How Im Building a Metal Cafe Seat...Cheap and easy..*pics*

[locOleoN]

Ive got a few emails wondering how Im building a non-fiberglass cafe seat...

But first I just have to say that this is not my idea and Im not the first one to do this..(mabe just the first person to post it??),... So I'm not claiming that this is my " original" idea but rather something that was suggested to me by one of the CVMG guys...

So if you find this helpful, great... (If you dont, here's a Big Middle Finger Salute to you... and you can take that to other forums and be a bitch about it)

That being said...Heres what Ive done...


Materials:
1. A gas tank with the back end shape that you like.
- I used a 69 T500 Titan tank
2. A stock seat pan that will fit your bike.
- I used a pan from a T500
3. A tail light of your choice
4. 4 heavy duty screws
5. Crappy Tire spray paint.

Keep in mind that you can use a variety of different Gas Tanks and Seat Pans all depending on what shape you want the "hump" to be or what you have in the garage. However, I find that if you use tank/pan from the same model bike, they will fit better when you put them together...

1. Back end of a 69T500 gas tank that I cut in half, sandblasted, painted and stuck a tail light on:

2. 69T500 seat pan, sandblasted, paint and primed:

3. Attach the seat pan to the back end of the tank, inside with 4 screws.
This pic is just the 2 pieces throw together for this message. It is not properly fitted together..

4. Foam and leather the seating area.

5. Then mount the whole piece on to the bike using stock hinges and lock mechanism...

Voila!!...Or you can just go buy a fiberglass seat on ebay for $100usd.

 

[rphilli550]

got any final product pictures?

 

[locOleoN]

People have been asking me how I've filled the gap inside the hump.

Well here is what I did:

I used the hard interlock hi-density floor foam that you can buy at any Home Depot.
I just traced the hole onto cardboard, trimmed the cardboard pattern till it fit nicely

Then I traced the pattern onto the foam, which I cut then stuffed into the hole.

Then I traced and cut another piece about 4mm bigger then glued them together using "goop"
This second piece will sit outside/on top of the first piece and act as a "lid", which will be kept in place when its leathered.
(I'll post a pic as soon as the 2 pieces dry up)..

That will be the lid of the hole which I can remove easily since the leather cover will be velcored in place overtop of the foam.

 

[locOleoN]

More detail on this thread:

http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=736.msg5564#msg5564

 

[pyro139]

nice two sugestions, first the tail light you had on the bike you had monday is nicer light, second id button up the hump and make it oil tank.

 

[Pugsley]

This is what I'm doing, though I'll have the traditional snap-to-the-hump seat cover, and a (lockable) stash location inside the hump!

Great idea about the firm foam pad, can also use that as basepad under the softer seatfoam!

As oil tank you could have a heated seat for winter touring (Or run lines up through the bars for handwarmers!)

 

[anarki650]

I'm using that interlocking pad as my only seat pad (I'm short and I opted to sacrifice a little butt comfort for being lower in the seat, besides it's better to look cool than be comfortable right?). I'll let you all know how hard on the ass it is after I get it all together and riding!!

 

[locOleoN]

I'm using that interlocking pad as my only seat pad (I'm short and I opted to sacrifice a little butt comfort for being lower in the seat, besides it's better to look cool than be comfortable right?). I'll let you all know how hard on the ass it is after I get it all together and riding!!

HOly Shit.. now thats gonna be a stiff seat!!.. Im getting hemmorroids just thinking about that..

 

[anarki650]

It really didn't feel like it was going to be that bad when I was mocking it up (riding position anyway). Of course I rode bullet bikes for years before getting into vintage stuff, so my ass might just be hardened from sitting on GSXR and FZR seats for long rides, but A. I want the lowest profile out of the seat because my legs are really short (30" inseams drag the ground!!) and B. Short is sexy (at least that's what I've told myself for years to compensate for the lack of height that God so deemed to bestow upon me).

 

[thrasherbill]

Quick question... how are you guys cutting the tank (cut off wheel, hacksaw, grinder, etc.)? I just picked up a tank to use for my tail piece and figure a cut off wheel on a die grinder would be easiest and quickest but what about sparks and the possibility of lingering gas fumes inside the tank?

 

[Elnogue]

Oh! it´s true... :-\
I'm thinking about make one metal cafe seat that way and now I'm searching the tank but didn't think how to cut the tank and that about sparks and gas fumes doesn't look good...

 

[anarki650]

I used a cut off wheel on mine, but the tank I hacked apart hadn't had any gas it forever.

 

[Canuck Plumber]

Zip disks for mine on an angle grinder.

 

[JRK5892]

GREAT IDEA!!!!

 

[locOleoN]

Well.. here is the end product on the bike: (before it made its way to RudeBoy's bike and I was forced to make another one.... ;D)

 

[dontaco]

More detail on this thread:

http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=736.msg5564#msg5564

what did you ust to cut up the tank with?

 

[locOleoN]

what did you ust to cut up the tank with?

Dremel

 

[efocht]

where do you guys get the metal snaps to hold the vinyl to the seats
thanks
ed

 

[Tim]

You should be able to get them at any fabric shop, or perhaps a craft store.

 

[efocht]

thanks i didnt even think of that