Introducing the custom motorcycle that has been submitted to the Webike Community "MOTO HACK Custom Motorcycle Contest" campaign!
Meet the custom motorcycle from TT-R who rides the KLX125.
Motorcycle and self-introduction
[Self-introduction]
I've been riding motorcycles for a very long time. It's been more than half a century if you count from the fourth grade when I started riding off-road. I can't even count how many motorcycles I've changed. I am a hardcore motorcycle enthusiast, and my family says that I have an incurable disease that will not be cured even if I die.
[Motorcycles]
The KLX125 is an off-road motorcycle that I've been wanting to buy for a long time, but I was hesitant to buy it because of the small-diameter wheels, but I bought it as a second off-road motorcycle to the XR230. I use it mostly for attack touring on abandoned roads, but I also ride on paved roads in the summer when it is too hot.
I also go on small touring trips with other small-displacement motorcycles, but the KLX125 is not suited for this touring. The reason for this, as owners will know, is the torture seat, which is like a "triangular wooden horse". Even though the KLX125 is a 125 with small-diameter wheels, the seat height is higher than the XR230. However, the KLX125 has a better footing than the XR230. The secret behind this is the narrow seat width.
In other words, the seat width of the KLX125 is very narrow in order to secure the footing. The KLX125's seat is so narrow that it digs into your ass when you ride long distances (or even when you don't ride long distances), and touring on the KLX125 is a journey of training to endure the torture of the seat.
Customization of the particulars
Take a look at the image. This is the seat width of the KLX125. I think I'm going to make these torture seats a little more comfortable. The easiest way to do this is to replace the seat with a later model, slightly wider seat; for about 10,000 yen you can buy a genuine Kawasaki part and just replace it. However, the footing has naturally deteriorated. Footing is very important when touring on abandoned roads. It is often the case that the place where I landed my feet is a depression, and if you are unlucky, you will be under the motorcycle. It's not enough to just replace the genuine parts, and since the seat prioritizes the footing, we want to secure the performance and improve the comfort.
[Directionality]
The direction we are aiming for is to achieve both footing and comfort. I want to ignore the appearance. The clue is in older off-road motorcycles like the DT1. In those days, off-road motorcycle seats were narrower in the front and wider in the back, which affected legroom. In other words, the front of the seat is unchanged, while the rear of the seat is widened to accommodate the passenger.
[Points of change in performance]
As aimed, the seat comfort was improved without worsening the footing. I can sit for two hours without worrying.
Custom Points
First, you have to strip the seat. Next, prepare a seat sponge to attach to the area you want to expand horizontally.
Next, attach this sponge to the seat with a bond or other adhesive. To ensure that the sponge arrives along the curved surface of the seat, bind it tightly until it is firmly glued. After leaving it for a day and a night, I moved on to shaping the seat. The seat shaping affects the ride quality, so it is important to do it carefully.
Prepare a number of cutter blades, and as soon as they stop cutting, replace them with new ones to shape the sponge. Although it is a soft sponge, the blade of the cutter will not cut well soon. If the blade loses its sharpness, you will not be able to cut well, so you should replace it with a new blade immediately.
The image shows the seat sponge and seat skin after shaping. Naturally, the original seat upholstery will not fit on a seat that has swollen sideways. I'm going to make a new seat upholstery. I bought the fabric for the seat upholstery and made a mold first. No matter how stretchy the fabric is, it is impossible to make a single sheet for a seat with a complicated shape. Take three molds of the front and right and left. It's ok to be rough here. It's better to cut them bigger because you can cut them later. Fill in the shape in the temporary sewing stage.
After the seat fabric is roughly shaped, make a temporary stitch while fitting the seat shape. The trick is to make a temporary stitch a little smaller than the seat, because it will pull when you apply the seat.
By the way, even if you buy "stretchy seat fabric", there is a direction of stretching, and there is a side that stretches and a side that does not stretch much. The key to successful application is to think about where you want to stretch the seat when you apply it, and then make a mold.
After the temporary stitching is done, I use a sewing machine to do the real stitching, but even a home sewing machine can sew vinyl leather. However, it is important to make sure that the needle is suitable for denim, leather, or other thick fabrics. If you are not good at sewing, one way is to ask someone who is good at it.
The seat upholstery made by sewing has seams, through which water penetrates. That's why I cover the sponge with a tarp and then apply the seat skin. The tarp doesn't have to be dedicated. I use a black mulch for gardening. After applying the waterproof seat, apply the seat skin. The trick is to do it on the hottest day possible, avoiding cold days. This is because vinyl leather stretches better at higher temperatures. If it is cold, it is better to do it in front of a fan heater.
Completed image↑↑
This is an improved seat completed with seat upholstery. The sponge is one of the parts that Webike has.
It is the ai-net: Sponge for seat repair (Lowered Seat) 2cm.
The advantage of this material is that it is cheap, but since it is an aggregate material, it is not suitable for processing. I prefer a single urethane product, even if it costs a little more.
I haven't used it, but the NTB seat sponge looks like a good choice.
NTB: Sponge for seat repair
Installation image
The other problem with the KLX125 is that it has a lot of vibration. In the forest road, the adrenaline is flowing, so you can ignore the vibration, but the vibration is hard to ride on a casual touring. Especially at about 60km/h, the vibration increases, and this hinders cruising. So I increased the gear ratio. The F gear of KLX125 is 14T, but I tried 15T. At the same engine speed, the speed is reduced by 5km/h, which reduces the vibration at 60km/h cruise. I was concerned about the deterioration of acceleration and the sluggishness when starting off, but this was hardly noticeable. It's a little annoying on uphill climbs in top gear, but the rest of the time it's hard to notice that the gear ratio has been increased. The motorcycle doesn't feel overdriven, at least not as much as the XR230 in 6th gear. Instead, the top speed remains the same and the fuel economy is almost the same. The gear to be replaced is as follows.
Kitaco: Drive sprocket 15T
Thanks for participating in our custom motorcycle contest, TT-R! You will receive 500 points to use at Webike!
*The articles on MOTO HACK are composed and reprinted from user contributions. The effects and methods described are at the discretion of the user, and Webike is not responsible for any problems that may occur.
See Accessories of KITACO
See Accessories of ai-net
See Accessories of NTB
See KAWASAKI Moto Index Page
See Accesssories for KAWASAKI KLX125
