My 1st Look into a RSV Pillow Top Seat

[Rick Butler]

Well guys,

 

I had been talking to Dan Stevenson about modifying his pillow top seat. At the time I told him that even though I had modified several RSV seats, I had never been into a pillow top version yet. But after what I saw from what Pat Hannon (jakenator6) had done to his, it was certainly not what expected.

 

So I told Dan that I just happened to have a pillow top off my 2001 RSV up in my attic, so why didn't I just uncover it and see what I could do to make it better. It was just like Pat had shown where there were about 8 button hooks holding down the pillow top. And there was that layer of 1 1/4" foam covering the entire seat. And just like Pat explained I had to carefully tear it loose from the seat foam. But when I got if off, what I saw was a pretty sound foundation of base foam. And unlike the other RSV seats, this seat had a pronounced outer support built into the shape. On the other seats I usually have to cut the center down flatter just a bit before I start on the tailbone relief to provide this outer support. This seat already had this done in my opinion.

 

So all I did to this seat was 1. cut the tail bone relief and 2. cut a curvature into the back of the seat. The back of the seat seemed to be more flat, putting pressure on the backside just above the crack . All the time I was cutting, I would put it back on the bike to see how it felt and this curve felt better.

 

However, before I decided to put the cover back on I could clearly see that a layer of foam would be necessary to maintain the pillow top effect. So I used the old foam as a pattern to cut a new layer of memory foam (isolastic foam). The standard foam even though it appears to compress the same as even memory foam, it is more linear and pushes back across the entire area being compressed. Isolastic foam seems to compress more where there is more pressure and fills in where there is less pressure. In other words, it seems to fill in all the gaps. It also compresses to almost nothing under pressure but then springs back to it's original shape when the pressure is released.

 

In finishing up, I glued the layer of memory foam to the seat foundation and then installed the cover using all of the button hooks to give it that pillow top effect. And after stapling the cover back on it looked pretty natural, but felt much better. How much better I don't know, which is why I'm going to give this seat to Dan Stevenson for a trip he is taking with his uncle to Montana later this month. Hopefully he will report back favorly or give me feedback to make any changes to my modification to the design of this seat.

 

Attached is a picture of both the before and after of the pillow top seat. I just happened to have a 2005 RSV with a pillow top in my garage so this is a picture of both seats. The modified seat is on the bike where you should see the change to the tail bone area as well as the curved back.

 

Stay tuned for more,

 

Rick

[pegscraper]

Interesting, interesting. I may seriously consider doing this to mine. I'm finding that I'm not nuts about the super soft top foam layer. Do you have any pics in progress?

[Rick Butler]

So Lynn,

 

Which seat do you have on your Royal Star? Or do you still have the stock seat?

 

Rick

[pegscraper]

I put the pillow top foam and cover on a Royal Star pan. (Actually, the seats that are in most of my pictures here are the Midnight seats, as I tried those once too.) I had to add a bit of carpet padding to fill in around the bottom, as the pans are slightly different. It's actually not quite finished yet. I ought to add a vinyl skirt around the bottom of the cover so it reaches down to the pan better. For the passenger seat I simply used the Venture mounting bracket on the rear fender and bolted it up. Myself, I would almost go back to the stock seat, on which I did some reshaping which was a massive improvement, although it's still hard to sit on it all day. But the wife absolutely loves her pillow top pillion seat, hates the stock one, and won't let me use anything else. So I need to find a way to improve my seat.

[DAN STEVENSON]

Rick, thanks for letting me try out the seat and especially for taking your time to modify it. I will let everyone know the results. The people in this organization are the best. Just good people.

[Rick Butler]

Ok Lynn,

 

When you say you put the pillow top foam and cover on your RS pan, did you mean the entire piece of foundation foam with the pillow top foam glued to the foundation? If so and I get some favorable feedback from Dan, I'm pretty sure I can help you out.

 

Rick

[pegscraper]

If I understand you correctly, yes, both pieces of foam and the cover. I took all the pieces off of the Venture pan and put them on a Royal Star pan, which fits my bike's frame better. The Venture pan itself can be made to fit my bike's frame, but it's not as nice of an installation.

 

I'll be interested to hear what Dan thinks of the memory foam seat. I have not sat on memory foam in anything. I slept on a memory foam mattress one night at a B&B earlier this year, but one night really isn't enough for me to know what I think of it long term. That particular night Lori and I had just finished up an 11 hour ride on the bike. I was so beat I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow. I think I was already gone.

 

From the sounds of things so far, I will almost certainly be trying this out. It will be just a matter of time, and maybe money. I priced some memory foam once, thinking about putting some in my seats, and recall it being fairly pricey. But if it makes things more comfortable, it will be worth it.

[SaltyDawg]

Is this a do it yourself project or should it be left to the professionals?

 

I like the idea of adding memory foam to the seat for just a little more comfort.

[pegscraper]

I don't think Rick is a professional upholsterer, and I'm sure not either. I've heard several do it yourself tales of folks putting memory foam in their seats. You just need a way to shape the foam. An electric knife works well for removing big chunks, and a flap sanding wheel in an electric drill works well for fine shaping and smoothing, or for doing compound inside curves, like the tailbone area of the seat.

[Rick Butler]

Yeah Lynn,

 

I'm not a professional upholsterer, but I've done enough seats that I'm getting pretty good at taking them apart, modifying them and putting them back together. And you are right that memory or isolastic foam is not cheap. The cheapest piece you can probably find would be a twin mattress topper, which still will cost around $40 to $50. My wife and I have used a couple of 1 1/2" mattress toppers on our bed for several years now and just replaced them with a 4" topper whch is much firmer. So now I have an ample supply to line seats until I run out.

 

And as far as a do-it-yourself project, I would say yes if you have an electric knife and a stapler and are willing to cut on your own seat. In my case I have gotten pretty knowledgeable at looking at a seat and knowing what to do to it to make it more comfortable. The biggest modification is where I cut any crown or forward pitch in the seat out and then cut a wedge shape relief for the tail bone and . If you are inseamed challenged, I can also lower the seat as much as it will let me which is usually about 1" on most seats. And I have been charging $30 for the driver's seat and $50 for both with the customer paying shipping both ways. And if you don't like what I have done, I'll give you your money back (but not the shipping).

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

[SaltyDawg]

Cool. Thanks a bunch. I have the tools, but am not sure I have the knowledge. LOL. If I sent both seats to you how long do you think it would take? I really love the pillow top, but as others have mentioned before the foam compresses after several hours and then it starts to get slightly uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong, I can and have done day long rides without getting monkey butt.

 

I guess I'm looking for something in between the pillow and stock 99 seat. It sounds like what you are doing is just that.

 

I can't deal with a hard seat and the PT is very comfortable. I had a Corbin and put several thousand miles on it and it was still like sitting on a cement bench to me.

[Rick Butler]

Wayne,

 

I can usually have a seat completed in one day and have it headed back to you by the next day after I get it. In fact I should be getting a set from Stu Foreman (seforeman), hopefully tomorrow, where he sent it Monday.

 

But on the pillow top before I did another, I'd like to wait to get Dan Stevenson's feedback after his trip to Montana, the end of August. In fact I'll be leaving Aug 25th and won't be back until Sept 11th.

 

Rick

[SaltyDawg]

Thanks Rick hopefully a favorable report will be given.

 

I'm planning on taking a trip in early Oct, to Sun City Center Fl, then up to North Fl, GA, up to the Dragon and then take the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville before cutting back to the coast and home. I don't plan on putting more than 600 miles a day and this will be over the course of a week or so. Hopefully some of the fall foliage will be out, but I kind of think it will be a little too early for that.

 

Wayne

[pegscraper]

Oh, I hadn't recognized that you were doing so many seat mods for others, as kind of a side thing.

[pegscraper]

Any news on this seat from Dan or anyone else? I'm anxious to hear how you like it.

[pegscraper]

bump

[pegscraper]

Rick, thanks for letting me try out the seat and especially for taking your time to modify it. I will let everyone know the results. The people in this organization are the best. Just good people.

 

So what do you think of this modified pillow top seat so far here, Dan? Inquiring minds and sore bums want to know.

[bugfish69]

Yeah Lynn,

 

...If you are inseamed challenged, I can also lower the seat as much as it will let me which is usually about 1" on most seats. And I have been charging $30 for the driver's seat and $50 for both with the customer paying shipping both ways. And if you don't like what I have done, I'll give you your money back (but not the shipping).

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

 

 

Also would the sides be cut in any. In addition to being lower, I would like my seat to be narrower in the thigh area. I am looking forward to getting a report on the memory foam as I really would like the seat lowered. I have an 05 RSV with pillowtops.

 

Thanks,

 

Jim