Flat "Brat Style" Seat with Original KZ650 Seat Pan

I've been looking for flat seats to go on our 1978 KZ650B project, but just cannot find anything pre-made that I like. I'm starting to wonder if I can take the original seat pan and do something resembling a "brat style" flat seat. We're not welding in a rear hoop so I'm not concern with mating up with that. The frame is cut behind the shock mounts and amber LED's will be fitted in the ends of the frame tubes for turn signals. Photo attached for seat look I think we might get with the OEM seat pan. Any thoughts appreciated.

You could lay up your own pan in fiberglass.

I've thought about that but would like to retain the original pin hinges and latch if possible.

You could transfer them to the new pan.

You could try removing the current seat cover and shaving the seat foam with a high speed polisher and sanding pad. I used this I believe:

www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/polish...-polisher-62297.html

And I think I put a 120 grit pad on there. Very High Speed setting, gentle pressure, and you can easily shape the foam. Be careful though, dig too deep with too much pressure and it will bite in and snatch it out of your hands.

I made several seat pans, and seats, through trial and error. I ended up using this for the foam:

www.homedepot.com/p/TrafficMASTER-Black-...-24120HDUS/301152506

It shaves really well with the polisher/sander and has a very good firmness to it IMO. I tried making seat pans out of a flat sheet of ABS plastic, but it was too dense for the staple guns i had when trying to install the seat cover. I ended up going with some thin plywood for the base to easily staple the seat cover on. In my case, due to the addition of my seat pan frame brackets, the seat foam i used (link above) was actually sturdy enough that I didn't really need a very solid seat pan.

But if you make a custom pan, you will have to either cut away or account for the raised cross section of the stock frame.

jt1000 wrote: ..... We're not welding in a rear hoop so I'm not concern with mating up with that. The frame is cut behind the shock mounts .....

Bad idea! You will end up with poor handling as the two sides of the frame work independently when the bike is going through turns and over bumps. Welding in a connection between the two frame rails will keep the frame properly aligned while riding. Ed

There will be bracing welded between the two sides. What I meant was we’re not doing the typical “hoop” so having a seat pan that follows that shape isn’t necessary.

jt1000 wrote: There will be bracing welded between the two sides. What I meant was we’re not doing the typical “hoop” so having a seat pan that follows that shape isn’t necessary.

Good idea. Ed