Back In The Saddle

Back in the Saddle

As a teenager (back in 1972) I worked for an auto upholstery shop as a "gofer", picking up cars from car dealers and returning them. The upholstery end fascinated me, and when the opportunity presented itself I would sit at the sewing machine and taught myself to sew. Eventually I went on my own. I later switched from cars to motorcycle seats. My mother joined me over a year ago after the death of my father. I needed the help; mom needed "a place to be", and is kept busy taking seats apart, making patterns, and cutting the vinyl or leather.........as long as it doesn't interfere with her golfing dates!
When I started doing motorcycle seats I thought all my work would be either repairing or recovering ripped seats, and customizing seats. To my surprise I found that there was a whole new world out there. I had people coming to me with problems. Their seats were uncomfortable. Either too hard or too soft; too high that they could not touch the ground; they were sliding forward; or they were not back far enough. I personally worked with them, cutting down the foam, reshaping

their seat to fit their butt. To my surprise I was going from being an upholsterer to being a doctor. I would eliminate their problems; position them where they wanted to be; and installed hundreds of gels within the first 2 years, making riders comfortable in their seats.
Back In The Saddle is a one-man show and always will be. My name is Tom. I enjoy what I do and the upholstery trade has been in my blood since I was a teenager. Every seat that I do, I do as if it were my own. My pride in my work gives me personal satisfaction.Besides the repairs and customizing, I also make seats from scratch. This consists of making a pan that fits the bike correctly; cutting the foam to personally fit the owner's butt; and making a cover that completes the seat, using either vinyl, leather, or exotic skins.......depending on the customer's preference and price range. Some of the over-the-counter accessories that I make are: custom fitted sheepskin covers with built in gel pads and non-skid material (that I nicknamed "The Cat's Ass"), throw-on sheepskin covered gel pads; and removable suction cup Buddy Seats for the bikes with solo seats. These Buddy Seats are custom molded to fit your fender and can be made to any thickness or shape (with an optional gel) and covered with material that matches

your solo seat.
A lot of my customers ask me what kind of bike I ride. To tell you the truth, I do not have a bike. I cruise in my 1937 Plymouth street rod. I have been having visions of building a big white CHOPPER. What kind of seat will it have? Well, that's a different story. Just check out my business card advertisement. See what the cowboy is sitting on. Yep, that's it!
Back In The Saddle Motorcycle Seats is located at 4001 W. Loomis Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53221. Telephone 414-282-0863.
You will find me just inside the front door of the largest motorcycle store in the Midwest, called the Cycle Empire Mall which contains a number of small businesses that offer parts and services for motorcycle rides of all makes and models.