DreadPirateRedbeard Report post Posted July 24, 2009 (edited) I'm looking to do custom tooled solo seats and b*tch seats. So before I go wasting my money on buying a seat pan to practice with, I need some advice from those who do seats. I've seen some unbelievably amazing work on motorcycle seats from members of this forum. I've looked up some info on the forum here but still have some questions. Some of the main questions I have are, 1) How do I determine how much foam to use for each seat? 2) How do I shape the foam for the seat so it's uniform and comfortable for the rider. 3) How do I attach the leather to the seat pan once all the tooling is done? 4) What finish/technique do I use to keep the dyes and such from rubbing off on the riders clothing? I know that the USMC black leaves a lot of rub off as do other colours/brands I'm sure. If there are any other tips/tricks to doing motorcycle seats. I will be grateful for any and all advice I get from everyone here. I have always received the best help from the members of this forum and thus, have gained a lot of skills form your advice. Thanks in advance everyone! Dirkin Edited July 24, 2009 by DreadPirateRedbeard Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TinyL Report post Posted July 24, 2009 Hi Dirkin, Your best bet is to read every thread in the motorcycle section here. That's what I did when I ventured to make my first seat. Every one of your questions can be answered there. I know, because they were all the same questions I had. 1. Foam-closed cell neoprene. You can buy in sheets in different widths and build up to the height you want. 2. I use an electric knife (used to carve turkey) to shape and a mouse sander to smooth it out. 3. Depending on the type of seat, usually rivets. Pros like David just use lace since the braiding keeps the top and bottom pieces of leather together. But he works with generally one type of seat. Beezachopper does the weird shaped two seaters and such. check out both their sites. You can access them from any thread they have responded to under their names. 4. Make vinegaroon. The recipe is on this site. No crocking at all. Do a search on the board, you'll get lots of info. Hope that helps. Believe me, this is the most comprehensive site for the info you're looking for. Have a great weekend! Tiny Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azrider Report post Posted July 24, 2009 I have a few thousand miles on the seat I made, and can give you a few things not to do. On the advice of a leather shop, I sealed my seat with a spray on acrylic finish. With in a month, the places where the leather was under the most stress had cracked and were flaking. I have been researching alot on what I will use next time for a finish/ sealer, and it will be something that is not acrylic based, and will be absorbed into the leather rather than sitting on top. Right now I am thinking the Bee Natraul finish but am not completely sure. I also will be going with a stricly brown seat colored with olive oil and a suntan. I can't see that rubbing off, and more exposure to the elements will probably just make it look better. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MADMAX22 Report post Posted July 24, 2009 (edited) http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=8277 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=9924 http://www.diymotorcycleseat.com/index.php http://www.jeffreyphipps.com/seat_pans.htm and last but not least http://www.bikernet.com/garage/coxseat.asp Thats the links I would check out. Edited July 24, 2009 by MADMAX22 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
