Hello from NC , Dino here to say thank you for your video and the all the tips on improving motorcycle seat and its comfort ,-an highly debated topic amongst us riders specially due to pain and suffering on those factory seats. Since viewing your videos a couple times(both) i've gotten a better shot at getting my africa twin and cb 750 fixed, getting now the same foam from Dynamic Systems , thanks again Dino in NC.
Great video. Curious as to how it’ll break in and feel down the road too. Wanting to do this to my bike since new seats are $3-400. Thanks for the lesson!!
I put this off far too long. Really the hardest part was finding a supplier of the foam and picking the right density. The actual work was not bad at all.
great work and a lot of courage to tackle that job. However, as you say at 7:55, there isn't much of padding - as the saddle was designed for the looks, not for comfort, in my opinion. So, softer or harder makes little difference. My butt immediately finds the hard shell underneath, so I would rather use a firmer foam.
Every rear-end is going to be different, and body weight is important to consider too. I recommend purchasing a variety of foam densities so you can experiment. I've been very happy with my modification in the time since it was done.
What densities did you end up using and how do you like it now that you've had some time on it? Is their chart pretty accurate? I'm going to do some work on my scrambler seat, great video thank you!
If you are on the bubble, go with the softer density. Their chart is okay, but I think it's a little biased toward the firm side. I weight 140 pounds and the softer density was better for me. Of course, it's not just about density--the height matters too. If you can go with a little higher cushion you can use a softer foam and still have something between you and the pan. If you need to cut the foam very thin, then too soft of a density could leave you sitting on plastic! So, it's a balance. I'm still very happy with my modifications.
I do--good memory! I still have that seat, which I can swap in and out as desired. My son will sometimes borrow my Bonneville when his Tiger is down for maintenance, and he's partial to that seat. Nowadays I use my Bonneville for local fun and my BMW for longer rides, so I'm more likely just to use the factory seat on the Bonnie. With the new foam insert I may not even use the Mustang anymore.
With experience I would recommend going with "soft," unless you weigh a lot, in which case you might go with "medium soft." The extra soft can be used as an overall covering if you wish.
There are links in the description to the place I got my foam, as well as a chart relating density to weight. I don't weigh much, about 135-140 pounds. As a rule of thumb, I would lean toward the softer foam if you are undecided. That chart should help, though.
I've done this with two seats now, and I think I would advise you to lean toward the softer foams. There are variables, of course. If you are short and you are trying to shave the seat down, you may not have much thickness to work with and if you go too soft you'll end up sitting on the plastic pan! Or, if you are a heavy hitter and you'll be putting all those boxes of donuts on one area, you may need a firmer foam. But, for most riders, I think you'll be happier with a softer foam or at least a soft layer of foam over a firmer layer.
I tried a couple manual staples. You can do it, but you'll probably wish you had an air driven stapler or an electric one. They actually aren't that expensive to buy.
The best seat foam video on RUclips by far has given me the confidence to tackle my bone hard drz400 seat thank you for posting.
Good luck!
Hello from NC , Dino here to say thank you for your video and the all the tips on improving motorcycle seat and its comfort ,-an highly debated topic amongst us riders specially due to pain and suffering on those factory seats. Since viewing your videos a couple times(both) i've gotten a better shot at getting my africa twin and cb 750 fixed, getting now the same foam from Dynamic Systems , thanks again Dino in NC.
That's great to hear, thanks!
Great video. Curious as to how it’ll break in and feel down the road too. Wanting to do this to my bike since new seats are $3-400. Thanks for the lesson!!
I put this off far too long. Really the hardest part was finding a supplier of the foam and picking the right density. The actual work was not bad at all.
Great video - you're a natural 😊
Thanks so much!
Amazing job buddy, thanks for the lesson
great work and a lot of courage to tackle that job. However, as you say at 7:55, there isn't much of padding - as the saddle was designed for the looks, not for comfort, in my opinion. So, softer or harder makes little difference. My butt immediately finds the hard shell underneath, so I would rather use a firmer foam.
Every rear-end is going to be different, and body weight is important to consider too. I recommend purchasing a variety of foam densities so you can experiment. I've been very happy with my modification in the time since it was done.
@@tinderboxarts thanks for your feedback
Well done for a 1st time .
What densities did you end up using and how do you like it now that you've had some time on it? Is their chart pretty accurate? I'm going to do some work on my scrambler seat, great video thank you!
If you are on the bubble, go with the softer density. Their chart is okay, but I think it's a little biased toward the firm side. I weight 140 pounds and the softer density was better for me. Of course, it's not just about density--the height matters too. If you can go with a little higher cushion you can use a softer foam and still have something between you and the pan. If you need to cut the foam very thin, then too soft of a density could leave you sitting on plastic! So, it's a balance. I'm still very happy with my modifications.
Hello John, you had a mustang touring seat if I remember correctly.
I do--good memory! I still have that seat, which I can swap in and out as desired. My son will sometimes borrow my Bonneville when his Tiger is down for maintenance, and he's partial to that seat. Nowadays I use my Bonneville for local fun and my BMW for longer rides, so I'm more likely just to use the factory seat on the Bonnie. With the new foam insert I may not even use the Mustang anymore.
So did you use "soft" covered by "extra soft" foam? It is unclear which foams were used.
With experience I would recommend going with "soft," unless you weigh a lot, in which case you might go with "medium soft." The extra soft can be used as an overall covering if you wish.
What density foam did u go with and whats your weight?
There are links in the description to the place I got my foam, as well as a chart relating density to weight. I don't weigh much, about 135-140 pounds. As a rule of thumb, I would lean toward the softer foam if you are undecided. That chart should help, though.
Awesome thanks 😊@@tinderboxarts
Which foam did you end up using
I've done this with two seats now, and I think I would advise you to lean toward the softer foams. There are variables, of course. If you are short and you are trying to shave the seat down, you may not have much thickness to work with and if you go too soft you'll end up sitting on the plastic pan! Or, if you are a heavy hitter and you'll be putting all those boxes of donuts on one area, you may need a firmer foam. But, for most riders, I think you'll be happier with a softer foam or at least a soft layer of foam over a firmer layer.
Nice!
Don't even try a hand stapler for a seat cover, if you don't have a compressor for a pneumatic model an electric stapler is cheap and effective ;-)
Old fashion stapler does not work well with the hard plastic the seat pan is made of.
I tried a couple manual staples. You can do it, but you'll probably wish you had an air driven stapler or an electric one. They actually aren't that expensive to buy.