Atlas seats

The seat of my 1964 Atlas project is, so far as I can determine, original save for the duct tape holding the seams together. Andover was kind enough to supply a new cover but it’s sides are a full inch too tall and there is no way to properly fit it without either resewing it or adding an inch of foam to the seat.

So this leads me to wonder if the new cover Andover supplied was made incorrectly or if there were more than one height of seat. I’ve only my Atlas to look at so I was wondering if the collective can supply a measurement of their seats for me: of concern is the width of the vertical portion of the seat cover, from the piping at the edge of the flat portion of the seat to the bottom edge of the seat.



My seat measures 3.5” at the seats midpoint, the new cover 4.5”. The top portion of the seat fits just fine, and the length of it is also correct. Might I just have a weird seat? Or did Andover’s Jobber make a mistake?

Thanks all!

I know nothing about the Atlas, but some seat covers are designed to be pulled over the edge of the pan, then glued and riveted to the bottom of the pan. That is how the after market seat I have with a fiberglass pan is designed although the manufacturer did it the cheap way with staples and glue. They probably still do it that way. I pulled all the staples and used rivets. Much better.

Appears your seat as white piping. My afermarket P11 seat has white piping, and I don't think the original P11 seat did. Did the OEM Atlas seat have white piping?

The factory cover was held on with rivets to the steel pan. The band of piping along the base is an additional bit of material that runs along the base of the seat and covers the material folded over the edge of the pan- presumably to provide a straight visual line in the event of some unevenness of the pan. There was no glue used, and the perimeter of the seat pan base was punched to allow easy fitment of the pop rivets used

The replacement cover duplicates this but the sides are deeper and the lower piping strip (for lack of a better term) is about twice as tall. To make mine fit the entire strip must be folded under the pan. rendering it useless. The replacement cover comes with spring clips to hold it to the seat pan- which would be visible if the lower piping strip was not there.

Andover reports this is their only Atlas cover available. To make it work I will have to add at least another inch of foam to the seat.

My completely unverified suspicion is that the cover was simply made wrong, and my fear is that Andover doesn't realize that. I've written to them but so far they only report that it is their only Atlas cover. It's worrying to me that their replacement cover may not fit ANY Atlas or Dominator seats.

Here is a picture of my seat, it does look a little thicker than yours?

I will measure and report the thickness of my seat tomorrow.

I agree with Schwany and your post #3 as to how the seatcover is turned under and riveted. This will take up that 1 extra inch.

Perhaps that surplus fabric is to facilitate the turn under and pop rivet operation, and any surplus remaining is to be cut off.

Slick

I just measured both my factory original Atlas seats. From the piping to the very bottom of the cover/pan is:
3" at narrowest point, which is middle of the riders bum area
3.5" at the midpoint
4" at the widest point, which is the middle of the pillion's bum area. (We spoil them girls we do.)

There is a further 1"of foam thickness above the piping in the very centre of the seat all along its length as the top of the foam is curved upwards from the piping to the longitudinal centreline.

One of these seats still has the original factory cover on it. The other one I had recovered over the original foam in the 1980s by a local upholstery shop and looks every bit the same as the original, strap around the bottom and all. Both have those same measurements. They are the standard Atlas seat like in your OP,not the "peaked" seat like Hortons with the hump at the back. I always wanted one of those but never came across one.

So it does sound like yours is an inch too tall around the sides, or it is made for a flat-topped block of foam that is the same height all the way across and not curved down towards the piping.
Maybe a local upholsterer can cut the cover down for you? Disappointing after buying it already but will at least get you going.

UPDATE:
My measurements are same as HopperXL above.

Slick

Thanks everyone- it does appear my cover was made wrong or perhaps the entire run of covers was made wrong.

I’ll share this with the good folks at Andover and see if they have any opinions on the matter

I got a complete seat for my 650SS and later a seat cover for my Atlas both from RK Leighton highly recommended.

I’ve always found Leightons very helpful, they may be able to supply the correct cover?
dan