FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: (Price and Contact links are at the bottom
of this page) If we missed something E-mail us at:KonTour Seat 1. The
Polar Mesh looks really delicate, do I have to baby it?
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 and is guaranteed for life for the original owner - and this includes
UV exposure - a first in our industry. Since Polar Mesh is a high performance, cutting edge fabric it works best with garments
purpose built for motorcycling. We do not recommend ever wearing blue jeans or dress slacks with Polar Mesh since the
baggy fit, highly finished and glossy surface of these fabrics may make our seat - or any seat for that matter
- feel slippery. Fabrics like these are just plain dangerous in a get off - and unless you are a fan of serious road
rash and skin grafts only wear fabrics DESIGNED for use with motorcycle garments while riding your KonTour
Seat. Armored kevlar mesh, high quality 1000 denier cordura or competition grade goat skin leather work best to provide
maximum grip and comfort. 2.
How do I clean and maintain it?
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!
3. What if I get it wet?
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.
4. Is there a break-in
period for my seat?
About 5 to 10 hours maximum as the layers "bed in". 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 (or someone else) sits 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.
5. Do you
make wider seats?
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.
6. What about a taller or lower seat?
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.
7. What about a backrest?
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.
8. Can you rebuild/re-cover my accessories to match?
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. 9. How about making a seat deeper for tall riders?
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.
10. What about "dishing" a seat?
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!
11.
Why don't you just use different densities of "off the shelf", inexpensive, polyurethane foam in your seats - just
like everyone else?
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.
12. How long will my seat last?
You will NEVER wear our seat out. We spent months exposing Polar Mesh
fabric to Xenon arc lamp lamp testing and it passed with flying colors. Polar Mesh will
outlast cheap vinyl or leather by years. For sun exposure there is no contest between polyester and vinyl. Polar Mesh is is 100% polyester as is our thread. There is not a vinyl component
in our seats, anywhere. Polar Mesh is guaranteed for life to the original owner and
this INCLUDES sun fading! Try finding a guarantee like that from any of our competitors. 13.
Why are your seats so expensive?
* 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. Ask for a sample
of Polar Mesh and when you receive it breathe through it - literally! If you tried this
with a piece of vinyl or leather you would suffocate.
* 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. |
14. Why not use a foam
mattress topper that I can get at
Walmart or Costco for $100.00 and make my own?
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.
15. My seat
feels hard on cold days!
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 have heated seats, turning them on high for a minute or two will make the
foam respond much faster.
16. My butt still feels warm, what can I do
to get even more comfortable?
During hot and humid weather, wearing microfiber underwear is a big help.
You can purchase expensive "motorcycle specific" garments for up to $30.00, or generic garments for $5.00 at your
favorite discount store. In our experience we have found little difference in the results. The primary reason this works so
well is that microfiber does not retain moisture or heat and allows your skin to breathe, and does not bunch up like cotton
fibers. Look for garments without seams in critical areas where you contact the seat - those small seams over time create
pressure points and hot spots.
17. What is the best method of packing
/ shipping my components to you?
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 shipments by US Postal
Service! Please do NOT use the Postal Service - besides over paying for shipping you'll typically receive much slower
service on large parcels.
18. How much does it cost to ship a seat,
and how long does it take? Ball park $20.00 to $40.00
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
accept shipments by US Postal Service due to mutliple problems in the past. 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 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.
19. Is there any other information you need at ordering time?
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.
20. How do I remove my seats?
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.
21.
What about "ride in" and "custom fitting" appointments?
We don't offer "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!"
22. Will you work on seats that have
been previously modified?
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.
23. Why will you
only work on OEM 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 toss it in the trash. 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. 24. What about adding heating elements to an existing seat or retaining OEM seat heating? 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! 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 aftermarket heaters have bulky wires and/or will stiffen a seat due to the extra layer. We are not responsible
for comfort issues after we have installed an aftermarket heater. 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.
25. Does Polar Mesh come in different colors?
Like Henry Ford said - you can have any color you want as long as it's black.
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