Seat Compatibility

[mmelville]

Hey, does anyone know if a seat from say a XS650 Special or XS850 Special will fit an XS1100 Midnight Special? I am looking around for a new (better ) seat but all I can find are the 650/850 seats. Just wondering... Thanks in advance!

~Mike

[jetmechmarty]

Mike.

Fuggedaboutit!

Those other bike seats aren't even close! They made them look the same just to mess with you.

[natemoen]

Have the old seat pan recovered how you want it.

[mmelville]

Jet, thanks for the heads up.

Nathan, I wish I could just buy a new cover kit, but I really don't like the style of the seat. I have the high back king/queen seat but I want to replace it with a more standard seat like below.

What I have:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/juyfzuym1...%20%282%29.jpg

What I'm looking for:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/juyfzuym1...081%20%201.jpg

[bikerphil]

The only year/model seat that will fit your bike will be 80-81 XS11 Special or 80-81 XS11 Midnight Special.

[jetmechmarty]

The seat pan for the '80/'81 model is likely the most common. You should be able to find one soon. Have you checked with Andreas?
http://www.xs11.com/forum/member.php?u=42

[mmelville]

Yeah and unfortunately he doesn't have any on hand right now. Back to eBay and Craigslist...

[MPittma100]

Seat

Place a post in parts wanted here on the forum if you have not already and check eBay.

[Hak]

I am in a similar seat debacle with my 81 special!! I've been looking at the seats on http://motorcycleseatsdirect.com/ They sell foam/cover kits that will adapt to our seat pans, I read some reviews of them on here with decent luck, but they apparently ship from Vietnam, explaining the high price for shipping. I was considering getting one of the complete replacement seats, but looks like you'll have to swap the hardware over from your old seat pan.

http://www.motorcycleseatsdirect.com...y=xs11&x=0&y=0
This should give you all the listings for XS11 seats. Some are just foam kits, some are full seats.

http://www.motorcycleseatsdirect.com...seat-pan-4201/

I really liked this minimalistic design and the ribbed area, but I know it is not meant to fit with the special tank. Thinking about getting a standard tank and this seat for my special. I like the look of the rounded tank better anywho.

[jpilk99]

I'm in the same boat

I am EAGER to find one like Melville posted, https://www.dropbox.com/sh/juyfzuym1...081%20%201.jpg . I have what appears to be a very common "saddleman" double - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Saddlemen-Do...5ee723&vxp=mtr .

If anyone can help me get the basic original, or something close to it - i'd be grateful.

Thanks!!

Jay

[Hak]

Yeah I'm having an impossible time finding a foam/cover kit for that OE style seat for the specials.. I actually have the same seat mmelville is rocking, thing is so gaudy. Thing looks so bad now that I put my clubman bar's on especially lol I think I will keep it tho in case I want to roll on a long trip with a passenger or something. I love the function but hate the form lol

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that saddleman king/queen double seat just a foam and cover kit for the original seat pan?? You should be able to get any foam/cover kit that works with that seat pan and replace it quite easily.

[jetmechmarty]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that Saddlemen king/queen double seat just a foam and cover kit for the original seat pan?? You should be able to get any foam/cover kit that works with that seat pan and replace it quite easily.

Yes, you are correct. My bike had one when I bought it. I hated it. I had Sargent do it over, that was eleven years ago. It still looks great.

You will not find a foam kit for your seat. You have to make it or fix what you have. Saddlemen covers for the Midnight are still out there.

[Hak]

Yeah that king/queen seat is absolutely ridiculous..

And this site lists foam/cover kits that are supposed to be designed to work with the original seat pans.

http://www.motorcycleseatsdirect.com...at-cover-foam/

How compatible they truly are is the question lol

I just ordered one of the saddleman MNS cover's I'm hoping it will be pretty close to fitting the regular special seat and foam that I have. We will see, I will post results once I receive it.

[mmelville]

I saw listings for those and considered ordering the complete seat for $199, but the $90 just for shipping seemed pretty high... They may be my only option though.

[Hak]

Yeah 300 is tough to swallow for a seat on one of these lol especially with how generic the vinyl looks. I would be all for it if it was ribbed or something cool. But by now I've spent 50 bucks on a used seat with junk foam and cover slightly rusty pan.. 90 on a custom brown vinyl cover I'm not sure I will ever get because I called the company and it was some 800 year old woman answering the phone lol and now the 50 bucks on a saddleman MNS cover.. Might as well have just spent the 300 lol

The foam and cover kits are more edible at around 200.. if you can find a used special seatpan to put them on