Refurbishing my seat...should I choose leather or vinyl?

[Anonymous]

I find the mgv very comfortable. There is the 'stickiness factor' in the heat...but I don't ride nekkid. Top of the line saddles are now made of composition materials rather than leather...easier to clean and no problems in the rain. It tends to be what's under the covering that gives a seat it's comfort...it has to conform to your butt without collapsing. Hence high density foam and gel pads. Putting a sheepskin pad on the seat will definitely improve the feel of ...um...things.
S

Ok..I see what you're saying. But I can't buy a replacement seat for my 1980 GS1100E. Corbain makes one for the 82'-83' gs1100E...but not the 80-81. If I were to have my seat refurbished, could I get one of those "gel pads" put under the MGL..making the seat more comfortable than ever?

Thanks!

Rudi

 

[Bert Patterson]

Ok..I see what you're saying. But I can't buy a replacement seat for my 1980 GS1100E. Corbain makes one for the 82'-83' gs1100E...but not the 80-81. If I were to have my seat refurbished, could I get one of those "gel pads" put under the MGL..making the seat more comfortable than ever?

Thanks!

Rudi

Yup. They (someone) actually sell them without covers to be cut down and installed under the seat cover. I wish I had it installed one when I got the leather put on. Later, I bought a gelpad that strapped on top of the seat for a ride out to NY. Actually very uncomfortable, because it raised my riding position and shifted too much. My first day was about 650 miles and I never used it after that.

 

[Anonymous]

recovering seat

recovering seat

Last winter I recovered the seats on three of my bikes with leather from old coats that I bought at a thrift shop. This may offend some purists but I am quite happy with the results. I took the old seatcovers apart, made templates form the pieces and glued and stitched the leather with an ordinary sewing machine. I put a 1" layer of polyester mat over the existing foam. This tended to round off the sharper corners of the seats and give them a fuller look. In my opinion the feel of the leather is much much more friendly that the feel of the synthetic. Ask anybody who rides horses what they would prefer to have under them (leather or vinyl). On hot days the leather absorbs and disipates perspiration so you stay dry. For protection from rain I carry, in my saddle bag, small cheap plastic duffle bag with an elastic sewn into the rim. It fits nicely over the seat and takes about 5 seconds to put on. I am not a chrome and glitter guy but I am not a ratbiker either. I don't mind changing something on my bike if it will suit me better. Yes the leather is more maintainence, but to me it is worth it. The choice is a matter of personal preference.

 

[silverhorse47]

You are right Blaine...for sheer comfort, leather can't be beaten. And that's a great idea using old leather coats. I never would have thought of that.
S.

 

[Anonymous]

What does enough good quality MGV cost for one seat like on a 82 GS11E? i'm about to take my seat to Sargent here in a day or so, ii can get off from work

 

[Joe Nardy]

Sargent seat

Sargent seat

Bostrum,

I recently got a cover from Sargent and am very happy with it. They us a textured vinyl that is much cooler than normal vinyl. They are very helpful and can make seats with colored inserts and trim. They even sent me color samples so I could match them to my bike. My '83 GS1100ED has a plastic pan so it wasn't too hard to do. I had to get a heavy duty stapler and used a heat gun to soften the cover so it could be pulled tight. Sargent doesn't recommend doing it yourself but it wasn't that hard. This was the first one I've done and I'm very happy with the result. Here's a link to a pic so you can see for yourself:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/74592585/83314562lEQxvq

Good luck,
Joe

 

[Joe Nardy]

Oh, yeah.............although Sargent doesn't recommend doing the cover yourself their instructions are pretty good. They include some plastic to put over the foam as a moisture barrier too.

 

[Anonymous]

was it cheaper to do it yourself, i live in Jax, so if i did it myself it would only take a few hours instead of them having it a week

 

[Joe Nardy]

Bostrum,

Yes, it was DEFINATELY cheaper to do it yourself. The cover takes a few days to make and a few days to ship, maybe 10-14 days total. Be sure to check out their website. You can see the different patterns, materials, and trim options. I went pretty conservative with mine but I think the light blue trim adds a lot to the look. I believe my cost was around $80. They are also very helpful on the phone.

 

[Hotblack]

I had mine done by an auto shop, he did a good job and said I can bring it back if it goes out of shape or the foam settles (he added foam where someone had cut it out to make it lower). I also requested no stitching so water wouldn't get in. He used what he called BMW seat vinyl, which looks cool without stitching and is probably decent stuff, I don't know if it's as durable as marine vinyl. He also said might as well use the best vinyl as it wouldn't bump the price much. He used a couple pop rivets where the seat pan was a little punky. I see how he did it, it works and isn't hard to do.

I also walked out with a box of GS850 parts from his old bike, some of which fit my 550.

 

[argonsagas]

It should not cost a very great deal to have it done professionally. Shops that specialize in marine and auto work can do it and can even customize the seat cushion to suit you if you so desire, building it up, lowering it, making it softer or more dense.

Costs nothing more than a telephone call to see what a shop will do for you.

Marine grade vinyl, as Billy Ricks said, is definitely best. Apart from flexibillity, (pun intended) it is more resistant to ultra-violet and heat. It will be more comfortable as it will stay flexible and will last longer.

Choice of material is up to the shop, but they will probably have a better selection of appropriate materials than would a fabric shop.

 

[Anonymous]

My custom seat, made by Diamond Custom Motorcycle Seats in Florida, has a velour top. It feels cool in summer and warm in winter. Disadvantage is that it's obviously not so pleasant to my tush when it's wet. So, I carry a seat cover with me in the form of an old heavy duty trash bag.

I sent Diamond my pan back in January 2001 and had it back in 7 weeks, in plenty of time for the riding season. Price: $400 including shipping, a very worthwhile investment for someone like me, who rides a lot. After two and a half riding seasons, it still feels good, and looks good too.

Nick