Motorcycle seat
New motorcycle seats can be costly and hard to find. However, with the right tools and process, making your own is possible. The majority of your cost will consist of a replacement seat mount. Cover material and foam can be purchased for next to nothing.
Instructions
1. Acquire a replacement seat mount for the motorcycle that you are making the seat for. Make sure that it fits correctly and remove any foam or leftover staples if it is a reused seat mount.
2. Take a large piece of paper and trace the outline of the seat mount. Trace this outline onto a block of seat foam. Trace darkly so that you can easily see the outline for cutting.
3. Using a large band saw or jigsaw, cut the outline of the seat mount out of the foam. Do this slowly and carefully, trying to keep cut lines as accurate and smooth as possible.
4. Now, using the old motorcycle seat as a reference, mold the curves of the seat using the band or jigsaw. Keep in mind that you don't have to make the seat exactly like the old one. You can form it to whatever you would like. Take into account things like room for a passenger and comfortable curves.
5. Decide on what material you would like to use for the seat cover. Make sure to think about slippage and style along with everything else included in your consideration. For example, leather covers work well for classic-style street bikes, while plastic- and rubber-style seat covers work well for off-road motorcycles.
6. Trace the outline of the seat mount on your sheet of material. Using a pair of standard utility scissors, cut the sheet about 7 to 10 inches larger than the tracing so that it will fully fit over the foam and the mount.
7. Starting at the top of the seat mount, pull the material over the assembly and begin stapling it to the bottom of the mount. At all times keep the material as tight as possible. Stretch the material so that it fits over the assembly without any folds or creases. Apply staples every two to three inches.
Tags: seat mount, outline seat, outline seat mount, band jigsaw, covers work, covers work well
