Need help to modify/fit a cafe seat to fit my KZ750e.

runmikeyrun

Been Around the Block
So I don't like the seat on my bike. I hate it actually. It's a custom job but the lines are wrong, it's too wide, etc.

So I'd like to possibly take a cafe seat off eBay and modify it. Please tell me what a bad idea it is, lol, I'm here to try to get some ideas so hear me out.

This is the bike, sans seat:
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I can't just put a flat cafe seat on it because the frame has a dip above the number plate, illustrated by the red line:

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This makes setting the seat flat and follow the line with the tank's bottom edge difficult.

I'm thinking of getting a seat and then fitting it to the bike through some modifications to the seat itself. I'd like to follow the lines of the bottom of the tank and tail section, again illustrated by the red line:
99a7d15f0c80da1d71c8dddfcefc378c.jpg

If I picked up an eBay seat, with a lesser pronounced hump, I think I can shape it into something like this:
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Hollow out under the hump in the seat to fit around the cowl and cover the edge of it by an inch or so.

Now, if that all sounds completely ridiculous let me know. My other option is to remove the cowl and cut the rear subframe flush to the turn signals, which is about 21" from the tank to that point. I'm leery of hacking frames, I believe they were designed a certain way for a reason. However, I don't have welding equipment available so that's a less desirable option... unless re-forming a seat is completely ridiculous. I do have access to a seat guy who can restitch a cover.

Also, I've considered just using the seat pan I have now but if it's destroyed then I have no seat at all lol.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
the z1 tail looks good on there. The easiest way to get a new seat would be to trim down your existing one and have a new cover made for it. If you get a cafe seat on ebay its most likely not going to fit up against the tail right and will take a good bit of cutting to get it to fit and you may need a new cover at that point anyway.
 
I'd agree on the no cutting necessary part. Once you start shaving stock mounts, your work adds up. Shaving your original foam works too. What about something like a repop seat cowl off the KZ 900 ? shorten it just a bit and add a cleaner tail light option. Done.
 
Gents, I appreciate the thoughts.

I've thought about shaving the foam, or sculpting a new block entirely.

I guess this is something I should have done from the beginning. Here's the seat on the bike:
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Last fall I did trim the bottom edge to try to align with the lines of the tank. I do realize my piping isn't on properly, this was post riding season and I stopped messing with it to think about it some more.

Anyways. The side profile is one thing. I would add a slightly larger hump if I did new foam. The profile of the seat from top looking down is wrong too, it's a weird shape that bows out of place in regards to the tank and tail.

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Underneath the seat the frame expands out slightly but not to the degree the seat does.

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So the seat can definitely be more narrow.

Then there is the issue of how the back edge of the seat is squared off over a convex tail section.
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I realize this is because the E came with a square cowl. However, the issue remains.

I don't feel I can just hammer and cut the pan down to the shape I need. Or maybe I just need to grow some balls and try lol. I can't find a seat pan on eBay either, just lots of covers and the occasional intact seat that the seller wants way more money than I want to spend.








Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350
 
The seat just doesn't need a hump with that cowl on there. You could lay packing tape/masking tape/any protective layer over the tank,frame and cowl and lay up a fiberglass seat pan over the existing components. IMO probably one of the more accurate ways to get the base shape that you want. Then carve some yoga mat or HD foam and get it covered.




Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON
 
That seat is hurtin for certain.You could try taking the cover off and hammering that back edge down like you said, you really don't have much to loose except a seat you already don't like. As advco mentioned a fiberglass seat pan is the way to go if you want perfect fitment, downside is you have to reverse engineer the mounting system, but you can probably take it off the existing seat. I did the same on my kz750 twin, took a couple cut and add sessions to get it just right but it worked out nicely.


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I'm not adventurous enough to go fiberglass at this time, so I'm gonna take the existing seat and hammer it down and see what happens


Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350
 
Got it stripped down today and added a nice feature, however I think the break-in period is gonna be a little longer than usual. For me.
5d6359cc89f9fa78bfd34177eb5bac08.jpg



Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350
 
Hey, I guess everybody has their thing... :p If nothing else it should keep you firmly planted on that seat.
 
Lol. Hammering is not working out too well. I dont have enough experience shaping metal to do it properly or efficiently. So I'm just going to make a glass one when the weather breaks.


Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350
 
Started shaping foam. Took a while to get the profile right because of the shape of the frame and tail section. However, things are moving along ok now. Probably 4 hours of shaping so far, I have made more progress than this, just a couple of the pics I snapped. Just using a small drywall saw and rasp file.
77583363cb56f5ae2f79c5fdaefaec06.jpg


0b16de7d2f52d253209e0164c2d819bc.jpg





Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350
 
are you shaping the foam to make a buck for the seat pan? How I prefer to make a seat pan is to wrap the whole area with a layer of masking tape and then a couple layers of packing tape, trying to keep everything wrinkle free. Then add some plastic sheet to the edges and tape that down. Apply the fiberglass and resin directly to the bike. This way you get a perfect fit-up as you have used the bike as a buck. nothing will stick to packing tap and the seat will pop right off.
 
I really like that idea, a whole lot better than trying to shave all this foam. I keep thinking I need to go thinner on the foam because the seat is gonna stick up way too high. I'm gonna scope so YouTube videos on your method.


Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350
 
this is the taping method, his other videos use materials you probably wont need to use but he shows the taping method pretty good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NIWGSl8aeU
 
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