KZ400 Standard seat re-cover... (Lots of pics!)

Tryin' to bring the li'l' guy back on a budget, & cosmetics really have to go on the back burner when there's a lot of reliability work to be done...

That being said, nobody likes a wet ass & the seat on this thing needs a new cover!!!

Google didn't turn up much for non-LTD covers. The only option I could find was $65 + shipping, & that seems pretty spendy for a $300 bike that's already getting near its purchase price in important parts.

So, I asked the guy at my local shop while I was dropping off the alternator parts he's going to put in my Trident. He said he had a guy down by the Gowanus Canal who did recovers cheap. "Every seat I've taken him has been $150." I probably woulda said "ouch!" even if I'd thought about it, but it was outta my mouth long before I could think. He looked at me, then said "well, you could do what we did with that Interceptor..." & pointed to ratty looking VF500 that I'd seen parked outside. "We just took a piece of vinyl & put it over the hole with contact cement. It's been on there 6 or 7 years now."

That was all I needed to hear. I had thought of doing that before, but I always figured it would last more like 6 or 7 days.

I went to the fabric store & bought $2.35 worth of vinyl, then dropped a whopping $2.48 at the hardware store for some Devcon multi-purpose rubber adhesive.

I'll post before & after shots in a bit, then follow up with a long-term report after, ummm, a long term.

Cheers,
-Kit

Post edited by: KitNYC, at: 2006/02/06 19:54

go easy on the adhesive and use staples on the pan.
pushpins work too if your in a pinch

the little basketcase 400 ive got has a torn seat,but it does have the center stand you need:whistle:

Well, the job is done & pics were taken. Some time soon, I'll get around to getting 'em off the camera & onto the web server...

Mykznme: You must have some serious staples & pushpins!!! :ohmy: Seriously, it's a metal pan. I did use the spikey bits on the pan instead of adhesive for the bottom, though. Front & rear are glued, here's hoping it holds!

Wireman: Drop me a PM...

Cheers,
-Kit

Okay, lots of pics! :laugh:

Before-ish:


Front glued, middle pinned to seatpan:


Same, from above:


Tape helps:


Trimming front:


Front trimmed, bottom mostly pinned:


Have to remove the front hinge to get to one of the spikes:


Front & sides done:


Trimming the back:


All done, from the rear:


All done, top:


Cheers,
-Kit
(Edited for captions)

Post edited by: KitNYC, at: 2006/02/06 20:07

looks pretty good from where im sitting!

Kit,

That looks great! I've been trying to recover my seat by sewing it all together, and it looks like an elephant, all wrinkly and saggy.

I may just go with the glue.

Thanks,

George

Wireman: Thanks!

George: I have no sewing skills, & my girlfriend only uses a sewing machine that won't do vinyl. The glue was a much easier option for us! Working from the middle & stretching the vinyl as you go helps with the wrinkles & sags. Good luck!

-Kit

Looks good. nobody will notice at 65 mph

Personally, I would have used some of that leopard-skin fabric! :woohoo:

I just re-shaped and recovered the seat on my LTD into a cafe racer styled seat.

Using a heatgun, hairdryer or leaving the seat in the sun for a few hours will soften up the vinyl and allow you to stretch it tighter and avoid wrinkles. You may also have to pull it in different directions to get the wrinkles out.



Once it fits and the wrinkles are out a used the heatgun some more and let it sit for a few days to conform to the shape of the foam. (In fact it's still not done yet)


Ride'on,

~CRASH!~