1982 GS650E Seat - Rusty Pan, Lousy foam, Great cover

[dcaswell]

I just got a new seat off eBay from a great guy who will refund my money including postage. He also sold me sidecovers which are better than the one I have. Somebody fixed them with neatly laid fiberglass cloth inside they did it well enough it will stay together but of course the polyester resin doesn't really stick. Are the sidecovers ABS?

My big issue is, the seat cover is recent and great, but installed badly in fact right over the original cover. The foam is how I would expect 24 year old foam to be. Really bad, it's not torn. Has anybody tried replacing foam with good and economical results? The pan has 2 places rusted through on the edge, not as bad as many pans I have looked at. I can weld no problem, my problem I have a bad habit of rescuing things that should be tossed. The seat cost less than a new cover.

Can good pans be found or should this one be repaired? Everything always takes 4 times as long as I think it will and 8 times as long as my wife thinks it should

Thanks

Dave

[TheBigRed]

650E's are a little hard to find parts for.

I lucked onto a OEM seat on ebay to replace the not so great re-covered seat mine had on when I bought it.

I'd say if it isn't too far gone.. go ahead and keep it.

Repair the rusted areas, then you'll have a good pan to put a custom foam and cover on. Rumors say that local apholstery shops will do the covering for not a whole lot. I"m half debating doing something like that with the one that came on my 650, it is either that or selling it so I can source everything I need for my 550 re-build.

Amos

[jimcor]

Seats and/or pans can be hard to come by, so don't throw that one away. It's worth repairing. I'm always amazed at how expensive foam is. Yes, we have had posts on the forum about installing new foam, it's not cheap. Try a search. I have never done the job...but, as the owner of a fine looking seat complete with rusty pan, and semi hard foam I get to post an answer... 8O 8)

[dcaswell]

The pan and the foam were not as bad as I expected. I will weld a new piece across the front about 1" wide and that will cure all the rust. There was a crack in the middle of the seat because the pads were gone underneath causing a stress crack which I welded and I will order new pads. I have seen seat repair articles here for plastic pans but the metal ones have those nasty little spikes. Is there a better way of installing other than those plus I will have to make new ones across the front because of the rust? Pop rivets will probably end up poking through the foam The articles say that small defects in the foam won't show up, but they do. For instance there are subtle indents from the pleats and even they show up but worse is a wrinkle that has probably been there since new. It shows up under the new seat cover. I have no idea who made the seat cover it was poorly installed by the PO. Any idea about an economical plastic edge protector, only about 50% of mine remains and it is brittle?

Thanks

Dave