CUSTOM AIR SEAT - RE INTERCEPTOR
Royal Enfield Interceptor is one of the popular motorcycles used for long-distance touring in India. The stock seat offered by the manufacturer is a flat 12 inches wide - rider + pillion seat. One user, a long-distance rider reached me with the following requirements
BACKGROUND
A comfortable seat for rider & pillion during long-distance touring
Excellent aesthetics/looks
Custom tank cover for improved functionality
Pillion backrest for improved comfort
Wants to retain the stock seat separately
USER REQUIREMENTS
Step 1 : Work on Base Pan/Plate
Base pan along with the stock bushings was sourced from a royal enfield dealership
To extend the width by 1.5 inches (on each side) and length by 1 inch - a steel sheet fabrication was used
The steel sheet was bent to match the original base pan and a small flange was welded in the rear to accommodate the air line fittings
Step 2 : Air Cushion Integration & Foam Work
A block of foam - cut to shape was adhesively bonded to the base pan
Two pockets were cut in the foam block to install air seat cushions for the rider & pillion
Air seat cushions were connected to two Schrader valve ports on the sides
An external bulb-type air pump was provided for pressure adjustment
On top, a softer foam sheet was added covering the air seat cushions
Over the soft foam sheet, a TPU fabric laminate was added to prevent water entry through the quilting
Step 3 : Seat Cover Work
The design of the seat cover was executed in line with the initial user expectations and was improvised through discussions with the user from time to time.
Sewing was done using black vinyl and an orange shade thread to match the motorcycle
Two access ports were created on each side using velcro - to access the schrader valves for pressure adjustment
Similar to the seat cover a diamond quilting pattern was adopted for the tank cover and pillion backrest.
