Comfortcraft Lambskin Seat Covers
Comfortcraft Lambskin Seat Covers
EVALUATION
Lambskin seat covers? For motorcycles? Most of us have seen newspaper ads for such items but those are sheepskins for cars and trucks. Pulling the wool over a motorcycle seat seemed different, somehow, maybe too close to adding a zillion running lights, so when the package from Comfortcraft, importers of the covers, arrived, there were skeptical remarks from all sides.
That was months ago. The covers have been used on a variety of bikes, in the usual selection of weather conditions and while it’s still possible to draw a guffaw, the lambskin has proven durable and comfortable, which is just what the makers promised.
The actual skins are from New Zealand and come from lambs rather than sheep, which sounds cruel but the factory says lambskins are softer, more supple and don’t pack down as much. The skins are tanned and treated so they can be washed, even machine washed if you don’t use strong detergent. The color used here is natural, sort of a nearly-white tan, but black is supposed to be available by the time this appears in print.
Installing the covers is as easy as any accessory we can think of. The covers are universal but this time it doesn’t mean they almost fit everything.
The operator portion is a wide oval and there are two straps, fore and aft, with buckles and a springloaded center. You remove or flip up the seat, slap the cover on top and fasten the buckles so the straps will keep them in place but without pinching the seat. The passenger portion is shorter and has one strap and a forwardfacing tongue, which slides under the back of the operator’s cover.
A random survey of bikes in the shop at the time showed that the lambskin covers aren’t the right shapë for a Fiarley Heritage or a Ducati 900SS, being not quite large enough for one and a bit too big for the other, but all the road bikes in between, and even several dirt bikes, were fine. We’d guess further that some of the shorter, more stepped cruiser seats might have too short a front and too steep a step; the cover could force the rider even more forward than the factory did. Even so, standard machines from 400 to 1000 will accommodate the lambskin covers with no trouble.
The straps are long enough to allow for most seat heights, thin enough to fit between seat pan and frame rails and the covers can be placed where you sit. Adjusted right, the straps will stretch enough to allow for air boxes, tool kits, etc. beneath the seat.
Our experience with the covers duplicates what’s claimed for them. Without being able to actually measure surface temperature or rate of sweat, the covers do seem cooler when it’s hot and warmer when it's cold. They provide extra padding and air can circulate between the seat and your leather suit. As an extra plus, if the stock seat is too low or too narrow, the covers offer something extra. (Of course if the stock seat is too high or too wide, the covers will make things worse.)
Our man who got them likes them so much he uses them on a road bike during the week and on weekends whips the cover off the roadster and onto his trail bike. The importer says they’ll last five years. Only time will tell about that but the covers do seem well made and durable. $69.95 for the set, natural color, from:
set, Comfortcraft P.O. Drawer 511 San Carlos, Calif. 94070
