By: Chris Hodkinson
Does your seat cover look like this?
If it does it is time to replace the cover and in our case the
seat foam. For this project we contacted the people at
Hi-Flite
USA.
After some friendly conversation about the
color of the frame, fenders, and gas tank, they made a
recommendation of their Red/Black Flame cover with the
standard height replacement foam. After looking up what
this seat looked like on their website, I agreed with their
choice.
Installation
The installation of the seat cover for me was
quite easy as it arrived on a sunny day. Items you'll
need while doing this installation are: flat-blade screwdriver
and a staple gun using 1/4" staples. The
first thing I did, even before taking the old cover and foam
off, was put the new cover in the sun to warm it up so it
stretched easier. You can also use a hair dryer if the
heat of the sun is not available. While the cover was warming
up I took the old cover off using a flat-blade screwdriver to
remove the staples. With the old cover off I removed the
old hard cracked foam. The new foam was molded perfectly
and fit over the seat pan just like the OEM foam.
With the foam in place we started by slipping
the cover over the front of the seat and then the back.
I checked it for fit from side to side and then front to
back. Then I put in a few staples in the front to
hold it in place. Be careful not to put to many staples
in at the beginning as the fit may not be perfect and you may
need to recenter the cover. If this has to be done,
simply pull out the staples and start again.
Pull the cover over the back of the seat and
make sure it is tight. If it is not pulled tight enough
you will get a wrinkle in the curve of the seat cover.
Now you can staple down the back. Make sure it is still
tight over the center. Next, pull it tight from side to
side and put a couple of staples on the sides. Don’t
worry about getting enough staples in all at once. You
can go back and fill in the open areas later.
When the cover is all on and wrinkle free you
can go back and staple the open areas. One suggestion
that is very important is to make sure you use 1/4” staples
and nothing longer. If you use longer staples they can
go through your seat pan and cut the foam or worse yet
puncture your new seat cover.
Hi-Flite USA Info
Hi-Flite has a vast collection of colors
available in standard or non-slip material with prices ranging
from $64.95 to $124.95. Contact them for your seat needs
today.
Contact Info:
Hi-Flite
USA
3401 W.Fordham Ave
Santa Ana, CA. 92704
Phone:
714-979-4810
Web Site:
www.hi-flite.com
