Question for you guys out there. I have a 1978 CB400Tii. Doing a cafe conversion and I am having trouble finding a seat. I have found one picture of a cm400 (same frame) with a straight cafe seat and it looks terrible. The bike has a weird bend in the frame so flat seats will work but it looks bad. An suggestions on a seat that will work? I'll post some pics when I get a chance. I am thinking of building one if I can't buy one that will fit.
1978 CB400Tii
- Thread starter cafeguy78
- Start date
hotaction
Geologist by day, Rockstar by night
I've got a 78 CB400 T1, bought it with a new seat... Well re upholstered seat..
Its just chunky looking.. and I wanted to cafe style it... But I'm also having a a hard time finding a nice looking seat... I don't know if its the frame or the bubbly tank? Rear fender?
Any input would be great.
Hot Action
Its just chunky looking.. and I wanted to cafe style it... But I'm also having a a hard time finding a nice looking seat... I don't know if its the frame or the bubbly tank? Rear fender?
Any input would be great.
Hot Action
porkchopper
New Member
I know the feeling! I am working on an 83 CM450, same frame and I ended up cutting of the complete rear frame to suit the cafe style seat and frame lines. Used 1" OD 0.120" wall tubing and it worked great. Alot of work! I'll post some pics of my build soon. I had already purchased a fiberglass seat from ebay for a CB450. Also using a tank from a CB550F to give the boxy look. I have also seen guys using the stock pan from these bikes and cutting down the foam and creating the "hump" in the rear.
best of luck
best of luck
hotaction
Geologist by day, Rockstar by night
I'm even thinking of going... NON traditional cafe seat..Just something solo w a cowl... DUCK BILL COWL? maybe... put a taillight inside the cowl...
Something like that...
Just cause I don't want to cut and weld and rework the frame.. I love the frame..
HotAction
Something like that...
Just cause I don't want to cut and weld and rework the frame.. I love the frame..
HotAction
sxecafe
You think the Carpet Pissers did this?
Hey dudes... I have a 78 400 also. You're right the frame sucks the big one but Roc City Cafe has a seat that looks pretty damn good on our bikes that I have. You have to mock up a frame for the seat for it to fit right but once you do it seems to work well. I'll post some links to find it in a sec.
Also, I also did a double up by shaving the foam off my stock seat with a grinder and then re-upholstered it. Its kinda unconventional but at least its the stock seat pan. Be back with more links...
Also, I also did a double up by shaving the foam off my stock seat with a grinder and then re-upholstered it. Its kinda unconventional but at least its the stock seat pan. Be back with more links...
I'll post some pics of my bike when I get a chance. I made a bunch of calls today to the guys at glass from the past, hanger lane and roc city among others. I e-mailed them all some pics to show them what we are all talking about. When they get back to me I'll post again. The one pic of the hawk with the roc city seat does look pretty sweet though.
I checked out those seats on ebay... Not a big fan but I definately appreciate it. I am looking into something here- I contacted a local custom surfboard maker. He said he could shape foam for me however I wanted. I am going to get him to make a mold for me to mimic the lines of the stock tank in the hump ( I am also gonna stick the battery and electronics under there). When on the frame the lines of the seat may sit slightly lower than the gas tank lines so it may have a little cafe/drag bike look but i think it will still look good. I should be meeting with him later today or tomorrow and I'll let you guys know how it turns out. It may be something you other guys out there may want to look into as well.
I made a small model of the seat out of florist foam. I tried full scale and it didn't work out with my shaping skills... I had to glue two pieces of foam together so disregard the glue. If all goes as planned this should be what the finished product looks like and mind you it's not to scale... I think it will look awesomewhen it's all done- what do you guys think?
hotaction
Geologist by day, Rockstar by night
I like it too,
I definitely wanted a duckbill solo seat cowl...
Brakelight in the back... lose that fender... bring the plate up on the side...
turn signals... dunno yet.
Keep it up! I'm gonna try and get my hands on some floral foam and take a crack at it soon too!
I definitely wanted a duckbill solo seat cowl...
Brakelight in the back... lose that fender... bring the plate up on the side...
turn signals... dunno yet.
Keep it up! I'm gonna try and get my hands on some floral foam and take a crack at it soon too!
I'm trying to get a meeting with a machine shop- I did the full scale and its so uneven. The small one wasnt hard at all- it's pretty rough though. If I can afford it I am gonna try to get a machine shop to make a plug so I can make multiple seats (as suggested) and then anyone who needs one can just let me know. I'll keep ya posted. Good luck on the foam.
hotaction
Geologist by day, Rockstar by night
That blows dude,
At the same time, I think its good that ur not going to the "first" guy who's willing to do it...
Looking on the brighter side of things, you'll probably end up with a better shop and a better end product...
This guy at the first shop sounds like a total douche not willing to do anything that didn't conform to what he's used to doing/seeing.
Keep searching!
PS where are you located? I'm in Toronto, I could look around here if you're in the neighborhood
At the same time, I think its good that ur not going to the "first" guy who's willing to do it...
Looking on the brighter side of things, you'll probably end up with a better shop and a better end product...
This guy at the first shop sounds like a total douche not willing to do anything that didn't conform to what he's used to doing/seeing.
Keep searching!
PS where are you located? I'm in Toronto, I could look around here if you're in the neighborhood
I'm down in Florida. Look around for me though and if you find any seats let me know- at the same time that's quite the trip.
Well I have the duckbill shape with the tank line in the middle done. It's HUGE! I have lots more work to do- gotta scale it down more- very tough to get everything even. After the size and shape are correct I am going to give it a coat of drywall mud to help smooth it out more and make it a little more rigid. As for the frame mold- I tried this and it worked out well so far. I took a piece of stucco screen ( they put it on your house and then cover it with a thin coat of cement to give it the stucco look) and bent it over the frame. now its a little rough- you have to bend it 120 degrees to make it stay at 90 if ya know what I mean but I got it to work. It just cover the frame rails and I think it will lok awesome when done. I am gonna mate the two once I get everything almost finished then a coat of drywall mud for the screen, some sanding a coat of latex paint then some epoxy paint for some more rigidness. After that my MOLD will be done. It's alot of work but for the look I want it will be worth it. Since the whole "hump" section is so big it looks terrible so far and it is taking some real imagination but I am gonna try to see it through to help myself and all those guys out there who bought the 400tii or CM400 and said "oh damn!" when they saw the frame and all the seats out there commercially available.
Well I have the duckbill shape with the tank line in the middle done. It's HUGE! I have lots more work to do- gotta scale it down more- very tough to get everything even. After the size and shape are correct I am going to give it a coat of drywall mud to help smooth it out more and make it a little more rigid. As for the frame mold- I tried this and it worked out well so far. I took a piece of stucco screen ( they put it on your house and then cover it with a thin coat of cement to give it the stucco look) and bent it over the frame. now its a little rough- you have to bend it 120 degrees to make it stay at 90 if ya know what I mean but I got it to work. It just cover the frame rails and I think it will lok awesome when done. I am gonna mate the two once I get everything almost finished then a coat of drywall mud for the screen, some sanding a coat of latex paint then some epoxy paint for some more rigidness. After that my MOLD will be done. It's alot of work but for the look I want it will be worth it. Since the whole "hump" section is so big it looks terrible so far and it is taking some real imagination but I am gonna try to see it through to help myself and all those guys out there who bought the 400tii or CM400 and said "oh damn!" when they saw the frame and all the seats out there commercially available.