Sheepskin seat cover?
 

Any thoughts as to the best way to secure a sheepskin to a seat (DRZ in this case) without modifying the seat?

Hi Steve, i sewed some inch wide elastic bridgeing across the bottom of the skin from one side to the other, and this just loops under the seat underside making it easily removable.

Elastic is the best.

Just buy some 1" elastic, sew 2 ends together to make a loop and run it under the seat.

Keeps the sheepskin in place but makes it easy to remove. Looping the elastic under the seat means the loops cant be pinched either. Not that anyone would...


I didnt use anything to hold my large sheepskin on my XT in SA. I stood up for some potholes in Patagonia and the thing blew off.. lol

:oops2:

Sheepskin seats
 

Keep it Simple - I have one on my Africa Twin - just one bungee from Engine bar to Engine bar - very simple and it works... :biggrin3: and it quick to remove when the heavens open....:stormy: Regards Nigel

That's what holds my Airhawk in place: a single bungie. The Airhawk started life with the usual (i.e., factory-installed) wee little scrawny elastics designed to loop under the seat, but these blew out within a couple of weeks. The bungie has served me well for a hundred thousand kilometers.

cheap and cheerful
 

I bought a £12 sheepskin seat cover from lambland on ebay. I used the bradawl blade on my swiss army knife to make some small holes in the leather then tied some elastic (about 5mm wide) through the holes. I just slide it onto the seat.

Big improvement in comfort over the stock plank on my Xchallenge, recently tested riding to the HUMM and back.

Do they really make that much difference to comfort ??

yes! (or at least on my GS!)

yes ! definitely it dose, specially on a KTM bench, gives you all day comfort.
warms in the cold, cools down in the heat, dries quick in the wet by standing on the pegs for a mile or less...
just great, never ride without a sheep skin any more on long howling journeys.

Got one on the Strom, my mates take the pee out it and find it funny when i retire to my tent with it, but it really does work as Spooky says.

Retiring to your tent with it, that is just kinky so no wonder they take the P. :biggrin:

Actually they do make a good camp pillow as well.

Thats really baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad !doh

How does sheep skin hold up to the dirt, rain, and other abuse on the road?

Does it get funky and smelly? Do you all clean them on a regular basis? How about things like, I don't know - fleas or bedbugs?

Well, they stink when they get wet, they get dirty but i've yet to have a flea infestation.. There's nothing in there for them to eat/drink. It's not there to look pretty... Don't worry about it.

You can clean them in a bucket of warm (not hot) water and laundry soap if they get really rotten.

Just try and keep them out of the rain. If they get wet, dry them in the air NOT in the dryer (it will ruin the leather)

Tried one and now fitting one to the 404 as the seat on that is a razor...
Anyone tried Synthetic??

someone on here suggested a horsriding 'numnum' or whatever, same thing but edged, trimmed and generally finished better than having a dead animal over your bike. a lot more expensive too of course......

That is my method as well. I keep wet weather gear handy, so it goes in the waterproof cover when the wet gear goes on. It is also a great thing to lie on as is very warm. I don't need the warmth these days since I got my new sleeping bag. (Coleman hudson 450.) bulky but very warm and light. Ideal on my camp bed.

The sheepskin we used became our bed mat too, the only problem was that odd beasties would nest in it during the day and come out at night.

It was never washed from UK to CT, and still doesn't smell. Magical properties. Worth its weight in beer for the comfort it gave. Black seat - 50 deg temperatures - that's not fun - but no problem with a sheep.

We didn't bother with bungees either, the soft luggage held it on. As did sitting on it.

Birdy

Ive been using a sheepskin fur at least 20years,, if ave heard it once, ave heard the slaggings a hundred times or more.. once i was cruising in a town,, an a doberman dog ran after me, jumped up to what i thought to bite ma leg.. a stood up an he bite the sheepskin, an ran off with it,, i followed him an ther he was sitting inthe garden of his home rippin the thing apart.... but their great,, a wont go anywhere with out one, hold it on wi two bunggees,, an sometimes double it up when ma arse gets sore........ can any tell me where to post some stuff I want to sell... racks an pannier racks an boxes for a yam XT660R. cheers

I sew a strip of broad strong webbing (used at the top of curtains to hold the hooky things) across the sheepskin and then sew Velcro to the ends. Pop the seat off the GS, slap the ends together and put the seat back on. That way, if it gets wet and I am not wearing waterproof pants, I just attach it to the pannier frame and let it dry out in the breeze.

I buy cat sleeping pads made from sheepskin, for about NZ$20 (US$14). I recon they give me at least 30-40% longer distance before the numb-bum sets in.

Cheers bloke

Nigel in NZ

For sale bits and pieces is here:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...r-sale-wanted/

Cheers bloke

Nigel in NZ

cleaning
 

I use on all the time they are very comfortable and yes they double up as a pillow. It is held on with elastic at the front and and my throwover panniers at the rear. Cleaning is either throw it in the washing machine once or twice a year or jump up and down on it when you are in the shower. A good brush brings up the nap or pile and a quick spray of Lynx keeps the smell at bay.

Bought mine in 2001 and tried many of the attachment methods posted above, but found by far the best way to attach my sheepskin is with snaps. Buy a snap kit with screw in base snaps at a local outdoor outfitter shop or fabric store.

Start by positioning your sheepskin where you would like to fit it to you seat and, then locate areas where the snaps can be located. Use 4 snaps (2 each side). With the simple tools supplied in the snap kit install the snaps through the sheepskin first, Then screw the base screws snaps into seat pan at the side of your seat, one at a time, slightly stretching the sheepskin to make snug, but not tight.

Easy to put on, remove and no straps to sit on. looks great too.. When you sell your bike, the screw snap parts are removed and the small holes in the side of the seat are virtually un-noticeable.

Cleaning, use dish soap. A lot less corrosive than laundry detergent and use a little vinegar instead of fabric softener. Fabric softener attracts dirt, whereas vinegar helps to release the residual soap and separates the hairs to make it fluffy again. Air dry, but if your sheepskin was not the pre-shrunk type. install it on your seat while the skin part is still slightly damp, otherwise it will shrink to much and you will have to moisten and re-stretch it.

Mark

Petmats
 

I've just ordered a new petmat (sheepskin) from 'SkyeSkins' at £15.00 (+P&P)

Sheepskin Petmats - SkyeSkyns Scotland

I had one for my previous travels and it was great. Buying the petmat instead of a 'perfect' skin saves money as the mat is a second, if it's good enough for the lovable pooch or moggie, then it's good enough for my arse! It'll only have a slight colour imperfection so I'm not that bothered.

Fastening the last one was with a single flat bungee which worked perfectly. This time I may sew sticky velcro on two sides of the skin side and stick the soft velcro strips onto the seat, more secure on the ride as I like to stand often in traffic and so I can remove daily as the last one got nicked..!

(I'm not affiliated with 'SkyeSkins' in any way other than being a satisfied customer and thought I'd pass on the info.)

Sheepskin...
 

fitted to my would you believe Blackbird.Who cares what it looks like as long as you are comfortable.Although I will admit it is a bit slippery at times.
I used that and this seat when I recently went up to the Highlands and it was unbelievably comfortable.That was also proven when it punctured 100 miles from home and the ride from there was dire

As you can see from this link :Putnams Inflatable Stadium Seat Cushion.

for the price this was also well worth buying how many of these can you buy for the price of an Airhawk.

To secure to the bike you just need to sew some elastic to the sides of the seat.

I started using a sheepskin on the BMW Comfort Seat for the F800GSpot.
I find it very releaving.
I am able to crusie without stop between the needed tank tops now.
Great.
Thank you all for the idea/advise.

Niklas

stretchy black elastic,,cheap as chips ,,buy from boyes hardware..

Just ride.....
 

Stop worrying about what it smells like, do you care what your regular seat smells like? NO!

Just attach it and ride in complete comfort.

If it gets wet, it will soon dry, just forget about it!!!!

Best bit of kit available

+1: Sheepskin DOES make a huge difference. I've got mine strapped to the seat with a regular tie-down strap. During camping, I take it inside the tent, and together with an Exped DownMat (short version = small pack size) it serves well for a cozy night's sleep.

I got mine from this company in Germany....
very cheap, and a good speedy service.
http://www.schaffellhandel.de/index.htm

Before hand I had a Numnah off ebay, that was shaped and had straps and was a perfect fit.
It was a wool synthetic mix, it did help but compacted quick and was no way as good as the real thing.
Copied the form of the numnah and atached straps under the seat, for anyone wondering a numnah is a pad that fits between the saddle and the horses back to give the horse more comfort over long periods of riding.

IKEA of all places
 

£20 in IKEA for a skin

Good info
 

Thanks for that info, I hadn't considered that at all. Just looked at the German website you mention and I think it's the way I will go If they have the lanolin loaded ones. As you say very cheap.
Cheers

I have often wondered about the IKEA sheepskins; are they worth having?

38

Ikea skin
 

Hi,
Well we have one for a chair in the house and it is great, but we are taking the advice on the lanolin loaded organic ones and have ordered one of those for the bike. We have never got the IKEA one wet! We quite fancy the brown on the bike:mchappy:
Cheers,
Robin

As noted in my previous thread, I have had my sheepskin since 2001. It is washable and does not shrink much at all. A few years back I bought one for my wife from IKEA and when washed, shrunk quite a bit. (Washing directions for this skin is dryclean only). Just hand wash or wash on gentle cycle in a washing machine and install on the seat while still a little damp, no problem. Both sheepskins do a great job. IKEA's cost about $40 CAN.

Mark

Sheepskin Cover
 

Hey Chaps. i had a sheepskin cover made, cost about $20. get someone to stitch it so it is a slip on

I'm surprised no one mentioned Alaska Leathers. Thats where I got mine for the KLR. It's rugged as hell and keeps going, plus they stand behind the product. I brush it out a couple times a year for maintenance.

This is their website and try to ignore the shiny thing on the front page, thier pads are not just bling. : <Alaska Leather> Home of the Sheepskin Buttpad - Motorcycle Seat Covers - Alaska Leather Home Page

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_xRqdeMG80P4/Sr...0/_IGP4315.JPG

Would an Airhawk seat cover be worth the extra money over a sheepskin cover?

The synthetic airhawk cover does hold water but thankfully hardly any.

The bladder underneath the cover has channels that may hold quite a bit of water so you may find a heavy storm would produce a wet stodgy pad to sit on.

Generally I found them helpful on long motorway stretches but a complete pain at all other times. Your mileage may vary.

So for random on and off use and off-road riding, would the sheepskin cover be better suited?

I've had an Airhawk and a sheepskin on an AT and here, FWIW, is what I reckon:

Airhawk - couldn't live with it. Too tall, too wobbly. Maybe I had it over-inflated, but I got rid of it anyway. Also eye-wateringly expensive compared to...

Sheepskin - cheap (if you wait until you get to Chile or Kenya to buy it) and adds a few dozen miles a day to your comfort zone. Drys quickly.
I attach it with two bungees, so if it gets wet and I don't have time to dry it, I just fold it back over itself and sit on the saddle.
Also allows some movement of air under the back-door area - good in the tropics.
Chuck it on top of a pannier and you have a near-perfect stool upon which to drink beer in a motel car-park.

short or long haired?
 

Is there a big difference between long haired and short haired skins?

I got both, the long haired one is heavier but would be more comfortable for using as a mat cover. The short one looks good size and light but might not be soft enough, although I just did a short trip and feels much better.

I guess my worries would be drying time... long haired ones might take a lot longer.

Any advice?

Tnx
Beedee

go for the comfortable long hairy fluff... take it off if heavy rain... actually I never did.. :)

Alaska Leathers
 

Love my cover from Alaske Leathers over a great Rick Mayer seat. Rick Mayer added loads of comfort to stock GS seat and sheepskin added the icing to the cake