You two are certainly an inspiration for my long summer project: 1972 SX pretty much all there original but no ignition trigger. that seat foam was stuck to everything every where...looked like rust / bread crumbs. I'm going to have to go through the whole bike after I can get it cranked up for a minute. Funny that I had been looking all over for a *nice* original '72 almost nabbing one here or there. I found this 10 minutes from my front door. I love the way the paint pops in the sun after it cleans up. I can see the fine silver layer over the base coat and under the translucent red where some paint has worn..Since I'll take everything apart to check integrity, I will repaint frame where needed, probably leave the panel, tank re paint until next summer and focus on getting the bike running flawlessly.
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1972 Resto/Retro Project
- Thread starter jones5944
- Start date
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- Tags
- restoration
David, if you make a seat foam for your '72 project...please make me one as well for my '72
I'd like to get in touch..and see pics of your '72 XS. not finding early XS seat foam anywhere now...I may have to carve out the hard, petrified original and sink this seat into the appropriate spot (see photo). I'm in the same boat as you are with a 30 year "sitter" resto...but, except for the foam, seat is fully intact and cover pliable, together.Attachments
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David, if you make a seat foam for your '72 project...please make me one as well for my '72
If you can’t find a replacement foam, there are a lot of how to’s in the online. I had seriously considered that at one point, the best ones I saw involved layering different density foam pads up and then contouring them. Buying quality foam is not an inexpensive proposition. I had also considered taking my seat to an upholstery shop. I had a fully custom made seat made for a BMW I used to have and it came out nice. And when I say custom made, I mean one that appeared stock but was all handmade.
This? https://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-XS1...784606?hash=item2892ee549e:g:qp4AAOSwzZNb1iwa
@Mailman didn't you point me at this?
The seat I put on WJL was doing the same thing, a constant orange rain of seat foam particles EVERYWHERE. Found a different one with "good foam". It's either original or a long ago recover.
@Mailman didn't you point me at this?
The seat I put on WJL was doing the same thing, a constant orange rain of seat foam particles EVERYWHERE. Found a different one with "good foam". It's either original or a long ago recover.
Ha! I knew I found one somewhere! I couldn’t remember where. That one looks exactly right and I think, given all the options, the price is right too.
Thanks Gary!
I bought one from that seller last winter.
http://www.xs650.com/threads/its-past-time-to-start-xs2-resurrection.53396/page-26
It fit well and sits well.
On a long trip it is going to get some help.
Their site,
https://www.pandkclassicbikes.co.uk/A-GUIDE-TO-SEAT-RE-COVERING.html
Some good info there!
https://www.pandkclassicbikes.co.uk/A-GUIDE-TO-SEAT-RE-COVERING.html
Some good info there!
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Thanks to the guys who mentioned the seat foam website yesterday..OK, started into that original seat last night and promptly quit...total PIA. This morning, Had to cut off a few small flat head screws that slid in a channel of the stainless outer seat trim band that were just turning in the channel with the nut. Then I could carefully slide off the stainless trim band. See photo of the cut out in channel where the screw heads can slip out , releasing the trim strip. I don't know if anyone has photographed this mess in the state I found it. The foam had a plastic cover on to which kept any moisture in the foam not out. I had to put the seat in a garbage bag to remove the black cover and plastic as the foam was the constancy of petrified charcoal briquettes! Some of it was just burnt sugar cookies. Found a pipette rubber trim along edge of the seat pan...it came off ok. Went to Lowes and replaces all the seat pan and outer trim hardware with same for later. Now, I have to brush off the stuck foam/ surface rust off the top side of the pan and let it sleep overnight in Evapo-Rust. I might even get something else to expedite the at surface rust removal. The cover is a toss up. In tack, no tears pr punctures,pliable but, YAMAHA is discolored if it was white....fixable. A nylon cord is still around the sewn edge below where the metal outer trim goes...I think I know where I stand now and can just get some foam and a little polyester batting (no plastic bag over it this time).
Attachments
You may have seen this already but I’ll throw this in there, just in case you can find something useful in there.
http://www.xs650.com/threads/installing-a-new-seat-cover.52293/
http://www.xs650.com/threads/installing-a-new-seat-cover.52293/
I read that several months ago now...just read it again, TY. Actually,logged on looking for something that stuck in my mind about adding another extra rubber someone suggested to keep seat level. That was an excellent job Mailman....as I type with heavy nitrile gloves. I have my seat pan in the garage bathing in acid metal prep and after sleeping in evapo-rust. light prime n gloss paint. I'm going to use the old cover since it is pre-stretched lol and all my clips and screws will located and hold cover. I found some 1''x 27" x cut off roll $16/ yd. poly batting I will try and fix, glue edges over foam and use clips,screws . This may or may not be needed other than to smooth out foam marks. found that at a Joann's fabric outlet. I did order the UK foam.....
Found that detail from 2014...x-tra bumper: Two Many.." Here's the bottom of mine. It's had a lot of welding too. The oval opening clearances the seat catch hoop. One weak part of the seat is where it 'floats' above the frame rail in front of the seat latch, opposite of the front hinge, so I added another rubber support bumper there (tan colored)."
>> https://www.xs650.com/threads/72-xs...ed-to-be-a-piece-of-rubber-under-there.38656/
Found that detail from 2014...x-tra bumper: Two Many.." Here's the bottom of mine. It's had a lot of welding too. The oval opening clearances the seat catch hoop. One weak part of the seat is where it 'floats' above the frame rail in front of the seat latch, opposite of the front hinge, so I added another rubber support bumper there (tan colored)."
>> https://www.xs650.com/threads/72-xs...ed-to-be-a-piece-of-rubber-under-there.38656/
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They packaged it just fine. I screwed up opening it. I reused my original cover. The plastic under it was toast so I removed it from the cover. I wanted a vapor barrier between the seat and foam. I used a thin sheet of rubber. I'm glad I did. After getting caught in a downpour yesterday my seat had no water coming up out of the foam today.
