Seat Foam Options

[pres589]

What are some good places to order seat foam from? I'm thinking about doing a major redo of the stock seat from my 6th gen and want to make this thing good for distance riding. I'm a little taller than your average rider at 6 foot 6, so even with the BLS lowering blocks (great improvement) I notice hip and knee ache set in sooner than I'd like with my current setup. I've got a Sargent and like the ride with it (how else to describe liking a device that cradles your butt?) but I wonder about doing a major rework of the stocker along the lines of the way bike seats were in the 70's; one complete block of seat, so the whole thing is even with the passenger's perch on the back. This will add 2 to 3 inches of height to the "pilot's" section of the seat, which should really help the knees and possibly hips even more. It would also give me a lot more possible slide-back area so I can fight off monkey butt a little better.

Because of how thick this will be, I'm wanting some extremely firm closed-cell seat foam. I figure the rest of the materials I'll need (when ever I finally start this project, and it won't be for a few weeks minimum) I can source from where ever. I'll try to get the seat recovered locally by a real shop, since the factory cover is not remotely big enough to stretch out over this kind of change, and I'd like to give this mod the best chance of looking decent.

Any other input is appreciated, I've already started looking around the internet for ideas and hints on this sort of project, and I think it should be pretty do-able and help me make longer road trips more comfortable.

[Lee 2002]

Larry (Busy Little Shop) should chime in here before this is all over. He knows exactly what you will need.

But here is my suggestion.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/conForFoan.php

Actually try a search for his seat modification thread, it might still be up here somewhere.

[RollinAgain]

You can buy seat foam directly from Sargent. It is the exact same super cell atomic foam used in their aftermarket seats. My arse loves it!

Regards,

Rollin

[spud786]

I'm 5'9 and I can tell ya rather than giving up peg clearance making your seat taller has the same effect plus more butt comfort, If you take the down angle out of the stock seat, its about perfect height wise, plus quieter air and that also would gives more cushion. The Hard lines on the seat is what cuts into you, they need to be more rounded.

your upper height though may already be there. Stock the air use to hit me around the shoulder joint with modded seat height it begins around my mid chest area.

[pres589]

I'm 5'9 and I can tell ya rather than giving up peg clearance making your seat taller has the same effect plus more butt comfort, If you take the down angle out of the stock seat, its about perfect height wise, plus quieter air and that also would gives more cushion. The Hard lines on the seat is what cuts into you, they need to be more rounded.

your upper height though may already be there. Stock the air use to hit me around the shoulder joint with modded seat height it begins around my mid chest area.

I'm already running an extremely short windshield, a hacked up MRA that I worked until I was happy with it, and this thing is barely there. Two or three more inches of seat height is not a concern for me at this point, it might be a bit of an improvement again but I would imagine small if any.

Anyway, yeah, I think this is going to be a good deal, at least in theory, I'm hoping this isn't terribly difficult.

[pres589]

But here is my suggestion.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/conForFoan.php

They're awfully proud of that stuff, have you used this yourself before?

If it helps assure success I could spend some money on the 3 inch thick piece, maybe get a 1 inch as well to help blend things better, and get cracking. I've already found an online supplier that handles tons of upholstery stuff like marine grade vinyls for seating, which I think would be perfect for this sort of thing, so I may end up trying to do the whole thing on my own.

[Flightar]

Why not just send it to Spencers Seats...they have a very fast turn around (From the time my friend mailed hers (Friday)to the time she got the completed seat back (Tuesday) was five days and that included a weekend. His mods are really well done are cheap, very high quality and retain the stock look of the seat.

A friend of mine got her Moto Guzzi Breva 750's seat redone with the touring mods and it cost her right around $100.00 including shipping.

I wish I'd have gone this route before I spent much, much, more money on a Sargent...even factoring in the great group buy price we got from Sargent. (They also make a great seat.)

[Guest vfrrider]

Again, I refer you to this site for technique, foam and instructions.

DIY motorcycle seat

Worked for me, all except the sewing, sent that out to a auto upholstery place.

Larry

VFRrider

[Lee 2002]

But here is my suggestion.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/conForFoan.php

They're awfully proud of that stuff, have you used this yourself before?

I have sat on it for hours on end in several homebuilts. And it is awesome for a bench type of seat. I have never sat on it in a saddle type of application

I think that BLS determined that the durometer (or some similar type of quality) was too light for a saddle type of application. Bang him off a PM to see what he used.

[gmtech94]

I have used a gel pack picked up at the local store that will raise it by about 2-3 inches and was easy to install better yet to uninstall for about town riding .Kept the buttocks feeling good .

[Guest]

Best places I've found to buy foam:

* Foam distributor, if you have one locally

* auto or marine upholstery shop

* Internet retailer or wholesaler, such as http://www.foambymail.com/. I've used them a bunch. No problems. For some foams, however, you have to buy a whole sheet rather than just a smaller piece.

Re-doing your own seat is the way to go... unless you just don't have the time, patience, or tools.

[FotoMoto]

Sargent seat foam is only $25 plus shipping. BTDT a couple of times. :cool:

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.p...mp;#entry525264