Topic: red foam seat dissection

[Don R]

 Here's what's inside a later model K0 seat. Note the red foam center bar that goes all the way through.


https://photos.app.goo.gl/U5pcKMTLoLkwrcaaA

[ACK777]

That is really interesting how they designed that!  It looks like they wanted the denser red foam strip to give the softer yellow closed cell foam some lateral rigidity with that tall cross section. 

[Old Moe Toe]

Looks much more thought through in the design department than the conglomerate foam in a cheap skate replica seat I bought off ebay. This is what the foam looked like in that seat. It has been cut in half horizontally.

[69cb750]

[69cb750]

[69cb750]

[Don R]

 My old sandcast foam was all red and many smaller pieces. I wondered at the time if it was made out of scraps. I replaced it with a new Yamiya foam and re-used the original cover. I'll look for pics of that one too.  That red foam was popular in expensive mattresses back on the day.  Now I wish I had kept it for parts lol.

Yamiya,
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4psAGNKNHoFG8iB87

[Don R]

 Sandcast
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3QBuZ49yFTTMD5DZ9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gX1YaRt2ymUFxPF7A

[HondaMan]

Here's what's inside a later model K0 seat. Note the red foam center bar that goes all the way through.


https://photos.app.goo.gl/U5pcKMTLoLkwrcaaA

Ah, the original Supersaddle!
They changed to using the red foam with holes punched upward under your hip-bones, and while it was also excellent, mine finally split along the rows of holes, letting my bones hit the pan on real big bumps. I miss that seat, nothing else was ever as good - especially the K3 seat. That one was a serious disappointment for [attempts at] 1000 mile days. My K2 and K1 were both excellent for those 16-hour days.

I finally built an annealled aluminum pan (so it flexes on BIG bumps) and removed the rubber bumpers under my hip-bones, which is still on mine tday, 38 years later. I made the foam from a (giant) Yamaha Venture seat foam, MUCH cut down (it was voted 'year's best seat' in 1980 or sometime like that) and notched to fit both my, and my wife's thighs perfectly. Still fits! And it makes the bike seem shorter to the ground when stopped, as the thigh cutouts mimic the original K2-only seat.

[Don R]

 I noticed the nos K4 seat I put on my brothers one owner bike has the holes in the foam. It still sits good but got a tear.  The all red foam was 55xx sandcast  The red yellow mix is a 6/70 I'm thinking in the 38,000 range.
 

[HondaMan]

I noticed the nos K4 seat I put on my brothers one owner bike has the holes in the foam. It still sits good but got a tear.  The all red foam was 55xx sandcast  The red yellow mix is a 6/70 I'm thinking in the 38,000 range.
 

?
Mine is a K2, but had red foam. My K1 had the yellow-y stuff in it.
Has anyone else seen this, too?

[Don R]

 It might be an example of a vendor using the best material they could get at the best price.   

[69cb750]

Mine is a K2, but had red foam. My K1 had the yellow-y stuff in it.
Has anyone else seen this, too?

I have only seen yellow or white for K1 and K2.

[MauiK3]

That explains why back then I could do those long days on my K0.
Well, I guess it could be also that my butt (and body) were much younger and much dumber.

[BenelliSEI]

I stripped down two K0 pans when I restored my “show” bike. I’m surprised no one mentioned the hard, black rubber piece that went under the “duck tail” in both of them. Did anyone else find that chunk in there?

I had an NOS Honda cover, so prepped a seat pan, and sent parts to a guy in England. He used to sell his services on EBay. Went under the handle of “Bob the Seat”. He took a while, but did a fabulous job. It’s a bit over stuffed, so next season I may mount it on my K1 and punch it down a bit with my arse......

[Don R]

 I've had two apart and didn't have anything in the ducktail other than the foam.  Interesting.

[MauiK3]

For my K3 I bought Yamiya’s 20 mm cut down seat, I must be shrinking because I don’t recall having to tiptoe back in the day on my K0, or maybe I just didn’t mind it, I was young and dumb. I kept my original K3 seat just in case I grow some. I’m 5’ 6” and a hair with a 30-31” inseam.

[BenelliSEI]

I've had two apart and didn't have anything in the ducktail other than the foam.  Interesting.

Odd. Both the seats I stripped down had them. I never took any photos....