How To Replace Your ATV Seat For Cheap | Hunt or Shred

If your ATV seat is worn out, ruining your rides, it can be a real bummer. You might want to replace it, but how much does it cost to replace an ATV seat?

Generally, the cost of a new ATV seat depends on the make and model of your ATV. You can get a brand new ATV seat for your Polaris, Yamaha, Honda, or any major ATV brand for $75-$90. There are different kinds of seats available for ATVs, but you can get a comfortable seat for around $80 on average. 

The varying price of an ATV seat depends on the quality of material used to make the seat and the craftsmanship that's gone into it. Standard ATV seats are made up of three elements – the baseplate, foam, and cover. Although replacing your ATV seat seems like a good option to save time and enjoy your ride, a viable option is to preserve the authenticity of your ride by repairing your existing seat.

I am an ATV enthusiast and have been riding ATVs for well over a decade now. I understand how important it is to have a good seat, especially for those long rides. In this article, I have outlined up the most cost-effective ways to fix yourself an enjoyable seat.

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Reupholstering Your ATV Seat

Whether you are a daredevil who rides their ATV in rough terrains and jumps across ramps, or a casual driver who likes to keep it simple, your ATV's seat will wear out sooner or later. The exposure to the sun, water, mud, and the rider's weight will ruin the endurance of the seat, and it will eventually wear out.

Fortunately, repairing, also known as "reupholstering," your ATV seat is still an option that saves you a considerable amount of money and spares you the feeling of discarding the original seat.

You can either reupholster your seat, which involves fixing burns, big scars, tears, and renewing padding. However, if it is something that can be treated with a quick fix, like a small tear or damaged seat cover, there is no need to reupholster your seat and spend unnecessary cash.

Quick Fixing a Seat Tear

This method is efficient and costs you next to nothing to fix a small tear or split on the surface of the seat. But you can also fix a more defaced seat with a few tricks instead of opting to reupholster.

The most common way to fix a tear in your seat is to put a seat cover on your seat, and no one will be able to tell the difference. Of course, you will be aware in the back of the head that your seat is damaged, which may affect your riding experience. To fix that, you can stitch up the tear before covering it with a seat cover.

Some people (including me) use duct tape to hold the tear, which works perfectly fine but is short-termed as the weight and pressure can loosen the tape's hold. Recently, I used dental floss to stitch a pretty long tear, and it is doing a good job as expected. Generally, any strong thread will do the job unless the foam (gel) of your seat has expired.

You can find universal ATV seat covers on Amazon that fit most ATV seats. However, you can opt for a custom seat cover specific to your ATV model, which looks much better and fits well but is pricier and harder to find than the universal ones.

Reupholster Your ATV Seat in Six Easy Steps

If your seat has suffered greater damage than a few little cuts here and there, such as ripped foam or burn holes, there is no other way to revive the seat except reupholstering it. Although this method can be time-consuming and a bit costlier, it can notch up a brand new look for your seat.

Reupholstering is a lengthy method but not at all difficult. All you need are a couple of tools to get started. Note that the required tools might vary depending on your ATV as different models have different installation methods. Generally, you will need the following tools and parts:

  • Screwdriver/Socket set
  • Cutting blade
  • Pencil/Marker
  • Plier set
  • Foam/Cushion
  • New seat cover
  • Cement glue
  • Gun tacker

Step 1

Start by uninstalling your seat from the body of the machine. If your seat is fixed to the ATV via screws or bolts, remove them using the required tool, i.e., screwdriver or socket wrench. Some newer ATVs have a hatch holding down the seat. So if you have that option, pull up the hatch, and the seat will come off easily.

Step 2

The upholstery is stapled to the seat frame; you can see that by flipping the seat. The seat frame made from plastic supports the foam or cushion of the seat. Unmount the upholstery by removing the staples from the seat frame. Typically, I find nose pliers the easiest to do this job.

Step 3

You can omit this step if only your seat is damaged but the cushion is still intact. On the contrary, you can follow this step to replace your seat's cushion if you want to get things sorted at once. Use a razor-sharp blade to cut the cushion out of the seat frame. Be careful as you may struggle a bit as the cushion is usually glued to the frame.

Step 4

You only have to do this step if you have chosen to replace the cushion and follow step 3. You need to cut out the new cushion or foam in the shape of your ATV's seat. This may sound tricky, but you can do it easily by placing the old cushion (that you cut out in step 3) on top of the new foam sheet and making an outline with a pencil or a marker. By doing that, you can cut out the new cushion in the original shape.

Step 5

This is a follow-up step to the previous two steps. Now glue the cushion you cut out to the plastic seat frame using cement glue and let it dry for two to three hours.

Step 6

This step involves wrapping up your seat with a new seat cover cutout to finish reupholstering your seat. You can get different materials for your seat cover, including leather, vinyl, and cloth. There are two ways to complete this step.

  • Measure the dimension of your seat cushion after gluing it to the seat frame and cut a piece that is a few inches bigger than that as you have to staple it to the underside of the seat.
  • Simply (this is what I do) use your old seat cover to mark the outline and cut out the perfect size.

Finally, wrap it around the seat frame and make sure it is well stretched out, then finally staple it with a gun tacker that is powerful enough to get the staples through the frame.

Enjoy the Ride

There you go! You have a whole new seat that you fixed up for less than half of the amount of a brand new seat. In the end, it is all about your preference. While it may be a good option to fix your ATV's damaged seat for under $40, you can simply choose to replace your seat for $75-$90 and save a lot of time.

About THE AUTHOR

Shawn

Shawn

I'm 30 years old. I am a software developer and I am a freelance writer on the side. I've been riding ATV's since I was 15. I personally own a Polaris Sportsman and a Can-Am Defender.

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