World Sport Performance Seats Frequently Asked Questions

Can you build a World Sport seat on my stock pan?

No.   World Sport Seats represent our best design for a particular model optimized for comfort, appearance and function. The World Sport product consists of our unique foam and base pan designs that are made to work together exclusively. The foams are not designed to work with stock base pans.

World Sport foams are created only after intense study of the bike and its ergonomics. The foam is carefully modeled, examined and tested on the bike. The final shape is digitally scanned to create a precision mold.

A precision molded foam part cannot be duplicated by hand with any great degree of accuracy or repeatability. Subtle aspects like platform angle (level), thigh scallops, concavity, and symmetry cannot be precisely controlled with handwork.  If any one or several of these aspects are not absolutely perfect, the ride comfort may be compromised.

Our W/S seat designs work extremely well for about 90% of the riding population. But, because of variations in body sizes and shapes, one production seat design will not be absolutely perfect for everyone. For this reason we do offer "Custom Seat Services" to accommodate special needs.  However, we always recommend the World Sport Seat first, if available for a specific bike, because of its high level of refinement and our 30-day money back guarantee. We cannot guarantee comfort on custom seat work on stock pans.
(CUSTOM SEAT SERVICES FOAM ALTERATION POLICY)

BACK TO TOP

Can I have a World Sport Seat customized to my needs?
Can this be done before I purchase it?

Yes.   We can do basic foam modifications to World Sport Seats, but because this is custom work it will render the seat non-refundable.  Also, because of a typical margin of error on handwork and the inability of the customer to "test" the changes before we commit to them, we cannot guarantee any particular level of comfort.  In any case, we always recommend trying the World Sport seat "as is" first to determine what, if any, changes you would like to have made.

BACK TO TOP

Why don’t you glue the upholstery down to the foam like your competitor?
And, why does the material float slightly over the foam on your seats?

It has always been our mission to improve upon what our competitors are doing. For practical purposes as well as aesthetics and longevity, we do not glue our upholstery down to the foam like other aftermarket seat manufacturers. Gluing the cover down to the foam can result in three problems:

A. Foam suspension interference - Gluing the upholstery to the foam doesn’t allow the foam to "move" independently from the upholstery resulting in foam that feels too stiff or hard.  By allowing the foam to move independently from the upholstery, the full dynamics of the foam suspension can be fully utilized.

B. Bubbling - Gluing the upholstery to the foam is often a relatively temporary bond.   Because the cover and the foam expand and contract at different rates due to temperature changes and use pressures, the bond often breaks resulting in unsightly air pockets or "bubbles."

C. Moisture barrier installation - Bonding the upholstery to the foam prevents the use of a plastic moisture barrier in the area of the bond.  Using a mechanical tie, as opposed to gluing allows Sargent to apply a continuous and effective moisture barrier, virtually eliminating water infiltration and the need for rain covers.

BACK TO TOP

Do your seats leak, and why don’t you offer rain covers for them?

Our seat covers are fabricated using marine-grade vinyl – designed for outdoor use.   Therefore, the material itself is waterproof, may be towel-dried, and does not require any special protection.

Additionally, our mechanical tie upholstery installation technique and minimal seams virtually eliminates water infiltration.  This technique also allows for the installation and use of a continuous moisture barrier.  Any trace amount of water that enters through seams is not allowed to infiltrate the foam.  As a result, the need for rain covers is eliminated.

Finally, we do not recommend the use of decorative stitch work in the face of the seats. Such stitch work compromises the overall upholstery integrity and creates moisture problems, as water can become trapped in the thin layer of foam (or "sew foam" layer) used to create such designs.

BACK TO TOP

Will the welt make contact with my thighs and cause discomfort?

No.   On our standard upholstery designs, the welts are strategically placed as to not make contact with the thigh while riding.

BACK TO TOP

Is the Super Cell Atomic Foam harder or softer than my stock foam?

The answer to this is sometimes model-specific.  In general, stock foams are designed too soft and as a result offer poor suspension and bottom out under a full load. Super Cell Atomic Foam is specifically designed to be firm enough to offer good support and suspension on long rides without bottoming out. As a result, it is best described as
"firm - but not hard."

BACK TO TOP

Why are there seams in your upholstery, while my stock upholstery has no seams?

Because our seats are shaped for comfort, the contours often differ substantially from the stock seat shape.  Consequently, our seat covers, which are hand-made to fit these contours, often require the addition of a few seams that the stock seat covers didn’t have.  In addition, our upholstery cover materials are usually thicker than stock materials.  This can also create a need for additional seams to accommodate certain contours.

BACK TO TOP

Does your foam require a break-in period?

No.   While our seat foam may experience some "compression set" or "settling" to your specific body contours resulting in improved comfort over time, it should be very comfortable right out of the box.

Can you make your foam with different densities?

No.   For each seat model, the foam density is set for optimal suspension value.

What should I do if my seat arrives damaged?

We take every measure to ensure that your seat arrives in the same new condition that it left our shop.  But, sometimes, a seat may arrive damaged.  First, it needs to be determined if the damage to the seat occurred as a result of the handling during shipping (the outside of the box is also damaged).  If so, then retain all shipping materials and contact Sargent to begin the claims process with the shipper.

If the seat was damaged before it was shipped (box and packaging material is in tact), then contact Sargent about arranging for an assessment and exchange.  Sargent will need to see the damaged item before shipping out a replacement item at no charge.

Can you build a storage area or cargo hooks into my stock seat?

No.   Our World Sport seats are exclusively designed and engineered to incorporate these storage features.  We can not retro-fit stock seats with these features.

Can you put a backrest on my stock seat?

No.   We do not offer any backrest options that are designed to mount directly to the seat.  We do offer frame mounted passenger backrest options for select sport touring models (STEALTH REST, OTHER).   In addition, if you own a metric or American cruiser, we offer MUSTANG seats - many of which are available with driver backrest options and sissy bar pad options.

Can you embroider my club logo/name/etc. on my seat’s upholstery?

Yes, but you will have to supply the artwork and there will be a set-up fee.

What makes your seats different from / better than your competitors’ seats?

All of the above.

Do you install gel into seats?

No.   After many years of trials and customer testing, we determined that gel polymer products did not perform as well as our Super Cell Foam product.  Gel displayed many problems such as heat retention, dimensional instability, and added weight to the end product.  Gel cannot be easily secured to the base foam resulting in joint bonding issues.  After substantial side-by-side comparisons, Super Cell Foam has prevailed as the hands down favorite for customers from a comfort standpoint as well as functional or use standpoint.  Super Cell Foam does not suffer from any of the negative characteristics of gel products as mentioned above.

Yes.  Super Cell Foam is available in ½ inch and 1-1/2 inch thicknesses, and is sold by the square foot.  It can be hand-cut, sanded and shaped with common tools.  Bonding is achieved with widely available contact cements.  Please call one of our custom seat service representatives for details.

No.  Due to the complexities of our seat designs and installation process, do-it-yourself replacement of major World Sport Seat Components (including the heated wire harness) is not recommended or offered.  We do offer a World Sport Reupholstery and Refurbishing Service to restore your World Sport seat back to a newer condition.   Smaller components, such as replacement storage tubes or heat controllers may be sent to the customer for replacement.

Other related links:
WARRANTY, REFUND AND RETURN POLICY

SPACER
CUSTOM SEAT SERVICES FOAM POLICY

Hit Your Browser's BACK Button.