Motorcycle Repair: seats, honda models, upholstery shop

Question
Do you have any idea if any seats on Honda models are interchangable. I have a 1997 shadow ACE vt1100 and can't afford a Mustang or Saddlemen. I was told that Valkyrie's would fit. looking for something with a wider passenger seat.

Answer
Hi Dan... Yup.. some seats on some Honda models are interchangable... but not many. I once had a 1980 CM200 come thru here with a GoldWing seat on it!! Yeah... it looked hideous. Unfortunately, I don't know of anywhere that shows a list of which seats fit on what. But here's some advice. I don't know if a Valkyrie seat will fit your Shadow, but even if it does, the price for an OEM Valkyrie seat will prolly be higher than an aftermarket seat. But here's the GOOD tip: Whenever I've had a customer come in that wanted the pillion seat "enlarged", I usually took it to a local auto upholstery shop and had them sculpt new foam and covers that effectively widen the pillion. The price is often half of what a new seat will cost. As long as the upholsterer can use the original seat pan, the rest is up to their imagination. Hope this helps ya Dan!!