Topic: Where to get seat foam?

[Chris Liston]

What are good sources for seat foam.  Want something that wont be too soft but offer a nice ride.  I'm going to build a cafe seat and don't want to use the stock foam.

Online or local type places.

Thanks

[Uncle Ernie]

The foam places around here sell junk. On the last seat I did, I went to a sports equipment place and got an excersize mat (about 1/2" thick), cut my stock seat foam in half longitudinally like cutting French bread to make garlic bread (using an electric bread knife actually), and put a piece of exercise foam in the middle. Gave more support but still had cushion. The seat before that, I went to an auto uhpolstery shop and just bought a big wad of good firm foam.

[DavidHenshaw]

I just got some foam from the efoamstore in Wilks-Barre Pennsylvania. Do a search for efoamstore and their web site should pop up. I think I paid about $25 for a block 25 x 12 x 6. Its very firm but will give just a little when you sit on it. Seems comfortable. I used an electric carving knife to shape the block to what I needed. I then used a very coarse sandpaper, 50 grit, on a small block of wood to get a final smooth surface on the foam.

If you still have your old foam seat some poeple recommend that you keep the bottom because it is moulded to match the metal seat pan exactly. You are supposed cut off the upper part of the old seat and glue the new foam block onto that. I didn't have my old foam seat so I tried to carve the new foam block bottom so as to fit the seat pan. I used a spray glue to attach the foam to the pan.

[dusterdude]

david,i looked at efoams site,would you tell us foam piece you bought and the firmness of it.thanks

[Chris Liston]

Nice,  I'll do that, I have the foam from both my seats.

Thanks

[Chris Liston]

I read that its actually better to sit on a firmer foam for long rides.  I know that my current seat is way too soft for me and my rear hurts after an hour or two.  I'll be ordering the firmer foam from that site. 

Look at most sport bikes.  you get 1-2" inches of firm foam.  I've ridden 5+ hours on my old R6 and felt fine compared to riding on my 550 for an hour.   I'll leave about 1" of stock foam to mold onto the pan and cut the new foam as needed.

[eldar]

You might be able to go to a large hardware store such as macs hardware if you have one. They sell many different types of foam. Different thickness and firmness.