New Seat For Tenere
 

Hi all, I picked up my new seat today from "Custom Motorcycle seats" in Coventry, and I can't praise it enough. Admittedly, I rode from Southampton to Coventry sitting on a kitchen drawer front, but the ride back was brilliant. No more being forced to sit in one position, you can sit where you please. They ended up re-building the entire seat, and added rider and pillion gel pads as an extra. Total cost was �230. It is quite tall now too, so anyone under 6ft might struggle, but they can basically do whatever you want.
Contact Mel or Ross at http://www.motorbike-seats.co.uk/ or melvin.hunter@ntlworld.com for a quote, and have a look at the pics! :icon_lol:

Very nice Doug, bit expensive but as you say its a great result.

Looks really nice and worthy a "dakar-bike". =)

Looks better this way. Is the top layer anti-slip? Gonna ask Ray( www.rayz.nl) if he can make something like this for my Tenere! What's the difference in height compared to the original seat? Thanx, greetz, Hans.

i was just gonna ask that!

Tenere Doug - would you mind measuring the distance from the top of the seat to the floor and from the top of the seat to the footpeg please? I'm very interested in getting the same thing done but want to make sure i can still comfortably reach the floor.

thanks,
Pete.

seat
 

The seat height is roughly 37 inches (94cm), but don't be too put off, as it drops a bit on the suspension and the seat padding. Seat to peg is about 23 inches (58.5cm). You could probably have it a bit lower if you wanted, but as it is it suits me fine. :045: Next on the list is a throaty end can...!

Thanks! :icon_cool:

Almost forgot, yes, the top layer is like a "basket-weave" material, and very grippy. It's the same stuff you get on those Corbin seats from the States.

Its a good modification, I would choose a different profile but at least this shows me a top quality job can be achieved.

Well done mate.

What profile would you choose ?? Sketch perhaps.

I would like to mod mine but due to my age and height I am scared of raising too much.

I was thinking of a less fatter front end but still removing the lip that is there as standard. I will try a sketch but I am no artist!

I would be satisfied with just toning down the "lip" a bit, something like this:

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6...latseattu6.jpg

That looks about perfect for me as well. Great job on the image.

That's very nice

See this from the Italian T�n�r� forum: http://www.clubtenereitalia.it/viewtopic.php?t=7790

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/6...resellalr3.jpg

Very nice but in white on a bike is likely to get very dirty pretty soon, yet it is nice and stilish. Love it.

You are right: white = dirty soon. Black or black and red would be better in my opinion.

Well i am looking to have my seat changed too..I ve noticed that after an hour of driving (in on road condition) my a... is really in bad condition. I might get something with gel option in it.

I'm going to have my seat done next week: a bit higher to flatten it out, narrower at the front so I still can get my feet to the ground and get rid of the edge between seat and tank that I feel on the inside of my upper legs.

The result could be something like this:

http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tene...anzicht_LR.jpg

HJ

OMG Each to their own of course but thats minging IMO:pottytrain5:

My new seat looks like this:
 

The seat is a bit higher due to a more firm filling. A bit narrower at the front end (less filling) such that a better join (?) with the tank is achieved. It's also more level and the rider position has been extended to the rear. These changes improve comfort (no sorrow behind for me anymore), allows me to move and sit upfront on off-road tracks, and shift backwards and relax on the highway.

It's actually like Molgan suggested:

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6...latseattu6.jpg

And it looks great too:

http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tenere/P1020358.JPG

http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tenere/P1020359.JPG

http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tenere/P1020362.JPG

http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tenere/P1020363.JPG

The maestro's sign:

http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tenere/P1020361.JPG

HJ

Praise the craftmanship of Ray! He's done a good job again, looks pretty damn good! Now I've seen this I'm in doubt to let him at my seat too. He did the seat on my former bike(XT600E '03) and it made a lot of difference. Problem is, I'm actually very pleased with the original seat as it is, comfortable enough, even for all day touring. Perhaps if I do more offroad riding it'll need a fix by Ray. Time will tell...
Greetz, Hans.

P.s.: piccies added of that former bike with the customized seat by Ray( www.rayz.nl).

It sure do! :107: Really nice, and that red pimpstripe fits it just perfect. A question; is it build on the original plastic frame, or is it modified? I was thinking about the little "hump" that is molded into it, if it's still there and if it's in the way or not.

It is build on the original base plate. He also told me he couldn't flatten it out any more then this 'cos of the shape of that plate.

Glad you like it!

HJ

seat
 

It does look good, but only for one. Can I ask if you ever take a pillion, as there doesn't seem to be much pillion space? I suppose that's the compromise if you want it as flat as possible and as low as possible?

You're right about that one: I never take a pillion. So I told the guy not to take passenger comfort into consideration. Btw. it's more flat but not lower then the original seat. Actually due to its firmer filling the seating position is one centimeter higher.

HJ

cheap fix
 

That seat looks sweet, I too think the standard seat is too wide at the front, I cant comprimise my pillion comfort though.

For Now I have tried a cheap fix a lambs wool seat cover in black, just ordered from lambland.co.uk cost �9.

So I will see how I go with that, I will only use it for long distances so it wont ruin the bikes looks.

Then I am going to look at modifying the seat myself. Just shave some excess foam away and maybe add a gel pad. I figure if it all goes wrong the worst case is I have to get it done by a pro.

Kahedo Seat
 

Check out the Kahedo seat from Off-The-Road. This is an exchange seat available in three heights. Swopped mine last winter; it's much better than the original.

Colin

Actually, since a few months, I've swapped the Rayz custom seat with someone for a original.... just to be able to swap that one for an Kahedo (they come in 3 different tasts: this is the high one). Rayz seat was too wide at the front and in the middle: we had a bit of a misunderstanding 'bout my needs so he built a very comfy seat. Very good on long trips on motorway, but not for offroad riding.

http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tenere/KahedoZij.jpg

here's the original as a comparison:
http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tenere/StandaardZij.jpg

here's Rayz as a comparison:
http://home.planet.nl/~scho3025/Tenere/RayzZij.jpg


and I agree: the Kahedoo is a nice piece of work. It enables me to ride the Tenere more aggressive by moving way forward, adopting a MX/Supermoto style. I've asked to make it a bit more firm/hard then normal: can't tell if they did, but it sure is firm. Its cross section is round shaped at the front, so you can easily shift your but left-right, forward-backward, while flat, broad and less firm at the end, so a pillion would probably (not tested) be comfortable seated. I'm not such a tall guy (1m76) so now I actually have to climb the Ten (like it's a horse) while it's on the side stand. It'll take a few days to get used to the hight and how it affects the center of gravity of bike-rider combo. It'll bring your head out of the turbulence of the standard screen as a bonus.

HJ

Yikes!
How tall is it now?

I'm at about the same height as you (1.75 or so), and with the original sit I have to mount the bike like a horse.
Plus- right now I an get one foot flat on the ground or only the toes with both feet. So I imagine that with this sit it'll be half a foot on the ground, or none if I'll try with both.

+:icon_biggrin: yep! The trick is, ofcourse, never to stop! So there's no need to get your feet down ...

... but it's really not such a big issue: just slide my but to the side and I'm able to get one foot firm on the ground. Sure, it would be easier/better to be able to get both feet to the ground without a hassle... but hey Gaston Rahier never complained about it...

http://www.dhpmoto.com/Trips/Baja%20...ech/rahier.jpg

HJ

Hey HJ, are you struggling with your high seat? I have the same one (+4cm from Kahedo) and are about 1.78m, but especially in winter conditions I'm struggling with the height.

Cheers!

After reading this thread im going to go out in the garage and do it I hate the hump in the seat it seems too faf forward, and if I take a passenger its in an emergancey so forget there comfort there lucky there getting a lift lol will post piccies when done

:rotf[1]::rotf[1]::rotf[1]:

Mike thanks for the link for the VIO 1.5
I think this will be the one for me.
jeff