Restore Seat Surface

draser

draser

Joined
Mar 6, 2024
Messages
70
Age
70
Location
Detroit
Bike
2003 Honda ST1300
My bike came with a custom leather seat (Mad Cow Custom Leather) and has seen better days - it has a lot of scuffs and scratches, see below. I'd like to restore the seat surface and was wondering if anyone has done it and can share their process. The seat is otherwise pretty comfortable, just looks bad.

seat.jpg
 
Seems likely that any quality leather restorer / preserver / cleaner would be satisfactory, assuming no rips or tears.
There was a recent thread on this very topic, I think it may have been started by @Uncle Phil ...?
Opinions and suggestions a'plenty there.
 
Clean and restore with saddle soap and then hydrate with a conditioner. There are two types of saddle soap depending on the colour of the leather. Tack shop will have all the products and advice that you will need.
See the below thread for more details.
Sadlsor said:
There was a recent thread on this very topic, I think it may have been started by @Uncle Phil ...?
Click to expand...
Saddle Soap
 
When all else fails, read the instructions (my mantra). Maybe the cow's own products?
www.trymadcow.com

Mad Cow Leather Products | Leather Care Products | Sterling Heights, Michigan

Our leather care products are handmade in the United States located in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Toxic chemicals and dangerous formulas do not belong near your leather. In fact, you can read the short list of eco-friendly and safe ingredients on the side or back of every MAD COW Leather Product.
www.trymadcow.com www.trymadcow.com

These folks are only about half an hour away from you (so says Google maps). If they have a store, ride over and talk to them...42288 Yearego Drive, Sterling Heights.
 
Last edited:
Larry Fine said:
Saddle soap = leather lather. Try saying "leather lather" quickly several times aloud.

I loved The Practice.
Click to expand...

When I do something outrageous but justified at work, I point to my head and deliver, "Mad cow..."

It's sad how often I wind up doing that.
 
Chelsea Leather Food. Best thing I've found for maintaining leather. Corbin seat, boots, horse saddle/tack, etc.
 
About the scuffing... I was watching this guy restoring old BMWs... M539 Restorations, and he's done a few BMW leather seats. He used some kind of sandpaper to blend scuffed areas into the overall seat surface and then died the leather, the final product was perfect. Back to my seats, I've already cleaned and treated the leather but the scuffs are still visible.
 
draser said:
About the scuffing... I was watching this guy restoring old BMWs... M539 Restorations, and he's done a few BMW leather seats. He used some kind of sandpaper to blend scuffed areas into the overall seat surface and then died the leather, the final product was perfect. Back to my seats, I've already cleaned and treated the leather but the scuffs are still visible.
Click to expand...
I would think once you have experience this is easy, but the first time? I'd want to try the sanding on some scrap leather and not on the motorcycle seat I was trying to make look like new.
 
SMSW said:
I would think once you have experience this is easy, but the first time? I'd want to try the sanding on some scrap leather and not on the motorcycle seat I was trying to make look like new.
Click to expand...
The key would be also knowing what grit he used and was it a wet or dry sand.
 
Didn't care much for The Practice but loved Boston Legal. The scenes with Spader and Shatner were terrific. The scene with the two of them slo-mo walking in dusters cracked me up.
 
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