Asking For Help Recovering Motorcycle Seat

[mrfixit]

I am asking for help folks. I 'kinda know' what I need to be doing, but I want to make sure before I mess anything up. Here is the backstory if it is of interest to anyone';

I have a bike, Yamaha Vstar 1100 Classic to be exact. I have a long range plan of customizing it and am taking it a step at a time. Basically, I am going for "western" or "modern day Cowboy" theme. To that end I plan on a custom paint job with artwork on the tank, and custom leather seat and saddle bags both in brown 'oil tan' type finish. I plan on making a set of calvary saddle bags to fit the bike. For the seat, I want it to remind folks of a western horse saddle. So right now I am asking for some help with the seat.

I actually find the stock seat on the classic comfortable, so I just want to recover it. My inspiration for this is from AZ Rider and his thread here.

I bought a used seat for a classic, so I have 2 the same, one to ride and one to work on. This is the seat in stock form:

I don't like how the seam for the top piece goes all the way to the tank and most of the way to the pan. So, I marked up the set to show where I want my top to be:

I took the seat cover off the pan and cut out what I had marked on a piece of about 6-7 once leather. Even after making the top a bit smaller than stock, I will still have to stretch/form the sides over the seat to make it fit correctly.

Here, I have marked the portion of the sides that will have to be stretched/formed to fit the contour of the seat foam:

This is as far as i have gone so far.

For what it's worth, I have made several holsters and mag pouches. I've wet formed leather and horsehide.

My questions, in no particular order

should I trim the top smaller? I plan on doing the Mexican loop braid to secure the top to the side. I want to make sure that the braid isn't going to irritate my legs when I ride.

I plan on a basket weave stamp on the top, anything I should know or worry about there?

My thought was to overlap the edge of the top and the side, gluing them together, then braiding, instead of butting the edges together and braiding. Good, bad, other ideas?

I don't even know what else I don't know at this point, so, suggestions are more than welcome.

Mr Fixit

[benlilly1]

Well since no one else has posted...I see what you're trying to do. What if you used the applique stitch? It would lay flatter and instead of using pieces only punch the holes for the applique and make it look like it's pieced. I have trouble overlaying so I don't do it. Just a suggestion. In this photo I used the applique but it is in pieces and butted together rather than an overlay.

Edited September 8, 2012 by benlilly1

[Sanch]

usin an applique stitch does work well and is a more comfortable thing to put your bahoooky on

[cowboybob56]

Here is one possible suggestion.

[Big Steve]

Mrfixit, i have made many seats held with basket weave and no body has yet found it uncomfortable,if you but the edges together and use 1/4" kangeroo lace it will lay quite flat if you plan to follow the chalk line on your photo, have look on my website there are some examples there www.bigsteves.co.uk look forward to the finished seat.

Regards, Steve

[dragonspit]

sorry I will not be much help, ran across this and will be following it as I am planning something very similar. Mine is for a goldwing. I also bought a second seat, uncovered it to measure, but have not decided on my foam core parts yet. but the links on this topic help greatly and appreciate all the imput. I have a comment or two, but not having done this or even sat on one similar to these, my remarks should be taken as uneducated. Benlilly seat looks really nice, but it looks to me that the lacing is raised enough that it would dig into your thigh. one of the reasons I am making a custom seat, is to change my sitting position and the wing is very wide seat at the thighs. I want to trim that down, and doing what was done here, seems like it might not be a good thing. but dont really know. Stealfdawgs pic seems to nice and flat. Steve has a good variety of looks but I am wondering if the single X style lacing is enough over high usage and time.

in any case, looking forward to the progress on this,,,, kinda makes me ansy to get going with mine. I havent even picked out my leather yet, lol. but like you I also plan on accessories, I am thinkin the seat, a gadget holder forward, a round leather case for on top of my big back pack, and I think I m going to buy one of those racks you see goldwings have on the back that carries a cooler, not a trailer, but like a bike rack. make a box for the cooler to fit in, but make the box old timey lookin. of course all this to match. anyway, I can dream. good luck. and post pics.

[Big Steve]

hiya guys,the cross pattern on the steve and von seat is on my harley has been done for 8 years in 1/8" kangeroo lace and has done a lot of miles and still looks good, the secret is the kangeroo lace !! i live in the UK and this seat has been wet and dry more times than newborn babys bum..

hope this helps.

Regards, Steve

[dragonspit]

hiya guys,the cross pattern on the steve and von seat is on my harley has been done for 8 years in 1/8" kangeroo lace and has done a lot of miles and still looks good, the secret is the kangeroo lace !! i live in the UK and this seat has been wet and dry more times than newborn babys bum..

hope this helps.

Regards, Steve

yes it does help. I was thinking once I get everything decided, I need to buy extra lacing. Personally I plan on doing a mexican round lace pattern, and will need quite a bit and know its more expensive, but I hear its worth it.

[Big Steve]

Dragonspit, that sounds good lets see the finished seat, good look.

Regards, Steve,

[Twisted 66]

So glad someone else is feeling this way..I have the same project " in the process" for my Suzuki c50..have an extra seat but I went and bought some killer memory foam for it and now I'm antsy to get anything started lol..the foam cost me a couple of bucks :/ so I want to make real sure I measure twice cut once kinda thing..now I found this thread and I'm so glad someone else is asking the questions..I was thinking the same ones. I was going to basically cut the similar pattern from the seats original cover and attaché the top ( tooled) to maybe some embossed alligator leather I saw at tandy..dye it up the same as the base colour on the tooled part and but them together with a double loop stitch..it was a thought anyway lol still investigating my options..haven't even thought about dying, the design, or finishing and preserving it yet..lots to think about! even more to figure out! I'll be watchin this thread like a hawk now

[Langston]

Covering a stock looking cruiser seat can be a bear. Looks like you got the seat cut out. Making the pattern is the tuff part. On the couple seats I've made I use veg tanned for the top where I do my tooling and had a thick deer hide for the bottom since it stretchs easily.. and I'm a fan of the Mexican round braid.. takes forever but looks awesome

[Evo160K]

Depending upon your construction choices, here are a couple of points to consider: 1. If you do much long distance riding, put the seams/stitches where they will not irritate your legs, and where your legs will not wear out the seams. 2. lap the pieces like roofing shingles, so the rain runs off of the seam rather than into the seam. 3. put a piece of polyfilm under the cover to keep water from getting into the foam and padding. I do iron butt type riding, so I've run into these issues.