***Brute Bobb Build***

Pictures help keep stupid people like me who can't read interested lol. I have some pics of the bike on here. Not sure where to find the links... 3g phones pretty slow. You can type bobber on a budget. If not.... ill post one on here tomorrow

 

priceless. lol

but yes i will search for them. Im still torn on drags or mini apes but i think drag might be more what i'm looking for. I think apes may look a bit off due to the short stout look of the xj's. I liked the apes on my vstar but it was also twice the cc's and who knows how much bigger . Drags just seem a bit more proportional.

 

That bike is looking sweet. You've inspired me to do something similar with my '80 XJ650. Question about the paint - did you put a coat of clear on top of the semi-gloss black? I want to make sure that when I paint my tank it has a coat of protection on it in case gas spills onto it during fill ups. Also, did you use any high heat stuff on the tank (i.e. Engine Enamel)?

 

The stuff painted semi-gloss black is only sprayed on with NO clear coat. Yes, clear coat is an added protection but it makes your semi-gloss paint into a gloss which i didn't want. If you are trying to protect the paint from gas i believe they make fuel safe paint you can get in a rattle can. There was also no use of high heat paint on the tank. The only high heat paint I used was on the exhaust and the engine

 

Okay Im pretty pleased to say that THE SEAT IS DONE!!!!

If you hadn't noticed i haven't really mentioned any progress on the seat because i wanted to wait and make sure it was going to work before i posted. So without further ado. The seat build...

Started out with the seat pan from stock seat just scuffed up and trimmed down a little....okay who am i kidding, it was cut down basically to nothing


As you can see it had some dips and valleys that i had to fill in, so my inner redneck kicked (while i was doing a side job) and thought why not use insulation filler. It dries hard, its semi flexible, and waterproof....BINGO


When using it, spray some on and use it like bondo. It goes from foam to like a slimy paste after a few "whippings" of the material.



I HIGHLY recommend using gloves and a breather mask when doing this. It gets messy


Once whole pan is thoroughly covered let it dry overnight. Can says 45min but its not fully hard and sandable until the next day. In the morning this is what i had


I used a grinder to smooth out the pan and get a rough shape for what i wanted. This is where you NEED a mask of some sort. This crap gets everywhere!



I actually repeated the process above once more to fill in a couple air pockets i had. after the second time it was primo!

After everything dried i made a rear seat mount by drilling two holes in the back and put a U-hook through. I made a clamp backing with a flattened out pipe clamp that i drilled two holes into. I superglued it all together and let it dry. TA DA



Now started the fun part. I started by getting a piece of scrap 5 1/2" dense foam from Joan Fabrics ($7.00) and carved it out to fit the pan

 

Once again i used the grinder (MASK IS REQUIRED) and smoothed out the foam



Now this is where i REALLY wanted to glue that sucker on so i used a tube of Super High strength adhesive. I used the whole thing just to be sure. I first poured the whole tube out and then spread it with a brush. I then applied the foam and taped the living sh.....uh crap...out of it



I let it sit overnight to ensure the glue was dry. The next day i took the tape off and started grinding it down again (FACEMASK REQUIRED....just in case you forgot) to rough in my shape.





and of course....a quick mock up

 

*before i start, let me just say sorry sweetie....i'll buy you another yoga mat....

okay i first sized up a section of yoga mat that was just....uh...lying around.



I then glued the mat to the foam and once again taped it up


I trimmed off the excess.... and bingo




This part needs a few things: hammer, a punch, 8mm and 12mm staples, a stapler, needle nose pliers, flathead screwdriver, scissors, a razorblade, and a tape measure


I took the seat and cut out a second piece of mat to cover the whole seat this time. I used a spray adhesive from home depot ($5.00) and coated the seat pretty thoroughly.

 

to get any tension on the fabric you have to stable atleast one of the sides to start with. start by using the 8mm staples.



This is how i did it. I then did the front and worked my way back. I want to add that you WILL have to take some staples out here and there. Thats what the flathead and pliers are for. Its a game of tweaking the fabric back and forth and then stapling in place.





My quick tip is to focus on the hardest corners first. This way the hardest curve is accounted for and the slack you can pull out in the sides.


then keep going...



trim off the excess

 

I finished off the seat by taking some Genuine Leather from a jacket that was also....uh....lying around.


This is the part that makes the seat either good or GREAT. You MUST take your time and be nit picky with this part onwards.

once again glue the foam


while that gets tacky mark the center of your leather (inbetween the seams) and the center of the seat (front and back)




line up your mark (front or back) where ever you are going to start from and tack it in so you can build some tension.
*note: it doesn't look centered because the seat mount is offsetted to make mounting easier on the xj550


trim out the crazy amount of excess fabric (unless it can be saved for another seat)


align the opposite side and get ready to tack it in. the glue will hold it temporarily in place. grab your tape measure and make sure the seam is exactly centered in the center of the seat. (12 3/4" side to side, divided by two = 6 3/8")...bingo

 

Keep working the leather around the seat as done before. Remember to keep checking the seam distance if you have one. Like i said you need to be picky about this part. I tacked the front and back then focused on back two corners before moving on. Some staples may not go in all the way, just tap them with the hammer and punch. And ...like i said, you WILL need to remove some staples.


After your all done tugging, pulling, and getting angry because you pull out 50 staples...your left with a nice fitted seat




I finished off my seat by using my special leather treatment, waterproofer, flexer, and darkener.

 

The seat is wicked nice job just a couple quick questions, I'm still very new. Will I have to drill any holes or do any modifications to the bike or new handlebars when I swap handle bars. Also did you have to do any cutting on your rear fender ? Thanks for the help!

 

you shouldn't have to modify anything when you put on new bars as long as they are 7/8" (jap bike size). Now on the otherhand if you go with taller bars you might need longer cables.

The fender is stock just painted a different color

 

Impressive sir!! And well documented too - love it

 

Damn! My son's pretty darn talented!!!! Awesome work!!!!

 

^^^lol, i don't know if this is accurate. My fiance was inside baking while i was working on the brute. She starts getting angry and comes outside yelling "how come your house doesn't have a mixer?" I tell her, "calm down calm down. I can help you."

So, i gave her this.....Is that the talent you were speaking of dad? lol

 

Better get her some safety gear for when you give her the reciprocating saw to cut the Sunday roast.

 

Lol that's funny

 

lmao!!!! it works though! i bet you got the stink eye for that one!

 

Lookin awesome! Love the paint and seat.

 

once again i appreciate all the comments!

Heres a little update

did a bit more engine detailing with the case covers and polished the stator cover. (i have a few extra touches to finish but you get the idea.) also added some stainless bolts to off set the black