Any body have pics or tips on doing a seat reupholstering. I'm going to do mine. Naugahydes pretty cheap. I was looking at the underneath of my seat and it doesn't look that hard. The seat cover is stapled to the plastic. I guess I'll just stretch it over and maybe find a suitable staple gun. If somebody that has done this, they would know. I think the padding is fine but the cover is shot, plus I want it red anyway. Can't buy a new seat now.
I searched with no results. A few people talking about doing it but no actual hands on.
Thanks Joe
I have seen on the net somewhere seat covers that a already made up and you just pull it over and staple it on. May have been on Evilbay but not sure.....
I need to pinch pennies right now. I've seen them on ebay and there a great price but there $60 and they don't come in red. Thanks for your reply though :bye:
Quote from: Joe Sull on December 08, 2013, 04:45:40 PM
I need to pinch pennies right now. I've seen them on ebay and there a great price but there $60 and they don't come in red. Thanks for your reply though :bye:
I sold mine, sorry!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-1989-FJ1200-Stock-Seat-Recovered-Black-Red-Very-Nice-Must-See-/221276843304 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-1989-FJ1200-Stock-Seat-Recovered-Black-Red-Very-Nice-Must-See-/221276843304)
Generally, the old one can be used as a template, and you can buy good quality marine grade materials from most upholstery shops.
We had a electric stapler at the shop, the hand held ones never seemed to have enough power.
Back in the day, decent old school upholstery shops would recover a seat for less than many of the replacement covers cost, check around and good luck.
Hi Joe. I recovered (removed the old cover) and installed a pre-sewn cover on my 1990. It is not to hard but to do a decent job you will need an upholstery heat gun (not a hair drier) and for me I found that I couldn't drive staples from a heavy commercial duty hand stapler into the plastic pan in such a manner that it would hold in tight. I had an upholstery air stapler on hand and found that to do the job just fine. Also something you don't readily see is that you have to use short staples and set some of them at an angle in areas of the seat pan other wise the staples will come through the top side of the seat cover (and dig into you).
Its not hard you just need a heat gun and an air powered stapler with short staples 1/2" max. For a cheap heat gun go to the old stand by for cheap tools, Harbor Freight. I think my cover cost around 60 or 70 dollars.
This is a picture of mine. You can enlarge the photo. http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=4882 (http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=4882)
That's my experience anyhow.
George
Jeez! nothing ever, easy. I didn't think about how hard that abs plastic is. I might be able to borrow a heat gun but I'll have to figure out something to get away from the stapler. Anything with a head on it, like a screw would probably hit the frame paint. I was kinda thinking of small self tapping screws.
There is a woman on the island that does upholstery, I'll talk to her. I saw the nice piece Naugahyde on eBay for $5. I thought this was going to be easy as shooting squirrels on the bird feeder. WRONG.
Thank for the replies.
Joe,
You can do it with a hand stapler. The air stapler would make it easier, but I used an Arrow T50 staple gun and it worked fine. I did have to pull and re-do some of the staples that bent, but it was fine.
As George mentions, you need to be careful with the length of the staples. I used 3/8" mostly and 1/4" where necessary, mainly around the nose of the seat.
If you're not adding much additional padding, its pretty easy to get it all smooth.
Arnie
Besides, what do else "motorcycling" can you do for the next 4 months? :-)
Oops! Just saw your post about polishing wheels. You've got winter sorted.
Thanks Arnie, That encouraging. No, I'm not adding padding. I don't think it needs any.
Winter in Maine. Actually, I have 5 months. May 1st is like somebody turned on a light switch. It could snow the night before and be 70 the next day. We get a lot of snotty weather in the spring though. Not very good for a bike. 45 deg. f and drizzle. It's your summer now, isn't it?
Yeah, its summer at least according to the calendar. Our weather has been extremely variable, lately. Some really nice days, but a lot of dull rainy days too. Pretty soon we'll be complaining about the heat.
With weather, nobody is ever happy.
Arnie
For hand staplers, I used this type and found that it worked great. As previously stated, use 1/4"-3/8" staples.
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/aviationfred/KGrHqFHJBsFInKS9zKZBSOezDF8vg60_35_zps262f5aba.jpg) (http://s119.photobucket.com/user/aviationfred/media/KGrHqFHJBsFInKS9zKZBSOezDF8vg60_35_zps262f5aba.jpg.html)
Here is a photos of the before and after.
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/aviationfred/IMG_20120717_175106.jpg) (http://s119.photobucket.com/user/aviationfred/media/IMG_20120717_175106.jpg.html)
(http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o145/aviationfred/IMG_20120717_200306.jpg) (http://s119.photobucket.com/user/aviationfred/media/IMG_20120717_200306.jpg.html)
Fred
That seat looks awesome Fred. who made the cover for you? did you replace foam? what material is it?
that's the nicest FJ seat Ive seen IMHO....I want one
Scott
Scott,
The cover is not cheap, but it does look awesome. No, I did not replace, or modify any of the OEM foam.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-FJ-1200-SEAT-COVER-/141128280232?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item20dbe6a8a8&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-FJ-1200-SEAT-COVER-/141128280232?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item20dbe6a8a8&vxp=mtr)
Fred
Thanks Fred. I just ordered one. :yahoo:
I really liked that seat. To me the corbin and the daylong look too much like a horse saddle.
Scott
Quote from: FJscott on December 10, 2013, 10:36:38 AMTo me the corbin and the daylong look too much like a horse saddle.
In this case, form follows function. :pardon:
Holy sweet seat batman!
Quote from: not a lib on December 10, 2013, 10:46:49 AM
Quote from: FJscott on December 10, 2013, 10:36:38 AMTo me the corbin and the daylong look too much like a horse saddle.
In this case, form follows function. :pardon:
exactly. I might have a different opinion if I commuted on the FJ, but its a toy, a hobby for me.
we had a saying in the Navy "work, it may..shine, it must"
Fred, your original seat looks modified. Looks like some extra bulk on the back? Great looking replacement cover though!
Andrew
That extra bulk and the premium folds added in looked like ass. I was embarrassed to ride the bike with the seat looking like that.
Fred
Well I didn't want to say :biggrin:
I found this video on reupholstering the seat. I would say that this kids got it down good.
take a look. He makes it look pretty easy.
How to recover your motorcycle seat on the cheap! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi6lDifsazs#)
Theres a few others there too.
Tomorrows the day my seat gets a new hat.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05073.jpg)
Got everything together. $5.90 for the material, borrowed a stapler, bought some 8 mm staples,
Raided my wife's arts and crafts cubbit for the adhesive and found a heat gun in there too.
Warning "PICTURE INTENSE"
Joe,
Get some 1/4" (6mm) staples too. You'll want them at the front lower edge unless you're adding more foam there.
It's done! Very easy to do. I got all worried for nothing. I got the 6 mm staples so I had
two sizes. I watched the kids video again and I started by throwing the vinyl in the dryer
and went outside to spray the adhesive on the seat. 5 min. later the vinyl was toasty.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05074.jpg)
I started with the sides. Streched across the flatest part of the seat, held it down with one hand
and tacked on each side. I worked the sides just stapling here and there.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05075.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05076.jpg)
The adhesive helped a lot to hold it. Sometimes I would peal it away, stretch and re-stick.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05077.jpg)
Working the sides toward the front, I had to pull some staples and stretch again. I used the heat gun a lot
getting this area stretched.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05078.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05079.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05080.jpg)
Worked more staples into the sides and removed extra material.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05081.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05082.jpg)
I had to work the back area again to get a bubble out and the foam was kinking so I sprayed adhesive
to stick the foam down and then stretched again.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05083.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05084.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05085.jpg)
Finished with the front. I used the heater to loosen the vinyl up and got that all stapled in.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05087.jpg)
Easy as changing the plugs almost. I'll take a few more minutes and tidy up the line of
staples. Sink a few that need it and maybe trim a bit more.
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05088.jpg)
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05089.jpg)
There! It's RED :biggrin:
Not the first red FJ seat I've seen, but the best-looking... nice job! :yes:
Very nicely done. :good2: We all know where to send our seats for a new cover :rofl:
Fred
Thanks guys!
I still got some red Fred. Nice and cool in the summer. :blum1:
Very nice job, it looks great. And for less than $10! Wow!
Nice work Joe! My cover is still ok, but after 20 years, I'm sure the factory foam is compressed and near useless so I'm going to get it redone with some newer tech foam etc. Local seat guru here does unbelievable work, but of course it does cost a little.
I'm pleased with how it came out. Actually, The $5.90 doesn't include shipping. I think it was $9 for that
so I guess almost $15. It did sound more appealing though.
I missed this pic
(http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc460/whiterabbit30/DSC05091.jpg)
Happy as a clam!
That is one good looking seat. Five years ago I purchased a 1981 yamaha XS650 for cheap. Naturely the vinyl was cracked and riding it home my rear end hurt so much I rode most of the way standing on the foot pegs. I took it to the local boat shop and told the guy I wanted it recovered and recontoured with some softer foam because it was killing my rear end. He said it needed harder foam. No I said it needed softer. He said he had done hundreds of boat seats and who spends more time sitting on their rear ends than fisherman. OK I agreed. He was right--can spend all day on that seat. I think I will leave the seat recovering to the professionals or Joe! :good2: Dave
Quality job.
I tried this a while back and met with very average results.
You've inspired me to give my corbin another go - er maybe when I get some spare time.
Andy
Andy, did you try and recover the Corbin with 1 piece of material, or did you have a new Corbin skin?
For $80 I would just send it to Corbin
Correction: I just checked Corbin's site, and a recover is much more than last I checked....
Like 75% of the cost of a new seat.....holy shit. :shok:
You guy mite have seen this video.
Kawasaki Ninja 650R Custom Seat Modification Movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEsIVPTkk4g#)
Some good ideas in there.
Was very informative to watch someone who obviously knows exactly what he wants to get, work.
The hacksaw blade cutter worked well and the paint can lid rasps are an idea I'll copy.
I've used an electric carving knife to cut and shape foam previously, but its maybe a bit too quick in its cut. And now that you've done a seat, Joe you know why I want a powered stapler before I do the next one.
Arnie, that blade being a hack saw blade escaped me. I thought it was a long fillet knife or something similar. Stapling at a weird angle is kinda hurtfull. You got to reach around and your stapling toward yourself. It torques your wrist trying to put pressure on the gun. I found myself reversing my hand grip to staple farside. A air stapler would be good.
A long time ago, when I was making a high back single-seater for my RZ-350 racer, I used an electric carving knife to cut the foam, and an electric staple gun to avoid the wrist-twist phenom. Neither too was purchased for the job, but they were available and were/are labor savers!
My 2ยข ... BTW, nice job on the seat!
Pat, yep was aware of outrageous askings from Corbin for a recover. I'm using the standard seat now and really I don't notice much difference between the two.
Hey - is this a good month to finally post your vibranators? They are safe and have there own little box, ready to post.
Andy
Sure Andy, go ahead...