I want to change my ugly seat!

[Bowtied]

Hey people i have a 79 xs11 special. It originally came with a big fairing on it and a big gawdy looken seat for two. I was wanting to change it to something a little smaller and better looking. But the bike is 100% bone stock. So i don't want to run a spring style solo seat or nothen. But i want something a little more asthetically pleasing. Anyone know of a seat that came off a 650 or something that will bolt to my bike without heavy modifications? And actually look better then my big old seat? Let me know fellas thanks josh!

[fredintoon]

Nothin' else fits

Hi Bowtied,
the XS650 seat will not fit for sure.
'79 & earlier seats are hinged on the right with a keyed latch on the left. '80 & later seats latch straight down onto raised posts. I'm not sure but '80 & later XS750s & 850's just might have the XS11's sliding bolt seat hold-downs but I betcha the seat dimensions are different enough that they won't be a direct fit.
What I'd do is get another special seat pan and have a custom seat built onto it that looks just the way you want it to.

[Rasputin]

There are always seats for the 79 special showing up on Ebay and If I remember there is a member who has a Mustang seat for sale in another part of the forums (parts for sale)...Dsxs11 is the seller. I have had four different seats on mine in the many years and I like the Mustang best of all. Failing finding a new seat there are also seat recovering sets on the bay as well. As Fredintoon says there is always the custom route, but pretty much any upholstery shop should do a passable job of building you one on your original seat pan too.

[mro]

Hi there Bowtied, welcome to XS land

Here's a pic of a 79 special with a Bill Mayer saddle



Same bike but with a seat I had done for my MNS






mro

[Dsxs11]

Yep the Mustang Seat is still for sale it might hit ebay this weekend. I may toss the Diamond Boats seat on ebay as well. Neither one of them were right for my ass so I'm having one built custom.

[lostsoul74]

take the seat to an upholstery shop with some pics of better style seats you like the look of, and they can refoam it and shape it a nice modern look for for usually around a hundred bucks, just reusing your existing seat pan so you bolt back on.