Bike Seat

[Bluesman]

I got the bike seat bug, and itch. So I have been looking at pans on Fleabay, maybe that's were the itch comes from. So what can you guys, Spinner, Chancey and the rest tell me. I understand cut a pattern, tool it, finish it stuff. But some seats I see are riveted on. Some you guys do are different. I have been looking at wrecked seats that I could disassemble to get a pattern and then redoe. Let me know the pitfalls here. Trying to put projects out in front of me, to keep up the interest.

Thanks,

Jon

[Jimbob]

Jon

OK, lets see if I can help a bit...no pro but done a few seats myself...

First u need to decide what purpose the seat has to have...a hard ass chopper bar hopper seat....flat and unable to ride more the 50 miles?!

Or a near factory seat, lowered...shaved and altered with different foam, gel pad or simply styled for looks.

If you go for a flat rolled metal seat pan, then u mostly will be limited with foam hight and comfort....also the skirt material (sides ) need to be riveted on the pan ( can be glued but not opimum way to do....

If you get a factory seat ( recomeded for first try..) then u will most likely have a fiberglass pan and can staple (upholstery staples) the skirts and other parts of the lower leather seat.

Pattern making is most simple on a rolled flat seat pan, pattern making and eventually wet forming on a near factory or custom seat is much more iffy...

Also will u be sewing to attach the skirts or just braiding the parts together will make a difference.....

Now to the foam....woohhaaaa...there is tons of different opinions, foams and ways to do this....lots of folks here do simple Neophrene on a flat rolled seat pan, not comfy, hot as heck in summer and not good when pressure

points build up after 300 miles or so...haha.....

a custom made or altered factory seat gives u more options here....dense foam on the bottom ( the yellow foam from the factory is no gud...) but will work as base to build on....then use pressure point ankers, like insert

memory foam ( I dont like it ) or gel pads...( love it ) on top of this will be a layer of lesser dense foam for mobility of ur hind end...then flanks build in for stability and set back.....lastly will be a layer of very soft foam not more

then 1/4 to 1/2 incg for smothing things out...

Lots of work, lots of effort and much more seat hight then the old Neophrene pad....

Now ur top seat piece can be a solid 5/6 oz piece of veg tan, tolled, printed on or tattooed on ( yeahh so cool !!)

The skirts need to be more formable and in some cases wet formable.....so a 2/3 oz serves me well, lots of people go more depending on there skills and needs and seat designs.

If you want to go fancy, u can mix and match veg tan with tooling and upholstery chrome tan for looks ( will be my next project...)

Some people glue the top seat part onto the foam some dont, if you have a weird shape u might need to do buttons or loops/clips to hold down a section into the seat foam ( no wrinkels allowed...haha ) on custom or near

factory seats.

Braiding is done for looks and for flexibility of seat to skirt design, also will rubb ur inner legs raw when going long miles...hehe...

A sort of cross stitch braid is better and more flat for comfort but not as strong....I have done flat cross braiding and sewing...works well, looks good too.

I think, the pan u will get mostly will dictate ur overall design and comfort/looks.....lots of folks here do rolled flat metal seat pans for a low seat and cool look,

There is actually no limit in how u put one together and almost no wrong way.....EXEPT>>> it has to be done safe, the rider has only this anker point and the handle bars to stay on doing 90 miles an hour!!!!

There are guys they use small innertubes as seat cushening inside there seats...( how cool is that...hehee..)

My little advise is, get a low profile old torn smack around left over yard sale factory seat....no matter what brand...and take off vinyl ( juuuckkk,,,

keep skirts and top for pattern and shave the smackens out of this seat, alter the seat hight and play with it....make nice top cover and play with different skirt patterns and looks.....

U will get the hang of a real seat for real riding, then go and get metal seat pans and go for the looks and style, they can be just as work intensive and elaborate ....not rocket sience.....a seat is a seat.

Me not a pro, still learning a lot and cant spell worth a hoot...haha....but always when I do a new seat I get this itching....>> what can I do better and how can I make it cooler then the last seat.....

After all, it is not the destination, its the ride what counts.....

I have no clue if this helped u any but I hope u getting it on soon...it is so much fun!!....lets make a seat....

OOhhhh...and when u have time look at Xian leather seats on the web...that's my god of all seat makers....Chris is awesome!!!

Good luck

Jimbob

[Bluesman]

Thanks Jimbob, the will give a good starting point. I looked at Xian leather and that is some very neat work. Right now i am looking for an old seat. When I get one I'll post it to get some pointers That was exactley the type of info I was after.

Thanks,

Jon

[Jimbob]

Thanks Jimbob, the will give a good starting point. I looked at Xian leather and that is some very neat work. Right now i am looking for an old seat. When I get one I'll post it to get some pointers That was exactley the type of info I was after.

Thanks,

Jon

Cool, glad u can use the info....put ur tools in place, ur mind on spot and play some little Walter, Muddy and Howling Wolf....maybe a little B.B....that odd da get u in the mood...it does me!!

Greetings and give me a PM if u need more detail info...

Jimbob

[Bluesman]

Cool, glad u can use the info....put ur tools in place, ur mind on spot and play some little Walter, Muddy and Howling Wolf....maybe a little B.B....that odd da get u in the mood...it does me!!

Greetings and give me a PM if u need more detail info...

Jimbob

I will PM when I need help. Think I'll start with the Elmore James box set and then move into some my Muddy 9 disc set. That ought to do it.