[A_Croteau500]

Hello,
So i’ve recently been converting my 83VT500 from bone stock to my own vision. It’s coming along pretty well so far but i can’t seem to find a good seat! I want something that’s tolerable to sit on but also looks great. I thought about a bobber seat but i just don’t like the springy look on the bottom. Any ideas on where to look? I’ll post a picture of the seat that i made myself for the time being.

 

[roadsnakes]

. I thought about a bobber seat but i just don’t like the springy look on the bottom.

'

I think those springs would look good on your bike.

 

[Joel Espinoza]

Unless you are looking for something super special, you could always reupholster one yourself.

leather hide: Search Result | eBay

Buy and sell electronics, cars, fashion apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, digital cameras, baby items, coupons, and everything else on eBay, the world's online marketplace

www.ebay.com

High Density Upholstery Foam Seat Cushion Replacement Sheets | eBay

Density does not equal firmness. The higher the density, the higher the quality of foam. Our foam is rated at 1.8 lb density. This density of foam is a high quality and affordable option for most applications and will last many years.

www.ebay.com

3M 16.75 oz. Super 77 Multi-Purpose Spray Adhesive-77-24 - The Home Depot

3M Super 77 is a multipurpose spray adhesive that can be used for a variety of projects to bond lightweight materials. It's versatile, quick drying and transparent - plus, its fast and permanent bond delivers speedy results to keep projects moving forward. The spray formula is easy to dispense...

www.homedepot.com

Arrow T50 Heavy Duty Staple Gun. T50

The iconic Arrow T50 model is America's best-selling staple gun. As Arrow's flagship product, it's known for its dependability and is a favorite of both professional craftsmen and ambitious DIYers alike.

www.homedepot.com

Something like can get you started.

 

[A_Croteau500]

'

I think those springs would look good on your bike.

I’m going to keep looking into some of them.

 

[Kris Carr]

The stock seat on my 500 was weathered and torn so i wasnt hesitant about carving it up. Once it was the shape i wanted it was just a matter of pulling some marine grade vinyl over it

 

[Joel Espinoza]

My parents owned an upholstery shop growing up so we we did stuff like that all the time. As long as you dont want to get too fancy, and you have a decent seat base it is pretty easy.

The Super 77 is what we always used to adhere foam to itself, a base, or the cover. So you would just clean everything off your seat base, cut a piece of foam the way you want it, and spray both the base and the foam piece lightly, let them sit until they look slightly dry, usually around a minute, then press them together. You could keep adhering foam the same way if you wanted to stack it up, or carve like a slightly higher back portion. If you have an electric turkey carving knife they actually cut foam really well if they are sharp, if not a really sharp knife/razor works too.

Once you get the foam portion the way you want it, spray the foam top and the inside of the leather or vinyl with the Super 77, wait the minute or so, and press them together. After that you would want to start pulling any convex portions first so they dont rise up on you. So if you have a lip upwards on the back of the seat, you would flip it over, and about the middle of the convex portion give it a little tension left to right and put in a few staples, then pull it nice and firm the other direction and put in a few staples, then rotate it 90 degrees and do it again with a bit less pressure so you dont pull the cover straight over the convex portion.

Just make sure everything looks good and then start stapling around the rest of the underside, pulling a little to make sure nothing looks baggy or uneven. Once it is all stapled on you just trim off the excess and call it a day.

 

[swifty2014]

I bought used seat for my 1983 750 to have to reshape it.
It turned out pretty nice since it was my first seat recover job. Easy too.

Here is a used factory seat for your vt500, and if you want, cut the rear half off to customize it.
I'm sure you can do a better recover job to that used seat than the one on there now.

Honda VT 500 C SHADOW OEM SEAT 1986 VT500 | eBay

From 1986 Shadow. Covering in poor shape.

www.ebay.com

 

[Kenstone]

Hello,
So i’ve recently been converting my 83VT500 from bone stock to my own vision. It’s coming along pretty well so far but i can’t seem to find a good seat! I want something that’s tolerable to sit on but also looks great. I thought about a bobber seat but i just don’t like the springy look on the bottom. Any ideas on where to look? I’ll post a picture of the seat that i made myself for the time being. View attachment 297846

It's difficult to recommend a seat without knowing what your budget is.
Typically most building this kind of bike have big dreams and no budget.
If that's not you, look into the current Honda 300 and 500 Rebels for a seat the looks like it will bolt right on to your bike.

I'm sure seats like those are rare in the used market and quite pricey new.
Another seat that might be close to "bolt-on" is a seat from a Yamaha Bolt.
The Bolt has been around for a while and you might find a used seat on ebay:

As far as a "Bobber" seat goes, nothing says you have to use the springs that come with it, as your bike still has the rear shocks.
jmo,

.
Edit: Cheap solo seats on ebay:
bobber solo seat | eBay