Bjorn
XS650 Addict
Question for the community: one of the things I want to make now is the new seatpan. It needs to have more space to accommodate the ignition and the battery that will be located underneath the seat. Here is a picture of the situation
Since the seatpan will need to have a lot of 3d shapes (cutout for the tank, hollow for the battery, hollow for the ignition and new seatlatch) I'm trying to decide whether to go with metal or composite like fiberglass.
I can't make it out of alu because I don't have an AC welder. Steel is an option for sure. The old pan i made was steel. I know I need to incorporate stiffening like beads to prevent warping. And it going to be a lot of pieces. Here's a mock-up
Then I thought fiberglass might be an option. I have never worked with it but I see people using it to make seat pans. The up side seems to be more freedom to make 3d curves. It doesn't need to me super pretty because you won't see it. Possibly lighter ?
Anybody with some experience?
Since the seatpan will need to have a lot of 3d shapes (cutout for the tank, hollow for the battery, hollow for the ignition and new seatlatch) I'm trying to decide whether to go with metal or composite like fiberglass.
I can't make it out of alu because I don't have an AC welder. Steel is an option for sure. The old pan i made was steel. I know I need to incorporate stiffening like beads to prevent warping. And it going to be a lot of pieces. Here's a mock-up
Then I thought fiberglass might be an option. I have never worked with it but I see people using it to make seat pans. The up side seems to be more freedom to make 3d curves. It doesn't need to me super pretty because you won't see it. Possibly lighter ?
Anybody with some experience?