Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Yoda]

   After about 15k I noticed the right side of the seat was "bubbling" where my thigh rubs against it.  After 15k it finally wore through and then it continued till it was about 6 inches long.  It is right above the seam.  I was in OKC for the rally and had to ride it back to Missouri.  I took it to the dealer and they took pics and sent it to H-D.  H-D would not warranty the seat claiming it was never treated with leather dressing  .  Not true, I take extremely good care of my  35k bike and the $800 seat.     Long story short, the dealer warrantied the seat out of their "comp' money.  Still H-D money though.  My fix is, I put the sheepskin cover back on for the summer.
Anyone else had seat issues of this type?
The picture is about a few days after OKC.

Yoda

[JohnT.]

 My seat required replacement with under 10k on the clock, due to irregular wear at stitching on both sides where yours is torn. I'm on my 2nd seat now and it is wearing in the same place as the other one. Bottom line is this is a poorly designed seat. I had a "profile" leather seat on my old Road King and never noticed
any wear. Seat looked good as new even on the day I sold the bike. I would like to replace the seat with something else. The problem is I would have to replace the Tour-pak backrest as well, so that it would match with the new seat, plus, I would like to retain the heating element within the seat. All of this would add up to a "gold" seat if you get my drift. Alittle more money than I would like to spend, on a bike that is only worth a fraction of what I paid for it now. My dealer told me
that the stitches can weaken with appling too much dressing as well. Service manager told me to apply the seat dressing amybe once a month max. Good Luck.. JohnT.

[Yoda]

Thanks JohnT, I feel the same way, poor design.  Like the seat and all, but if it will wear through that easy then the quality of the leather isn't good.  I told ya my fix, I will keep the sheepskin cover on it until the winter, so I will only rub directly against the leather a few months of the year.  For you down San Diego way do you really need the heated seat?

Yoda

[DESERTBEAR54]

My response is exactly what John T stated in his thread!! All it takes is lots of money. My second seat I sit very gently on.

[JohnT.]

 Yoda,
The heating element in the seat makes a difference when I have my lady riding on the back on those cool late night rides.
I can turn that thing on and ride down through the valleys at 2-3 am and at the end of the ride, she's not complaining of
being cold. Actually helps my sex life alittle, believe it or not. Love that heated seat!! JohnT.

[Yoda]

Thanks JohnT, I have grown quite accostomed to the heated seat, and the OL loves it too.

Yoda

[VI48]

I know the true northern Canadian riders are going to get on me about the cool nights but I'm looking at your location wondering how cold it gets at night. Don't get me wrong, I have been in Palm Springs at 42 F with a stiff wind. A cool night ride here is somewhere between 40 and 60 F. We turn the heat on for those rides.

Lance

[Yoda]

It has happened again.  This time on the left side.  I am desperate to find a way to keep this from happening.  I use the leather dressing from H-D.  Anyone have a better product to keep this from happening?  I am also considering the mid frame deflectors to attempt to keep the engine heat off the edges of the seat.

Yoda

[Jerry/MD]

Sounds like you have a great dealer. I'm surprised ANYBODY would warranty a seat that old.

My H-D Sundowner seat split at the seams in the same area...on the same side. I'm having it re-done by Mean City Cycles soon. Hopefully it will last me a few years..........................

[The Old Man]

Had my seat rip at the end of last summer right side same place ...though it was my fat ass....guess not.
I had it re-upolstered by a local with a vinyl product called freeze crack used for automobiles. The old man upolsterer told me that leather just wasn't tough enough for an all weather application if it got wet and dried several times the leather would crack at the streess areas unless it was very thick.
I ride in the rain.... so I chose vinyl over a leather recover.

[Yoda]

I am having mine reupholstered locally.  When I went to the guy he told me the two panels along the sides are vinyl and the leather is shrinking and pulling on the vinyl and the weakest point is the seams so it is coming apart there.  Under $200 for the replacement of those panels all around the seat.  I also dont want to have to recover the entire seat and then the backrest.