[ascentofstan2]

I getting a CB450 today and am already looking at some mods. First off... the seat. I was looking at Brets' 500, and i love the single spring seat. Where would i find this or how would I make this happen on my bike? Are there any cons to that style seat... because im torn between that style and the traditional fiberglassed back seat. I figure they will both cost the same so thats not an issue. Any advice? which seat would provide more comfort in the long run?

 

[ascentofstan2]

P.S. where would i find just a leather/foam cafe seat that would fit the cb450? (instead of the fiberglassed base cafe style) I dont really know how to explain it. I checked out oldbikebarn and omarsdtr but couldnt find anything like what i want. ANy other sites out there? (i promise i will quit posting soon, ha)
david

 

[Geeto67]

typically the leather/foam seats you are talking about have to be made by an automotive and bike uppostry shop. There was a guy doing it in england but it was really expensive to get it to the states. carpy over at www.cb750cafe.com does this kind of seat conversion using cb750 seats if you send him your original seatpan, I have seen him do it for other hondas so pretty much you will have to call him up and ask. Most uppolstry shops will probably charge you about $120-$150 to reskin your seat with new foam and the reshaped tail piece. This is probably the most comfortable alternative out of the three. combine this with a bobbed rear fender and lucas or limp dick taillight and you have a triumph thruxton proddy racer styled bike, straight out of 1964 (not the new thruxton which shares nothing with the old thruxton).

The spring seat I think you are talking about is a bates style solo seat. Commonly available at any bike shop or through the catalogs they order from. The hard part about those seats are that you need to weld (or bolt) a mount for the springs on the frame. IT will take some mods to fit. A glass seat is probably a little easier to mount since you can use your existing seat hinges in some cases. Neither option is all that comfortable.

don't quit posting...we know you need the help

 

[LiLBull]

.foam you can get at air-techstreamling.And hey its about looks not comfort wear padded pants (just joking)

Look at War Horse its a 74 cb450 check out my seat ,I made it.It will get a snap or velcro mounted seat pad or both depending on its looks Im more leaning toward velcroing it!
George



Edited by - LiLBull on Nov 16 2005 6:47:14 PM

Edited by - LiLBull on Nov 16 2005 7:18:45 PM

Edited by - LiLBull on Nov 16 2005 7:23:19 PM

 

[ascentofstan2]

Well I got the bike, so now the fun part. IM pretty sure im going cafe seat instead of solo. I just cant get away from that look. Velcro? That makes since to me, seems easier and better looking (ie less of what you dont need and more of what you do). I figured they wouldnt be comfortable, but who really cares about comfort? Now when it comes to these cafe seats, I see Lil Bull used metal, and most are fiberglass. How much is one of the metal jobs? I know the fiberglass ones start at around 250.oo or so unless i find one on ebay or some private seller.

 

[Geeto67]

1hotwing sells a universal fiberglass seat on ebay that most ofthe SOHC guys use for the supersports (it's wide), for under $100. Its a pretty good quality seat too, just bare. Airtech seats I think run about $131 for the cr450 seat (you need to use the racign tank with it though because it is short). team hansen (who raced the cb450 back when it was new) has some really trick parts for the cb450 only, but be prepared to pay. They do have aluminum tanks though. http://teamhansenhonda.com/parts.htm

Lilbull makes his own seats out of the back of a stock gastank. If you ask him nicely I'm sure he would make you one for a price, since he already has one done for his own bike.

By the way, traditional cafe racer seats have exposed snaps. it just add the right amount of vintage look to the bike, plus with velcro the seat pad is more likely to slide around on ya, espically in a hard corner.



Edited by - geeto67 on Nov 17 2005 1:14:58 PM

 

[LiLBull]

ascent see my post to you,about the seat I made, mixed in with ,Geeto67. I answered your steel seat question there. George