scooter seat cover™ design features: a look under, around, & close up.

I've put together this page so that you can see just what goes into each and every scooter seat cover that I make for you. While the most obvious feature is that it gives your scooter a unique look, there is so much more about each cover that you might not ever realize, even if you already have one. So join me in this picture tour under the hood - or seat, as it were - and you'll see that a scooter seat cover is not just another pretty accessory.

One of the more common questions I receive is about how my scooter seat covers attach to the seat. Technically, unlike the original scooter seat vinyl cover, a scooter seat cover isn't actually attached to the seat, since it is designed to be removable rather than stapled on. This removable feature is also what sets it apart from standard upholstery, which replaces the original vinyl or leather. A scooter seat cover doesn't replace your scooter seat's vinyl, it covers it up - much like a slip cover on a sofa or car seat (only better!).

There is no need to remove your scooter seat's vinyl cover - a scooter seat cover™ simply goes over the existing seat, unlike expensive reupholstering.	My instructions show how to install my covers over a seat. While my photos show the seats off the scooter, there is no need to remove a seat to install a scooter seat cover.

adjustable and removable

Every scooter seat cover has an adjustable elastic under the hood with a pull stop that you use to tighten it and keep it snug on the seat. In my instructions, I suggest that you check this elastic every time you take a ride to make sure that it stays tight and secure. Never ride with a loose scooter seat cover! The adjustable elastic also allows you to remove your cover quickly if you need to, or swap out with another scooter seat cover to match your mood.

scooter seat covers are tightly attached to your scooter seat via a proprietary adjustable elastic/pull stop combination.	Since super-fuzzy scooter seat cover fabric is often too thick to fit on the underside of the scooter seat, I add a special border for the elastic. This is one reason that fuzzy scooter seat covers cost a bit more than the fleece and velboa models.
When the pull stop is used to tighten the elastic, the scooter seat cover stays snugly in place.	Peeking out from the edge of the scooter seat cover is an elastic loop, where the extra elastic can be tucked away from the seat latch.

improving and upgrading designs

Having made scooter seat covers for quite some time now, and making myself various covers and designs over the years that I've used on a daily basis, I'm always looking for ways to improve the design both aesthetically and from a technical standpoint.

For example, I learned from experience very early on that it's best to place the pull cord off to the side of the seat latch so that it wouldn't get caught when opening and closing the seat. Then, in 2008, I added a loop to the design to keep the adjustable pull cord out of the way to additionally ensure that it doesn't get caught in the seat latch (see above).

From the beginning I've preferred using velboa fabric and other low-nap faux furs in my designs. There are some very beautiful fabrics available, but the main reason I stick with these rugged fabrics is because of their nap (another word for the texture or grain of a fabric). If you put your hand on velboa and run it against the grain, it's like petting a cat backwards - there's resistance. I make sure that every scooter seat cover is cut and sewn with the nap facing backwards, helping to keep the rider in place on the seat. It's not quite like velcro, but if you ride on a velboa cover, you'll see what I mean right away.

The pull cord is offset from the latch so that it doesn't get caught when you close your seat.	Velboa's nap helps to keep the rider in place on the seat. Plus, they look great and last a long time.

A scooter seat cover is more than just a simple "shower cap" slipcover. Every scooter seat cover is made from a precise pattern that I have designed for a particular seat by measuring and fitting to the actual seat. Some cover designs, such as the one for the Honda Metropolitan, have gone through a couple of significant changes to better fit the seat. This fit is crucial, not only so that it looks good, but primarily because a scooter seat cover needs to be form fitting. If a scooter seat cover is loose or misfitting, then the cover could come off or the rider could slide on the seat. This is why I don't use super-stretchy fabrics such as lycra - they are pretty, but move too much when you sit on them.

Every scooter seat cover has unique curves and panels to insure a perfect fit.	The duo-tone Vespa GTS scooter seat cover shows off its unique curves.

making the fit

I've designed around specific attributes of individual seats, such as hinge placement, latches, keyholes and hooks that are precise to each model. For example, the Vespa ET and LX each have a front hook. I could just design over it, but why lose a feature just to make my job easier?

Every hole is reinforced to hold up under daily use.

A close up of the Vespa LX scooter seat cover key hole.	The Vespa LX and the Vespa ET both have a front hook that I designed around.
A scooter seat cover is designed to avoid interference with the seat's hinge.	I include (by request) reinforced holes for straps on the Vespa ET, Vespa long small, and Genuine Stella scooter seat covers.

being fussy

In many cases, I could probably get away with cutting and sewing scooter seat covers without matching patterns or taking great care to pay attention to details. But I have this darn Capricorn creative perfectionist thing going on, so I'm incredibly fussy about how each and every scooter seat cover is cut.

scooter seat covers that have a distinct pattern, like those using leopard, zebra and tiger prints that have dark and light segments, are carefully aligned so that the pattern is centered along the center of the seat. This takes more fabric, but it's worth it.	Matching plaids, stripes and checks is a challenge on products that have multiple curves, but I always take great care to have the dominant pattern match as best as possible (in this case, the plaid stripes down the center of the cover).
I took care to capture the moon and star in the front panel of this Vino 125 cover. I could have just cut the fabric willy nilly to save money on fabric. However, I believe that if a customer picks a particular pattern for its imagery that it's my role to make sure that the imagery is prominently and carefully featured in the design if possible.	I still take great care even with tight all-over patterns like cheetah, camo or dalmation spots to make sure that the nap faces backwards in the seating area. If I cut it wrong, I start over.

staying cool all over the world

I made my very first scooter seat cover because of how incredibly hot my black vinyl seat would get in the sun. I dusted off my sewing machine and started designing. I found that no matter what the color, a scooter seat cover helps keep a seat cool - that's why my tag line is "keeping scooter seats cool since 2005." Luckily, a scooter seat cover also helps keep it warmer in the cooler months.

The very first scooter seat cover on my Honda Metropolitan. I designed it with light fabric so that it would reflect the hot Maryland sun. It got the job done, but the original Met design was one piece of fabric meticulously darted with a similarly darted liner, and had a pain in the butt drawstring that had to be tied around the hinge. The design has evolved quite a bit since then!	Since January 2005, I have made hundreds of scooter seat covers for customers all over the world, some simple, some elaborate, some glamorous - but all are eye-catching.

If you want to see more of my work, check out the gallery, and be sure to read customer testimonials.

Contact me at with any further questions.