How to Re-Cover a Motorcycle Seat Using Stretch Vinyl Fabric

X-HT-200559

Old vinyl has a tendency to crack and turn brittle. If your motorcycle seat is starting to crack, that doesn't make for a comfortable ride. Give your old seat new life with fresh upholstery. With the step-by-step instructions in this how-to video, you can reupholster your own motorcycle seat.
Video Chapters:
  • Removing Old Cover — 0:42 min.
  • Patterning Top Plates — 1:56 min.
  • Sewing Plates — 7:35 min.
  • Patterning Boxing — 11:31 min.
  • Sewing Boxing to Plates — 12:33 min.
  • Using Fabric Pulls — 18:11 min.
  • Stapling & Stretching Vinyl — 20:47 min.
Materials List:
  • Morbern® Allsport 360º 4-Way Stretch Electric Blue 54" Vinyl Fabric (#104175)
  • Morbern® Allsport 360º 4-Way Stretch Black 54" Vinyl Fabric (#104182)
  • PremoBond® Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.) (#123337)
  • Cushion Wrap Silk Film 54" (#103933)
  • 5-Ply Waxed Polyester Twine Bobbin (81 ft.) (#29206)
  • 21 Gauge 3/8" (10mm) Staples 10,000/Box (Stainless Steel) (#8010SS)
Tools List:
  • Sailrite® Standard Fabricator® Sewing Machine Package (110V) (#400500)
  • Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed (#19104)
  • W Smith & Son Assorted (#13-19) Sail Hand Sewing Needles Triangular Point (4 pack) (#29112)
  • Sailrite® Short Nose Upholstery Staple Gun (#121410)
  • Pliers, Permanent Marker, Pencil, Straightedge

 

How to Recover a Motorcycle Seat Using Stretch Vinyl Fabric 2

Our seat had a lot of shape to it, so to get the best fit around all those contours we chose to use Morbern® Allsport 360° 4-Way Stretch Vinyl. The stretch of this vinyl is forgiving when patterning (making it great for beginners) and provides clean lines and a smooth appearance for professional results. Allsport is also durable and easy to clean. We chose to add more visual interest to our seat by using two colors of vinyl, but this is just a preference.

If you don't own a motorcycle, the techniques in this video are applicable to other seat reupholstery projects like seats on personal watercraft, snowmobiles, tractors or golf carts. This video will walk you through removing the old cover, patterning the top plates and boxing, sewing the plates and boxing, creating fabric pulls, and stapling and stretching the vinyl.

Materials List:

Morbern Allsport 360° 4-Way Stretch Electric Blue 54" Vinyl

#104175

Morbern® Allsport 360° 4-Way Stretch Electric Blue 54" Vinyl Fabric

Morbern Allsport 360° 4-Way Stretch Black 54" Vinyl Fabric

#104182

Morbern® Allsport 360° 4-Way Stretch Black 54" Vinyl Fabric

PremoBond Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.)

#123337

PremoBond® Tex 90 (V-92) White UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.)

Cushion Wrap Silk Film 54"

#103933

Cushion Wrap Silk Film 54"

5-Ply Waxed Polyester Twine Bobbin (81 ft.)

#29206

5-Ply Waxed Polyester Twine Bobbin (81 ft.)

21 Gauge 3/8" (10mm) Staples 10,000/Box (Stainless)

#8010SS

21 Gauge 3/8" (10mm) Staples 10,000/Box (Stainless Steel)

Tools List:

Sailrite Standard Fabricator Sewing Machine Package (110V)

#400500

Sailrite® Standard Fabricator® Sewing Machine Package (110V)

Gingher 8" Scissors Right Handed

#19104

Gingher® 8" Scissors Right Handed

W Smith & Son Assorted (#13-19) Sail Hand Sewing Needles Triangular Point (5 pack)

#29112

W Smith & Son Assorted (#13-19) Sail Hand Sewing Needles Triangular Point (5 pack)

Sailrite Short Nose Upholstery Staple Gun

#121410

Sailrite® Short Nose Upholstery Staple Gun

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