How easy is it to make your own seat?

[ChristoT]

As per title.

I have bought a Ducati 748 rear fairing (same as 916 and 996) off ebay, but it has no seat pads. How easy would it be to make a pillion cowl and a riders' seat, or are there any other bikes whose seats are a precise fit already?

Many thanks!

[Exupnut]

Just had a sniff on ebay.... Foc there expensive.... U need to borrow one to make one up methinks.

[andybesy]

In one of delboy's videos he made one from layers of camping roll mat glued together to form a block, then sanded to shape and covered.

[ChristoT]

In one of delboy's videos he made one from layers of camping roll mat glued together to form a block, then sanded to shape and covered.

Yeah, I was thinking fiberglass base, then thin foam and a cover over that. I was wondering if anyone had ever made one, and could offer tips.

Link to the vid?

[NorthWestern]

Use neoprene and do the main shaping with a bread knife. It's easier and much less mess than sanding

[ChristoT]

Use neoprene and do the main shaping with a bread knife. It's easier and much less mess than sanding

I was planning on camping ground mat and a sharp knife. But thanks for the tip.

[Doddsie]

Mate of mine made one from one of those kneeling pads, its about an inch thick to start with.

[Hedgetrimmer]

John Noakes could've made one out of a cornflakes packet, milk bottle tops and some sticky-back plastic, but those skills have been lost with this new generation 

[ChristoT]

John Noakes could've made one out of a cornflakes packet, milk bottle tops and some sticky-back plastic, but those skills have been lost with this new generation 

Yep! I'm carbon fibre, high density, low weight foam, and race-develloped materials.

Which is why my bike will be the fastest (black), and your retro put-putter is in senile yellow. 

[Kosmic Kartman]

Christo,

No need to make a seat unit. I've mad you a hole new bike with a towing bar you can buy for less than the cost of the seat build. Free brunette with hazel eyes included.

Yours for twenty quid.

[Hedgetrimmer]

John Noakes could've made one out of a cornflakes packet, milk bottle tops and some sticky-back plastic, but those skills have been lost with this new generation 

Yep! I'm all pie in the sky.

Which is why my bike will never happen, and your bike is on the road. 

FTFY 

[mickvp]

Christo,

This video covers the basic idea, obviously on yours you will need to fabricate your own seat pan as well though:

Walk thru of custom motorcycle seat build on Kawasaki KLR650 ** *IN HD* **

Take pics, look forward to seeing how you get on.

[ChristoT]

Thanks for that link, Micky. I don't think it'll be very hard, not overly concerned.

Nick & Kosmic - foc off! 

[midden]

A plywood board shaped to fit hole.  Screwed on to the plywood board a Dildo made to fit other hole. Atleast that way you'll have some guarantee of staying on this machine 

[ChristoT]

A plywood board shaped to fit hole.  Screwed on to the plywood board a Dildo made to fit other hole. Atleast that way you'll have some guarantee of staying on this machine 

On yer bike, Midden! I ain't into that shit!

You, on the other hand, may enjoy this... 

[Deefer666]

Race foam and gaffa tape is all ya need!. 

In all seriousness I have made a cafe racer seat in the past by gluing layers of camping roll mat together to get the rough shape and then carving & sanding it into a final shape.... Not too difficult

[ogri48]

Christo I've got the old single seat I took off the z thou...if you can make summat outta that your welcome to it, I can drop it in to you later in the week when I go see me boys..

[ChristoT]

Very kind of you Ogri!

However, as I need to make a new base, shape foam, cover etc, it would just as much work modding yours as starting from scratch, and that might even be less work. But thanks very much all the same, the sentiment is much appreciated! 

Flog it on ebay, surely? 

[ogri48]

Focc that, I've got 100 percent feedback, that fugly thing will kill it...

[dazza]

Saw this on biker booty, apparently it's an aluminium café racer style rear seat and cowling. To me it looks like a medieval slipper. £25 posted.

[savvy]

Very easy to make something like that. We used to make those in the 60's for cafe racers, widelines etc, a plywood base,some foam from somewhere like Dunelm mill and a piece of ally sheet. 

[ChristoT]

Cheers all for the replies! 

This is just for the seat pads, as I have the fairing in the post. 

I'll need to check the shape and fit when it gets here, but I'm thinking glass fibre panel at the base, a couple of thin layers of foam, with a cover on that.  I shall try to take pics of the whole thing and put it up on the dustbowl my build thread

Looking at it this evening, it looks like 2 things may happen:

1) If I can get it correct, I will hopefully be able to use the OEM seat latch, and use it to remove my seat pad to get at the electrics - more ergonomic than many custom bikes who have to remove the entire rear fairing!

2) It looks like the seat pad will lower the seat height too - racier stance (you can lean further over the tank), but also comfier - your back ends up straighter when crusing. And from what I can see, the longer stretch to the bars means the funky chicken dance with the shorter mirrors may be a thing of the past too!! 

[savvy]

I would have thought a plywood base say 1/2"  or 13mm to you youngsters    pad that and cover the foam with leathercloth. That way you can screw fixings easily and when sorted you can skim with f/glass to make it permanent or use as a pattern. Easy Peasy

[ChristoT]

I would have thought a plywood base say 1/2"  or 13mm to you youngsters    pad that and cover the foam with leathercloth. That way you can screw fixings easily and when sorted you can skim with f/glass to make it permanent or use as a pattern. Easy Peasy

My plan exactly, but without the ply. I iz modern! (yeah right) 

13mm seems a bit thick, no?

[midden]

fit the pod to the bike and plywood to the pod them fill a strong plastic bag with wet bathroom sealant. then sit on it in riding position until it sets, remove bag fit to ply and cover with pvc or a shrink wrap and hey presto bespoke seat pad