Anyone tried a vinyl repair kit?

[kalessin]

Hello...

Has anyone tried the heat-applied vinyl repair kits for fixing cracked seat vinyl? My seat cover isn't torn, it just has some cracks right in the middle of the front half of the stepped seat. (I need to fix this soon, as my bike has to move out of loaned garage space and onto the curb under a cover, and having soaked seat-foam truly sucks)

I'm also considering getting some thick plastic drop-cloth and putting some under the seat-cover, though removing/replacing it looks to be like a bit of a pain.

joel

[Planecrazy]

There is a product you can buy at most hardware stores called "Tear Repair," that I used to fix some minor cracks in my seat. It works incredibly well, even on butt joints (if you put some backing material underneath) and it's VERY strong. Best of all, it dries absolutely clear, and when done properly it almost vanishes because the color of your seat comes right through and camaflages it.

I have the other stuff, but haven't tried to use it yet, so I don't know if it's a better bet or not.

Good Luck!
Steve 8)

[Jethro]

I tried a vinyl repair kit on my 83 1100E. It was garbage. Looked worse than the splitting seam I had on there before (which, mind you, had not even totally split yet), and lasted about 36 seconds of me being on the seat before it began to peel. I took my time and even used an electric iron to get the filler material perfect.

I wouldn't bother with it. Duct tape for a temp hillbilly fix, and then buy yourself a recovering kit. I got mine from Sargent Cycle in Florida, and it comes with a vapor barrior to keep the included foam from filling up with water. $65 and you have a new, awesome seat.

[kalessin]

I concur. I borrowed a half-used kit, and tried it on my seat. Yuck. I'm replacing the original cover with a mail-ordered Sargent cover tonight.

[Anonymous]

do it yourself

Go to a fabric store (i know it hurts) and get some furniture vinyl. It usually comes in black. Go for then thickest.
Then get a decent staple gun and have at it.

I recovered the split seat of a GS1150 for about $20 (less the staple gun).

[kalessin]

Hi...

I have no problems going to fabric stores; I volunteer for college and community theater, so I end up buying a lot of weird fabrics and making strange things out of them...

I wrote about my seat-recovering experience using a Sargent seat cover in this thread:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=35952

The GL seat is banana-shaped, with a big step between the driver and passenger sections, and what looks like sharper angles than the 1150 seats. Although I would have liked saving the $40, the 1100GL seat design really requires a cover sewn together out of separate pieces of vinyl to fit over the foam.

Despite the "teething troubles" (metal pans have little teeth that poke through the cover to hold it on), I'm really very happy with the Sargent cover now that it's on my bike. I'll post pics if the rains ever stop over New England...

-- joel