Hi all.
I have been thinking recently about getting a 2nd seat and modifying it to make a solo seat.
I'm mainly doing this for practical reasons rather than to look 'cool' but I don't want some hump backed monstrosity either.

Plan is to cut the seat off at the lock point and build a new section where the pillion seat used to be.
I figure this will give a reasonable amount of room under there for tools / lock etc.
Also might try mounting a hard luggage mounting plate on there too but further forwards than the usual mounts.

I think I'll have to make some sort of tray to stop things falling down the sides of the tail pieces.
If I do that right I could use the space in the rear part of the tail pieces for storage too.

Anyone tried anything similar before?
Any suggestions on materials to use? I'm thinking fiber glass but I have never worked with it before.

something like this?

That looks about right.
I was thinking perhaps a little larger , but not much.

So is that for sale somewhere?

Wild Hair Accessories has that.  Nobody has it here in the States because of the cost.  You should check it out.  They are across the pond. 

www.whaccessories.com...they are stateside....located here in AZ....but yeah....PRICEY..

OUCH !

I bought my girlfriend her bike for not much more than that! (£295)
Time to start experimenting with fiberglass fabrication me thinks.

Time to break out the measuring tape, camera, graph paper, and cardboard...  If you have any skill with fiberglass, it'll probably be a walk in the park once you have a form...

Then you can start making them for other people.     ('cause maybe if I had a solo-seat, my wife would be more into getting her own moto).

well i am fixing to go to the local custom motorcycle shop . and get them to make me a custom seat shell ( kinda like the shell on a cbr or a gixxer) to do the same as keeping things in it .. but it will be removable so that if someone wants a ride all i have to do and take it off . and to give it more  of a "sport" look

Phil, check this idea out. figure making a fiberglass box as part of the rear inner fender, BUT cutting the seat pan in a way that leaves the seatlatch attached to rear part of seat, and front half bolts down with 2 bolts right next to the latch the rear part near the grab bar is hinged.  figure we dont often have to get to the battery and even if we do, it only takes 2 seconds with a 10mm socket to remove the two bolts holding it down, the front area near the tank dosnt have to change at all.

BlueKnyt:
Nice idea.
I had been thinking of extending out from the back of the seat with some sort of light frame to keep things secure.
A tail pod hinged at the back and locking at the front will be more secure.
On the otherhand a one piece unit means that I could just stick a normal seat on if I want to take a passenger.

Hmmm  *ponders*

I still can't believe that Wild Hair is a U.S. company.

No sh*t?  Wow. 

Last October/November they had that thing on sale for $200 shipped...

Nononono, you missunderstand, the way im thinking, the proto type would need 2 seats, and a rear fender to be sacrificed inorder to make the production MOLD(lacking better terms)  to return tosstock would be a matter off 4 bolts and put stock seat on as the seat lock doesnt move or get changed really. even then, the new Boxed fender could remain giveing alittle more storage to those who like the stock seat or the barn door type seat whom dont want to have to pull the whole seat everytime they need something underneith.  working on the pix now to show you.



Ok, the box would endup much like you see here (just my idea, you can changeup as you like)


And from the bottom area, Above the rear tire


Ok, here is where the hinge would sit using the bolts for the grab rail.(i dont have  grab rail so i made my own 6pack rack)

there is a couple ways the seat can be done, i like the idea of opening just the rear section and bolting down the rear part of the front section kinda like the green line , this would require alittle creativity on the remolding of the pan so the lip would get bolted down BY the seat catch bolts with seat catch ontop of the pan. the rear part would swing down into the latch like normal.  OR, you could just cut the front part of the pan to have a tab to sit under the rear pan, but i dont think it could be clamped down tight enough and not allow movement as shown with the blue line,   the red line is how the rear pan would be cut  leaving the catch in its own spot

hows that?

Looks good.

One worry I'd have about dropping the clearance over the wheel is that it might ground against the underside of the box.
Especially when in 2-up use.

that would have to be played with Ofcoarse. i have a kat600 shock on rear and dont come anywhere near bottoming out and im 300lb 5'11"  i dont have 2 seats that i can distroy and i already sold my spare rear fender or i would already have it mached up and tested