[eddie]

I, for one, am quite uncomfortable riding any distance with the stock seat. It's rounded top just hurts in all the wrong places. This isn't my 1st bike. In fact, it's #23 with everything from a CBR250R, KLR650, Transalp, V-Stroms (650 & 1000), Sportster 1200, GL1800, and even a CL350 in the mix and this seat's the worst.
I've contacted Seat Concepts about making a replacement foam & cover kit- detailing the changes I'd like to see. Mr. Lendon Smith there wrote me back and asked if I knew of a forum? I didn't at the time and then joined this one.
They did a terrific group buy over on a FZ-09 forum in 2014 and I took advantage of it. The seat turned out fantastic and was much ore comfortable than stock while looking OEM.
If we show enough interest, perhaps they will consider doing up a kit for the SCR950, too. Go to www.seatconcepts.com and let them know you are interested, please!
This is my FZ-09 with the kit I installed myself without having ever done anything like it before.

 

[Cruze]

They definitely have some fine looking products there, hopefully members can form together and we can get a list going for a group buy.

 

[TheScrambled]

How many people do they need for a seat group buy? May have to wit a bit to give people time to pick up their scr950 first.

 

[YamiGuy]

Without knowing how many will be needed I have a feeling the amount of people here willing to buy won't be enough, unless we start seeing people come out of the woods with cash, lots of lurkers.

 

[Cruze]

That's true. We need more of an outline of what's required so we can get the group buy going properly. Not enough info

 

[YamiGuy]

at the rate things are moving at it will take some time to finally get going but at least we can slowly get the ball rolling with a group buy posted it might just pull in the people who are really serious.

 

[eddie]

I'm not sure of the number required.
Just showing interest in the seat enough to get one made would be a good thing.
Right now, the # of seat options is zero.

 

[eddie]

I had good luck with an ATV seat cover on my old KLR650. So, late last night I went to WalMart and bought another one. $20 and worth a shot until they come out with a real seat solution for the SCR950. The cover has a pattern a lot like an Avon Gripster tire tread. That made it look kinda neat on the KLR.
On the SCR950, I wasn't so sure.

The 1st order of business was to reduce the amount of padding down the center of the seat. That part was a (insert your favorite profanity here).
I had to carefully cut the binding along one edge with a razor blade and the score/pluck out the foam on the back side of the top cover material.
It's a dense charcoal grey foam that had my hands cramping before I was done. There are three small blocks in the center that I did surgery upon.
It made the cover a bit "deflated" looking in the middle. The top view photo is of the KLR seat showing the three cells I modified on the SCR950's cover.
I'm going to be sitting on the thing anyway. Why worry how it looks? =)

The cover attaches with three straps featuring two buckles each. Those sat right on the frame when I got the cover installed. I didn't want 'em rubbing the finish, so I cut and sewed them back on so they only have one buckle each in the center of the underside of the seat. That works much better.
I am about to take it for a test run and will report back the results later.

 

[Cruze]

That looks pretty darn bad-ass, that's some good work. Can barely tell you even opened it up at any point unless you looks super closely. Hope it made the difference and feels a lot better

 

[TheScrambled]

How did the seat cover treat your derriere? I assume with the extra padding on the sides, that middle bump shouldn't be bothering you too much anymore.

 

[eddie]

How did the seat cover treat your derriere? I assume with the extra padding on the sides, that middle bump shouldn't be bothering you too much anymore.

It helped a fair bit. Not ideal. Not bad, either.
I took two rides yesterday, one around town with several stops and another late last night of about 40 miles. The theory's correct. With more padding on the outer edges and less in the center, I could still walk straight when I got home. If the seat were flatter still and maybe an inch or so wider in the center on each side, I'd say we have a winner. Now, to get someone to build a seat or seat foam/cover kit for us! Sargent? Saddlemen? Seat Concepts? Ya'll listening? ;-)

 

[eddie]

That looks pretty darn bad-ass, that's some good work. Can barely tell you even opened it up at any point unless you looks super closely. Hope it made the difference and feels a lot better

Thanks!
I cut the ATV cover's seam along one long side with a razor blade and carefully pushed the bottom fabric out of the way. Once I located the areas where I needed less padding, I made some very shallow cuts in the foam so as not cut the top cover fabric and started plucking out the dense foam by hand. Satisfied, I stitched the edge & binding back in place with a 1923 Singer treadle machine :grin2: and started fixing the straps like I wanted.
Here's a cross section of "before" and "after" the foam extraction.

 

[eddie]

Pictures of determination and possibly insanity

I added an album to the photo gallery called
How not to save money by building your own seat. ;-)
In it are a few photos of the seat build I am currently attempting.
The wooden seat pan made from two layers of 1/4" plywood was fast to cut out and all night to get curved - hopefully just right.
It's cool what 100+ pounds of ammunition can do for warping something. :laugh:
The next step will be to fit the mounting hardware, coat the wood thoroughly to protect it and then begin the scary task of shaping the foam & covering it. :surprise:

 

[eddie]

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; "
I was fortunate enough to obtain, at most fair price, a new OEM seat with which to experiment.
In about 2 hours, I removed the cover and carved/sanded down the rounded foam top to make it flatter.
Happy with the general shape, I then cut a trapezoidal area approximately 3/8" deep in the main seat area.
Into that went a section of raw seat gel cut from a 19"X15" pad I found on eBay from seller valentinasgarage.

I had to stretch a bit of knit cloth (old t-shirt!) over the entire seat tightly and staple it in place before reinstalling the
original cover to help hide the borders of the seat foam/gel area. Once put back together, I took it for a brief
test ride and was quite surprised at how nice it rode. It's more comfortable than stock by a margin!!!
In fact, even though I have a ton of work in the seat I made myself, I'm leaving this one on until I can source slightly
softer foam for my scratch-built seat.

The instructions for pad installation and re-stapling a seat cover are out there on YouTube.
Cutting and reshaping the foam is a messy, risky affair, should you try it. Take your time and it's doable.
The cost outlay, providing you already have a strong stapler, kitchen knives and some 80 grit sanding blocks, markers and
such is relatively low. I got the gel pad for $39 shipped and had enough leftover to do another seat if I'd cut more carefully.

Here are photos showing the marking, gel in place and final result's appearance.

 

[TheScrambled]

Lol. You just MacGyvered your own seat and now your blood, sweat and tears is sitting in a corner. Why not put the leftover gel pad into the DiY seat?

 

[eddie]

Lol. You just MacGyvered your own seat and now your blood, sweat and tears is sitting in a corner. Why not put the leftover gel pad into the DiY seat?

I actually already did. LOL:grin2:

 

[OpenRoad]

Lol, which seat are you using now if they both have a gel pad? The one you made does look like it'll keep your butt planted more.

 

[eddie]

Lol, which seat are you using now if they both have a gel pad? The one you made does look like it'll keep your butt planted more.

I'm going to leave the modified stock seat on there for now. I really only tried it out for a couple of miles and want to give it a chance on a longer ride. Although I worked really hard on the home grown seat, the foam's just too hard. The gel helps, yes, but I gotta find a different base foam other than the kayak seat foam it has now. If I could find an old seat off a big bike and carve out what I need using the factory foam, I'd be set. I think. They use a two-part A/B liquid foam to cast the OEM seats and I am having trouble finding some to work with.
I can make a 1 time mold using mine as a pattern and pour a seat from that. IF I could get the right stuff. It's just too expensive to order online and find out I got the incorrect density/softness.

 

[YamiGuy]

Smart move since I think even seats have a 'break in' period much like leather shoes, engines, etc. just have to see what it`s like when its `worn in` or when you've had enough time with it.

 

[eddie]

Took a 80 mile ride today and must say that the modified stock seat with it's new, flatter top and section of gel is the best of the three: Stock, the seat I made and the modded stock seat.
For <$40 and some time, it's worth a look if you don't like the stocker as-is and don't want to shell out $$$ for a new, aftermarket seat (which actually doesn't exist yet).