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Cool Retro Bikes offers MORE SERVICES than ANYONE / ANYWHERE!

We specialize in OEM COVER RESTORATION

The owner T.D. Bash has been repairing, recolorizing, & restoring vinyl, leather, plastics cloth and other materials for over 20 years and is considered a master of the repair trade and has taught the trade as well as represented a leading supplier of tools and supplies of this field at trade shows thru out the country.

About half of CRB's work involves saving, vinyl / leather repairing, dyeing /restoring color to, reinstalling logos to, restoring trim on original OEM seat covers.

This is particularly important when there is no accurate / historically correct seat cover available for the customers particular model bike. Most late 1960's and newer motorcycles had embossed pattern heat seam designs in the top panels of OEM seats. These type covers cannot be accurately reproduced in 99% of most cases. This where CRB comes to the rescue for the restorer / enthusiast!

We are possibly the ONLY seat restoration shop that offers this vast array of unique hard to find services for vintage original OEM cover seats:

VINYL , LEATHER &/or CLOTH repair of rips, tears, holes, cuts, cat claw marks, seam seperations, cigarette burns, vinyl melt spots from heat , solvents &/or paint.

VINYL , LEATHER &/or CLOTH repair of broken , seperated or missing welt cord, welting , piping trim

VINYL , LEATHER &/or CLOTH exact color matching recolorization / custom color dye service

Foam repairs / renewal / replacement. From seat foam base repairs to resurfacing to replacing foam strips on pleats that have gone flat.

Pan breather hole / foam renewal. Critical if your old foam is old, rust stained, crumbling thru the seat pan breather holes. We even match the OEM foam color!

OEM Rubber cushion renewal. Critical when new OEM rubber pan cushions are no longer available.

Pan hardware renewal. Critical when new OEM hardware parts (plungers, springs, latches, hinges etc) are no longer available. Includes frame style spring renewal and foam barrier replacement

Trim Strip Renewal or Replacement. Critical when new OEM chrome / stainless trim strip molding is damaged, rusty, bent or worse yet MISSING!

Seat passenger belt / buddy strap restitching, renewal of color and related hardware and replacement with vintage original OEM or matched reproduction belts.

Show Chrome replating service or replacement of OEM buddy strap buckles and bolts / realted hardware. Critical when new OEM chrome buckles are damaged, rusty, bent or worse yet MISSING!

Reinstall of OEM logos. If we dont have a logo for your seat, we can in most cases, custom make it. Logos are always accurate to size, font style, appearence and are carefully applied using a logo mask and airbrush. Logo is applied with custom mixed to match vintage OEM colors / high performance vinyl dyes, NOT cheap spray bomb cans! 20 years of field experience in exact color matching thousands of shades / colors of vinyls, leathers, & cloths will assure your logo is not only the correct color but is accurate and of the highest quality material and wont smear if contacted by gasoline & solvents.

For more information, pricing and representational photos on all our specialized services please browse our various SEAT RESTORATION pages:

BASIC SEAT RESTORATION SERVICES

SEAT RESTORATION SUPPLEMENT GALLERY

SEAT RESTORATION SERVICES LIST & PRICING

OEM SEMI RESTORED SEATS FOR SALE

SEAT RESTORATION TESTIMONIALS

If you are shopping around on the internet or eBay auctions for a reproduction SEAT COVER, here's a list of IMPORTANT MOST OVERLOOKED DETAIL QUESTIONS to ask the manufacturer or seller of the seat cover you are considering to make sure you are truely getting the BEST VALUE FOR YOUR DOLLAR $$$$:

WE CHALLENGE OUR COMPETITORS TO OFFER ALL OF THE FOLLOWING QUALITY FEATURES & /OR EXCLUSIVE SERVICES !

SEAT COVER CHECK LIST PRINT OUT:

Is the Cover Material Premium Grade or Marine Grade UV Coated &/or 2-Way Stretch vinyl for extra ease of installation , better fit and supreme longevity.

Post Assembly, are the seams trimmed down to 1/4" to match original , particularly factory heat seaming (as small as 1/8") This makes a difference in how the cover fits.

When applicable, is there a Double Hemmed Mounting Skirt included ?

When applicable to under seat mounting, does the kit BELTcome with New Heavy Gauge Aluminum/ Non-Rusting Belt Mount Reinforcements , as well as New Metric Mounting Washers & Nuts?

Is the Welt Cord the correct size & color? (ie: some vintage covers required Black/ White/Gray/ Chrome Silver SMALL Welt Cord / NOT large size automotive welting & NOT welt cord made by covering a cloth core with vinyl . THIS IS INCORRECT FOR 99% of SEATS. Many shops make their own welt cording using the seat vinyl stitched over a cloth core OR they use larger automotive welt cord . WRONG! This method is much cheaper and more readily available. ALL of our welt cords are the CORRECT SIZE & COLOR!

Is the Welt Cord Begin / End Point in correct location? On most belted seats the welt cord ends = stop/start point meets under the belt so it is hidden. MOST upholstery shops start the welt cord in the front and hide rthe ends with a small strip of vinyl (WRONG!) because it is much simpler and quicker to 'center' the welt cord and vinyl pieces and stitch the top & sides together in one step. Starting the welt cord at the side where it is supposed to be per OEM requires FOUR extra steps in the pattern and stitching process = more time, labor costs, etc. ALL of our seat cover kits are sewn CORRECTLY as they were at the OEM factory! This is a CRITICAL question to ask the maker of the seat cover you are considering purchasing! If you show your bike in competition, this seemingly small detail alone can cost you POINTS and a TROPHY!

On Pleated Top Panel cover ..is it machine stitched or is it correct factory style faux stitch heat seam & if so are the end panels non pleated & correct width or is the entire top panel pleated?

Is The Vinyl Grain a close as possible match in grain pattern &/or color? Will the company provide SAMPLES of both WELT CORD & VINYLS used in their covers? Go ahead and ask them. 99% of our competition use the wrong vinyls and welt cords

Is the replacement logo the correct size, style & color and what is used to apply the logo? (Ours are applied with pro-grade laquer based dyes per OEM which are fuel/gas resistent and come in a variety of styles, sizes & colors) NOT ENAMEL SPRAY CAN PAINT!! Imagine the scenerio where you are working on your bike and get carb cleaner or gas on your hands or rag and you just happen to touch the rear of your seat ? Our LOGO will NOT be affected..THEIR spray can paint logo WILL SMUDGE &/or COME OFF and be RUINED!!

Does the kit come with new mounting hardware for the chrome trim strip or new hand polished / clear coated / chrome button rivets?

In the case of vintage colored covers (ie: Reds, Blues, etc) , if the exact color & grain of new vinyl cannot be located , is dyeing the cover the correct shade an option?

If your seat's chrome trim strip is missing, dented , rusty? Do THEY they offer a replacement molding option with their seat covers ? Cool Retro Bikes offers a superior custom made to your seat replacement chrome trim strip molding as an option to our seat cover kits or as a seperate item for those missing the trim strip or have rusty, dented unusable trim strip.

Does the kit come with complete in depth mounting instructions? Ours is THREE PAGES and offers tips on removal of old hardware, trim strip, and refinishing tips for pan /frame and reinstall of cover, belt, belt reinforcers, and trim strip / button rivets, more!

Are multi-view pictures available of the cover kit ( and seat pan when applicable)

Does the kit include ON-LINE - PHONE SUPPORT for the 1st Time Do-It-Yourselfer?

FINALLY..Does the company selling the cover offer INSTALLATION SERVICES as well as COMPLETE FRAME UP RESTORATION SERVICES should you opt to leave the job to professionals? COOL RETRO BIKES DOES!!!