Long, Tall Sally

[Tahitian_Red]

I ordered the Long, Tall seat foam from Al B. and something is wrong.  It is marked L/T on the back, but it comes up short when placed on the seat base.  I'm thinking I got the wrong foam, but maybe I have a strange seat base?  Help!

The "Factory Novice"

[brian kirby]

Jay, there was an odd in between seat in the 74.5 time frame. My Uncle has a 74.5 Jackpiner that had one of those seats and he had the same problem you did. Al knows about those seats, call him and he will get you squared away.

Brian

'73 Berkshire

[Tahitian_Red]

The plot thickens.  

Looking at the stock seat base it looks like it should be on a 76-77 bike.  It has the the three threaded holes for mounting the rear fender to the seat base.  Since the bike is 75 KTM it would have been sold after mid-year, so could it have come with a 76 style seat base?  Are the Long, Tall seat foams for the 76-77 Penton/KTM's also or do they take a different foam?

I have both long and normal seat bases from DC plastics and the foam from Al B. definitely fits the smaller one.

Signed,

Confused in California

The "Factory Novice"

[Larry Perkins]

I have not had one of Al's covers fit correctly yet.  Everything I have gotten from Al over the years has been perfect with the exception of the two covers I got and they took a blow drier, two people, and some serious stretching to make work.  Just on this item you are better off sending the seat to the guy out West that does them.  I can not off the top of my head remember his name but someone here can help and I think there was a thread on it awhile back.

Larry P

[thrownchain]

Rick's Upholstry
1608 Kelly Ave
The Delles, Or   97058
Sorry I couldn't locate the phone number.

[gooddirt]

Short Tall is around  19in. and Long Tall is around 21in from ridge to ridge on top of foam. The mc5 foam is a bit flater at 21.5 in. Your picture of your bike is Long Tall and had a alloy base or fiber glass.

[checkcrew]

T-Red, more info on Rick's Upholstery, 541-298-6936 or www.rick'supholstery.net hope this helps !!

Mike Gallagher, Camden County, NJ.- 69 + 71, 125 Steel Tankers, 72 Berkshire, 72 x 2, 73 x 2, 125-6 Day's, 74-6 Day, 73 Jackpiner, 74 1/2 - 250 H/S, 75 - 250 H/S, 76 GS6-250, 74 1/2 Mint 400

[Tahitian_Red]

Here's a pic.  The tape measure reads just over 19".



The "Factory Novice"

[Tahitian_Red]

Larry,

I didn't get a cover from Al B.  I wanted one that only had KTM on the back, so I bought one from Ray Metcalf (VRM Racing) in the Pacific Northwest.

I will get a hold of Al next week and see about swapping the Tall/Short foam for a Long/Tall one.

The "Factory Novice"

[Larry Perkins]

My mistake & my misread.

Larry P

[clayman]

I've been having difficulty getting ahold of Rick @ the upholstery shop, so you may want to check with him before sending a seat out to be covered. He did a beautiful, fast job on my Penton seat (about a 10-day turnaround) but I sent my CZ seat to him two months ago, and haven't heard much from him, and I needed that seat 6 weeks ago.

Clay

[Big Mac]

I got the same seat cover from Ray Metcalf of VRM and it fits perfectly on my long-tall '75 seat. If your VRM cover is too big for the foam, then your foam's not right.

Only time I've upgraded with new foam, I had Rick in The Dalles provide it along with a re-cover job. It came back too soft, so I sent it back and asked for the stiffest foam he had and he replaced and re-did the seat at no extra cost, it was very good afterward.

I believe he cuts the foam to fit, generally a very good source and responsive.