Author Topic: Anyone make their own cafe seat? (Read 7750 times)

cleveland · « **on:** November 21, 2006, 05:03:57 pm »

I am pretty frugal (a cheap SOB

) and I was thinking about making my own cafe seat for the project bike I'm working on. I figure I would cut down this king/queen seat I have. Anyone ever do this? Got pics or suggestions?

cleveland

kslrr · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2006, 06:03:22 pm »

I tried cutting down the seat on my CB350F but found the steal too difficult to work with using the basic tools one has in a home shop. Now I am thinking of using aluminum angle and sheet to fabricate one, using the hinges and latch off of the original.

Bodain · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2006, 06:40:45 pm »

Here is my effort to make a fiberglass one.

Add $20.00 rattle can lacquer paint and it looks pretty good.

USN20 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 21, 2006, 06:48:34 pm »

Seat foam selection: http://www.homestead.com/prosites-rmcycle/foam.html

burmashave · « **Reply #4 on:** November 21, 2006, 07:35:31 pm »

Quote from: Bodain on November 21, 2006, 06:40:45 pm

Here is my effort to make a fiberglass one.

Sweet job, Bodain!

HondaMan · « **Reply #5 on:** November 21, 2006, 08:02:28 pm »

Quote from: cleveland on November 21, 2006, 05:03:57 pm

I am pretty frugal (a cheap SOB ) and I was thinking about making my own cafe seat for the project bike I'm working on. I figure I would cut down this king/queen seat I have. Anyone ever do this? Got pics or suggestions?

cleveland

Ooooh, empathy. Pennies are important to me, too!

I started mine with a CB750 pan and a Gold Wind seat from a boneyard, because there was lots of foam to use. The result was too hard on my crouched crotch, not enough "give" (I don't have steel nuts, just bolts...

) . So, I started over with another used seat from a Yami Venture (REALLY big!) and carved it with my bread knife, was pretty good at it by then. Then I glued the foam to the Honda pan with contact cement, bent the seat brackets under ("Z" folded) to lower it, but I've forgotten what I did to make the latch. The pan had a key latch, but I removed that and made something else, but I have no pix (and some days, even less memory!) to remind me. The whole works cost me less than $25, even with 3 seats used. I sewed up a decent vinyl cover over that winter and attached it, looked professional. Someone offered me $50, so I sold it and made the one I have now, a semi-TT stepped seat with a place for my seldom-riding wife. This time, I made my own pan from .100" thick aluminum, used another Gold Wing foam and a key latch to protect my toolkit and battery. I'll try to remember to take a picture of it and post it here. RXman has seen it, and a couple of other SOHCers who were here one day last summer, before I got mine running good again (I missed the ride with them, was fouling plugs at that time.

). The cover was hand-sewn one cold winter by me, using heavy naugahyde-like vinyl from a fabric store, is now 14 years old with no visible wear!

hymodyne · « **Reply #6 on:** November 21, 2006, 08:08:34 pm »

I stripped a standard seat pan, sprayed foam, building up a rear pod which I cut down to size with a large knife. I embedded a tail/stop light in the rear of the foam, putting the electricals inside a length of pvc pipe. I glassed over the uncovered foam(not smart) which meant I had to bondo that layer of glass resin to remove all the inconsistencies of the mat as the resin ate into the uncovered foam. I put another layer of glass over the bondo layer, then a thin layer of bondo over that, sanded to a consistent finish and now its ready to prime and paint.

for a seat area, I built up layers of 1/2 inch closed cell foam (a piece of camping bedroll) and remants of carpet foam to a thickness of about two inches, starting with small pieces that addressed the cut-out underneath the pan that houses the owner's manual, attaching them to one another with spary adhesive. I've got a piece of black cowhide I plan to stretch over this foam platform, tightening it by putting grommets in the underside, about five on each side, and lacing the twosides together with some sort of heavy cord or line, like a shoelace.

hym

paulages · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2006, 10:06:17 pm »

here's a thread i posted a while back detailing the process i used to make mine.

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=7362.0

Brunow · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2006, 11:47:01 pm »

Cool seat man! congratz!

KB02 · « **Reply #9 on:** November 22, 2006, 05:20:37 am »

I started with a stock seat pan as well. I used Hardware cloth to get the shape that I wanted and the glassed over that... Bondo over that... As for seat foam, I used the stock seat form and just cut it down to the size that I wanted. I bought some vinal from JoAnn fabrics (The kind used for outdoor projects) and sewed my own seat cover.

When all is said and done, it came out pretty well. If I was to do it over again, though, I'd use the trick Bodain used or the one that Hymodyne used. The advantage (as I see it) of the former is that you can make it sit however you want since you're doing it all from scratch. But, you have to use more glass to get the strength that you need. The advantage of the latter (like mine), is that the stock seat pan has the latches and hinges and all the strength you are going to need already. Plus you don't have to worry about any extra bracing for the rear hump.

...just my two cents...

forwheeldrift · « **Reply #10 on:** November 22, 2006, 05:59:30 am »

here is my attempt at a cafe seat

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3293707

here's a few build pics, i was originally trying to keep the stock hing location so i can switch back to the stock two up seat(for my wife) but i recently took her for a ride on a friends bike and a littel devil in side me could not do 55
needless to say now I'm free to build it any way i want because she no longer wants to ride with me..

so back to the drawing board,

jalfonso · « **Reply #11 on:** November 22, 2006, 06:25:01 am »

Forwheeldrift,

Nice work on the bike. Seat looks great and I especially like what you did to your carbs. Did you have the tops and bottom pieces anodized or are they painted? Definitely adds a nice touch. Hope you don't mind if I "borrow' your idea!

Rhonda750F · « **Reply #12 on:** November 22, 2006, 06:40:30 am »

If your going to use the king and queen seat, use an electric knife to cut out the rough shape and a wood rasp with varying textures to smooth it out. These work really well with the type of foam thats used, high density cellulose, or whatever it's called. First Use a magic marker to draw the profile you want and make sure you measure the distances on both sides as to not have a lop sided seat. Then cut away. It takes some time to smooth everything out, but you can really get nice curves and transitions if you spend time on it.
If your going to cut the seat pan, I suggest a torch. That steel is damn hard.
Good luck and post some pics of the finished product.

forwheeldrift · « **Reply #13 on:** November 22, 2006, 07:59:41 am »

jalfonso

there painted.. and no i don't mind, if i inspiered you thats grate, cause i have gotten lots of inspiration from pepole on this forum..
so I'm happy to pay-it-forword ,

they don't make high heat cooper paint, so i used high heat clear coat first then sprayed cooper paint then covered with more high heat clear coat..

i have Had success with this method with cars..

ProTeal55 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 22, 2006, 08:12:38 am »

Quote from: Bodain on November 21, 2006, 06:40:45 pm

Here is my effort to make a fiberglass one.

Great job on the seat !!
I am sure I could make one , but I find it easier to just buy them allready done $:-\$

jalfonso · « **Reply #15 on:** November 22, 2006, 08:54:08 am »

Thanks for the tips forwheeldrift. Much appreciated!

DME · « **Reply #16 on:** November 22, 2006, 11:01:54 am »

Made this one.
Seatbase made of marine plywood (water proof), cowl made of sheetmetal.
Uses stock rear hinge on the right side and a wingnut on the left side for easy removal with no tools.

More pics in my gallery, link below.

Cheers and good luck with your project!
Daniel

ProTeal55 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 22, 2006, 11:24:47 am »

Love that bike

burmashave · « **Reply #18 on:** November 22, 2006, 01:07:54 pm »

Me too!

Bodain · « **Reply #19 on:** November 22, 2006, 02:02:40 pm »

Quote from: DME on November 22, 2006, 11:01:54 am

Made this one.
Seatbase made of marine plywood (water proof), cowl made of sheetmetal.
Uses stock rear hinge on the right side and a wingnut on the left side for easy removal with no tools.

More pics in my gallery, link below.

Cheers and good luck with your project!
Daniel

Interesting pipes. I dig them. Did you make those also?

bill440cars · « **Reply #20 on:** November 22, 2006, 02:43:00 pm »

Daniel, I never get tired of checking out your bike.

You'll have to clue Bodain in on the pipes.

There are some really awesome bikes on this site and your's is definitely no slouch.

Later on, Bill

forwheeldrift · « **Reply #21 on:** November 23, 2006, 08:11:25 am »

Great job on the seat !!
I am sure I could make one , but I find it easier to just buy them allready done $:-\$

Quote

it's true and considering I'm really highly allergic to fiberglass it would be the best option for me...BUT... then i would loss my originality.

so i suffer on in the pursuit of individuality

paulages · « **Reply #22 on:** November 23, 2006, 01:18:48 pm »

i used fiberglass cloth instead of the chop mat, and didn't have any problems with stray glass. and i hate stuff with a passion.

kghost · « **Reply #23 on:** November 23, 2006, 01:26:04 pm »

I made my goldwing cowl from fiberglass cloth.....

There are other materials available that are not fiberglass.

Are you perhaps alergic to the resins? Hard to imagine someone being allergic to glass.

paulages · « **Reply #24 on:** November 23, 2006, 03:17:19 pm »

i think some people react to fiberglass embedded in the skin differently, and call that "being allergic." i've worked with plenty of guys who will handle fiberglass insulation all day long with no gloves or long sleeves. the #$%* drives me crazy if i so much as look at it...

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Author Topic: Anyone make their own cafe seat? (Read 7750 times)

USN20

Brunow