Topic: Seat Cover Rip ?

[rddcw]

75' CB 750 K5, all stock. The original seat cover has about a 1" split at one of the pleated seams of the one of the top squares.  Is there a way to stop this tear from getting bigger ?  Besides replacing the seat cover, is there a way to hold the tear together that doesn't look too cosmetically bad ?

[Gene]

Somebody else may have had luck with this, but I never have. Black duct tape will do in a pinch. I don't know if the "Vinyl Repair Kits" will do it, again, I've never had luck. Too much activity on the seat for it to take.

[TwoTired]

Battled with this for months way back.  I don't believe there is a cure for the original.  Once the vinyl gets brittle enough to crack, it's done.  Patch one place, a month later another pops.  Eventually you get more patch than original cover.  The most invisible patch is put on the back of the cover.  Buts that leaves the crack edges to catch on whatever slides over it.  I didn't know about shoo goo back then, which would help with the curling edges.  But, it will shortly crack on the opposite side of the bike pretty quickly.  And you will chase seam cracks as a way of life.

Best to just get a new cover and reset the vinyl clock, I'm afraid.

Cheers,

[spotty]

Somebody else may have had luck with this, but I never have. Black duct tape will do in a pinch. I don't know if the "Vinyl Repair Kits" will do it, again, I've never had luck. Too much activity on the seat for it to take.

black (or any other colour for that matter) duct tape will also end up peeling back from the seat and leaving suspicious looking sticky white stains on your favourite riding pants

[Stev-o]

Replace it with a high quality cover

[rddcw]

Looks like the consensus is to replace the cover     Many of them out there, but which one do you guys recommend ?

[Sandy650]

Your mileage may vary on this but I actually have had good success with vinyl repair on a seat I had. It had three tears of about an inch and a half in length. It took a lot of patience to get them closed up using masking tape until  the repair dried. I believe the product was called "Dr Vinyl"
I agree replacing the cover is best solution but the repair I did lasted a lot of miles. I say again it took a lot of patience.

good luck,
Sandy

[RandomOrbit]

I've recovered my seat a total of 3 times at this point. First was one of those cheap drwastring covers from Dennis Kirk in the early 90s. Next I had it professionally recovered by Sargent in the late 90s. A couple years ago when that one was tearing I used a NOS lookalike cover I bough off ebay. That last cover is the best looking of the 3, but my seat pan is getting pretty worn out, and some of the tabs to hold the cover in place have broken off at this point, so when this cover dies I'll need  new seat pan. Probably buy a new repop seat at that point.

If you want the easiest solution to keep it going, go with the drawstring cover. If your seatpan is in good condition and you don't mind taking the time the reproduction covers will make it look like new again.

[Stev-o]

.... but which one do you guys recommend ?

Gumtwo....


http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=161366.0

[Johnie]

+1 for Gumtwo on eBay...quality cover from him. If your fingers are not sore from putting it on then you did not do it right

[Gene]

.... but which one do you guys recommend ?

Gumtwo....


http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=161366.0

+3. His covers are on both my bikes.

[rddcw]

Sandy650,  I couldn't find the vinyl repair kit from Dr. Vinyl, just their repair service ?  I know it's just a band-aid but at least like to try and use it.  Anyone else know of a similar liquid vinyl repair kit ?

What about this one ?

[Sandy650]

I suspect the kit you found would do the same job. In the kit I had the glue smelled like acetone. I did have somebody tell me you could use straight acetone but I think the kit stuff probably contains a thickening agent.

Sandy

[RAFster122s]

Probably smelled like toulene

[Ace Blackwell]

I recently bought a seat from E-Bay.  Pan in great shape.  the cover had a tear along seam between seat cover and back Honda panel.  I bought with the intentions of replacing.  Later I thought I'd try to keep the original.  No other damage and not very brittle

I'm going to try and stitch the seam and try vinyl cement patch on inside of cover for support.  Not sure how it will do but vinyl cement works awesome on our pool. It melts the two vinyl patches together.   Anyone try this before?

Ace

[jonda500]

My 1st 500 came with a small tear in the seat and gaff tape just wasn't cutting it for me, so I glued new vinyl over the entire top of the front section. This has held up for many years and I didn't have to remove the cover from the seat or even the seat from the bike to do it.
John