Hump removal/ leather seat reupholstery

[lancecharming]

The hump on my seat prevents me from sitting back further and I`ve had my knees hit the handgrips a few times, so I planned to remove the cover and cut the foam down flat. I saw this ad for a cheap (Chinese) leather coat for $29, so I ordered one in the largest size available. I removed the staples from the seat bottom and removed the seat cover. Instead of cutting the hard foam I replaced it with soft foam rubber from Walmart. I then cut a square section from the black leather coat and stretched and stapled it over the foam. It looks just like the original seat, except it`s soft and comfy and the black leather matches the black Chinese leather that covers the factory trunk backrest. The coat had enough leather left to do the seat on my girlfriend`s scooter,too. Makes riding so much nicer!

[rerun2]

Quite creative! I would have just gone to a fabric shop and gotten ripped off!! ;d

How 'bout a pic or two?

[troj4nm4n]

good idea the seats on these scoots suck ... especially if your riding more than a few miles

[scooterollie]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

[lancecharming]

Sorry I can`t do pictures. I can barely work a computer. I don`t have a digital camera and would probably blow something up trying to post a picture...
It does look really good, though. And the rain just wipes off. Surprised me how easy it was. Makes up for all those projects that turn into nightmares.

[phaze]

did you wet leather first and let it shrink to it this will prevent wrinkles.

[dtwscooter]

phase,
Do you wet the rough side or the smooth side? How wet?
Between your suggestion and lance's process, this seems like a winner of a tip!

[mortar235]

i have a lance venice style scoot and the hump fits my rump perfectly ;D plenty of space for the gf on the passenger part too

[lancecharming]

I didn`t do anything to the leather- it was already in a coat so it was probably treated or whatever. Didn`t have any wrinkles. I did stretch it over the seat so it fit snugly before stapling it down. (By the way, the 3/8 size staples are exactly the width of the factory ones, but slightly deeper.)
I did use a leather conditioning cream on it after installation just to protect it from the weather/sun/etc. The coat leather is really soft and comfy. Not like the shoe leather in some car seats.

[phaze]

have you ever got your leather boots wet, let them dry and put them back on are they tighter because they shrink makes it a little pliable and it will tighten on the seat. front or back doesnt matter wring them out and install. when i was a kid i worked in a refinishing shop. so i paid attention to the upholsterer.

[lancecharming]

I never wet it before installation and it`s been on the seat for weeks now and has been in rainstorms several times. It has gottten soaked and dried and still looks the same. No wrinkles, stains, spots,etc.
I never had leather boots or shoes shrink when wet. I lived in a snowy climate and had leather gloves get soaked and dry without shrinking. I always thought the "leather gloves shrink" deal was a lame excuse by the incompetant prosecution team in the O.J. trial to make up for the latex gloves inside the leather ones.
Maybe certain kinds of leather shrink?

[thedannymullen]

What did you use to get the staples back in? I have not been able to get them in on other atv seats in the past.

[lancecharming]

cheapchinaman-
Sorry it took so long-I haven`t been to the tips section in a while. I used a staple gun. The 3/8" staples are the same width and slightly shorter in length, but worked fine.
-Lance

[thedannymullen]

Thanks for the info.