Custom Leather Seat Lance Vintage  By  xyshannen (Read 2,177 times)

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Welcome to the site!

I'm a real sucker for tan leather... And yes, the backrest should indeed match! Since the padded rest on the trunk is not needed with the tasteful small rest, I'd be tempted to simply remove it so the black doesn't clash with the tan leather.  If the paint is messed up under it, just cut a matching piece of leather to cover the paint...  Trim it with stitching or rivets.  Ya can't have TOO much leather... LOL!

Your choice of leather looks perfect with the candy-red scooter!

NICE WORK!!!

Leo in Texas

I was talking to the not so local Indian motorcycle dealer about the need for an American made scooter and they agreed. Add some conservative fringe and you will have the beginnings of what it could look like. You already have the basic colors right.

Xyshannen,

I like the idea of saddlebags! I know, many scooter-jockeys don't like the look of them because scooters are a little "broad in the beam"... LOL! But then, I'm an old Harley guy... Trunks on scooters never seem to hold quite enough, and saddlebags can come in MIGHTY handy for the "overflow" when emptying the shopping cart at Wally World.

I got THE biggest trunk on the planet for my scoot, and still added saddlebags. And I use em' all!



I'd like the look better if all the "leather" was tan, but the black "pleather" looks real enough that you need to SMELL it to see if it's plastic... And with SO much factory black plastic already on my old "Minnie Mouse" I guess the black is a good idea.

As for the Indian scooter... several of us old-timers have admired the new Indian motorcycles and thought it might be neat if they offered a high-end scooter. Tan leather is almost a "trademark" of the Indian brand, and, with your scoot having "naked" bars, headlight, etc. it's a "natural" for the Indian look. Fab up skirts for the front and rear fenders, paint them to match (or paint them tan like the leather) candy red is HARD to match...  Add the leather bags, some fringe and you'd have a scooter that truly WOULD look "Indian". Not a bad look for sure!

Please keep us posted... And you might pick up some good side work too! Bikers of all types are known to willingly spend more than the cost of the bike on accessories!

Keep the shiny side up, and the greasy side down...

Leo in Texas

Ah, now I see, and you're right. I wasn't even really shooting for that look, truth be told I wasn't really shooting for any look in particular. That would be sweet. I have my work cut out for me. The back rest is almost done, but those saddle bags are going to take some time. There's good reason custom leather work aint cheap.

Leo, I've been contemplating designs for the saddle bags and like you suggest, scoots tend to be a little wider, and this Lance of mine seems to be a little wider than most. I think the key to designing them and having them look right is going to be keeping them a tad on the thin side. I'm thinking only a few inches wide, say a lil wider than a can of soda. That would still give me enough depth to hold a decent amount of items but not so wide that they make the profile of the scoot look funny. Yours are about perfect in size. 

I will keep you guys up to date on my progress. I have big plans for this bike that includes way more than just leather work.

Thanks Jerry, it always feel good when others like your hard work. I like where you are going with the copper. How about if I wrapped the silver body panels under the seat with tan leather and ran a border all the way around it with the copper rivets?

If I were a rich man I would have all the chrome replated with copper.

Works of art!

Not a member but he is an inspiration.

Before my crippling work accident I was head of maintenance in a woodworking mill and made the bent wood jigs for manufacturing assemblies similar to what are used in the Vespa and did take care of a number of the special projects myself. If I had the disposable income I would be very tempted to try and duplicate the Wooden Vespa.

Imagine going to a bike show on one of those. Around here its a white Harley that causes everyone to give up when he enters as he always wins best of show (mega wealthy and can afford to pay others to mod it and keep it looking nice)

I think he did a nice job with the faux leather seat and grip treatments and it would not take much to cover them with the real deal. Who knows by now he might have already done that.