w8lifter21
Active Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle
Love the seat!
Love the seat!
KZ650, My first motorcycle (Complete for this summer photos)
- Thread starter 72marinablue
- Start date
72marinablue
New Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle
I built a fiberglass seat pan using my cafe hump and tank, and then cut it to shape. I then adhered two different density of foams to the pan and shaped it to my desired size. Thats what the upholstery fits over. Im not entirely enthralled with the front of the seat where it meets the tank, but ill give it a go and see if it grows on me. The seat is very comfortable and really hugs my but. Having the raised up section in front really helps keeping you in the desired position while still being comfortable.
bowman41 said:
I built a fiberglass seat pan using my cafe hump and tank, and then cut it to shape. I then adhered two different density of foams to the pan and shaped it to my desired size. Thats what the upholstery fits over. Im not entirely enthralled with the front of the seat where it meets the tank, but ill give it a go and see if it grows on me. The seat is very comfortable and really hugs my but. Having the raised up section in front really helps keeping you in the desired position while still being comfortable.
72marinablue
New Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle
I drilled holes every 1" around the edge of the seat pan and riveted the vinyl to the fiberglass. I've tried staples before, this worked much better and was much easier.
bowman41 said:
I drilled holes every 1" around the edge of the seat pan and riveted the vinyl to the fiberglass. I've tried staples before, this worked much better and was much easier.
w8lifter21
Active Member
KZ650, My first motorcycle
Looks great! Two questions:
Is that the stock tank on the KZ400?
How did you go about making the knee dents on the 650 tank?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Looks great! Two questions:
Is that the stock tank on the KZ400?
How did you go about making the knee dents on the 650 tank?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
72marinablue
New Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle
Yup the tank on the kz400 is stock, and all the blue paint on that bike is original. For the knee dents I went to harbor freight and got a body hammer and then just started beating the hell out of it. This is a good video that I watched before hand. My tank was in really rough shape to start with so I didnt have any problems making it any worse. I love the dents though, they make the bike more comfortable.
w8lifter21 said:
Yup the tank on the kz400 is stock, and all the blue paint on that bike is original. For the knee dents I went to harbor freight and got a body hammer and then just started beating the hell out of it. This is a good video that I watched before hand. My tank was in really rough shape to start with so I didnt have any problems making it any worse. I love the dents though, they make the bike more comfortable.
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle
Heck of nice job, especially for a first bike. I like the native/tribal thing on the right side knee dent.
Heck of nice job, especially for a first bike. I like the native/tribal thing on the right side knee dent.
w8lifter21
Active Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle
I feel I may have the same problem when I get my GSXR 600 swingarm on the bike and I am able to keep the same swingarm geometry
jeffw said:
I feel I may have the same problem when I get my GSXR 600 swingarm on the bike and I am able to keep the same swingarm geometry
72marinablue
New Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle
I have made alot of progress on the bike since the last time I posted, and have begun repainting my bike. Its been a good experience and is coming out better than I would have expected. I will let the pictures do the talking.
Before wet sand and polish,
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s99/72marinablue/333110B0-EEB5-442A-B549-884D25941021-358-
000000E703ECDC47_zps08ccd3e1.jpg
after
Side covers
Rear Hump Primed
Painting the speed hump
Still wet after paint
I Also did a seat cover for a buddy of mine, we have yet to stretch it on the pan but I am pleased how it came out.
I want to make sure that everyone knows that I did all the paint work in less than ideal conditions, in a dusty, dirty garage. This is my first "real" paint job using automotive paint. I used Omni single stage urethane and a cheap high build 2k primer. I used a $40.00 touch up gun from home depot and a small makita compressor. Hopefully this will give some encouragement to those of you who have thought that painting using a higher quality paint and a gun is not as difficult or expensive as some say. Ofcourse I could have spent much more, but my materials only cost about $200 and I have a paint job that I can be proud of. I will never use spray cans ever again.
Ill post pics as soon as I have the tank painted and the bike put back together.
I have made alot of progress on the bike since the last time I posted, and have begun repainting my bike. Its been a good experience and is coming out better than I would have expected. I will let the pictures do the talking.
Before wet sand and polish,
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s99/72marinablue/333110B0-EEB5-442A-B549-884D25941021-358-
000000E703ECDC47_zps08ccd3e1.jpg
after
Side covers
Rear Hump Primed
Painting the speed hump
Still wet after paint
I Also did a seat cover for a buddy of mine, we have yet to stretch it on the pan but I am pleased how it came out.
I want to make sure that everyone knows that I did all the paint work in less than ideal conditions, in a dusty, dirty garage. This is my first "real" paint job using automotive paint. I used Omni single stage urethane and a cheap high build 2k primer. I used a $40.00 touch up gun from home depot and a small makita compressor. Hopefully this will give some encouragement to those of you who have thought that painting using a higher quality paint and a gun is not as difficult or expensive as some say. Ofcourse I could have spent much more, but my materials only cost about $200 and I have a paint job that I can be proud of. I will never use spray cans ever again.
Ill post pics as soon as I have the tank painted and the bike put back together.
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle (New Paint)
Very nice work on the paint. Looks fantastic. It's helping convince me to splurge a bit on painting equipment.
Very nice work on the paint. Looks fantastic. It's helping convince me to splurge a bit on painting equipment.
72marinablue
New Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle (New Paint)
I highly suggest looking on craigslist for one of these machines
It is a singer model 15-91 and they can be had for about 50 bucks if you look around. They are gear driven and will plow through all sorts of materials with ease. You will struggle using your wife or girlfriends sewing machine because the crap plastic ones they sell these days dont do vinyl very well. I really like doing upholstery, its not very expensive and is very rewarding once you get the hang of it.
I watched a few of these videos by Young Guns and got the motivation, check them out.
http://www.youtube.com/user/younggunsfab?feature=watch
gk45011 said:
I highly suggest looking on craigslist for one of these machines
It is a singer model 15-91 and they can be had for about 50 bucks if you look around. They are gear driven and will plow through all sorts of materials with ease. You will struggle using your wife or girlfriends sewing machine because the crap plastic ones they sell these days dont do vinyl very well. I really like doing upholstery, its not very expensive and is very rewarding once you get the hang of it.
I watched a few of these videos by Young Guns and got the motivation, check them out.
http://www.youtube.com/user/younggunsfab?feature=watch
72marinablue
New Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle (New Paint)
Almost done. Just have the tank left.
Almost done. Just have the tank left.
72marinablue
New Member
Re: KZ650, My first motorcycle (New Paint)
Decided to make up a new seat as the last one I did was on my girlfriends machine and not my singer, and my skills have improved. Im pretty happy with it. Its more of a bergundy color not bright red like the pictures lead you to believe.
Decided to make up a new seat as the last one I did was on my girlfriends machine and not my singer, and my skills have improved. Im pretty happy with it. Its more of a bergundy color not bright red like the pictures lead you to believe.
