Stock stepped seat pan...customized

[footy14]

Hello,
I've been sifting through pics and write-ups about custom cafe seats and have yet to come across any specific answers that I need.

Here's my situation:

I have an 81 750L, it has the stepped seat...see attached pic.

I'm going to cafe this bike, and would like some opinions about keeping the original seat pan and customizing it.

My plan(s): 1) Remove original cover and re-shape seat foam into a cafe seat, with the stepped area being the rear cowl 'bump' and re-uphostelring the entire seat and bump as one.

or

2)remove ALL seat foam from the seat pan, and use some styrofoam to custom shape the desired seat style that I'm looking for, then cover with fibreglass. From there, I will take the seat foam that I removed, and reshape & re-upholster and attach to the newley fiberglassed seatpan via, velcro or similar.


The reasons why I want to keep the original seat pan are as follows:

1)It's in pretty good shape
2)I want to keep the hinges, and locking mechanism, fasteners, etc. (easy to install/remove and it's secured)
3)It seems that a stepped seat is a good platform to use for a cafe style

Has anyone customized an OEM seat pan in either or a similar configuration, and how did it work out. Thanks in advance!

[Runningdog]

Stock XS400 seat pan, resculpted foam:

[footy14]

Yah.....I'm liking that style. You do the work yourself? I see your in Westbank aswell, good local canuck.

If you did the work, let me know how it went, and if you didn't mabye shoot me some reference and guidance.

seat looks fantastic by the way....you could probably still throw a pillion on the back aswell I guess? for shorter trips.

[Runningdog]

Nah, Footy, that's my local putt-around bike, no passenger pegs, rear-sets a near-future project.

The seat was done by a local buddy. Looks far nicer in person......

[footy14]

I take it you still have full use of the locking mechanism?

[Runningdog]

Yes, all hinges and locks are the same, only the foam and cover was changed.