GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH SHEEPY HOLLOW - JUST BIKES (2024)

But other than that, do you know much about them? Recently, JUST BIKES had a chance to see inside the 'inner sanctum' of Sheepy Hollow, Australia's only dedicated producer of motorcycle sheepskin seat covers. Peter Birch, the "head sheep" at Sheepy Hollow, showed us what's involved in making the Budget sheepskin Seat covers that make Aussie riders comfortable.

One of the great strengths of Sheepy Hollow is that motorcycle seat covers are all they do. No ugg boots, car seat covers, pet beds, etc. to take the focus away from what's most important - motorcyclists! Peter is a lifelong rider himself, so he knows the importance of making a product that's specific to motorcyclists and their needs. Over the 18 years Sheepy Hollow have been in business, this focus has enabled them to build up an impressive catalogue of patterns to suit an equally impressive range of motorcycles. No matter what you ride, from an Aprilia to a Yamaha, you can be pretty sure Sheepy Hollow have built a Budget sheepskin Seat cover for it, so they'll have the pattern in stock, ready to make your seat cover, or they will make a pattern if they don't already have one. Due to the diverse range of makes and models Sheepy Hollow cover, they don't keep a stock of manufactured covers, instead making each unit to order. Peter's pretty quick off the mark, too. He's often been able to get hold of new bikes as they're released, so he'll have a pattern ready to go for his customers.

The Budget sheepskin Seat covers are the 'bread & butter' of the Sheepy Hollow range, and as the name suggests, they are very affordable. For late model midsize commuters and sportsbikes, you're looking at around $145, and around $181 for large tourers and cruisers. If you're planning on doing a 'Postie Bike Challenge', Sheepy Hollow even has a Budget sheepskin seat cover to suit the humble CT110 - for under $100! The popularity of the Budget Seat covers has led Peter to set up a dedicated section on the Sheepy Hollow website - www.sheepyhollow.com/budget - to showcase the range.

The process of making seatcovers may sound basic, but Peter assures us it's nowhere near as simple as cutting a "seat-shaped' piece of sheepskin! As fairings, headlights and ducktails very enormously in shape, contour and size these days, so do motorcycle seats, so a lot of skill is required in cutting and making the right patterns to ensure a correct and snug fit. Sheepy Hollow's Budget sheepskin Seat cover range is based on the patterns of the more expensive Contoured Seat covers, but the tailoring and finishing process is different. Where the Contoured Seat cover range use a different level of tailoring, as well as leather pockets and strapping to bind it to the seat, the Budget range use a "skirted pocket" to bind it around the seat. However, Sheepy Hollow haven't scrimped on the process here. As Peter describes, "we couldn't bring ourselves to use the same elastic we see most often used - an uncovered elastic sewn directly to the edge. This will deteriorate with time and cannot be easily replaced."

The skirted pocket that Sheepy Hollow use is actually a sleeve sewn around the perimeter of the seat cover, which is threaded with the elastic cord that helps the seat cover grip the seat. If and when the elastic gives way, you can easily rethread a replacement elastic cord.

The sheepskin - or at least the choice of sheepskin - is the most important part of the process. After the skin is trimmed, it's inspected for any faults that may compromise the quality of the finished product. If it doesn't meet Peter's exacting standards, it's out! Once the right skin is found, the relevant pattern is laid on, marked and cut out. Specialised machines are used to sew the pieces together, which is a skill in itself. The next step is 'dressing', which involves trimming the fleece, flattening seams, and giving the seat cover a neater appearance. The skirted pocket with the internal elastic cord is added next, followed by finishing of seams, threads, etc., and cleaning. Due to demand and workload, Peter tries to work on a 4 - 8 day turnaround from initial order to dispatch of a finished Budget sheepskin Seat cover.

With Summer coming up - at least for most of us - now's a good time to start thinking about a Sheepy Hollow Budget sheepskin Seat cover for your summer touring rides. Check out the range at www.sheepyhollow.com or call direct on 0414 390 507. Ordering online is easy. Simply go to the site and follow the simple steps to place and send your order. If you want your Budget sheepskin Seat cover for the ride down to the Phillip Island MotoGP - or any other holiday trip - don't wait, order now!

What JUST BIKES also liked was the addition of free rain covers with each seat cover. It should be noted that while sheepskin it is water repellant, it isn't waterproof. The tanning and dyeing process takes out a lot of the natural oils and grease in wool, so if you're regularly parking outdoors in wet areas, some form of rain protection is required. Yes, it's a garbage bag, but it is a simple, yet clever idea that shows Sheepy Hollow understands riders and, more importantly, understands riders don't want a wet bum!

Source: JUST BIKES, October 2010, Issue #256