Custom Cafe Racer Seat Pan | Kawasaki KZ650

The 1977 Kawasaki KZ650 Cafe Racer gets a completely custom seat pan, fabricated from sheet metal to fit the shortened rear frame and original Kawasaki tail piece.

With the rear of the KZ650 chopped down for a single-seat design, there is nothing available off the shelf that fits the shortened tail section. We start by making cardboard templates before cutting and shaping the metal seat base, repeatedly test fitting it to the frame and tail piece and forming the curves needed for a clean fit.

The seat is then built up using regular foam, while the upholstery gets an interesting bit of recycling. Material from a Ducati Monster seat is reused for the KZ650 before the finished upholstery work is carried out by a local upholsterer. Rivet nuts are also fitted to secure the custom seat pan to the frame.

This is a completely one-off cafe racer seat designed specifically around the modified KZ650 rear end.