First bike, first project, have questions.

A few months ago I got a 1980 KZ250 D1. Got it tuned up and running great just in time to shut her up for winter. I'm now starting the actual planning of what I want to do by spring...
I know that I want something Cafe-esque. I like the look of the CB350's, and I want to find/make a flat seat like they have, not the seats that seem to be on most of the Cafe builds I've found thru searching. (The KZ250-C1 has more of the look that I like.)
So, my current list of things to do is:
-seat
-tank
-gauges (possibly replace, at least relocate)
-bars
-lights
-exhaust ?
-paint (I'm going to end up getting the frame powder coated hot pink, and painting the tank and side covers black, with pink pin stripping on the tank)
-front forks ?

My questions, so far, are:
Any suggestions on where to find a flatter seat, or, how hard is it to re-stuff and re-cover a seat?
What should I look for in front forks and a tank? Are there certain measurements I need to know in order to make sure everything will fit right?
I've (attempted to) attached a rather shitty picture of the bike as it is now. If I knew how to use photoshop, I'd have fixed up a sweet future photo, but imaginations will have to suffice.
Thanks for any and all suggestions.
-j

JLove wrote:

A few months ago I got a 1980 KZ250 D1. Got it tuned up and running great just in time to shut her up for winter. I'm now starting the actual planning of what I want to do by spring...
I know that I want something Cafe-esque. I like the look of the CB350's, and I want to find/make a flat seat like they have, not the seats that seem to be on most of the Cafe builds I've found thru searching. (The KZ250-C1 has more of the look that I like.)
So, my current list of things to do is:
-seat
-tank
-gauges (possibly replace, at least relocate)
-bars
-lights
-exhaust ?
-paint (I'm going to end up getting the frame powder coated hot pink, and painting the tank and side covers black, with pink pin stripping on the tank)
-front forks ?

My questions, so far, are:
Any suggestions on where to find a flatter seat, or, how hard is it to re-stuff and re-cover a seat?
What should I look for in front forks and a tank? Are there certain measurements I need to know in order to make sure everything will fit right?

Bike looks like a good start.

For the seat, its easy to get foam and vinyl and make a new seat. Making a Corbin-esque seat is a bit harder. You'll need foam, electric carving knife, spray adhesive, light plastic sheet, heavy vinyl, staple gun(if you do a new seat pan).

From the look of the seat your pan may not go well to the flat seat, you can make a new pan out of Heavy plastic (55gal water barrel stuff), fiberglass, metal, wood, etc. You could alter yours if you want.

For gauges there are some available that are generic ones on the XS650 store or the digital Acewell combos. Lots of options there as well.

Find forks that are the same length unless you plan on changing the rear suspension to prevent altering your geometry.

Find a tank that fits the look you are going for. You can always weld new mounts to the tank or frame. Mainly you will want rust free with a good cap and petcock as those seem to be the most often lost.

Also, on your frame, figure out if you want to chop/brace any parts of it before the powder coating, also your side panels if you want to keep them or rig something else as you will end up with the mounts still on otherwise.

Do you have anything that shows what you are going for with this bike? Even pictures of other projects that you have liked? Anyways, looking forward to seeing how this one turns out, I've been thinking of doing a smaller KZ cafe project after seeing hoopsnake's KZ250a.

You could build a cool looking seat pan/rear cowling out of some heavy gauge metal. In the past I’ve chopped up an old server rack for a seat pan and made another out of wood. (Anybody got a dryer on the curb in you hood?) I’ve used foam cushions from the fabric store but they are expensive and not too comfortable. Go to home depot and in the gardening section they sell those closed foam pads that you kneel on to pull weeds. Great, comfortable, cheap seat materiel.

Hot pink frame eh? Freaking awesome!

That's awesome. It just so happens that we have a junk dryer waiting to go to scrap. And I have two old memory foam pillows that aren't used anymore.
Nice.

JLove wrote:

That's awesome. It just so happens that we have a junk dryer waiting to go to scrap. And I have two old memory foam pillows that aren't used anymore.
Nice.

Perfect. Now get out a hammer and go to work. The little bikes are perfect for what you want to do. Make sure to keep us posted and send lot's of pics along the way.

I would pick up some actual upholstery foam instead of the pillows. The pillows use a softer foam than mattresses and it works well for an 8lb head, but not a 180lb posterior. I picked up about 3' of 2" think foam for about 15-20.00 on Ebay and it works well. That, some marine grade vinyl from JoAnne's, and some general spray adhesive from Walmart. The other thing I used was some batting type foam on the outside to smooth any small blemishes in the foam from shaping and some thin plastic that I glued over the top to keep water out of the foam. Then I sprayed the back of the vinyl, attached the front with staples, and started stretching and attaching with staples.

This makes the 4th seat I've done, the 1st that I have done completely from scratch for seat pan, foam, and cover. Good luck!

The Convert is absolutely correct. You do need a high density foam. A lot of seats have at a least 2 different densities (kind of like progressive shocks). Then use another to smooth everything. Just sit on your pillow for a while and pretty soon it won't be a pillow anymore!

Go to home depot and in the gardening section they sell those closed foam pads that you kneel on to pull weeds. Great, comfortable, cheap seat materiel.

Awesome! Thanks!

I got a Lil' Z-bike in the garage that I'd like to part out ( I know, I know! I really don't want to, but the scoot is NOT complete and lacks a title so...). Lemme know if there are any parts you might need...the seat is a flattie and in pretty decent shape. I'll have to check the ol' girl over to see what is worthwhile, but I would imagine that there is quite a bit that is useful for your rebuild. I'm in jersey, btw. Good luck on the project!

Ok, going to gamble here and most probably put my foot in my mouth once again....

"paint (I'm going to end up getting the frame powder coated hot pink, and painting the tank and side covers black, with pink pin stripping on the tank)"

Hot Pink!....:huh:

So as not to insult you now or in the future and for us neanderthals to be polite, you are a girl correct? :laugh:

OMR

Thanks Kawozaki, I'll be sure to let you know if I need something I can't scrounge up around here. I think I'd definitely be interested in the seat if it is flat and in decent shape. I might be asking for carb parts, too, depending on prices around here... I found a great step-by-step for making one from scratch out of fiberglass, but I think that might be a bit much for my first solo project.
Thanks for the suggestions of kneeling pads, I think I came to that conclusion yesterday after remembering that the pillows I was intending to use are sitting on a shelf for being crappy as pillows. I doubt they'd fare too well as seats. (Even though I'm not really that close to the 180 mark;) )
After spending the better part of the weekend looking at pictures and stalking eBay auctions, I haven't come up with anything more than a boat load of more ideas. There's finally some garage space, so I plan to stake out a corner of it and set up camp. As long as I don't get too tied up in the kitchen or elsewhere, I plan to spend the better part of this weekend stripping the ol' gal down.
Don't worry, OMR, although some do consider me a lady, I tend to prefer things that aren't suited to skirts. And I'm really not that easy to offend...

"As long as I don't get too tied up in the kitchen or elsewhere, I plan to spend the better part of this weekend stripping the ol' gal down."

At least half that statement is familiar....:woohoo: welcome! GLuck with the bike. Lots of help to be had here. Have fun "stripping the ol' gal down."!