It’s common nowadays to see freestyle goons with shaved seats and huge holes cut out of their rides in the strangest places. With all of the new tricks being pulled, a lowered seat seems very practical in FMX. Not quite so obvious is their application in the world of racing, but in reality, shaved foam is just as prevalent at the racetrack as it is at the Mulisha compound.
Seat foam tailored specifically for your exact height can make a huge impact on the ergonomics of your ride. RC has been running lowered seats forever, and like him, many shorter riders also lower their stock foam. Most cite the fact that when the bike decides to kick, it hits them a lot earlier with high foam. Whatever your reason for making the chop, modifying your seat can make a huge difference in cornering, whoop sections, and overall confidence on the bike.
Paul Carpenter’s mechanic Alex Ewing came down to show us how he slams Paul’s KXF250. Paul was a little unlucky in the height department, living proof that coffee does stunt your growth. Paul prefers his seat lowered 14mm from the stock height. The factory teams customize each bike to accommodate their riders’ every desire. Mechanics of today have become professional upholsterers on the side when they’re not busy building race motors. 오늘날 프리스타일 모터크로스를 할 때 시트를 깎아 낮추는 것은 흔한 일이다. 시트를 낮추면 코너링을 비롯하여 여러가지 역학적인 변화가 오지만, 가속할 때 시트고가 높을 때보다 빨라지는 것은 확실하다. 리키 카마이클은 항상 로우시트를 사용한다. 리키처럼 키가 작은 다른 많은 선수들도 시트를 낮추어서 탄다. 여기서는 폴이 자신의 바이크 시트를 14mm정도 깎아내는 것을 시범보여 준다.
Step 1) Remove the seat from your ride. Take off the seat cover using a small, flat-blade screwdriver and pliers to pull the staples out. 안장을 떼어온다. 도라이바와 플라이어를 이용해 스테플을 뽑아 시트커버를 벗겨낸다.
Step 2) Now it’s time to decide how far you want to slam your ride; whether you crave a more comfortable riding position or a can-can set up, the choice is yours. It is a good idea to use a black Sharpie to draw out the area that needs to be cut out. These marks can be measured and used as guides while cutting for the rookie slicer. Alex has enough experience that he just freehands it.
Using an electric turkey-carving knife, start to cut the main part of the foam out. Take your time; if you take too big of a cut, the foam can’t be reattached, so it’s easier to go back and trim a little more off later than to make a big mistake. 전기칼이나 커터 칼등 예리한 칼로 시트를 깎아낸다. 쵸크나 매직펜 등으로 자를곳을 그려가면서 해도 도움이 된다. 한번 잘라내면 다시 붙일 수 없으니까 조금씩 반복작업을 하더라도 지나치게 잘라내는 일이 없으시길...
Step 3) Now that the main portion of the foam is removed, it’s time to finesse the seat back into a comfortable shape. The electric knife can be used to knock down any sharp edges and to round out the corners. 옆도 둥그렇게 잘라야 편하게 앉을 수 있겠죠?
Step 4) To make life a little easier, Alex likes to use a right angle die grinder with a Scotch Brite disc to smooth out any sharp corners that are left. This will save a lot of time when it comes time to hand-sand the foam. 핸드그라인더를 이용해 매끈하게 다듬고 있군요. DIY맨이라면 220보트용 핸드그라인더가 너무 빨리 돌아 갈아내는 것이 아니고 녹여내지 않을까 걱정되시겠죠? 100볼트 강압기로 연결해 그라인더에 연결하면 천천히 돌아 갑니다.ㅋㅋㅋ.
Step 5) The final prep involves some elbow grease. Using a long piece of 80-grit sandpaper, sand the foam from side to side. It can take a while to remove all the high spots, so take your time and look at the foam from many angles to discover any imperfections. 이런 물건은 본 바 없는데, 80-그릿 사포인데 띠 모양을 하고 있네요. 없으면 유사품을 이용해서 할 수 있을 것 같습니다. 이 기술자보다는 시간이 좀 더 걸리더라도...
Step 6) Take a break, because you’re probably tired from all that sanding. Once you get your breath back, it’s time to install the seat cover. Alex starts by lining up the nose of the seat and sticking it into place with three staples. 이제 서서하는 작업은 다 끝났으니까 쉬어가면서 커버를 입히기 시작합니다. 우선 맨 앞을 잘 맞춘 다음에 스테플을 3방 박고...
Step 7) Move to the back of the seat and line it up. It usually works best if the cover is pulled straight across. This will help eliminate wrinkles in the middle of the seat. Once in place, use three staples to secure the location. 주름이 잡히지 않게 뒷쪽까지 팽팽하게 씌운다음, 뒷쪽에도 스테플을 3방 박고...
Step 8) Line up the middle of the seat. Pull each side down and over until the cover is perfectly centered. Staple each side a few times to hold it in place. Use the graphics on the cover as a guide to keep the thing aligned correctly. 중간부분도 좌-우 대칭이 되게 잘 땡긴 다음 스테플로 고정.. 연료통이나 슈라우드 등에 있는 그림에 잘 맞도록...
Step 9) Now that your cover is lined up, work your way around and staple every half of an inch. Use one hand to pull, and the other to run the staple gun. Remember, you need to pull hard so that the cover hugs the foam tightly. 이제 스테플이 떠듬떠듬 밖힌 곳마다 1/2인치 정도 간격으로 스테플을 밖아주는데, 한손으로는 커버를 세게 당겨 스폰지에 꽉 압박이 되게 고정...
Step 10) Most seat cover manufacturers leave the edges of their covers long to help the installation process. Use a razor blade to trim off any excess material. If it isn’t removed it is guaranteed to bunch up and make seat installation a chore. 만들 때 부터 시트커버의 안쪽은 넉넉하게 만들어 놓은데다가, 깎아내기 까지 했으니 남는 부분이 생기겠죠? 걸리적거리지 않게 도려버리십시요. 끝났네요. ㅎㅎㅎ.
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여기에도 시트깎아 낮추기가 소개되어 있습니다. 쇠톱날을 사용하는 점 외에는 비슷한 방법입니다.