General Category => Frame, Tank, Seat, Controls, Etc => Topic started by: bjm on November 10, 2014, 12:47:08 PM
-
;D looky looky what we have ;D
-
Nice , very nice .
Which bikes will they grace ?
Pete . :)
-
Looking good.
-
Nice! Heathers leathers?
-
yes they are from them, going on two 48 models
-
Bill,
Here is a picture of the big seat Simplex made which I was telling you about yesterday next to one of the new ones we got from Heather's Leathers.
Huston
-
This is the one I darkened up a bit and put on the 49.
Huston
hgonthehd
-
What did you use to darken it ?
Pete . :)
-
Nice!
-
Just some brown leather dye and hit it very lightly.They discontinued the brown leather that Wayne at Heathers Leathers has used for years.
-
Hmm , you'd think that brown leather would be no problem , considering the price they get .
But , maybe I'm dreaming , again . ;)
Pete . :)
-
Hmm , you'd think that brown leather would be no problem , considering the price they get .
But , maybe I'm dreaming , again . ;)
Pete . :)
If you think Heathers is expensive, call The Saddle Shop in FL and ask them for a quote. I bet you will not think Heathers is that expensive anymore! LOL
-
I'm sure there are higher priced 'offers' . Whether we are hard enough up to accept paying for them is another story .
Like I said , maybe I'm dreaming , but , I guess I'll hold out for reasonable dealings . My wife keeps telling me that I haven't been 'shopping' in a loooong time . She may be right . ;)
Pete . :)
-
I thought heathers leathers was too high also, but after I got mine done, they will be getting any of my future business. Love the end product.
-
Speaking of seats, I've been working on trying to keep the leather on my seat from degrading any more than it is/was. Granted it is over 65yrs old and pretty rough shape but figured it adds to the "look" of an old motorcycle. I first used a leather cleaner on it and then alternated neatsfoot oil and warming it up with hairdryer to speed up soaking it in. (I also added just a touch of brown leather dye to get the color I wanted into the neatsfoot oil) Came out pretty good, all things considered. Anyone else still have an "original seat" on theirs?
-
Mine is OEM . But , it is just the cheaper heavy plastic cover . ;(
(http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa28/pdcomm/Simplex/HPIM1588.jpg)
Pete . :)
-
Pete, where'd you get the seat cover from?
-
That seat cover is factory original .
I think it may have been an attempt at lowering production cost .
I can understand why we don't see many , as plastics breakdown when exposed to sunlight for extended periods . I'm sure that outdoor storage hasn't done anything many favors . ;)
My bike has been stored inside for , at least , the majority of it's life and most likely all of it's life .
Pete . :)
-
That's unique!
-
Anyone know what year they changed to the plastic seat? I sold one at Portland that wasn't too bad.
-
I've got the one shown above in this post that is the big seat that Simplex made and it is original. I've used a lot of saddle soap trying to get some moisture back into it. I guess I should try some of the neatsfoot oil.
Huston
-
Saddle soap will take oils out of leather as it cleans . Just like soap will clean the grease / oil off your hands . Neatsfoot oil is used to replace those oils , preserving and somewhat water proofing leather after cleaning .
Pete . :)
-
Or you can try some Mink oil, or as my father called it, "weasel wax" LOL
-
my understanding is they went with plastic in 1957
-
Agreed . Mink oil is another good leather treatment . I've used both .
Pete . :)
-
But aren't y'all talking about the plastic covered seat? I don't think there's much out there for plastic covered seats. ???
-
The thread started with the new seats from Heathers Leathers then went into old original seats and then to the new plastic covered ones.
I must have all the dirt out of the original larger seat cause I've used a lot of saddle soap. I have some mink oil that I will start working into it and see if that helps it out.
Here's another picture of the old larger seat I'm referring to.
The article from the VMBC posted on this site states at some point prior to 1944 an optional larger saddle appeared that required an adapter. I got the adapter with this seat along with a couple other goodies.
Huston
hgonthehd
-
Reese ,
We've talked about both plastic and leather . The original posts were about leather , until I mentioned mine was plastic .
You are right about not much , if anything , that will help plastic . If anyone knows of a product , please post up .
Pete . :)
-
Meltonian brand creme shoe polish in a jar, (not Kiwi), works great on old leather. This brand has more dye in it. Wear rubber gloves when applying it. Just remember that the cracks will soak in more color. It is sometimes good to buy a lighter color than you think you need for that reason.
-
Pete, I've had good luck using a heat gun on textured plastic to get rid of the surface scratches and bring back the color.
-
True that ^ .
But , heat does little to bring the 'life' back to deeper , more neglected plastics or vinyl . But , maybe I'm wrong .
Pete . :)