Jota 180 seat foam

M

Mike_P

New member
Location
North Yorkshire UK
I don’t suppose anyone has found a decent supplier of an accurately shaped seat foam for a single seat humped Jota 180 ? Mines a 79 so has the 2 curved lines atop the hump. I understand the later ie 120 models etc don’t have these curves.
I’m uk based and just received a superb quality seat cover from Tony at Eldorado in Oz, sadly he doesn’t do the foam though. Recommendations greatly appreciated…thanks
 
Thanks for the reply, yes mine is there and looks reasonably okay under the cover, but I’m conscious of the fact it’s nearly 50 years old so may fall apart when I remove it. The bike has spent the last (at least) 30 years or so indoors so i may find its okay when I dismantle it
 
You will be surprised what can be saved,if there are any holes,tears rips etc these can be repaired with foam added and a layer of thin foam applied on top to support and accentuate the shape and detail,you may know all this already but having been through this process with mine it's always satisfying to know you did it yourself.

Mine was in a pretty poor state when I stripped the cover off and with a fair bit of rust on the base under the cover but solid and saveable.
 

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Thanks that’s a good tip ref adding foam if it needs it. My seat looks in good shape at first glance and it’s original, but the stitching is coming apart in places. I was tempted to leave it with it being the original cover but having received Tony’s cover the quality is so good I have to fit it. The base is showing surface rust too so I’m just going to bite the bullet and restore it properly
 
Would have thought any half decent motorcycle seat upholsterer could reproduce the required foam shape if required... as well as fit the cover properly.
I've used R K Leighton in Birmingham to good effect.
You could also contact Malcolm Cox (coxeng@gmx.com) to find out who he uses now that P&P have ceased trading.
 
As an ex coach trimmer I can advise the biggest killer of seat foam is UV (daylight). Car seat foams suffer a lot more than bike seat foams as they are by definition out in the sun most of the time. Motorcycle seats tend to suffer less as they are garaged away from the harmful UV rays. When I used to strip car seat covers the foam would just turn to breadcrumbs or dust as it had only been held together by the seat material.
Most seat foams are moulded and it's the 'skin' that is formed on the outside of the mould that gives it it's strength and elasticity.

If your bike has been garaged and the cover isn't torn letting water in (another foam killer) you should be ok. Maybe add a layer of 1/4 inch foam over the top using spray adhesive very, very sparingly otherwise you risk getting indentations in the foam due to the adhesive getting into the open cells of the new foam. Just like the final paint finish the new seat cover will show all the lumps and bumps underneath especially where the old seat cover seams dug into the foam so make sure the foam is smooth using the 1/4" foam.

Good luck 👍
 
triton said:
As an ex coach trimmer I can advise the biggest killer of seat foam is UV (daylight). Car seat foams suffer a lot more than bike seat foams as they are by definition out in the sun most of the time. Motorcycle seats tend to suffer less as they are garaged away from the harmful UV rays. When I used to strip car seat covers the foam would just turn to breadcrumbs or dust as it had only been held together by the seat material.
Most seat foams are moulded and it's the 'skin' that is formed on the outside of the mould that gives it it's strength and elasticity.

If your bike has been garaged and the cover isn't torn letting water in (another foam killer) you should be ok. Maybe add a layer of 1/4 inch foam over the top using spray adhesive very, very sparingly otherwise you risk getting indentations in the foam due to the adhesive getting into the open cells of the new foam. Just like the final paint finish the new seat cover will show all the lumps and bumps underneath especially where the old seat cover seams dug into the foam so make sure the foam is smooth using the 1/4" foam.

Good luck 👍
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Brilliant thanks for the advice 👍
 
Schurminater said:
www.motorcycleseatcovers.co.uk

Scrim Foam 6mm ideal for Motorcycle seat covers and general upholstery | JP Upholstery

Scrim Foam 6mm ideal for Motorcycle seat covers, upholstery etcSheet Size 26" x 39". (36cm x 100cmScrim foam is used as a backing foam under vinyls to add padding and shape. It can be cut, glued and used in multiple layers to achieve the desired thickness.6mm scrim foam is ideal for use under...
www.motorcycleseatcovers.co.uk www.motorcycleseatcovers.co.uk

This is what I used (y)
Click to expand...
Many thanks that’s great 👍
 
If you ride long distances, I'd recommend fiting a gel pad in the top of the foam.
As my seat got older, 35 years +, I started to suffer from numb bum.
I had an upholsterer fit a gel pad and it made a world of difference.
520 miles in a day, twice, on the trip to Breganze last year, with no ill effects.
 
I did the same on my Pantah seat, but there is an issue. Just after I did it, I went to a bike show in western Sydney mid-summer on a 40c plus day with the bike parked in full sun all day. I got 500m up the road heading home and noticed my arse was getting extremely hot, I am talking frying pan 3rd degree burns hot. That gel pad absorbs heat and radiates it out for hours after in a dangerously painful way. I had to cool it off with chilled water from a petrol station, the seat, not my arse. There is a type of heat protection used on plastic sidcovers that might help. Maybe you never park in full sun in hot weather, BTW, the Gel helps a lot with comfort. The stuff you learn ha.
 
Thanks folks, I must admit I like the idea of an insert if I can maintain the correct seat profile. I live in rural North Yorkshire so I don’t have to worry too much about the high summer temperatures here 😊
 
Vince said:
But there is an issue. Just after I did it, I went to a bike show in western Sydney mid-summer on a 40c plus day with the bike parked in full sun all day.
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Luckily, Vince, we don't get too many 40°C plus days, in the UK, so not an issue here.
Mike_P said:
Thanks folks, I must admit I like the idea of an insert if I can maintain the correct seat profile.
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Here's a picture of mine with the silicone insert. No change of profile.
2021 05 29 Ancient Monument 3.jpg
 
I shaped my own foam using the old electric carving knife trick - not perfect but good enough. My problem is that the foam I was sold, supposedly ideal for moto seats is a bit soft and tends to overcompress. I have an Air Hawk seat cover for long rides and absolutely love it, but I really would like to replace the seat base material with latex foam ... used to be able to buy it from Clark Rubber in Oz, but it's not available anywhere that I've been able to source even after internet searches. Next step is ask mattress maunufacturers who use it if they have any smallish offcuts.
 
I got a 25 mm-thicker foam for my Husky from these blokes, as the best type for seats is bloody hard to find. It made a huge difference to all-day comfort. From memory, they do std, slightly stiffer and slightly softer. That was well before tariff insanity, though. Maybe it's adaptable, or they might sell you a block to carve, maybe.
 
piranha-bro2 said:
I shaped my own foam using the old electric carving knife trick - not perfect but good enough. My problem is that the foam I was sold, supposedly ideal for moto seats is a bit soft and tends to overcompress. I have an Air Hawk seat cover for long rides and absolutely love it, but I really would like to replace the seat base material with latex foam ... used to be able to buy it from Clark Rubber in Oz, but it's not available anywhere that I've been able to source even after internet searches. Next step is ask mattress maunufacturers who use it if they have any smallish offcuts.
Click to expand...
Back in the days, when everyone wanted to emulate drag bikes from the 80’s, we’d put the foam in water, into a freezer and when fully frozen, use a rasp to shape.

Dry out and hey presto, one seat foam with a step down for the rider.
 
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