Pictures of my custom seat.

[madjack57754]

Great thread...pun intended. I liked the seat pan mounts so much that I bought 4 broom grabbers at the hardware store to try to use them on my dragbike body (snap-on, snap-off)

[Ira]

I'm 90% done riveting the cover to the pan. Here's a sneak preview...

[Ira]

I should have asked earlier, but do you have any tricks for keeping the cover tight during installation? I stuck straight pins through the rivet holes to keep it from moving around, then popped in the rivets in mirror image, keeping an eye on the seams as I went.

[850GT_Rider]

I should have asked earlier, but do you have any tricks for keeping the cover tight during installation?

My ex is an upholsterer. From watching her work - there's no substitute for quality leather or vinyl and then just plain muscle. Stretch it 'til it fits, anchor it.

By the way - she hates doing motorcycle and atv seats. Far harder to do than almost anything else.

[Hoosier Daddy]

A hair dryer set on high makes it soft an more controlled. Mine was one straight piece of marine vinyl I did in the cool spring last year.

[1QUIK6]

How are you holding the fabric on the bottom side? Riveting the vinyl to the seat pan? Are you using a washer or anything on the keep the vinyl from tearing?
BTW-looks great, has inspired me to redue my seat

[Ira]

How are you holding the fabric on the bottom side? Riveting the vinyl to the seat pan? Are you using a washer or anything on the keep the vinyl from tearing?
BTW-looks great, has inspired me to redue my seat

i'm using large diameter aluminum rivets, directly into the steel pan. the cover is high-quality marine vinyl and seems to be holding up well.

I re-covered another seat with the same material and it's held up beautifully for a few years now.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2610957432_52aa14a531_z.jpg

[Ira]

After much stretching and riveting, here's the money shot.

[Charlie G]

That seat really looks nice.

cg

[jwhelan65]

Great work!

[haggisbasher]

Great job, thats real nice

[frijoles-and-beans]

And you went with black thread. Man, that looks nice! You did a great job.

[Ira]

Thanks guys. Yes, the black thread is more understated and will match whatever paint job I choose. It's also a little more forgiving of stitching mistakes...

[zero]

what gauge steel did you use for the pan?

[gsryder]

After much stretching and riveting, here's the money shot.

I have been messing around with trying to make a good seat for my build for almost two years now.......that is hands down the cleanest, simplest, well thought out, and down right sexy seat I have seen yet.
Please dont be mad at me if you see a slightly different version on my bike in the near future.