Just out of curiosity... (Seat question)

[Lucien Harpress]

Because I can't leave well enough alone, and because I'm a bit curious, I have (another) question for y'all.

When I bought my bike there were several custom parts installed by the PO, one of them being the seat. It looked like this.



I'm considering easing my bike back to a more "original" status, and (despite my bike not even RUNNING yet) I'm trying to see if I enjoy the look of the original seat better than the one I have now.

So, my first question- what is the seat SUPPOSED to look like? My bike is a 1980 Standard model.

My second (tentative) question- where could I get one for dirt-cheap? Like, as close to free as possible? Even if I have to get rid of the seat I have now? Hypothetically, of course.

[Ivan]

Because I can't leave well enough alone, and because I'm a bit curious, I have (another) question for y'all.

When I bought my bike there were several custom parts installed by the PO, one of them being the seat. It looked like this.



I'm considering easing my bike back to a more "original" status, and (despite my bike not even RUNNING yet) I'm trying to see if I enjoy the look of the original seat better than the one I have now.

So, my first question- what is the seat SUPPOSED to look like? My bike is a 1980 Standard model.

My second (tentative) question- where could I get one for dirt-cheap? Like, as close to free as possible? Even if I have to get rid of the seat I have now? Hypothetically, of course.

Eh, seats typically don't come cheap.

You might hit up Russ79 and ask him, he has some parts, and then there's Andreasweiss, he has a good selection as well, and they will probably be the cheapest you can find.

[thewiz]

Here's what a G seat ...

looks like. The cover is from B and H in Texas.

[IMG][/IMG]

[DGXSER]

Tha is a replacement seat, I have the exact same one on mine. It offers plenty of cushion, but it keeps you pressed up toward the tank, and it makes me have to tiptoe on the bike as the seat is higher.

A free seat, would seem alot like a free lunch, never had one yet, they all cost me something. Sometimes money is the cheapest way out.

[thewiz]

Ain't that the truth?

Sometimes money is the cheapest way out

Well said, Don. I like to save money as much ... no, perhaps even more than anyone else. In the process of so doing I have taken big steps to save my $50 shoes and SPLIT my $100 pants on a number of occasions.

[Lucien Harpress]

At this point, I'm just keeping my options open. My MAIN reason for this thread was to find out EXACTLY what the original seat was supposed to look like. Out of all the XS1100 photos I've seen, most of them are Specials, and most of the Standards have, well, non-standard seats.

I want to say the "original" seat was quite flat, with a plastic fairing on the rear, but again, I have no clue if this is correct or not.

IF I decide to replace the seat, I'm probably going to see if I can sell or trade the one I have now to help with the $$$ issue. The way I see it, why do I need two seats?

[Cobia]

Seat

Lucien,
My G is exactly the same as yours and it came with the same seat. I didn't like it either because of the look and the restriction of movement fore and aft. I like to have the ability to shift my weight in order to assist in rear braking grip and other such situations.
I got an original one that looks just like the wiz's. I got it for $75 on fleabay and it was like new. I still have my king/queen seat in the attic, I figured that for extended trips it may come in handy.
The '80G and subsequent XSs did not have the cowling in the back like the 78s and the 79s. That cowling just makes for a shorter seat area anyway.
Keep your eyes peeled, one will turn up for you.

[Lucien Harpress]

Alright. I wasn't sure the difference between the 79's and 80's.

I've got a bid of $1 down on this (really pretty rough) seat on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Do I expect to get it for that? No. But is it closer to "original" than the one I have now? I'd like to think so. And who knows- I might get lucky. Or maybe that should be "lucky".

[thewiz]

Uhh ...

Lucien ... my G seat is original ... only the cover is different.

[Cobia]

Seat

Lucien,
The pan on that seat doesn't look too bad except that all the hardware is gone. Hopefully no one will bid on it and you'll get a deal.
You should be able to use the stuff off the one you have now (hopefully).
As far as the torn seat, look at this thread, Thewiz got a really nice cover for $39 and his seat looks like new now.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...ht=seat+covers

Good luck.

[Lucien Harpress]

Lucien ... my G seat is original ... only the cover is different.

OOOkay, I gotcha. Something was missed along the way, mostly by me.

Thanks for the link. When I first saw it I figured I could re-cover it eventually. I'm not sure how much I'm going to end up putting down on that seat, but I have a week to figure it out. With my carb issues and locked back brake, truth be told a seat is probably the LAST thing I need to be buying anyway. But it never hurts to look.

Thanks for the help!

[Cobia]

Here's another one on fleabay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/yamah...%3A10%7C39%3A1

[XJOK2PLAY]

Hey Wiz... I've gotta say... that's a beautiful Std.
Cool fairing and bags, too.
Like the color. Great job.

Just wonderin'... how well does your rear seat passenger I see in the pic lean in the twisties?? Is it trained?? LOL

[thewiz]

Why, thank you very much, Mr XJOK ..

for the compliment. Much of the credit should go to the PO (I KNOW .. a good PO for a change, right?) ...for keeping it in excellent condition has been easier and ejoyable for the most part to work on cuz of his care of it.

The cracked seatcover I took off was really a good looker too (in this pic)... unfortunately couldn't afford that kind of work when I needed to do it.

[IMG][/IMG]

[fredintoon]

Hi Lucien,
that double bucket seat most likely is a foam & cover kit that was fitted to a stock seat pan. At least, the same-looking one I fitted to my spare XS650 seat pan was that way. Hey, if you can find a complete stock seat for a bargain, go for it, then you will have seat options. OTOH, all you really need is a foam and a cover for a rebuild.