Although it looks delicate, KonTour's remarkable Polar Mesh top cover is incredibly durable and will wear longer - much longer - than commodity grade vinyl or even high quality leather. Polar Mesh will take repeated scuffing without marking or staining. Since Polar Mesh is a high performance and specialized, cutting edge fabric it works best with garments purpose built for motorcycling. If you are still "sliding forward" after receiving your seat you may need to change the type of fabric your riding pants are fabricated from in order to allow the hundreds of thousands of one way microfibers built into the top surface of Polar Mesh to embed and grip better. As you brush your hand from the rear of the seat to the front you'll feel the one way grip. This grip was exceptionally difficult to engineer into the fabric and is a breakthrough in design. The grip prevents you from sliding forward and also prevents your underwear from bunching up and creating pressure points. If you want to keep your current riding pants we are pleased to supply you with free perforated Alcantara fabric which can be cut into oval contact patches and sewn on to your pants by any seamstress. These contact patches will allow you to stick to our seats like glue. Sliding forward is the number two complaint we receive regarding OEM seats - except for "sore butt".
Polar Mesh requires absolutely NO maintenance. If it gets really dirty you can spray it with a gentle stream of water. Never use high powered spray car washes at close range since they can cut the fabric like a sharp knife!
Water will not hurt Polar Mesh, and your seat is designed to allow water to drain through the mesh layer, off the waterproofing barrier and onto the ground. The fibers are 100% polyester and cannot absorb water. Since we include a water proofing barrier in our design the foam cores can never get wet - unlike other after market seats that have needle holes and allow water in and turn your seat into a sponge! To dry your seat after a rainstorm or washing, simply blot the surface with a clean towel or let it sit in the sun for a few minutes.
No break in is required for a correctly built seat. You'll immediately feel the seat adjust and conform after sitting on it for about 30 seconds. Initially the seat will feel very firm compared to what you're used to sitting on. This firmness is added support that is needed to enhance long term comfort. Your seat adjusts every time you sit on it. During long rides you'll notice that you won't twitch or move around every 5 minutes like you did on your old seat in an attempt to get comfortable.
Wider helps, especially for BIG guys to lower psi by off loading weight to adjacent tissue and bone structure. In our opinion building a wider seat for normal sized riders is a rather inelegant solution. By creating a large, pressure distributing area UNDERNEATH your ischial tuberosities we are able to vector forces in ALL directions simultaneously instead of just forcing them out horizontally. Everybody has a "butt print" which is as individual as a finger print. Our seat literally conforms to your butt print every time you - or anyone else your weight - sits on it. Visco foam flows from high pressure to low pressure. Off loading occurs and comfort increases, without the drawbacks of widening. For heavier riders we construct a MAGNUM seat, which involves changing the polyurethane and spherical layers and adding 3" composite wings to the outside rear for more surface area. This design is recommended for riders from 225 to 350 lbs. or for serious distance riders no matter what your weight.
We build taller seats AND lowered seats - these are frequent requests. Easy to do. We like to see a rider sitting fully in his seat, feet flat on the pegs with 10 to 30 degrees of knee bend from vertical, depending on the style of bike. Weight should be distributed evenly - 50% between feet, legs and inner thighs - 50% by your butt. Due to the additional time and materials required to construct these seats there will be a small surcharge versus constructing a standard height seat.
We strongly encourage the use of a good backrest that gives you support in your lower lumbar region. This helps to encourage good posture and allows your spine to maintain an "S" shape. Good posture enhances riding comfort dramatically and also will help to keep you positioned properly on your KonTour Seat. We sell BakUp brand back rests for many brands and models. BakUp is the BEST on the market, bar none.
We can build passenger seats, trunk rests, arm rests and back rests to KonTour specification. The cumulative effect of having these additional components designed to KonTour specification is impressive and will further enhance comfort. We can also re-cover your components with Polar Mesh and water proofing/radiant heat barrier to match. Please note that we will remove your old cover and make an exact pattern from it, so it cannot be returned. All custom work is quoted according to the amount of time and materials it will take to complete the job.
More leg room to relieve a cramped feeling works great, as long as the customer realizes that that it takes away from passenger space. We typically make the seat deeper by reducing the thickness and density of the lumbar bolster. On many bikes making the seat deeper is impossible since you would literally be riding on the rear fender.
Dishing looks good on the surface but really often takes away a lot of the thickness of the cushioning elements. Unless the ischial tuberosities (IT's or "sitting bones") are taken care of FIRST, no amount of shaping, sculpting or dishing is going to help. Our seat "dishes" internally, then returns to the natural shape every time you get off your bike. Your IT's are THE source of ALL downstream problems, known as reference pain. Reference pain can manifest to your toes, and up to the base of your skull. Many riders come to us complaining about a back problem, when what they really have is a seat problem!
Different densities of polyurethane only address one part of the equation - Indentation Force (IF) or "springiness". By combining the best characteristics of polyurethane (IF), visco (damping and ergonomics) and spherical (vibration isolation and energy management) foams you have a composite system that addresses all issues and contributes to what we believe to be the best suspension on the market. The key to this system is selecting the correct densities and thickness for each layer. We built and tested over 20 prototypes before we came up with the correct formula.
You will NEVER wear our seat out. Polar Mesh will outlast cheap vinyl or leather by years. Polar Mesh is is 100% polyester as is our thread. There is not a vinyl component in our seats, anywhere. If you leave your seat out in harsh sunlight unprotected it of course can be damaged along with the rest of your motorcycle. We recommend keeping our seats - along with your bike - covered when not in use.
* Our seats are five layers that are carefully assembled one at a time. Other manufacturer's seats are two layers - a block of foam and a cover. Our competitors can make a complete seat in 2 hours from start to finish. Kontour seats take 6 hours to fabricate.
* Polar Mesh retails for $80.00 a yard, sorry, we do not sell it. High quality leather (which you'll never see in a motorcycle seat from ANY of our competitors) retails for $55.00 a yard. Commodity grade leather is about $25.00 a yard. So called "Marine" grade commodity vinyl retails for $7.00 a yard or less, and is exactly what OEM and most aftermarket seat covers are made out of. Neither vinyl OR leather "breathe" compared to Polar Mesh, period. On some seat designs we may need to use in vinyl in some areas to accommodate fit and finish, but we never use it on contact surfaces. You'll hear a lot from other seat manufacturers about how leather "breathes" - and that is pure and simple hogwash! Leather and vinyl are what is known in the textile industry as water and vapor barriers. * The visco elastic foam we use retails for $96.00 for a 30" by 72" sheet. Common polyurethane foam, depending on the density, ranges from $5.00 to $13.00 a sheet.
* The 100% polyester thread we use is made by Synthetic Thread Company. Synthetic Thread is the company that supplies thread used in sewing hot air balloons - FAA certificated aircraft. It costs 3 times as much as common thread and has much higher tensile strength for the same gauge because it has more filaments per inch. By using high quality thread we can use a smaller size and more stitches per inch - and compress our seams to the point that they are almost completely flat instead of prominent ridges that you see on most motorcycle seats. Ridges cause pressure points - not good for comfort. Common black thread will fade in sunlight in just a few weeks and turn brown - take a look at your OEM seat! Since our thread is spun from individual base filaments that are black to start with, instead of dyed, it keeps it's color for years.
* We use Monel staples to attach the outer cover to the bottom of your seat. Monel is 66% nickel and 34% copper. It does not rust or corrode, ever. Our competitors use steel staples. Even though this is a component that does not show, it is very important. Steel staples rust really fast, especially in humid climates or if your seat gets wet. This isn't an issue if you ride in Arizona, never in the rain, or never wash your bike. Monel staples cost $28.00 a box - steel costs $4.00 a box.
* Instead of using "off brand" generic glue to assemble your seat that retails for $4.00, we use 3M Foamfast 74 glue - that retails for $15.00. You'll see many of our competitors seats where the vinyl has separated from the foam, leaving a baggy appearance to the top cover after only a few months. Bonding strength of 3M Foamfast 74 is four times that of generic brand glues.
We're all for do it yourself projects, but there are different grades of foam. Anything you can buy at a retail outlet is the lowest grade made.
High quality foams have very specific uses and are highly engineered. The foam components we use are military specification and currently in the space shuttle seats, as lumbar bolsters in helicopters and as headrests in F-16 fighter jets. The common visco elastic foam that you see used in bedding is VERY poor quality as well as being unusable density for seats since it compresses completely in high pressure applications. This force is known as Indentation Force (IF). If the foam selected does not have the correct IF it is worthless. The "Swedish" or Tempur" bedding foam will literally turn into powder within a year if exposed to the harsh enviroment that motorcycle seats endure. Our visco foam comes in dozens of configurations, we select specific characteristics for seating use. Every component of our seats is guaranteed for life for the original owner against defects, wear and tear and UV light exposure.
During cool/cold weather your seat will initially feel hard when you sit on it. The visco elastic foam responds to pressure and/or heat to conform to your "butt print". It will take a few extra minutes for the foam to fully respond when the temperature drops, you'll also notice it takes longer to rebound to the natural shape of the seat when you get off.
If you ride in a wet or cold climate most of the time our seat may not be the best choice for you - it is designed and engineered for temperate climates.
If you have heated seats, turning them on high for a minute or two will make the foam respond much faster.
During hot and humid weather, wearing microfiber underwear is a big help. You can purchase inexpensive garments, but in our opinion these Chinese made underwear are pretty much worthless since they are made from only one layer - and as usual - you get what you pay for. They tend to wear out quickly and the elastic will last through only a few washings. Our best recommendation - and what WE wear - are the USA made double layer, high quality garments made by www.LDComfort.com. The primary reason these high tech garments work so well is that their purpose built microfiber does not retain moisture or heat and allows your skin to breathe, and does not bunch up like cotton fibers. LDComfort is unique in that it isolates moisture and wicks it to the outer layer instead of residing next to your skin. Insist on quality garments without seams in critical areas where you contact the seat - those small seams over time create pressure points, hot spots and can actually damage your skin by causing maceration. (tearing)
A quality cardboard box, no foam peanuts PLEASE! - they are ecologically uncool and a pain to deal with! Wads of newspaper are just fine. UPS and Fed Ex Ground ground are very competitive. WE DOT NOT accept domestic shipments by US Postal Service! Please do NOT use the Postal Service for domestic shipping - besides over paying for shipping you'll typically receive much slower service on large parcels. The exception to this is international shipments where we've had excellent success when using Express Mail.
Ball park $20.00 to $60.00 each way, anywhere in the US. Unlike all of our competitors we don't consider shipping charges to be a profit center and "bake" inflated fees into our quote. We ship ground UPS only and generally speaking it takes 1 to 5 days anywhere in the US. We charge as close to actual cost as possible in order to keep these fees low. WE DO NOT ship domestically by US Postal Service due to multiple problems in the past. The exception to this is international shipments where we've had excellent success when using Express Mail. Customers requiring overnight shipping or requesting special services like insurance, signing for a delivery or use of other carriers besides UPS will be notified and charged for these fees prior to shipping. We strongly recommend buying insurance to cover the cost of replacement OEM seats and our finished product - we do not provide this. We do provide tracking information from the time it leaves us until it arrives where you have specified with the exception of international shipments. We will charge an additional handling fee of $20.00 when these services are requested in order to cover the additional time filling out paper work or making special trips to shipping depots in order to meet deadlines. Overseas shipping varies depending on the country. We are not responsible for customs, duty or other surcharges that may be charged when our product enters a foreign country. It is up to the customer to determine and pay in advance to us or others - when required - any fees described above.
We need your weight and inseam. Every seat is hand built, one at a time using one of nineteen different composites. The depth of the seat can be adjusted for taller riders but this will intrude into passenger space - especially with a backrest.
They're really pretty easy to take off, and if you get stuck we can help you out on the phone while you're doing it. NEVER cut any electrical wires going to the seat without obtaining our advice first.
We don't offer drop offs, ride in or so called "custom fitting" appointments. The only meaningful custom sizing modifications anyone can perform are if you want the seat narrower, wider, longer, shorter, lower or taller. We discuss these needs with you prior to the seat build. When you - or anyone else - sits on a KonTour seat it will conform to that "butt print" within about 30 seconds. Our job is to select the specific composite thickness and density layers for your exact weight in order to provide the correct amount of damping and spring rate. We want you sitting in the composite, suspended. "Custom fitting" a motorcycle seat is pure baloney and mostly a show - required only if you are using inferior old school commodity poly foams that do not have the flow properties that our unique 3M visco elastic foams have. There is absolutely no custom fitting going on with a competitor's ride in. It might make you feel better since they'll undoubtedly spend time marking up your existing seat with chalk circles and arrows, taking precise measurements, digital photos of you sitting on your bike and asking you about your riding style, blah blah blah. They'll also usually charge you an additional fee of around $75.00 for all this attention... You're then told to come back in a few hours while they fabricate the seat. The minute you depart the shop anxiously awaiting your new seat this is what really happens: "Hey Joe - make that seat our usual design - he'll love it!"
No, we only work on OEM seats that have not been modified. They need to be EXACTLY as they came from the Original Equipment Manufacturer like BMW, Harley or Honda. A Corbin seat is not OEM, A Russel seat is not OEM, A Mayer seat is not OEM - these are all aftermarket seats.
Asking us to work on seats that have been previously modified by others is like asking a Ferrari technician to work on your 1973 Chevy Nova. We have no idea what has been done internally to the seat by a previous modifier. Many times these modifications have completely trashed the interior of the seat with cheap carpet foam, off the shelf poly stuffing and all kinds of interesting materials - even horse hair! We can ONLY modify seats to our exact specifications that are supplied to us as they came from the factory with the OEM design and covering still intact. The condition of the cover is not important since the first thing we do is cut it off and toss it in the trash, it cannot be returned. The OEM foam must by uncut and undamaged in order for us to build our composite and supply our life time warranty for the original owner. Any seats sent to us in any condition other than OEM will be returned at the owner's cost plus a $50.00 handling fee. It's important to note that we will only work on plastic seat pans, not metal.
Unlike others, we don't charge extra to retain your OEM heat seating elements - they will function normally as long as you wear a wind blocking pant like 1000 Denier Cordura or competition grade leather during cold weather - which you would normally do anyway! The primary design bias of our seats is to keep you cool and dry during warm to hot weather - where 90% of motorcycle rides take place. You may find that you may need to use the high setting on your seats during cold weather more often to overcome the cooling effect. If your seats came without factory heat we are pleased to built in an optional heating element which you supply. The element will have the power wires exposed on the bottom of the seat for you to hook up to your battery and switch. Many OEM and aftermarket heaters have bulky wires and/or will stiffen a seat due to the extra layer. We are not responsible for comfort issues with an OEM heater or aftermarket heater that you supply. Not all motorcycle charging systems can handle the extra start up load of heated seats especially if you are running optional lighting, a heated vest, etc. Check with a knowledgeable motorcycle mechanic to make sure your bike's system can handle up to an additional 70 start up watts or at least double the continual high output rating of your elements.
Like Henry Ford said - you can have any color you want as long as it's black.