getting a seat covered.

[pepperami]

OK this one is more for the folks in the East of the country.
I have done some research on "teh net" and most companies doing seat covering stuff seem to be in the Midlands or north.

I am trying to get one of my seat`s foam changed and made a bit higher because the seat is to low and to hard.
So my question is , does anyone know of a company/people around the East Anglia region who specialise in motorcycle seat repairs/one offs?

Thank you for any help given

The alternative is to do it myself
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Nobby the Bastard]

I'd do it myself. All you need is a hairdryer and a staple gun.

the biggest issue is finding a good quality cover and generally, so long as you don't buy bargin basement, my experience is good.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[andym]

[jaffa90]

Have a chat with a local motorcycle dealer who use such like for a deal,
also a caravan / boat / barge upholsterer,
also this guy using postage & instructions,
https://www.motorcycleseatworks.co.uk/
he did my X11 to my satisfaction.

[kramdra]

This is relevant to me. 80,000 miles of arse has ripped the seat in the middle. Has also got wet, will foam be ruined?

I could buy raw vinyl. Cheapest, 5 quids. I would probably cock up the first attempt but its cheap enough. Option of sewing suturing a patch over the existing cover so no need to piss around with staples.

Pre-made vinyl cover. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302165123019 Or real leather cover www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351005788071 Something else from germany www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142209798034 This does look far better than OE. Or collected, modified and fitted. £125 www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142209789715

[UncleFester]

Place in Baldock is good - nice and cheap.

A & R PoundWebsiteDirections
Vehicle Upholsterer
Address: Unit 27/28/Baldock Ind Est/London Rd, Baldock SG7 6NG
Phone:01462 892704

Appreciate it's not 'near' but he's well known locally.

I think my CB500 seat was about £35 for a retrim.
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Module 1 and 2 passed - October 2014. Happy owner of a 2017 Z1000SX, ex owner of a YBR125 / CB500 / VFR800.

[ScaredyCat]

Try https://www.elsemade.com/

Else Made
Nathan Lodge
High Road
Wisbech St Mary
Cambs
PE13 4RH

Comes highly recommended on many Triumph forums. Basic recover is from £20...
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Honda CBF125 ➝ NC700X
Honda CBF125 ↳ Speed Triple

[Suntan Sid]

Sorry, don't know what your bike is OP!
I've done a couple of seat covers myself, one was very easy to do the other one was not as easy.

The first one I did was for a DRZ, this was very easy, the original cover was simply one piece of vinyl stretched over the foam and seat.
As Andy says, you need a good staple gun with a strong spring to get through the vinyl and into plastic part of the seat. I used a toffee hammer to finish off a few staples that didn't go in fully.
This is what it looked like when finished:-

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=2803385

The second one I did was for my XL, this was difficult because the original seat cover was not a single piece of vinyl, it was made up of three pieces. Fortunately Mrs Suntan has a sewing machine and knows how to use it. I took the old cover off, unpicked the stitching and Mrs Suntan used the pieces as a pattern to make the new cover. Once the new cover's made it's the same procedure to staple it on.

Here's how I did it, (on first page of this thread):-

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=278824

If you know someone who can sew, it shouldn't be a problem to do yourself, however if you want to add more foam you'll have to allow more vinyl for that. I guess the difficult part for you will be finding out how much foam you need to add and how much bigger the piece of vinyl needs to be!
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[pepperami]

Thanks everyone for your help
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[kramdra]

[Suntan Sid]

[andym]

[owl]

Think I'm gonna leave it to the professionals, possibly Tony Archer, heard he does a good job, cost a few quid but still cheaper than a Corbin or Sargent
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Observation is the greatest source of wisdom.

[kramdra]

https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m593/Kramdra/IMG_20170116_090653_zpsh2gdftdi.jpg~original

https://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m593/Kramdra/IMG_20170116_090646_zpsmxlcsnp2.jpg~original

[stevo as b4]

It would be quite satisfying to have a go at seat recovering yourself if you can get the material you need and want something simple or like for like.

In all the seats I've had recovered I've always been looking for something quite specific so I've paid professionals to do the work, and I've been very pleased in general with the quality and value. The big downside is timescales. The last seat I had done took about 8weeks to get back. The specialists are always busy and they like repeat work and looking after existing established customers first.

I do agree though that all the best firms for this kind of work tend to be in the Midlands or the North. There's one or two firms down south, but I like to use firms that have been going for years and have good recommendations, so I'd prefer to send the seat to where the expertise is.

[kramdra]

Recommend this www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371772643802

Most important thing if DIY and without an air gun, staples really need to be sharpened, much less force required, then most go in perfectly. The alternative is hitting them with a hammer - they will bend over or crumple, and would be fail.

[Azoth]

Re-covering your seat with a strip of vinyl is the old-school way. If you use a heat gun instead of a hairdryer, you need to be very careful to keep it a good distance from the vinyl and keep it moving. If you let it get too hot, or touch the vinyl, you'll regret it.
The technique I used with mine involved stapling the front and back ends first, then stretching it over and doing the next staples diagonally (e.g. front right then rear left, then front left then rear right), always pulling taut and keeping the vinyl warm. I watched a couple of Youtube vids on how to do it beforehand, and this helped. The trickiest bits to staple and stretch over are in the middle, between the pillion and the rider portions of the seat.

Alternatively, you can get specialised, high quality, better-looking seats for most bikes, some of which state the model of the bike, and have elaborate piping and stitching for about £40-£50 on Ebay. These will just slip on and staple in place.
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Safety in numbers