Seat - comments on a new seat

[Olliepup]

My 1986 R65 seat has many cracks that the PO felt was best dealt with by covering with black electrical tape. This annoys the hell out of me and I'd like to pursue alternatives. It appears the OEM material is no longer available in the USA, and I'm not too keen on it anyway. Sargent Seats can do a re-cover with their smooth vinyl for $159 plus $20 for shipping. My foam looks OK, but they can re-do that for an additional $100. They also have a vinyl they call CarbonFX that has sort of a knitted look to it.

So, have any of you used Sargent, have you used the base smooth vinyl, have you used the CarbonFX?

Any thoughts, comments??
Thanks, Dave

[donbmw]

Options are recover your self. I did mine with some leather form Tandy Leather. Or gets some uplostrey vinyl. Check with an auto uplostrey shop.

Don

[minitoo]

Might check Ebay.  I just put a new "carbon fiber" (just a textured weave pattern in the vinyl) cover on my '83 for about $60.  I guy in Canada is making them up.  Just one sewn seam at the front edge and then he has a chalk line around the outside edge so you know how far to stretch it.  All cut to size so no guessing.  Will need a bit of contact cement and a pop rivet tool.  Best to warm the vinyl with a heat gun or hairdryer to get it to stretch.  Looks really good.

I used to know a Wavy Davey in Alaska...ever spend any time up there?

[montmil]

Dave, That's some big bucks from Sargent Seats! I recovered the seat on my '81 with a vinyl replacement from N'West classic, the Canadian guy mentioned above. The DIY instructions are first class. Pretty simple afternoon project but in your case, you'll need a warm work space to keep the vinyl pliable.

I have a photo-essay on the seat work posted in the Photo Gallery section. If you've not visited that area, you'll need to contact Justin for the double-secret password that keeps out them damn spammers.

Oops. Here's the link: http://stores.ebay.com/NW-Classic-Motorcycle-Seat-Covers

[Olliepup]

Thanks, guys. I'll look into those options.

[livingdeadhead]

DONT get on the subject of seats! i had a nightmare! aaarrggghhhhh ! the nightmares are back lol!

[davidpdx]

Monte's photo-essay was a big help when I recovered my seat. Every thing else sounds about right except the part about getting it done in one afternoon. I see on their e-bay page that they give you the topping foam now. Tracking that down and getting the right sized rivets took a while. Also not sure a hair dryer will do the trick for heating, I used a heat gun real carefully. Kind of nice to have done something your self that is so much a part of how the bike looks.  

[livingdeadhead]

thats true! much more satisfying doing it yourself , and if the jobs done to your satisfaction even better! nothing worse than believing some 'pros' reputation and him turning out to be hopeless ! AND having to finish the job yourself !

[jcsaintp]

Very pleased with seat Sargent did for me. Added the comfy foam option. Not inexpensive but workmanship excellent. Good service too.

Jeremy St. Pierre

[davidpdx]

How about a photo? Always looking for upgrades to the bike.

[nhmaf]

When I recovered the seat on my R65, I bought a replacement cover through motobins in the UK.   An afternoon on a sunny warm day with a hairdryer and an extra set of hands to help hold things while I heated, stretched, and riveted was very handy.

When I did mine, I also used some leftover bandsaw blade protective plastic pieces to put around the metal edges of the seat pan where the material had to press tightly to reduce the chances of the metal pan cutting through.

[jeffcoatfilms]

I also got a great seat cover from Motobins.  Did it myself with the help of a tutorial I found on this forum.  It was a pain in the ass but it was cheap and the seat looks great.

[baffle]

Hi people, Hope ok to tag on to this thread....After 30months of rebuilding everything but the bottom end and flywheel, I am on the final tasks for my 1980 R65. Last jobs are recovering the seat,  and a speedometer rebuild which is mostly done.  I have repaired the seat pan with some light angle iron and nasty welds where it was rotten, and have a new cover from motobins. My foam seems ok. Where do I find the tutorial mentioned for covering the seat, as I am a bit nervy on this? I was intending to reuse the rivet strips as I guess these are original,  and to put some nitrile rubber tape over the sharp edge of the flange.  Thanks

[nhmaf]

We'll have to search for the seat covering essay - or perhaps make new ones from digital pics stashed round here somewhere..   We've had a resurrection or two of the website over the years and some stuff has been lost in the process - though I think that this DIY was after the last disaster..  Stay tuned!

You can re-use the metal strips as long as they are still sound - just a little sanding/polishing to remove any surface rust before you start and possible give them a shot of clear coat to slow down future oxidation.  A simple hand operated $20 pop-rivet tool and aluminum rivets will do fine

[davidpdx]

Here is what you are looking for I hope.

http://www.suraklyn.com/r65_forum_gallery/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pid=100#top_display_media