My pillow top seat mod

[Guest PlaneCrazy]

I finally got around to doing the mods to my seat that I had planned for a while. The nice warm temps we have been having here lately reminded me that riding season will be starting soon.

 

I've done this mod on two other bikes in the past and it's very easy to do. Took me 2 hours yesterday while sitting at my living room table and that includes cleanup

 

Anyhow, I created a webpage showing the mod for anyone that might be interested in doing this yourself. I'll update it with my impressions after I get my bike out of hibernation and get a long ride or two in.

 

Pillow Top Seat Mod

[rumboogy]

Evidently...that server is down for the moment.

[Guest PlaneCrazy]

Evidently...that server is down for the moment.

 

Hmmm... working from my end. My server is actually located in Amsterdam and it's been very reliable usually. Up for 8 years Might be a problem with an ISP hub in your area.

 

A handy website to use is http://www.isup.me/ They can tell you if a website related problem is on your end or the host's end.

[Kirby]

Looks easy enough and still looks original. Great job!! Let us know how it worked out.

[jer878]

Link worked for me, very interesting work.

[TDunc]

Great write up. Suggestion. Instead of hot glue, a can of fabric spray glue. This can be purchased at most fabric stores. I have used that for foam for years with no degradation of the foam. I am not sure what happens to the hot glue over time. For cutting, I use an old LARGE butcher knife. I put it on the grinder to sharpen then trim away. A little easier than a razor. IMHO.

[Condor]

For cutting' date=' I use an old LARGE butcher knife. I put it on the grinder to sharpen then trim away. A little easier than a razor. IMHO.[/quote']

 

Great write up. Might I suggest that an electric carving knife is great for shaping foam...

 

:cody

[Snaggletooth]

Now that was an excellent write up! Nice work.

 

Mike

[Guest PlaneCrazy]

Great write up. Suggestion. Instead of hot glue' date=' a can of fabric spray glue. This can be purchased at most fabric stores. I have used that for foam for years with no degradation of the foam. I am not sure what happens to the hot glue over time. For cutting, I use an old LARGE butcher knife. I put it on the grinder to sharpen then trim away. A little easier than a razor. IMHO.[/quote']

 

Thanks for the tip. We have a groomer at work that is also a seamstress. I'll ask her where I can get a couple of cans of that to keep in my shop. I have all these industrial aviation glues, but I felt that would eat the foam. The hot glue I used was really only to hold it stable while I trimmed though. Once the pleats were in place and the cover stapled on, that holds it all together much more then that little bit of glue.

[TDunc]

PlanCrazy, Doing custom aircraft is where I learned about the different glues and sewing. (My dad did small custom interiors for corp. propjets and jets.)

Of course Hybond 80 does alot.

3m 77 is one type I use but what I use mostly with foam and cloth is some stuff by Dogwood Fabrics. There are places in Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis and Tampa Or were.

Oh yeah, it is waterproof also.

 

Also hit this site for all kinds of adhesives.

 

http://www.perfectfit.com/24783/Upholstery-Adhesives.html

[Guest PlaneCrazy]

PlanCrazy, Doing custom aircraft is where I learned about the different glues and sewing. (My dad did small custom interiors for corp. propjets and jets.)

Of course Hybond 80 does alot.

3m 77 is one type I use but what I use mostly with foam and cloth is some stuff by Dogwood Fabrics. There are places in Atlanta, Charlotte, Memphis and Tampa Or were.

Oh yeah, it is waterproof also.

 

Also hit this site for all kinds of adhesives.

 

http://www.perfectfit.com/24783/Upholstery-Adhesives.html

 

 

We have a separate department that does nothing but interiors and structures, so they get all the really good chems. I work on the line, so I'm mainly wrenching or flying with the aircraft, but we do the odd minor repair job to interiors. We use a lot of 3M 1300 yellow and 847 brown rubber and gasket adhesive. It's nice when the stores dept does their audits because the government requires all airlines to track consumables with an expiry date and the airline can't use anything that is past that date. So they give us guys first dibs on new cans of 3M glues, PRC, lubricants, etc. before it goes into the trash.

[Rick Butler]

Gosh Crazy,

 

Are you trying to put me out of bussiness The pillowtop is my favorite seat to rework and here is what I basically do to one:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27039

 

http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1023&title=butt-butler-seat-mod&cat=25

 

Except that after I get the foundation reshaped, I now replace the 1" oem foam with an exact shape layer of 2" memory foam which really makes for a nice riding seat. You take an interesting approach but I'm not sure that I would consider removing and replacing the entire center section of the seat and possiblely damage the integrety of the entire foundation? But my solution only costs $40 and saves most of the mess and missery of tearing up a good seat.

 

But I hope it works out for you,

 

Rick

[elmicko]

Gosh Crazy,

 

But my solution only costs $40 and saves most of the mess and missery of tearing up a good seat.

 

 

Exactly why you got my $40 Rick!! I like do-it-yourself projects, but after working the seat on my 1st Gen myself, I was happy to pay you to rework the 2nd Gen seat.

[Seaking]

Exactly why you got my $40 Rick!! I like do-it-yourself projects, but after working the seat on my 1st Gen myself, I was happy to pay you to rework the 2nd Gen seat.

 

That's why I have TWO of his seats.. a pillow top and the oem 2006 Midnight seat.. I do so much riding and my erhm assets tend to flatten down a bit

 

I use one seat for local riding and the other for the long haul trips.. Its a worth while mod!

[Guest PlaneCrazy]

Gosh Crazy,

 

Are you trying to put me out of bussiness The pillowtop is my favorite seat to rework and here is what I basically do to one:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27039

 

http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1023&title=butt-butler-seat-mod&cat=25

 

Except that after I get the foundation reshaped, I now replace the 1" oem foam with an exact shape layer of 2" memory foam which really makes for a nice riding seat. You take an interesting approach but I'm not sure that I would consider removing and replacing the entire center section of the seat and possiblely damage the integrety of the entire foundation? But my solution only costs $40 and saves most of the mess and missery of tearing up a good seat.

 

But I hope it works out for you,

 

Rick

 

 

Well, I doubt it would be $40 to ship it to Canada. Even used seats on Ebay (my first choice for a "donor" seat) were $50 or more just to ship.

 

And this mod cost me zero $ I did it the first time on my Shadow 8 years ago and again on a friends bike and now this one and I like this particular approach. The 3 density foam I use is specifically designed to be comfortable for long periods.

 

I'm not trying to hurt your business but I prefer to do things myself when I can and share the info so someone else can decide if they wanna try it. It's definitely not for everyone and I am sure many people will still pay you to do it for them, rather then tear into their own $600 stock seats

[RussLightwing]

hi GENTS Thanks a bunch for your ideas and inspiration I just did my seat and its even HMMMM Tolerable lolol actually comfy! i took some of the top of back ande may take a liitle more so i can move some more and DANG IF I DIDNT SHAVE THAT STUPID BALL BUSTING PEAK AT THE FRONT RIGHT DOWN IT IS NOW MORE STRAIGHT AND SMOOOOOOOOTTTHHHH AAAAHHHH, SAVED! IT CAN NOW STOP AND STAND IN COMFORT JUST need the darn lowering kit lolol and I may actually start to like this beheamoth

BUT still runs rough accelerating it is not normal after new plugs irridium and vacuumed filters lolol see ya Russ