How can I make this Seat

[spdmtlrcng]

I dig the way this seat looks like its a part of the frame. How can I go about making it?
It doesn't look like it even has a pan on it.

Help me out dudes.

Chris

[53rigid]

The only way I know to make it contour the frame and lines is to make a pan out of fiberglass. then cover it.

[Guest]

You gotta a Sewing Machine?

That's an easy one to make. Take a piece of cardboard and make the shape that fits your bike. Then use the cardboard to mark the material (use chalk). If you are going to sew pleats you need to do it before you cut out... Then cut it out about about 1/4" to 1/3" larger than what you drew. Figure out your height and add about 1.5" to the height. Sew it together inside out (Side to top). Turn it right side out. You'll need a "pan" out of wood or metal. If you use wood, glue your foam padding to the board (cut from your pattern) and trim up your pad really nice with a carving knife. (Like what you cut Mr. Turkey up with.) Pull your cover over the foam and if you used plywood staple it to the bottom of the wood. (That's why you cut the side longer.) And you are Done. You can make the bead that goes around very easy. Use a small cord and and about 1.25" of material. Fold the material over the cord and sew it close as possible to the cord. It would be samiched in between the top and side before you sew them together. There should be a You Tube video for How To.

Pan wise on that seat, it looks pretty flimsy. It might be plastic.

[spdmtlrcng]

You gotta a Sewing Machine?

That's an easy one to make. Take a piece of cardboard and make the shape that fits your bike. Then use the cardboard to mark the material (use chalk). If you are going to sew pleats you need to do it before you cut out... Then cut it out about about 1/4" to 1/3" larger than what you drew. Figure out your height and add about 1.5" to the height. Sew it together inside out (Side to top). Turn it right side out. You'll need a "pan" out of wood or metal. If you use wood, glue your foam padding to the board (cut from your pattern) and trim up your pad really nice with a carving knife. (Like what you cut Mr. Turkey up with.) Pull your cover over the foam and if you used plywood staple it to the bottom of the wood. (That's why you cut the side longer.) And you are Done. You can make the bead that goes around very easy. Use a small cord and and about 1.25" of material. Fold the material over the cord and sew it close as possible to the cord. It would be samiched in between the top and side before you sew them together. There should be a You Tube video for How To.

Pan wise on that seat, it looks pretty flimsy. It might be plastic.

Damn dude! You rule.
Most metal pans are 10 gauge I think. That doesn't leave a lot of room for bending. Could I just use thin ass Home Depot aluminum and layer it to get that "glued to the frame" look?

[bigdaddy]

i found a cheap piece of diamond plate aluminum that i bent up. it may have been around 14 gauge. i used a rubber mallot and 2x4's to shape it. i would go with fiberglass if i were you. there are a couple of good "how to's" on here. check 'em out.

[midnight]

Fiberglass is an effective way to get the seat pan to conform to the frame. I have a writeup in my blog and a link to some other sites that inspired mine.




Here's a link to the blog

http://midnightcustoms.blogspot.com/2011/11/part-16-seat-pan.html

[Buster68]

If you have a fairly straightforward rigid frame and a normal fender, you can probably get by with a fairly simple metal seatpan with one or two bends - Midnight is right though; if it is a complicated frame with a wide fender then fiberglass is the way to go.

Here is what we did for mine:

Cut a piece of metal sheet based on a carboard template, then heated it up and bent it to shape, and drilled it for mountings. It has two tabs that slip under the frame in front, and then a single nut that holds it on with a tab in the back:







Then, once we were sure it fit, I took it into a local automotive / marine upholstery place to have it padded and covered:



However, I realized afterward that even the upholstery wasn't that complicated, and for the next bike ("Heckler"'s brat-style "hipster" build), I gave the tuck and roll a try myself, and it turned out pretty good, I think:

[spdmtlrcng]

If you have a fairly straightforward rigid frame and a normal fender, you can probably get by with a fairly simple metal seatpan with one or two bends - Midnight is right though; if it is a complicated frame with a wide fender then fiberglass is the way to go.

Here is what we did for mine:

Cut a piece of metal sheet based on a carboard template, then heated it up and bent it to shape, and drilled it for mountings. It has two tabs that slip under the frame in front, and then a single nut that holds it on with a tab in the back:







Then, once we were sure it fit, I took it into a local automotive / marine upholstery place to have it padded and covered:



However, I realized afterward that even the upholstery wasn't that complicated, and for the next bike ("Heckler"'s brat-style "hipster" build), I gave the tuck and roll a try myself, and it turned out pretty good, I think:

My fiberglass knowledge is pretty minimal. I'm more comfartable using sheet metal. What gauge pan did you use?

[Buster68]

My fiberglass knowledge is pretty minimal. I'm more comfartable using sheet metal. What gauge pan did you use?

Mine was thinner than the one on Alex's bike - I think his is probably around 12 Gage (.105") . But it probably doesn't need to be that thick - I suspect mine is closer to 16 guage. If you think about it, the weight is being borne by the frame (unlike on a sprung seat, which has to bear all the weight on the seat pan itself or risk bending).

[jstein]

1st off Buster I love your bike and I have your avatar as my wall paper at work. 2nd thanks to spdmtlrcng for the thread I have been thinking of doing my on seat pan just wasnt sure what guage metal and how to go about getting the fit for my frame.

[Buster68]

Jstein - thanks for the props.

I just went downstairs to get a couple more pics so you can see how my seat goes on. Here are the tabs on the bottom - they are bolted in (although there is no reason that they couldn't have been welded once we had the position correct).



The two tabs then just slip into the frame cross rails behind the tank - you can see a bit of worn paint where they go in. Once the tabs are in, there is a single bolt at the back that goes into the fender and holds the seat on. Works great - it is solid to ride, and easy to take on and off to access the battery.

[scottylook]

Fiberglass my man. Super easy to do and it will form in there perfect. Done two now on the last two builds both turned out great.

[Charlie503]

I just formed my seat pan by hand and it mounted up nice.

Its a Goldwing and the gas tank is under the seat so I cant drop it down to the frame but I got the fender to fit pretty good.

It is a factory made seat and with a little muscle it bent fine, just over bend it a little and when you mount it it should form to the fender.

Just my 2cents

[scottylook]

I've done a few seat pans/padding. You can do one up real quick like and get the exact shape ya want.