ATC King
02-08-2023, 09:25 PM
The seat on my XL has been in need of new foam and a cover for years now. Not that anything was trashed, the cover wasn't split and the foam didn't have pieces missing. It was old though, the cover hard and foam soft. My rear hurt after just ten miles.
The cover was hard and would wrinkle up then stay that way. This is after I pressed my fist into it.
270416
That can certainly be felt through the pants and it's not comfortable.
The other issue was the foam had become too soft and I could feel the seat pan, especially at the back where the bolts are that hold it on. They are two little bumps and a huge pain when the foam is that soft.
There really isn't much foam thickness in the seating area, double so at the rear. The bulk of the foam on the sides is where it droops over the frame and the stuff at the very front isn't a riding area, more of nut guard I guess.
There are several sources for new covers but nada for new foam. I got a cover from a manufacturer in Arkansas and its very nice marine grade vinyl with double stitching. Good stuff that should last a while and be comfortable. I wasn't worried about keeping an OE appearance, just comfort and durability.
The first step was getting the current cover off. The foam stayed on the plastic seat pan and I left it instead of risking damage to the foam and it made the foam easier to work with.
270417
That's a lot of old staples to pull and time consuming.
Next was removing the bulk of the old foam with a hacksaw blade.
270418270419
Because the old foam was mostly intact and could be worked with, I opted for this approach. That made it quicker, less guesswork at creating a stock profile and much less building, cutting, and sanding while still having a good finished product.
Next I done finer removing with a drill equipped with a rust removal wheel. I got the rear section as thin as possible that still had a base to glue new foam to. I put an arrow where those indignant seat bolt bumps show through. That's how thin the overall foam is back there.
270420
I got some sleeping/camping mat at Wally World. It wasn't quite what I've used in the past from there but I guess it'll work all the same. I built that up in layers the cut and sanded it down with an orbital sander.
270421270422
With a single piece of foam I just put the covers on with no batting, but in this case, with all the layers, I added some.
270423
The last part of attaching the cover is the funnest but takes some time to make certain it's tight and without wrinkles.
270424
It's been raining a lot here and just cold and nasty so I haven't gone out for a ride yet, but just by sitting on it I know it's going to be much, much more comfortable.
I've owned this bike many years and just the drive to buy it was a bit of an adventure in a '64 C10. Here's a picture of one place I've been on it several years back.
270425
I've actually totaled this bike in a crash with a car that ended up with me in an ambulance and surgery later on. I rebuilt it after that and rode several thousands of miles afterwards. Thought I'd share some of the bike's history.
The cover was hard and would wrinkle up then stay that way. This is after I pressed my fist into it.
270416
That can certainly be felt through the pants and it's not comfortable.
The other issue was the foam had become too soft and I could feel the seat pan, especially at the back where the bolts are that hold it on. They are two little bumps and a huge pain when the foam is that soft.
There really isn't much foam thickness in the seating area, double so at the rear. The bulk of the foam on the sides is where it droops over the frame and the stuff at the very front isn't a riding area, more of nut guard I guess.
There are several sources for new covers but nada for new foam. I got a cover from a manufacturer in Arkansas and its very nice marine grade vinyl with double stitching. Good stuff that should last a while and be comfortable. I wasn't worried about keeping an OE appearance, just comfort and durability.
The first step was getting the current cover off. The foam stayed on the plastic seat pan and I left it instead of risking damage to the foam and it made the foam easier to work with.
270417
That's a lot of old staples to pull and time consuming.
Next was removing the bulk of the old foam with a hacksaw blade.
270418270419
Because the old foam was mostly intact and could be worked with, I opted for this approach. That made it quicker, less guesswork at creating a stock profile and much less building, cutting, and sanding while still having a good finished product.
Next I done finer removing with a drill equipped with a rust removal wheel. I got the rear section as thin as possible that still had a base to glue new foam to. I put an arrow where those indignant seat bolt bumps show through. That's how thin the overall foam is back there.
270420
I got some sleeping/camping mat at Wally World. It wasn't quite what I've used in the past from there but I guess it'll work all the same. I built that up in layers the cut and sanded it down with an orbital sander.
270421270422
With a single piece of foam I just put the covers on with no batting, but in this case, with all the layers, I added some.
270423
The last part of attaching the cover is the funnest but takes some time to make certain it's tight and without wrinkles.
270424
It's been raining a lot here and just cold and nasty so I haven't gone out for a ride yet, but just by sitting on it I know it's going to be much, much more comfortable.
I've owned this bike many years and just the drive to buy it was a bit of an adventure in a '64 C10. Here's a picture of one place I've been on it several years back.
270425
I've actually totaled this bike in a crash with a car that ended up with me in an ambulance and surgery later on. I rebuilt it after that and rode several thousands of miles afterwards. Thought I'd share some of the bike's history.