts sound interesting and would appreciate more info regarding. Where can these be obtained? My main goal is to see if I can narrow the girth of the seat so as to get my short legs back down to earth again.

My old platform boots I wore as a kid don't fit any more! LOL

Here is one source for gel, pads or (soon to come) seats. I bought the ProPad for both myself and ny wife. Just sits on top and rides fine. If the pad didn't work so well, I might be tempted to invest in the saddle when it is introduced.

http://www.thepropad.com/

KawiCruiser · 11-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Here is one source for gel, pads or (soon to come) seats. I bought the ProPad for both myself and ny wife. Just sits on top and rides fine. If the pad didn't work so well, I might be tempted to invest in the saddle when it is introduced.

http://www.thepropad.com/

Thanks Big John,...checked out the site and hope I can get an insert ordered. Had a bit of trouble getting the links to work properly,..sure looks interesting though,..and will check it again soon.

11-09-2005	#1 (permalink)
pimpc1972 Third Gear And Gaining BTK Intermediate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Port Richey, Florida Posts: 138	Make your own custom seat I have been interested in changing my stock seat since it's very uncomfortable and pushes me up on the tank. I saw the earlier post on the $13 seat and it looks like a good idea if you want to use the same seat pan. I'm also interested in making my own seat pan but don't have much info. I have some links for fiberglass kits: www.polypangel.com http://www.vtwinplus.com/Jan2005/tec...espeedseat.htm Has anyone here had any experience with anything similar to this? Any experience with shaping foam and covering the seat. There's not much info out on the web. Any help is appreciated. Thanks __________________ '02 Vulcan 800 Classic http://www.CruiserCustomizing.com/pimpc1972 Dimebag Darrell R.I.P.

11-09-2005	#2 (permalink)
HaOsLsE Turtle Wax Taster BTK Intermediate Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: TN Posts: 164	dang..that is some cool work...but way outta my league...I'm not to handy at that, sorry to say . __________________ 2003 Mean Streak 1500 - Dark Purple Hello all, I am Hole.

11-09-2005	#5 (permalink)
pimpc1972 Third Gear And Gaining BTK Intermediate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Port Richey, Florida Posts: 138	I'm leaning more toward the speed seat because of the ability to fine tune it and it also includes the closed cell foam. Any ideas on how a seat like this would mount to the bike? __________________ '02 Vulcan 800 Classic http://www.CruiserCustomizing.com/pimpc1972 Dimebag Darrell R.I.P.

11-09-2005	#7 (permalink)
pimpc1972 Third Gear And Gaining BTK Intermediate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Port Richey, Florida Posts: 138	You can get it on the net, also try ebay. __________________ '02 Vulcan 800 Classic http://www.CruiserCustomizing.com/pimpc1972 Dimebag Darrell R.I.P.

11-09-2005	#10 (permalink)
pimpc1972 Third Gear And Gaining BTK Intermediate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Port Richey, Florida Posts: 138	here's a link to some foam on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...keTra ck=true __________________ '02 Vulcan 800 Classic http://www.CruiserCustomizing.com/pimpc1972 Dimebag Darrell R.I.P.

11-09-2005	#3 (permalink)
longbeachgary Banned BTK Expert Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 841	Great link pimp. I was looking to replace a stock seat with a more comfortable seat and tried both Mustang and Corbin. Neither made a seat for my bike but they sent me this link to Sargent: http://www.sargentcycle.com/readyfit.htm

11-09-2005	#4 (permalink)
78_KZ750_Cafe Burt Munro Is My Hero BTK Expert Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Clawson, MI Posts: 652	yeah, that "space age material" is 1/8" black ABS plastic. its a thermoplastic that becomes workable at 235 degrees F. I've got a 2'x4' section in my basement that i'm considering either making into leg armor, lower leg fairing, or a new seat. i also have a 1/16" panel, i still have to dream up something to do with it.

11-09-2005	#6 (permalink)
78_KZ750_Cafe Burt Munro Is My Hero BTK Expert Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Clawson, MI Posts: 652	drill holes in it and bolt it down? that's how my seat is made. closed cell foam covered in batting that can comes off, seperate snap on covering. or you could rivet a ratchet clasp to the bottom and clamp it down, many ways to skin a cat. similar topic, where the crap do you buy closed cell foam? I can only find open cell foam at the local fabric super stores... hey! real men can go in those places too. That stuff doesn't cut it for seats. i'm thinking of making a new bike seat this winter as well as making some furniture and i need to find some.

11-09-2005	#9 (permalink)
78_KZ750_Cafe Burt Munro Is My Hero BTK Expert Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Clawson, MI Posts: 652	they do too have leather punches, that's where I got mine, as well as fabric rivets and a roundover die and punch. there's usually some cool stuff in there, like fine art prints, saddle grade vinyl, all kinds of adhesives, neodinynum magnet (wow are they powerful), fake flowers, crochet needles, lace... er, hey... um, d'oh!

11-09-2005	#11 (permalink)
78_KZ750_Cafe Burt Munro Is My Hero BTK Expert Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Clawson, MI Posts: 652	i was looking at the exact same ad earlier when you mentioned ebay. neat thing is that place is a half hour drive away. i wonder if they sell the the public.... hmmm I bet a neoprene seat, properly cut, would be insanely comfortable.

11-09-2005	#12 (permalink)
pimpc1972 Third Gear And Gaining BTK Intermediate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Port Richey, Florida Posts: 138	my thing is, how would you shape this? How do you keep a nice smooth surface on the foam after you cut it. __________________ '02 Vulcan 800 Classic http://www.CruiserCustomizing.com/pimpc1972 Dimebag Darrell R.I.P.

11-09-2005	#13 (permalink)
78_KZ750_Cafe Burt Munro Is My Hero BTK Expert Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Clawson, MI Posts: 652	well, first off, you don't need a nice smooth surface. that's what the covering is for, you can cover up a lot with just the leather or vinyl. second you are still allowed to use batting to cover the foam to give it that really soft initial touch. third, if you really want a smooth surface on the foam, use a electric turkey knife to cut it, and a propane flame to smooth it down. it'll stink, but it will work really well. or, barring all those options, if you actually want a neoprene surface, take a piece of 1/4" sheet and stretch it over your formed section and staple it to the seat pan. Like I said before, lots of ways to skin a cat.

11-09-2005	#14 (permalink)
jukief I miss you, Deron Extreme Forum Supporter Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Nowhereland Posts: 19,185	I had mine cut down on the sides and raw gel inserted into the seat (he put a small piece of foam on top of the raw gel, too, so it wouldn't stick to the vinyl). I was going to replace the stock vinyl with leather, but he talked me out of it. Said the quality of the vinyl on my seat was very good and would last a lot longer than leather would. I've been really happy with the seat since I had this done. It's super comfortable, even on days when I'm riding for 10 or more hours. It cost me $80 to have the work done. I could have done it myself, but I don't have the proper sewing machine. I needed to resew a small place where the seam had come apart, so it was just easier to have him to do whole job. __________________ In memory of my friend Deron Harden. Life isn't going to be the same without him.

11-10-2005	#15 (permalink)
pimpc1972 Third Gear And Gaining BTK Intermediate Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Port Richey, Florida Posts: 138	I sent a email to the Speed Seat guys about their product and how it is attached to the frame typically. He said that since the seat pan and foam are so lite, most are attached with suction cups or velcro. I'm gonna order their product next week and I'll document the whole thing for your viewing pleasure. __________________ '02 Vulcan 800 Classic http://www.CruiserCustomizing.com/pimpc1972 Dimebag Darrell R.I.P.

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