upholstery on fibreglass seat

[guest668]

hello on my 600 i have fitted a single seat unit was wondering if anyone else has got one of these on their bike and how could i go about fitting a seat to the base unit it is made of fibreglass so am presuming i wouldnt be able to staple any seat to the base unit not really wanting to glue it....is there anyone who does this job at a good price or is it easy to do yourself....

[themoudie]

Aye beezer 764,

I know you said you didn't like it, but good quality upholsterers contact adhesive and a properly cut and stiched cover, over closed cell foam, or just closed cell foam will be just the ticket. A good overlap to give plenty of 'sticking area' helps and don't have the cover overstretched in warm weather, it all shrinks in the cold and when you plant your backside on the seat, there is insufficient 'give' and the glue 'lets go' after a bit or the cover parts along the stitching!

Been bitten on all counts! 

My regards, Bill.

[guest668]

thanks for reply Bill are you talking about the self adhesive neoprene stuff ive seen for sale...has anyone tried this ?  my other option isto fit wooden battons under the seat pan i guess but not sure if this would interfere with how well seat pan fits to bike.  This is the seat pan i'm using by the way

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[themoudie]

Aye beezer764,

No, I'm no talking about the "self adhesive neoprene stuff ". use good heavy, quality car upholstery vinyl with the cloth backing. Go and have a blether with an upholsterer, you may be able to buy materials from them or pick up a few tips afore doing it yourself.

If you are going to use wood beneath the seat base, you must check your clearances, either bond the wood to the base using more fibreglass or bolt it, but remember vibration and fibreglass, don't mix! Make sure the wood is treated or else you'll end up siting on a Morris Traveller window box! 

Use newspaper from which to create your cutting templates and allow for expansion and contraction of the cloth and foam so that the stitches don't burst the fabric.

My regards, Bill.

[guest668]

is the neoprene stuff not any good then it seems to be quite cheap and seems popular for racing seats....looks like a simple fix.
regards
martin

[themoudie]

Aye Martin,

Having never used the neoprene stuff, I cannot give you any opinion upon its suitability or ease of working for repairing the SRX seat. I've always used the heavy cloth material, with good results on my seats (my opinion), but I wouldn't say that I produce the same job as a professional car trimmer and upholsterer!

I am sorry that I cant help any further.

My regards, Bill.

[Steve H]

Would it be that expensive to have a seat made up by an upholsterer ?

[guest295]

No, it's surprisingly cheap when done by someone familiar with bike seats. They know what they're doing and have the right tools so it's a lot easier for them than for us.