Reshaping the seat 2

From the desk of rmi03

I'm not sure what changed, but after 25,000 miles on my bike (many of those with a BeadRider pad), my butt sure started to hurt. The tank-ward slope of the Ninja's seat became unbearable, making me sit too close to the tank. I would slide onto my "soft tissue" area too much, and it also put too much pressure on my legs. So, I figured it was time to reshape the seat. I envisioned making the seat shape close to the banana seat of an older UJM: flat and smooth.

I wanted to flatten the seat so that I would (a) not slide forward and (b) be able to sit a little more rearward on the seat (so my legs were not bent at such an acute angle). I used my pregnant wife, a level, and a blue sharpie to identify the area to remove.

This procedure did not use advanced weaponry. Proper tools, like in IanJ's FAQ article, would have been great to use. Since I didn't have an electric carving knife or a grinder, I improvised.

This is the rough cut, before detailing and sanding. Don't count on getting it right the first time.

I draped the vinyl back over the seat and went for a five minute ride. Brilliant! I stapled the vinyl back on and went for an hour ride. Brilliant! It felt amazing and looked pretty good.

I'll need to add a couple staples to the vinyl and pull it tighter in a couple places. As you can see, the vinyl still looks much like it did before removing foam.

The seat is now quite a bit flatter. I have fallen in love again with my Ninja. This is a great comfort mod for having spent no money and about two hours in the yard. With the foam nearly level (when the bike is standing upright) I don't have the same "falling on the bicycle frame" sensation that I once did.

I did NOT remove any foam from the lowest point of the seat. But my new seat allows me to sit 2-3 inches rearward and without much forward slide (that puts more strain on the legs and man bits). I am getting more "leg room" without raising my center of gravity or being exposed to any more wind.

My hundred mile ride today was oh-so nice...

I rode on the BeadRider for about 30 miles. Eh, not as comfortable as just sitting on the newly-shaved seat by itself. I took it off mid-ride.

I did not feel any of the small imperfections in my "carving," though a grinder would be nice for this project, I think. It still amazes me how the cockpit feels less cramped when you are not constantly sliding forward. Although my butt now resides closer to the pillion seat, I don't know if this mod would have any noticeable effect on passenger comfort. I would probably just slide a TINY bit forward if had a passenger.