Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Anybody have experience recovering seats? I have the old cover off and I'm getting ready to install the new cover, but it seems like it needs to be stretched. Do you let it get warm in the sun or use some kind of heat gun?

I wanted to do it myself, but if I have to take it to an upholstery shop I will.

J

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#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

Not sure if your seat is anything like the MT250 but I did mine and it turned out very nice. Bought the cover from B&H Specialties http://www.motorcycleseatcovers.com. I removed the old cover by carefully bending the tabs just enough release the old vinyl. Carefully pulled the foam from the rusted pan. Sand blasted the pan and repainted with black paint. I then used a little spray adhesive to secure the foam to the pan. Then on a hot summer day I installed the cover after allowing it to sit in the sun for a while. I pulled the cover only enough to ensure the slightest amount of tension after piercing the pointed metal tabs. Then I pushed the tabs back to their original position. I don't think these tabs will take much bending. I would imaging there must be some kind of device that would cut new tabs if the old ones break but don't know where you would find one. My cover has never loosened up and it's been there for 2 years.

I've covered a few. I usually staple down the middle of the front first, then the back, then the sides. Once the middles are stapled down, and stretched as tight as you can between the opposing middles, just hand stretch and staple the rest of the seat, working from the middles to each corner. I complete the front first, then the back, then the sides. It seems to work pretty good. I haven't had a cover become loose after recovering it using this method.

Jake and Nathan,

Thanks for the replies! It is a 1983 seat so it has the funky curve, so that could be adding to the problem. I'm using a Ceet seat cover.

J

_________________
#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

There's a guy in my area with an upholsery shop. I give him the seat cover I buy from AMS and $20.00 cash off the books and the next day he hands me back my ready to go seat. Works like a charm.

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Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.

Loren Davis
51y

If you look at the seat on my 83 CR250R in the "My Bikes" area you will see the CEET cover I put on using only a staple gun and my hands. The seat base is plastic and the staples go right in, if you use a good staple gun. This cover is very close to, if not the same as, your 83 CR480R CEET cover.