Topic: Solo Seat Ideas ? 1972 CB750K

[ProTeal55]

Hey ,

In the ongoing project , A solo seat is def. in order for my bike.
I have seen a few here and their , but I would like to see how other CB owners went about putting a solo
seat on their rides.

Please , if you are running a solo seat , please post some pics for me to check out.

Thanks

[SteveD CB500F]

Go look in the Gallery and PM the guys with the solo seats!

Try these...

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=3706.msg27589#msg27589

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=2384.msg21491#msg21491

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=3568.msg18674#msg18674

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=2352.msg16907#msg16907

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=2031.msg14925#msg14925

for starters.

[ProTeal55]

Thanks for the links....

Anyone take a reg off brand solo seat and make it work ?
I was thinking about making a flat panel , and just bolting on a seat.
Seems simple enough , just like to see what others have done before i go and start buying parts...

[Geeto67]

what kind of solo seat are you talking about? A fiberglass tail section? or a Bates style sprung solo?

For the bates style the honda chopper guys have done that in the past, works only ok on a stock frame but on a chop frame looks good.

For a fiberglass seat, airtech sells a cr750 replica seat that fits pretty good. There is also a guy on ebay selling a bolt on cb750 seat (you add foam and covering to both). Hot Rod Carpy (who pops in from time to time) will take your stock seat pan and make a solo seat out of it but the tail section will be soft vynil and foam, not hard fiberglass. 

[ProTeal55]

HotRodCarpy makes some sick stuff for these bikes.
I was looking at his website , and liked alot of the things he does.

Was planning on going with a sprung seat , but I am not building a chopper , and i think they look best a chopper style frame.
Will prob. end up going with a vinal tail section seat , i kinda like the way those look.

Just need to swallow the $300 for the seat to get it done...

[DrMark]

I believe this is a picture of Thunder's bike...he sent this to me several months ago....I think it was a H-D seat.

[ProTeal55]

Dr.Mark

From what I can see , that is a Sporster seat made by Corbin.
Looking for something abit slimmer..


Thanks ............

[Geeto67]

How handy are you at doing stuff? You probably can get the materials to build the seat yourself. By now I'm sure you have heard of that stuff you can use to make a fiberglass pan and then have it covered. Seems pretty user friendly enough.

Another option you can do is to shave the stock seat. A lot of guys did this back in the day. Basically you reshape the stock foam so it is thinner and then pull the stock cover tighter. If your k2 seat is really nice it would be a shame to ruin it.

As always check with your local interor  shop about a recover job and foam shaping. Not too knock carpy's work (which I think is awsome by the way) but sometimes a local shop can get it done a little cheaper if cost is a factor. I once had a seat reshaped and recovered (very plain one piece of cheap vynil) for $150. Since you are in the industry your shop must have a place they send work to, see if they can give you the "jobber price" (basically wholesale).

Carpy's seats are really nice, very much like a corbin but no cheap fibreglass seat pan.

A trick the honda chop guys taught me about trying to make the bates style work on a stock frame is to "kong" the seat (named for the person who first posted it on hondachop). Basically you cut the two seat rails and bend them down to get a dropped seat height.  With them out of the way the bates seat can mount lower with bigger springs and actually look good. You will lose your side covers and have to use an aftermarket oil tank but it is something to consider.  here are some pics on how to do it:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kkong44/album?.dir=3adc&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kkong44/my_photos

 

[lifeofthe88@yahoo.]

got pics at yahoo photos lifeofthe88.not sure how to post pics on this site.or i can always email photos.im half braindead

[ProTeal55]

Yeah , The carpy seats are slick , like I said , just dont know if I want to dump that kinda cash into a seat.

The bike has a aftermarket seat on it , so chopping it up isn't that big a deal to me. I might take a stab at custom seat making once the weather gets too crappy to ride, and in Chicago , that culd be a hour from now 

[mainefreak]

try crc2onlinecatalog.com.  I got a nice solo seat with springs along with some other goodies for less than 60 dollars.

[chrometank]

I just used my stock seat pan and then fibreglassed over the end and had it recovered , $15 in fibreglass and $70 for the recovering.It was all pretty easy as i just shaped the foam then glassed over it.

[SteveD CB500F]

not sure how to post pics on this site.

Look in the Gallery. Instructions for posting pictures there.

Steve

[Chris Liston]

I just used my stock seat pan and then fibreglassed over the end and had it recovered , $15 in fibreglass and $70 for the recovering.It was all pretty easy as i just shaped the foam then glassed over it.

Chrometank,  that is pretty much the process that I want to do also.  How did you make the mold for the tail piece?  That is the only thing I'm not sure about.

Thanks

[dusterdude]

geeto,i l ike kongs bike.are there any pics after it was put back together?

[chrometank]

Hey chris,I just got some surf board foam and cut n sanded it to shape,didnt take to long 1-2 hours ? then fiberglassed it with strips of glass going over foam n under pan,so its molded to pan.I made it pretty thick.then stuck some high density foam for seat cut low to pan and took it off to the upholsterer.He used the existing clips and glue.Its a decent job without being fantastic
cheers

I could post some pics of the finnished seat if you want but i think you could find some better shaped seats on this forum,I wish i knew about this place when i did it !

[Chris Liston]

Chrome,

If you could post a seat pic that would be great.  I like the foam idea though. 

I've got alot of pics saved and bookmarked of cafe seats, just trying to get it all sorted out.

[chrometank]

pic

[Geeto67]

Dusterdude,

The hondachopper gallery is full of "konged" bikes just take a browse through there. Some guys pefer to cut one end of the seat rails and bed them down, others will cut the rails out entirely and either reuse them or fab new ones. The pics I got are not actually kong's bike but someone who happened to post the process in response to a how to question.

here is a link to a pic of a finished konged bike (with 3 inches of backbone stretch to boot):

http://hondachopper.com/choppers23.html

With konging you either have to have a seat frame in mind or be prepared to make one. Most guys do it so they can use things like bates seats and HD softail seats without loking to goofy. It really drops the seat height low so you better be short or ready to build forward controls.

here is a link to different ways stock frames have been kong or otherwise modified:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/misterskin2000/album?.dir=8674&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/misterskin2000/my_photos

[ProTeal55]

Thanks for all the good ideas.
I think I am gonna try butchering my stock seat , and if that doesnt work out , go with a Carpy solo seat.

[Chris Liston]

ditto,  looks my option too.  Luckily I have 2 seats, one good and the other to play with, both with mounting and locking hardware,  just swap hinge pins and go.

[Steve F]

I made a new seat using the stock pan and a new foam piece.  The bike's a 750F, but just to give you some ideas, I'm giving you a link to my web page for some pic's.
http://home.mindspring.com/~highvoltage/www/
Regards,
Steve F.
(West of Chicago)

[Chris Liston]

Dig that AAA sticker

[dusterdude]

thanks geeto,yea im short enough that will work good for me.kongs bike looks real good too.

[ProTeal55]

Steve F ,

The seat on the yellow Cafe bike looks very good.
Seems as if the back portion pulls off for a passenger ? Similar to the new Victory Hammer.
Wanna build me a seat for my CB ??

[mylittleho]

nevermind

[Chris Liston]

Just like building a surfboard only alot smaller    I'd had plenty of experience using glass and resin to repair my boards over the year so it should be that hard.  I hope.

[Steve F]

Steve F ,

The seat on the yellow Cafe bike looks very good.
Seems as if the back portion pulls off for a passenger ? Similar to the new Victory Hammer.
Wanna build me a seat for my CB ??

The rear part of the seat doesn't have a cushion under it, just space and is bolted on.  I shaved off the passenger foot pegs anyway. Not being in the position to build parts for others, I can send you more pics if you want, just email me with what you want more details about.

[rucorey]

I have been looking at seats too, I pulled my seat cover off to get a good look. I think cutting the foam is a no brainer if you take your time, but the cutting of the steel bottom could be tricky. On my 76F it has a curve upward.

SteveF, do you have any pics of the seat from the bottom and before the cover was installed? Your seat is nice and clean with great lines, nice job!

BTW- I'm out in the Chicago Burbs if anyone has done similiar work, I'd love to scoot out and take a llook!

[Steve F]

I have been looking at seats too, I pulled my seat cover off to get a good look. I think cutting the foam is a no brainer if you take your time, but the cutting of the steel bottom could be tricky. On my 76F it has a curve upward.

SteveF, do you have any pics of the seat from the bottom and before the cover was installed? Your seat is nice and clean with great lines, nice job!

BTW- I'm out in the Chicago Burbs if anyone has done similiar work, I'd love to scoot out and take a llook!

I'm in the 'burbs too, Where you at?  I'm in West Chicago

[rucorey]

I'm out a little further toward Dekalb in Kirkland. I used to live in West Chicago over by the Metra station.

So did you end up cutting the stock seat, or building a new pan? I'd like to use the stock seat pan and fiberglass tail and just shorten the seat so that the taillight assembly is flush with the back two frame rails. That would get rid of the pillion seat and almost 6 inches or overhang. I think I'd like to have a flatter seat, with a bubble that would flow right into the tail section. FYI- I've got the same year as you also.

[seaweb11]

Nice one on Ebay .........3 hours left.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CAFE-SEAT-cb750-cb650-cb550-xs650-xs400-rd350-400_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35589QQitemZ4571773786QQrdZ1

[ProTeal55]

Who else here is from Chicago  ?
I am in Park RIdge , Work in Arlington Heights.........

[Steve F]

I'm out a little further toward Dekalb in Kirkland. I used to live in West Chicago over by the Metra station.

So did you end up cutting the stock seat, or building a new pan? I'd like to use the stock seat pan and fiberglass tail and just shorten the seat so that the taillight assembly is flush with the back two frame rails. That would get rid of the pillion seat and almost 6 inches or overhang. I think I'd like to have a flatter seat, with a bubble that would flow right into the tail section. FYI- I've got the same year as you also.

I used the stock pan, and built the rear "cover" out of sheetmetal.  The rear of the seat is fastened to the cover, and the seat pan was left alone.  Maybe we could get together sometime?
Regards,
Steve F