I recently rode a friends GSXR racebike at a trackday. One of the things I noticed was how much more feedback I was getting from his almost non-existant seat.
I have decided to make a seat for trackdays for my 2k GSXR750. His seat was part of his race plastic, not an option on my stock bodywork. I have procured a second stock front seat($10.50 on Ebay) to do this. The idea was to remove the original cover and padding and replace it with the thin foam the racers stick onto thier bodywork.
The problem is, the hard plastic seatpan is a maze of dips and bumps making it hard to simply stick something to it. Anyone know of a way to form something over it? Fill in the holes or whatever?
Another option is to cut down the stock padding to almost nothing and recover it. If so, do you use glue instead of staples because staples would go right on thru the thinner padding?
Does anythone have any expertise in the area?
Thanks!!
there was an article on this exact procedure in Motocyclist this month.
Here's an idea, fill in the bumps and holes with "Great Stuff", a hard foam insulation sold at most hardware stores. I don't know if it's strong enough but it would be easy to try and it'llprobably hold. You could also fill them with "angel hair", a fiberglass filler, and some resin. While the resin is wet you could put your padding on and you're done... That's a good idea, I'll have to look on Ebay for a seat for mine too ;)
You can either use a sander and smooth out the peaks to match the vallys..or use a pourable foam (or expanding foam/body filler). Smooth with DA (or grinder if you have to) and apply 1/4-1/2" closed cell or memory foam (I perfer the black closed cell for racing). A side note..befor you put the foam on (and I recommend 3M Super66 glue) either paint the pan black to match the foam or whatever color your bike is. If you have any mechanical skills you can use thin guage alluminum sheeting to make the pan (but you will have to make an under support piece that curves), so you have a few options! lol..that or buy a new tail section! ::)
Forgot to add..you have to scuff the seat pan up for the filler/insulation to adhere to.
you could fill it with bonda also...
R
Problem with bondo is weight and how well it wrecks. In a "get off" the seat would come apart due to the factors of bondo.If it was me and I HAD to use stock seat without sanding it down..I would shoot with expanding foar or pourable foam..smooth it with a hot knife (or hot wire/razor), apply a thin coat of kitty hair (fiberglass bondo)..cure it, sand it, foam it, cover it.
Another thing to keep in mund is the reduction in seat height you will get if you do what you're planning.
I went through the same exercise on my GSXR 600 racebike, first trying to firm up the stock seat. The issue was that the seat height was reduced so much it made moving around on the bike difficult. I'm 6'0" tall and with the lower seat height my legs were bent even more and as such it was more strain on my knees and thigh muscles. I also had a hard time getting my weight forward and onto the front wheel with the cut-down seat.
I went with the superbike tail with the integrated seat pan and will be doing that from now on. It positions me high enough and also more forward, something a cut stock seat will be difficult to replicate.
It may be different for you though, I don't know.
- Eric