Review: ZL1000 seat covers on Ebay

[golddrakul]

Re: Stock ZL1000 seat covers on Ebay

Here's some pics of the difference in the pleats, very minor. The first pic is factory, second is repro. Factory is just a tiny bit thicker pleats.

Next are a couple pics of "rough fitting" the repro on a stock seat.

And lastly a pic of the backrest cover.

Overall, a fantastic job. Seams are tight, beading is good; like Markus I will be ordering one of these. I had a hole about the size of a quarter in the side panel repaired last year, it was over $100. If these had been available, I would have much rather bought this.

Many thanks to Dave for taking the time and risk to get this setup with the manufacturer!!

Seat cover:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/KAWASAKI-EL...Parts_Accessories&hash=item4164ab7c17&vxp=mtr

Backrest cover:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/KAWASAKI-EL...Parts_Accessories&hash=item41644672ad&vxp=mtr

 

[gosupes]

Did you shop around for someone stateside as well? I purchased one from Sargent Cycles for $60. They don't list a ZL1K on the web site but they might have the pattern, just have to call. They did a custom seat for kawboy's 1K, can't remember what he said he paid. He will have to pipe in.

 

[zlMark]

Yea it would be nice to have a supplier this side of the pond. I hate to order stuff from Thailand etc.

But the quality of the reproduction looks good and the price is right for sure. I'm surprised they aren't marketing them as NOS Kawasaki

 

[Blue-Grass-Tornado]

Has anyone tried a local upholsterer? I had a guy in Texas that did V65 seats for me, and the pattern was actually more complicated than the big ZL seats. I find it hard to believe a good shop couldn't make something to mirror the production seats. Might be worth looking into............

 

[prfixer]

The problem comes in finding someone that can do the "Heat Pressing" that the originals had. All I could find locally was shops that imitate the pattern with stitching.

 

[golddrakul]

I actually checked around in Chicago, as usual everything is very expensive here.

Something to consider on this, the pleating on these aren't stitched, they are a press fit glued pattern. While many shops will be able to stitch a custom seat cover together, very few one-off shops are set up to make a specific stamping pattern for our ZL seats. I've seen some that have "simulated" the stamping by stitching those areas, which is fine if that's what you want; but getting something as close as possible to factory is much more difficult.

 

[Blue-Grass-Tornado]

I actually checked around in Chicago, as usual everything is very expensive here.

Something to consider on this, the pleating on these aren't stitched, they are a press fit glued pattern. While many shops will be able to stitch a custom seat cover together, very few one-off shops are set up to make a specific stamping pattern for our ZL seats. I've seen some that have "simulated" the stamping by stitching those areas, which is fine if that's what you want; but getting something as close as possible to factory is much more difficult.

So are these reproductions stamped in this "factory" way????

 

[golddrakul]

Yes! If you look closely at the pictures I posted of the pleats, particularly the first picture, the pattern around the edge and the space between the individual pleats are stamped, not sewn.

 

[furchin]

I have had two of my seat covers reproduced by upholsterers and while they do resemble the factory seat very closely they are stitched. The biggest problem in going this route is if the seat gets wet the stitching allow moisture to enter the foam and stay wet for a while. The other small problem is your backside gets wet until things dry out.