Recycle Your Stock Seat
From Gadget - Don't Trash That Seat, Recycle It!
There is so much you can do with them! Ok, you 'might' be able to get a couple of bucks on E-bay but this is so much more fun.
Above is a Nomad drivers seat mounted on an old barstool found at a Salvation Army store for a couple of bucks. The original chair type seat was removed and the motorcycle seat bolted to the swivel mechanism. I used four spacers so the bottom rear of the seat would clear the legs when swiveling. The legs were shortened 3" to make up for the additional height of the motorcycle seat. Perfect for workbench use.
How about that pillion?
Every office throws out a chair now and then. If you can snag one with torn upholstery chances are the wheels and even the hydraulic mechanism will still be in good order. Cost? FREEBIE! If not then head for a charity store (Disabled Veterans, Salvation Army) and find one for next to nothing. Remove the seat pad and throw it away. Disassemble the rest of the chair (note the bearings at the base of the hydraulic tube) so you aren't forced to work around the legs while drilling holes in the base. If you're lucky as I was you'll be able to drill a couple of new holes in the base plate and use the seats original studs in front.
Note front (bottom of pic) uses original studs for the strop, new bolts are at the rear (top) |
Drill new holes through the rear of the seat plate and through the tabs on the pillion bucket that used to hold the seat on its bracket (if you aren't using a Kawasaki Vulcan seat then you might have to remove the pad and foam from the pan and drill holes through the pan).
Reassemble what once was a common office chair and voila!
You have a stool suitable for working on your bike when it's on the lift or just an office chair. If you snagged a hydraulic type the seat will still have the full vertical range of 16 to 21 inches or so
Of course there are plenty of other uses for your castoff stock seat. One rider mounted his old Nomad seat on a riding lawn mower. Ahhhhh, comfort on the green!.