I've started to work on the seat that I've wanted to make for a couple years and figured I'd try some documentation of the affair on here for anyone interested. I'd keep it in the "What have you done" thread but it'll probably be too picture heavy for that. Plus here everyone can just ignore it if they don't care.
Starting with the bike the seat off as it seemed the best place to start. From the day I bought the bike I've loved the cross section of the fuel tank and thought it should be carried through a seat cowl or cafe type seat. I could easily have just not come across the pictures but it doesn't seem anyone has done anything like this yet. Got the measurements down and got to work.
The plan so far is to take box tubing and make a frame base to attach the actual seat pan and the cowl skin to the bike. I don't have dies to bend square tubing but using it over round tubing makes every thing else easier. This ends up being the way I have to bend square tubing and it works pretty well for the purposes I have used it. Bunch of cuts through to one side and then TIG everything back up.
The two long rails bent and welded back up. It'd be nice to have the proper tubing bender, but you can get pretty darn precise doing it the cut and weld way
Now I've got the first cross beam in, it goes across right at the rear fender and is 8 1/4 inches wide to put the seat rails running right above the frame rails. The bends in the front pinch down along the same angle as the bends in the top of the frame where it pinches down by the fuel tank.
Made the first hoop and tacked it to the base of the seat frame. This will be the dividing line between the seat and the body work. Got that cross section look I want here where you can see it if you aren't familiar with this type of fuel tank. Also a photo bomb that I didn't realize at the time.
Bent up the piece for the front of the frame where it goes over the fuel tank attaching point and where the wire harness passes (for now).
Here is the basic frame for the seat sitting on the bike to get an idea where the divider is going to be as well as the approximate height of the top of the seat and body. From this angle you can also see why the fork brace I made irritates me as the tuning fork emblem is upside down unless viewed from straight in front of the front tire.
Going to keep the side swing of the seat frame for access to all the bits beneath. My plan is that once I get the seat done the rear fender will be modified or replaced and all the electrical stuff between the air filters and rear fender will get relocated up into the cowl area behind the seat and above the top of the main bike frame. The tail light will be moved up onto the cowl behind the seat.
That's all I've got for now. I'm not sure which way I'll got next. I can either start working on a seat pan or make the cowl area. I'm going to have to get a different tail light too I suppose as the way I'm planning on mounting it there won't be room for the factory light.
Starting with the bike the seat off as it seemed the best place to start. From the day I bought the bike I've loved the cross section of the fuel tank and thought it should be carried through a seat cowl or cafe type seat. I could easily have just not come across the pictures but it doesn't seem anyone has done anything like this yet. Got the measurements down and got to work.
The plan so far is to take box tubing and make a frame base to attach the actual seat pan and the cowl skin to the bike. I don't have dies to bend square tubing but using it over round tubing makes every thing else easier. This ends up being the way I have to bend square tubing and it works pretty well for the purposes I have used it. Bunch of cuts through to one side and then TIG everything back up.
The two long rails bent and welded back up. It'd be nice to have the proper tubing bender, but you can get pretty darn precise doing it the cut and weld way
Now I've got the first cross beam in, it goes across right at the rear fender and is 8 1/4 inches wide to put the seat rails running right above the frame rails. The bends in the front pinch down along the same angle as the bends in the top of the frame where it pinches down by the fuel tank.
Made the first hoop and tacked it to the base of the seat frame. This will be the dividing line between the seat and the body work. Got that cross section look I want here where you can see it if you aren't familiar with this type of fuel tank. Also a photo bomb that I didn't realize at the time.
Bent up the piece for the front of the frame where it goes over the fuel tank attaching point and where the wire harness passes (for now).
Here is the basic frame for the seat sitting on the bike to get an idea where the divider is going to be as well as the approximate height of the top of the seat and body. From this angle you can also see why the fork brace I made irritates me as the tuning fork emblem is upside down unless viewed from straight in front of the front tire.
Going to keep the side swing of the seat frame for access to all the bits beneath. My plan is that once I get the seat done the rear fender will be modified or replaced and all the electrical stuff between the air filters and rear fender will get relocated up into the cowl area behind the seat and above the top of the main bike frame. The tail light will be moved up onto the cowl behind the seat.
That's all I've got for now. I'm not sure which way I'll got next. I can either start working on a seat pan or make the cowl area. I'm going to have to get a different tail light too I suppose as the way I'm planning on mounting it there won't be room for the factory light.