XJ1100 seat modification

[HalfCentury]

I am starting a project to create a custom seat that does not kill my back or butt. The Corbin seat that came with my bike does not suit me. Long rides are uncomfortable.

I acquired a stock seat and started work on leveling the seating area and remove the ski slope that prevents moving back on the seat.

I also removed the "nose" to allow climbing down off of the seat.

Additional layers of top foam and side foam will be added. The I can carve out a seating area similar to a Russell Day-Long seat.

Here is the beginning of the process.

[Jerry]

Good luck with that. My XJ cam with a recovered stock seat which was very uncomfortable. I replaced it with a set made by Diamond Industries out of Florida; they even had an XJ seat pan to build the new seat on. After about a 500 mile break-in the seat was very comfortable. Nothing kills a good ride like a bad seat!

[timktm]

I would love to have a good seat on my 79. Can't wait to see how this turns out.
Tim

[HalfCentury]

Good luck with that. My XJ cam with a recovered stock seat which was very uncomfortable. I replaced it with a set made by Diamond Industries out of Florida; they even had an XJ seat pan to build the new seat on. After about a 500 mile break-in the seat was very comfortable. Nothing kills a good ride like a bad seat!

How much did they charge you for your seat?

Thanks for the info. Here is a pic of what they do. It looks just about exactly like what I did!

http://diamondseats.com/product/70s-and-80s-models/

[Jerry]

The Diamond seat is a molded foam seat, wider and a bit lower than the stock XJ seat. At the time I bought mine (2001?) it was about $400.00 but I had a fabric insert sewn in instead of the standard insert.

Photo where you can kind of see the seat is: (Monarch Pass, Co)



At the time no one else (Russell, Corbin, Mustang, etc...) would make a custom seat for the XJ. Diamond was about the only source. Since then others shops have opened up to the idea.

The Diamond required a break-in period before it got really comfortable but after that it was a great addition for long-distance rides on the XJ.

[HalfCentury]

Hi Jerry. Thanks for the picture. That helps quite a bit seeing it on the bike.

What I have done is to place the bike on the center stand and use scrap wood to raise the front tire enough to level the bike as it would be on the road.

I used a carpenters level to see how the seat is contoured. Then used a belt sander to flatten and level the driver portion. Many fit check and sand a little bit more. Sanded both top and sides to get a flat surface to glue more foam.

Below is the finished flat product. The foam is 1" supposed high density. The piece was 18" x 50" for $12 delivered from FleaBay. I glued 3 pieces to each side. One piece on the top and one piece for a "backrest". The cutting and trimming is via a B&D electric carving knife for $12 from Wally World.

Sitting on the seat as-is is more comfortable than stock. Hamstrings are supported. The downside is that when astride the bike, inner thighs come up against the portion that supports the hamstrings when riding. This is the dilemma and the trade-off. Riding support vs ability to control the bike when stopped.

Next step will be shaping the sides to taper toward the seat pan as well as possibly trim the "nose" for better contour when astride the bike. Then buy some cheapo upholstery cloth to start a mock-up of a seat cover.

[Jerry]

Seat mods look good. The part I like most about the Diamond seat, and your modifications, is the "pocket" at the back end of the driver's section. That little bit of back support makes a lot of difference in ride comfort.

Yes, the wider Diamond is also a bit more to handle when the bike is stopped (so is the Russell Day-Long) but you get used to it.

The other mod I did on the XJ was to replace the foot pegs with small floorboards which moved the foot position down a bit and slightly forward of the stock location. Combined with the new seat this gave me a different angle on the knees resulting in a much more comfortable ride.

Keep up the good work!