Seat rebuilds by Cycle Solutions

[muddyrabbit]

Fellow inmates, I am so happy with my seat rebuild from Cycle Solutions that I just have to share it with you all. Not just another aftermarket seat, these guys are using the best technology and methods to make what I think are the best seats available. What sets them apart? First, they are using memory foam. We've all seen the commercials for the beds, same technology now in your seat. By using layers of varying density combined with measuring the rider and seat to determine where your personal pressure points are as well as where your spine and pelvis line up on the seat, and factoring in the riders weight, this is truly a custom build. They are not by any means inexperienced with the technology either. Cycle Solutions is an offshoot of Oregon Aero, who pioneered using memory foam in the aviation industry beginning in 1989. I asked Jim Dennis, president of Cycle Solutions, how the leap from airplane seats to motorcycle seats happened. The answer wasn't surprising. Customers who had had their "stone throne" airplane seats rebuilt started asking them to do the same for their motorcycle seats. Jim's brother, Mike, asked him to try to develop the technolgy for motorcycles. Jim likes to say the motorcycle rider can now enjoy the same seat technology as an F22 pilot. That is no exageration, the list on Oregon Aero's site of seat, helmet, ear protection, and other products they provide to both military and civil aviation is, well, long!
I've sat on and rode quite a few bikes, and I am not knocking any other seat builder or craftsman, but I have to say, after giving the butcheek test this stands out above the rest!

Other than the memory foam there are a few other differences in these seats, and in the interest of fairness and honesty, one that might be a drawback to some riders. First, in most cases they are able to reuse the factory cover. This is because memory foam outperforms everything else on the market without the need to build the seat thicker. This also means you can have a custom seat for your vintage bike that looks totaly original! Want a custom cover? No problem, they work with an awesome upholsterer that does beutiful work, ask Jim about the awesome non slip stretchy materiel I cheaped out on. Now, the drawback. Because memory foam stiffens up in cold temperatures, if you ride in the cold like some of us, the seat will feel hard. There is a solution that has extra advantages, they can build your seat with an optional heater pad in it. Super comfy and a warm tushy anyone?

Now I really hope Jim pipes up and corrects any of the errors I made in here, he is a bit of a lurker on ADV, and prefers to let customers and word of mouth speak for their products rather than blowing his own horn. Plus, they have some other cool products that I haven't tried, with technology I can't explain. Shock absorbing footbeds, and vibration isolating handgrips coming soon! Jim, I better be first in line to test them!!!!


The process in picts.
First, the buthcery. Some of the factory foam will be retained, but it all starts with Dave (that's Dave) carving out sections of the factory foam.


Starting to build the layers. It's hard to see, but you might notice how the front most corner of that sheet of blue comes to a point. This type of foam can be cut to a tolerance of +/- 0.005 inch!


New school tech meets old school craftsmanship. Some things just have to be done by hand, and it may sound cliche' but it really is as much art as science.


That center strip is a softer foam that will line up with the passengers spine for added shock absorbtion.


Like this. The different colors are the different densities.


Some final rough carving. (ask Jim why Dave's Hair is purple)


Followed by final shaping. This part is cool, thay freeze the foam hard so it can be sanded.


The memory foam is covered with a layer of automotive headiner to protect it from friction with the cover.

All the layers are glued together with an adhesive applied by spray gun.


Over everything goes heat shrink plastic, glued on first then heat shrunk to fit.


Jim could fill pages with insightfull info about the human spine, shock absorbtion, the foam, pain relief for riders with major back problems or joint replacement. What really stands out about these guys is not what they can tell you, but how they listen to your specific problem and needs. Answering your questions about how thier stuff works for your situation.

Almost forgot. As an activist for the sport, I always encourage riders to support businesses that support the sport, and I almost never spend my money with a motorsport business that doesn't give back. Cycle Solutions gives discounts to members of the organizations that keep up the fight for riders rights. If you are an American Motorcyclist Association member, or Ohio Motorized Trails Association member, (among others) you get a break for doing good for the sport by being involved. That's the way it should be. A good product and an good example to us all.

[little foot]

don't quit there, show me the finished product and give some feed back from peeps that use the product.

[muddyrabbit]

I'll get pics of the bike up tomorrow, but it basically looks just like a stock BMW G650 X Country seat. A sharp eye might notice it is a little plumper. Just got back from taking the G/F out for a lunch ride. I did about 80 miles total, not very long, but it is unbelievably comfy! Lil'B.P.O. also says the pillion area is WAY better. The wedge of denser foam at the rear seems to help keep her from sliding back as well.

[jimdennis]

Thanks Matt for the wonderful evaluation of our services. BTW Matt's the first customer out of hundreds, who's been invited into the shop, with a camera, to record a complete upgrade. We're proud of our service and really try to listen to our customers during the process. The real testimony of our service is when a rider returns to have his second and sometimes third bike's seat upgraded. We've a number of Iron Butt rally riders who ride on our upgrades, and are happy with the decision. We invite Adv Riders to contact us and let us listen to your situation and recommend solutions. Matt we'll get you a test set of our vibration dampening grips in the next week or so. Hoping to have a marketable product in time for Americade.

Everyone ride safe out there,

Jim Dennis
owner
Cycle Solutions, LLC
www.cyclesolutionsllc.com
info@cyclesolutionsllc.com

[muddyrabbit]

If you get them to me before the Hanging Rock 200 I'll use them all weekend. Also, anybody who is planning on riding the AMA Hanging Rock 200, just look for my bike and you are welcome to have a sit.

[PapaSmurf]

Originally Posted by jimdennis

Thanks Matt for the wonderful evaluation of our services. BTW Matt's the first customer out of hundreds, who's been invited into the shop, with a camera for a complete upgrade. We're proud of our service and really try to listen to our customers during the process. We've a number of Iron Butt rally riders who ride on our upgrades, and are happy with the decision. We invite Adv Riders to contact us and let us listen to your situation and recommend solutions. Matt we'll get you a test set of our vibration dampening grips in the next week or so. Hoping to have a marketable product in time for Americade.

Everyone ride safe out there,

Jim Dennis
owner
Cycle Solutions, LLC
www.cyclesolutionsllc.com
info@cyclesolutionsllc.com

Your site doesn't have it listed. Will you be going to "Thunder in the Valley", Johnstown, PA.? Tom

[jimdennis]

We won't be at Thunder this year as it conflicts with a local charity run that we're committed to the same weekend. We'll try and get an updated list on the website next week. We're still considering the BMWMOA rally in TN this July.

[muddyrabbit]

Hey Jim, how was Americade?
Are you still coming to the AMA State Rally June 19/20/21 ?
How did the build go on that guy's (who was he?) DR350? Meredith wants to get hers done.

[jimdennis]

What can we say? Americade was fabulous this year. Made great contacts with the leadership of Americade as well as Lee Parks, famous for his advanced riding schools. Check him out at http://www.leeparksdesign.com/default.asp Got to confirm our suspicions about our Comfort Seat Upgrades as they related to seating pressure (hot spots). Pressure mapped our Upgraded seats as well as our seat cushions. Fantastic numbers were generated. We saw a reduction in tissue damaging pressure in a stock seat of 15+%, reduced to less than 3% in the same seat after being upgraded! Check out our website for pictures and details at http://cyclesolutionsllc.com/269303.ihtml

[muddyrabbit]

Jim, you guys going to be at Bike Night at Quaker Steak in Valley View tomorrow?

[jimdennis]

We won't be at this weeks Bike Night (July 29, 30) because we're headed for Oshkosh to take in a couple of days at AirVenture (the largest airshow in the country). We will be at next weeks Bike Nights, in the valley on Wednesday and out at Sheffield on Thursday. We'll be donating a Comfort Seat Cushion at each event to be given away "raffle" style, so stop by and get a ticket.

[FatherX]

Originally Posted by muddyrabbit

I'll get pics of the bike up tomorrow, but it basically looks just like a stock BMW G650 X Country seat. A sharp eye might notice it is a little plumper. Just got back from taking the G/F out for a lunch ride. I did about 80 miles total, not very long, but it is unbelievably comfy! Lil'B.P.O. also says the pillion area is WAY better. The wedge of denser foam at the rear seems to help keep her from sliding back as well.

i've seen Matt's seat as well as Lil'B.P.O.'s

nice

I barely noticed the plumpness.

[muddyrabbit]

Jim, I'm kinda wishing I had put the heater in the seat....







So..., how hard would it be to open the seat back up and put it in?

[jimdennis]

Won't be that big a deal, need to check and make sure the bike has sufficient power in the alternator to drive the heater. Shouldn't be a problem though.

[muddyrabbit]

Oh, sweet! I really expected it to be a royal PIA.