Topic: Seat preservation

[beemerbum]

I was fortunate to find a K1 with an almost perfect seat. No Tears whatsoever. I would like to preserve its original condition yet ride the bike from time to time. I would never let it bake in the sun. Is there a substance that would help preserve the seat. No ArmorAll. I once used that on my Norton seat. When I cracked the throttle, I was sitting on the license plate.

[slikwilli420]

Time is the ultimate foe here especially considering that these were probably not designed to last this long. Best bet is to ride it as is or replace with a repro one and keep the original in a dark, dry place.

[RJ CB450]

Seat conditioners for the material is essentialcto keeping it supple.  But I have to side with slick for actually pulling the seat off for when not at show.  Not only for the cover, but for the pan to keep it from rusting out.  Aftermarket seats are readily available so if going to be riding it, have that one.  Then it is just an easy swap if heading off to a show.

[Duke McDukiedook]

The magical substance you seek is taktheseatoffthebikeandstoreawayium.

[Stev-o]

Ride it, dont hide it!  Use Skin So Soft.....really!


"Use it to clean vinyl dashboards, seats, and tops. It not only cleans, but keeps it soft and helps to prevent any cracking"

[Bankerdanny]

Ride it, dont hide it!  Use Skin So Soft.....really!


"Use it to clean vinyl dashboards, seats, and tops. It not only cleans, but keeps it soft and helps to prevent any cracking"

DonR posted something on one of his project threads about this. He said it did a great job of brining back an older cover that had hardened with age.

[Gordon]

Skin-So-Soft is mineral oil with fragrance. 

You can somewhat delay or hide the effects of aging of old vinyl with mineral oil, but you'll never replace the volatile organic compounds that have evaporated into the air over the past few decades. 

If you want to save it the best you can in the condition it's currently in, the best way is not to use it at all, and seal it away in a plastic bag in a cool, dark place. 

[Don R]

 My sandcast had a nice but hard seat cover. If I pushed on a square, the entire square deflected at the heat seams. I knew a crack was a few rides away. I saw the post on skin so soft on the sandcast forum and thought what do I have to lose? Anyway I tried it, it took a couple of applications the driest areas soak in quickly. I even applied some and left it in the sun to heat soak it. Since then, I can push in the middle of a square and the vinyl deflects in the square not at the seams.
   I use it every year or every other, the seat is still soft and supple. I replaced the foam under it with a new red foam from Yamiya and put the same old cover right back on. Nary a crack yet and I've put three thousand miles on it since.

[Don R]

 I did buy a repro seat for my diecast and kept the plastic cover that came on it for the Sandcast's seat when not in use and under the bike cover.

 Your friends may question your choice of cologne if they come around the bike for a few days after a skin so soft treatment.  It happened to me.