Astech Seats » News

Gator Skins are here!

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:32:23 +0000

Gator Skins thermals are the warmest and best solution for cold weather motorcycle riding. In fact, they are a fantastic warm body answer for any outdoor activity in cold weather. Knitted from an extremely thin and lightweight material that moves with the wearer. A breathable, rugged fabric that is waterproof and warms three times better than wool. Great stuff!

The Gator Skins technology was developed by DuPont researchers from a new leading edge material. This micro fabric is knitted from ultra microfibers that are smaller than a human red blood cell, yet they hold a greater amount of warm air next to the body than traditional fabrics of equal or greater thickness. Gator Skins will keep you warmer in the cold and dryer in wet weather and still breath better than any other water repellent material you’ve tried.

FAQ

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:30:17 +0000

How it’s done :
Your seat cover is removed. Astech gel is inserted in a large pocket we cut into your existing foam. Progressively softer layers of Sunmate memory foam are laminated layer upon layer up to the height of your stock or aftermarket seat foam. The foam is shaped to its original shape and your cover is replaced. Your seat is cleaned and prepared for return shipping. We do both portions of a two up seat for $249.00 and solo seats for $149.00

What makes Astech Comfort Inserts different from all the other gel / gel & foam seat pads / inserts I’ve seen?
The majority of gel we hear about is an flat pad of sticky gel from 3/8 to 3/4 thick inserted right under the seat cover. Flat gels where designed to simulate body fat for wheel chair seating. You may see other column gels ie Soft bottoms, all of them have 1 inch square or larger columns. Intelligel has columns 3 times smaller then other gels. Smaller columns provide the right amount of support and a controlled collapse and rebound rate. Intelligel is very effective at dampening vibration. Then - Foams, urethane, open cell , closed cell or memory foams are single hardness foam. All memory foams , except Sunmate, as fas as I know currently, are very temperature sensitive. Very hard when cold and very soft when hot. Laminated Sunmate is a mix of seating quality foams. Starting firmer near the gel and getting progressively softer as the foam nears the rider. This allows your weight to be spread over a greater area than other foams.

How Long does it take to get my seat done and returned?
Most seats are completed in 2-3 hours of our receiving them. If you are close enough to ride or drive over , call us for a time, we’ll do it while you wait. Mailed in seats are usually back in the mail in 2 days. Friday and Saturday deliverys take an extra day. We use UPS or local Post Office for shipping. Most seats are in transit 1-3 days, the west and northwest take a day or 2 longer.

What kind of seat can have an Astech comfort Insert installed?
Any Stock factory seat or aftermarket seat including Corbin, Mustang, Saddlemen, LePera, Diamond and others EXCEPT Corbin Gentry seats or others with sewn down covers.

Will my seat look different after the insert is done?
No visual difference, but it will BE different. Your seat is returned in the same good condition as we received it, no higher or lower, in fact you won’t be able to tell what was done until you sit on it.

Sure, my seat feels great right now, How about after several hours of riding?
That is when you’ll really get the benefits of Astech comfort inserts. Astech gel works like a shock absorber inside your seat, constantly compressing and rebounding so your flesh doesn’t have to. Laminated Sunmate is firmer at the bottom, softer near the top where you sit. Sunmate is always conforming its self to your shape, spreading your weight over a larger area and reducing pressure on your anatomy. That said, Nothing, even being carried on a pillow in your mothers arms is perfect. Astech Comfort Inserts are the best technology currently available and will improve your ride dramatically.

Can I change my seat? (Higher, lower, narrower, wider, remove, add to, dished?
Yes, if you let us know what your looking for. We are able to make many changes and keep your original cover. Other changes require cover adjustments or replacements.

Will you make a new cover for my seat?
The Astech insert doesn’t require a new cover be made. But we do make stock look covers and custom designed covers in a variety of materials. Call or Email and we’ll send you photos of seats we have done. We also make fitted sheepskin seat covers. Sheepskin wicks moisture and reduces friction.

Will you repair my seat?
Yes, we repair pans, broken down foam and damaged covers. We need to see the damage before we give you a price for repairs. Emailed photos are usually good.

Who is Astech Seats?
We have been doing leather and upholstery work for riders since 2003. Ride & Leather is a brick and mortar store located in a town of 1868 people and we are always busy. We are even expanding. We have completed well over 1500 Astech Comfort inserts, custom covers and recovers in that time. No seat goes out from here that is less than it should be. We live on our reputation.

Astech Comfort Inserts combine patented Intelligel brand gel and Sunmate memory foam to get the best possible ride from your seat.
Intelligel is a unique type of gel. It is manufactured with small (patented) column buckling cells. These cells allow the gel to compress and rebound with the rider, significantly reducing high and low frequency vibration, shock and pressure. Intelligel is the best type of gel for seating comfort available today.

Sunmate memory foam is also unique. Sunmate is manufactured to be much less temperature sensitive then any other memory foams. Sunmate is available from extra firm to extra soft. Sunmate is made specifically for seating applications. Sunmate conforms under pressure to your shape.

Intelligel and Sunmate have been tested to thousands of compressions with no change in shape or condition. These materials will last indefinitely. They will out last your existing foam.

Astech Seat Technology

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:20:47 +0000

Gels, What is the Difference?

Everybody seems to be using some super special exotic gel like, super atomic gel, impact gel, saddle gel, butt buffer, butt buddy, skwoosh, gel seat, gseat, blue diamond, pro pad, super comfort gel pad, comfort max, and so on and so forth. All of these sound very cool, except they are all the same. A viscoelastic polymer gel, originally designed to simulate body fat. Very temperature sensitive, effective padding only when applied to the surface of the existing seat foam, offering minimal deflection. We have removed dozens of these.

But, there are two patented and effective gel’s currently being manufactured, referred to as column buckling gel. Column buckling gels have the ability to rebound and deflect in response to pressure or loading and absorb vibration. Soft bottoms gel has column’s approximately 1inch square, requiring a minimum of 2 layers to provide enough support for an average rider. Astech Dry Polymer Gel has columns about ¼ inch square, close enough to support an average rider with only one 1 inch layer. Astech Gel absorbs very little heat, due to the columns and absorbs a significant amount of shock & vibration.

Foam, How much difference can it make?

Three basic types, open cell, closed cell, and visco-elastic memory foam. Each of these is produced in various densities, measured in pounds. Density is separate from hardness. Foam’s hardness varies from very soft to very firm depending on the amount of hardener mixed in at the time of manufacture.

Open cell means the foam breaths or rather air moves in and out when pressure is applied or released. Closed cell foam retains air inside the structure of the foam. These are the ones that you hear about “breaking in” you literally break the bubbles in the foam over time. Usually very hard and dense foam is used. It can work, just not for everybody.

Two generations of visco-elastic memory foam have been developed, both are an open cell foam. The first generation was invented for NASA to reduce impact of hard landings and improve seating comfort. It is very temperature sensitive, thus the name Tempurpedic. The second generation is much less sensitive to temperature and made of 40% plant based ingredients.

Astech Comfort Inserts use only second generation memory foam. It fits the shape of the pressure applied and doe not return pressure like regular open cell foam. It alleviates seating fatigue by distributing pressure and absorbing impact energy.

How do we do it?

Off with its cover! Most seat covers are attached with staples. These include most factory Harley Davidson seats, the majority of Honda, Indian, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Triumph, BSA, Victory and Ducati. After market seat covers are sometimes stapled, Saddleman, Willie & Max, Custom Chrome. Others are pop riveted such as Corbin, Mustang, Lepera, Corbin Gentry. Many aftermarket seat covers are glued to the foam, Corbin, Mustang and Lepera are usually glued .

Some manufacturers are experimenting with molded seat covers, where the vinyl cover is vaccumed into the mold to act as a mold release and foam is poured into the cover. Several seat makers attach buttons or some type of tie down like Honda Goldwing and many pillow top seats. We have to charge more for glued down covers and seats attached with rivets.

Once the foam is exposed we remove a large section of the foam from the rider and or passenger’s seating area, to the pan. The hole is then beveled to the outer edges of the existing foam. Now we have the space, lets fill it.

Next we insert our Astech Gel in the bottom of the seat, something impossible with flat gel pads. This gel acts like a set of shock absorbers with springs.

Now comes the most important part,

We begin placing the memory foam in the space, adjusting each layer for the given riders weight and build. We use up to seven different hardnesses of foam in a seat. The firmness of the foam helps control the rate of gel deflection. The laminated layers of foam control the depth the riders sink into the foam. During this stage ,we actively adjust the shape of each layer to finish the seat back to its original shape. Or, we make adjustments to the shape to finish the seat with changes that make the rider more comfortable. With the final shape complete we then carefully replace the original cover and return the seat to you. We’ll ask your height and weight.

WHAT can we do? Other than our ASTECH Comfort Insert?

It seems like we have done an endless variety of things with seats, from replacing a button to sawing large pieces off of them. Dozens of times we have made a seat fit bikes they were not intended to fit. Including making solos from 2up seats or 2 ups from solos.