Foam alteration is a great way to customize your bike and, in many cases, it can improve comfort. Sargent Cycle Products is pleased to offer limited foam alterations to stock and aftermarket motorcycle seats. This information is designed to help you make good decisions and convey your ideas more accurately.

If it's comfort you're after... You may have come to the right place. But before making any alteration decisions, we highly recommend that you our read The Road to Comfort first. The Road to Comfort is a short document that outlines the various causes of riding discomfort.

What we need from you. For best results, we need a graphic illustration of your request with specifications in inches. Graphic illustrations may include simple line drawings or marking on the seat itself. Cardboard templates are ideal. Photographs of other seats are also helpful but, because they lack concrete specs, they are best for indicating general styling only. Please keep instructions brief. In the world of foam alterations, a good illustration speaks a thousand words.

Please note: We perform foam alterations to the best of our ability based on the specifications given by the customer. Please remember that hand-sculpting of foam is more art than science. The more complex the request, the more difficult accuracy can be, and exact translation of complex requests is not guaranteed.

Please review the Custom Foam Alteration Policy.

Foam talk. Obviously, when discussing your foam alteration needs we should be "speaking the same language." The illustration on the right shows how we define the various parts of a motorcycle seat foam.

Upholstery talk. The illustration on the right shows how we define the various upholstery components.  For more information about upholstery details, please visit our Upholstery Styling Guide.

How to top it off. Once your seat foam has been reshaped, our standard upholstery patterns will no longer fit. So we will be making a one-off pattern for your seat. If you have specific ideas with regard to seam placement, type of seams, or general upholstery configuration, just let us know. Otherwise, we will use our expertise and style it for you. To get an idea of how we typically style the upholstery on various seat shapes, you may want to have a look at our Upholstery Styling Guide.

Remember. When specifying foam cuts, be aware of base-pan contours to make sure there are no conflicts. It is always best to create angle specifications with the seat mounted on the bike. Also, please avoid changes to the nose of the seat or the tank/seat junction may be compromised.

Please note: The prices listed are for basic foam alteration work and custom styling of the upholstery only. These prices are in addition to the base price and any extra options as outlined in our general price list. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Basic foam alterations. The following are examples of some of the most common foam alterations and their prices.

Lowering the driver's seat (Fig. 2).
Although sometimes done for aesthetics, this operation is most often used to improve the driver's reach to the ground. There are a few things to remember:
1. When specifying how much foam to remove, carefully check the base-pan contours to determine exactly how much foam you have to work with.
2. Remember that the more foam removed, the more comfort may be diminished. With this in mind, we recommend the Super Cell^TM foam upgrade as a part of the process (Fig. 2).
3. If the purpose is to improve reach to the ground, we can taper the foam on the sides in the thigh area as well.

With Super Cell Installed $90.00 (Fig. 2)

Solo rear (Fig. 3). This common modification gives the seat a sporty single-seat appearance. Since the angles of the solo section must often be sculpted to blend with the lines of the bike, it is essential to provide accurate templates and/or illustrations with specs. If you have a preference, please specify the rise angle and its height as well as the top and side angles of the solo section.

Price $90.00 (Fig. 3)

Move the rise (Fig. 4). This alteration is usually used to give the driver or the passenger more room. When doing this modification, we can also change the angle of the rise (i.e. steeper or more gradual). Just indicate your preference with a good illustration or template.

Price $75.00 (Fig. 4)

Changing the platform angles (Fig. 5). This type of modification is normally used to correct foam that is pushing the driver or passenger into an undesirable position. The price listed is for modifying either the driver or passenger section only. To do both is an additional charge.	Price $75.00 (Fig. 5)
NOTE:  To indicate a level platform angle, have someone hold the bike upright (not on the side or center stand) and use a carpenter's level to mark a level line on the side of the seat - for our reference.

Installing Super CellTM Atomic Foam (Fig. 6). Super CellTM Atomic Foam is designed to replace the top 2" of stock foam. It is recommended if the stock foam is too soft and bottoms out. While this foam may seem firm, it retains its suspension value under full load. While this service maintains the stock contour, it may be done in conjunction with other foam services. Please see the The Road To Comfort for more details on foam suspension and Super Cell™ Atomic Foam.

Price $75.00 Front Only Front and Rear for $100.00 (Fig. 6)

Widening and dishing (Fig. 7). Widening and/or dishing of the seating platform is one method of increasing comfort. For best results, 2" of Super Cell™ Atomic Foam is installed as part of the process. Note: Dishing is only recommended for seats that are already 12" wide or more and widening is limited to about 1" beyond the existing seat-pan width. Generally, the "front & rear" service includes the Super Cell foam upgrade in both seating areas; widening and dishing the driver's area, and widening and scalloping the passenger's area.

Price $175.00 Front Only Front and Rear for $225.00

Other stuff. If you don't see what you want illustrated above, don't worry. Other basic foam alterations do exist and simple requests start at $45.00. Please call or fax us with your request for a price quote.

Complex foam alterations. Combinations of operations listed above are not out of the question. These are considered complex foam alterations and are priced based on the degree of difficulty. Please call in or fax us your specifications for pricing and pre-approval.   And please review our Custom Foam Alteration Policy.

See also the more detailed foam pricing on the Custom Seat Services Price List.  As you begin to stack foam alteration services, the foam pricing is adjusted accordingly.

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