Seat recovering ‘how to’ guide

[aphid]

Can anyone point me to a ‘how to’ guide to recover my 2013 PCX bike seat?

It’s another avenue I’m exploring as an alternative approach to the useful de-humping thread, which tackles the problem from underneath. I would be really useful to see what the 2013 PCX seat looks like from above when the old vinyl cover is removed, hump mountings an all. If anyone has a picture I’d love to see it.

In relation to this I am wondering if it would be possible to carefully heat up the two plastic hump fixings from above and depress them back down, rather than lop them off, thereby creating a firmer base for sponge and padding?

That said, the original de-humping idea remains a possibility but I’m still unable to secure the missing pictures originally posted by sendler2112 - https://www.hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1933. I’ve PM’d him but still no reply, so I guess he no longer uses the forum.

It’s a dilemma, but it needs a serious dose of looking at before deciding on the best way forward.

[fish]

When tackling a similar issue with a Kymco seat ...I obtained a used seat from eBay....and modded it after viewing some motorcycle seat rebuilds on youtube.

Fish

[GeorgeSK]

I did the same thing with the Forza seat. I bought a second seat so that if the project went to hell in a handbasket, I would still have a ride-able scooter.

[aphid]

Thanks for the comments. For the moment I just want to explore cheap DIY options that I can have a go at myself, once I understand what I’m taking on. Without the additional pictures from the de-humping thread I am reluctant to tackle that...for now. But if I have an idea of what’s under the seat cover, maybe that could be another approach...? I don’t rely on my PCX other than leisure so if it goes wrong - hopefully not - I’ll just buy a pre-modded seat from Thailand.

[jburner]

I took the plunge today and took the cover off my 2013 PCX seat with the hump. I would try to upload pics, but can't get it to work. I was able to cut out the round blow molded section and bend what was left into "tabs" for some structure underneath the cushion that I added underneath. The original foam is NOT glued to the plastic seat pan. If anyone wants pics, PM me until I can figure out how to get these pics uploaded. Now to figure out how to stretch the new vinyl over the seat without wrinkles. It looks like it will have to be stretched significantly in the place where the large hump is in the front of the seat. Hair dryer will most likely be used to help stretch into place and fit. The old vinyl that I removed was my template and it doesn't fit front to back right now because of the stretched portion where the hump was in the front of the seat. Pics would say so much more...

[aphid]

Here is a forum guide on uploading pictures: https://www.hondapcx.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=912

I for one would love to see the pictures. I suspect the reason you had issues uploading images was because the file sizes were too big. There are plenty of free apps out there that will do the job. I usually resize to about 450x350 pixels before uploading.

At the moment I am looking at filling in the void around and between the sticking up hump attachments from above, by feeding packing material through the two holes or even making a cut from hole to hole to give greater access. This rather than lopping off the plastic humps and packing from underneath as described elsewhere. Feels like a circular area that will need padding.

If you look at the various replacement seat covers suitable for a 2013 PCX (like on Chheky Seats https://scooterseatcovers.net/index.php ... cts_id=580, for example) you will see they all have a stitched design to create the rounded shape at the front. I suspect the original seat cover was vacuum moulded before being factory fitted.

[jburner]

Finished it and I’m actually surprised at how well it went. No wrinkles except up in front where they are not very noticeable. Here’s to hoping it will last!
Now to figure out how to convert heic photos to jpg and then compress in order to upload! That's going to be more difficult than the seat... Standby.

[jburner]

Here goes. . .

Disassembly of seat, pad, and plastic "pan"

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Stuffed the tapered hole with furniture padding left the small indentation for the hump as somewhat of a seat form. I think it looks ok that way after I covered it.

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Melted cut out the rounded portion and cut slits in the sides in order to bend the plastic down. My piece of wood left indentations on the plastic, but it's quite solid now. Not the prettiest though...

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Finished product after wrestling the staples in with a manual staple gun and pliers to push them into the plastic. (NOT RECOMMENDED!) Use a pneumatic staple gun if you can get one. I didn't have one.

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[jburner]

Used Marine vinyl from Hobby Lobby for a whopping $10 and still have enough left to cover 2 more seats.

[aphid]

That’s fantastic, Jburner! Great photos, too. Very helpful in understanding what you did.

I expected the rounded front end to be a PITA to cover without stitching in seams. You did an excellent job, there. Well done.

Very interesting seeing the seat once the cover is removed, especially the foam padding. So from what I can see, there is a circular recess in the foam padding around the area the hump was?

[jburner]

That’s fantastic, Jburner! Great photos, too. Very helpful in understanding what you did.

I expected the rounded front end to be a PITA to cover without stitching in seams. You did an excellent job, there. Well done.

Very interesting seeing the seat once the cover is removed, especially the foam padding. So from what I can see, there is a circular recess in the foam padding around the area the hump was?

Correct. On the back side its is tapered to match the plastic blow mold. See pic #2-3

[GeorgeSK]

Awesome job!! Congrats!

[aphid]

That’s fantastic, Jburner! ....
So from what I can see, there is a circular recess in the foam padding around the area the hump was?

Correct. On the back side its is tapered to match the plastic blow mold. See pic #2-3

Did you try just filling this space with foam or padding first, before cutting into the plastic cones to make the tabs?
And the real question, how does it feel riding on the new seat...?

[jburner]

I filled the space with foam knowing that I was going to flatten the plastic. It was all or nothing kind of thing. I was going to try to soften and push them down without doing any cutting and realized that the plastic would have bunched up too much to be a flat structure for the foam to sit on.

Haven’t been able to take it for a ride yet, but sitting on it feels great! No more plastic base digging in.

[aphid]

I filled the space with foam knowing that I was going to flatten the plastic. It was all or nothing kind of thing. I was going to try to soften and push them down without doing any cutting and realized that the plastic would have bunched up too much to be a flat structure for the foam to sit on.

Haven’t been able to take it for a ride yet, but sitting on it feels great! No more plastic base digging in.

Good stuff. And after all, being comfortable is what it’s all about.

[jburner]

Just got back from a 60 mile round trip. Seat held up well, so did my backside. Lots of room to move around and shift if necessary. Can use the slanted footboards as “highway pegs” to make a mighty comfortable ride.

[aphid]

Great to hear it's as comfortable as it looks, though I'm sure that was never in question!

[fish]

Just got back from a 60 mile round trip. Seat held up well, so did my backside. Lots of room to move around and shift if necessary. Can use the slanted footboards as “highway pegs” to make a mighty comfortable ride.

Nice job. I've been through the same procedure.
You skipped over the comment about covering the rounded nose of your new seat.
Do you have photos of covering that specific area? ......comments about your method and about how that vinyl from HL worked for you, over the nose?
The rounded nose of a scooter seat is the Achilles heal at recoving time!
Your comments please.
Fish

[jburner]

Just got back from a 60 mile round trip. Seat held up well, so did my backside. Lots of room to move around and shift if necessary. Can use the slanted footboards as “highway pegs” to make a mighty comfortable ride.

Nice job. I've been through the same procedure.
You skipped over the comment about covering the rounded nose of your new seat.
Do you have photos of covering that specific area? ......comments about your method and about how that vinyl from HL worked for you, over the nose?
The rounded nose of a scooter seat is the Achilles heal at recoving time!
Your comments please.
Fish

I probably skipped over it because I didn’t want to remember that part! I stapled the rounded nose end first and heated and stretched the vinyl stapling around to the back end. Then proceeded to work my way around the sides starting on the rounded nose side first. I ended up putting just enough staples to hold the vinyl in place and then came back and cleaned it up filling in where there were gaps between staples. One thing I forgot to mention was that the original vinyl seems to be 2 way stretch and the stretch portion was side to side vs front to back. I was able to use this 2 way stretch to pull the vinyl down around the front nose as well. The actual seat portion still has an air gap when I get off the seat, it I’m hoping that with time and sun it will stretch to fit. So far so good.

Learn from my mistake of adding vinyl protectant to the seat. It’s SLIPPERY!

[jburner]

I think if I would do it again, I would have started from the back and work my way forward around the nose portion of the seat.