Seat cowl - installation and replacement rubber grommet

[blink]

Well I have a perfect condition green solo seat cowel that I don't use, and haven't ever used it.

Anyone who would like a picture or to make a possible offer please reply!

It is for New gen!

[Alex]

Alex - why don't you post it up in the marketplace; all of our for sale type threads are in there.

[blink]

Thank you, I'll go do that! =]

[Chefdota]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KAWAS...item4aabb62fc9
i found this on ebay im bidding on it now im just wondering why they are so cheap and is the black gonna match my 09 black 99996-1360-H8 part number

[Sound Wave]

chefdota, it would be easier if you ask the seller. in the pic, it is missing the pad that faces the rider's back. maybe the seller has it, but didn't take a pic of it? again probably easier if you ask him/her.

[MikeCG23]

I replaced the POS grommet that continued to fall out no matter what I did with Velcro. Problem solved

[ratlab]

i have a 2010 cowl has no gap and grommet stays in -maybe they fixed it

[Jerkson]

Originally Posted by ratlab

i have a 2010 cowl has no gap and grommet stays in -maybe they fixed it

I have a 2010 and there is a huge gap and I lost the rubber grommet on the 2nd day

[Buffalony]

I don't understand what problem you guys are having with the cowl fitment.
I didnt have to shave bumpers, swap this and buy that.

If a side is high when on the bike, put that end of the bracket only into a vise and tap it in the same direction you want the cowl to go.

Gently tighten the two front bolts and secure with Loc-tite.

[Vampyre]

I got mine pretty flush. I did a combination of slightly bending the front bracket on the cowl. To get the pin to lock I also had to shave the rubber bumpers on the cowl. On the back side I had to bend the bracket on the bike that holds the grommet a little bit and shave the bumpers on that side. Then I had to muck with the seat tab on the back bracket on the bike to get the seat to be usable. I think it looks so much better.



From this view you can also see my fly guitar pick washers because the bolts in my led license frame were a little too small for the tag bracket I made.

[Jerkson]

Further to my post earlier I made some "adjustments" to my solo cowl to bring it flush with my slightly droopy hotbodies undertail. I had to lower the rear of the cowl further than the rear seat bracket would permit. This involved cutting the rear plastic pokey part and lowering it as well as reinforcing the two side tabs. Ultra-high-temp hot glue FTW. I also lowered the front by bending the bracket and shaving the helmet-lock side rubber grommet

[vergel376]

Originally Posted by SF-Dug

I just got mine today and the rear rubber grommet is driving me nuts. I figured out how to lock the front by pushing down on it so that the latch catches. The rear portion though just lifts up way to easily and the rubber grommet dislodges as well. I hope the break in period as some have suggested happens quickly. I might have to head to a hardware store to see if they have a rubber grommet that can work as a better replacement then the stock one that came with the seat cowl.

I find out if you push lock the rear section first with the rubber grommet before the front latch, it doesnt lifts up easily give it a shot. You might have to re adjust a few times.

[Buffalony]

Originally Posted by Jerkson

Further to my post earlier I made some "adjustments" to my solo cowl to bring it flush with my slightly droopy hotbodies undertail. I had to lower the rear of the cowl further than the rear seat bracket would permit. This involved cutting the rear plastic pokey part and lowering it as well as reinforcing the two side tabs. Ultra-high-temp hot glue FTW. I also lowered the front by bending the bracket and shaving the helmet-lock side rubber grommet

This sucks when someone spends their hard earned money on something to only get stuck with more work to make it look right. Is this common for these undertails to be "droopy"? Looks great btw

[Jerkson]

Originally Posted by Buffalony

This sucks when someone spends their hard earned money on something to only get stuck with more work to make it look right. Is this common for these undertails to be "droopy"? Looks great btw

Thanks

Many people find it sags due to the fact that it is no longer bolted to the frame of the bike. Some choose to add two bolts just behind the turn signals to bolt it up and reduce the sag. I used the pipe insulation stuff around the frame to hold up the side farings a little higher to compensate some...but there was still an extra gap in addition to the gap many experience with the solo cowl in the first place.

[greatwhiteninja]

ill have mine in a few days.. cant wait to see how it fits..loL!

[SaintJPN]

Originally Posted by Jiu Jitsu Player

I'm more concerned with the gap in front if anything. I don't have mine yet but tried one on my bike just to check it out and the gap is almost a 1/4 inch. Not to mention the thing doesnt really secure all the way so it can possibly be lifted up by anyone walking by.

Im not too concerned with the whole helmet issue since I never leave mine on the bike..trust no one. Does anyone who has had the cowl for a while have problems with either the lifting issue or the gap in front?
Also- some of those cowls on ebay seem to be aftermarket ones and not the authentic Kawi versions. Anyone notice a real difference between the two?

I finally picked one up used online only because the price was good. First thing I thought about it when I put it on was "F#%K!n& POS!" The front secures ok but with a giant wobble and of course the gap and the rear just sits in the hole in the back mounting bracket LOOOOSE-flap flap flap flap rattle rattle. We as consumers are WAAAY too used to settling for manufactured crap. Right now, mine is held down in the rear by 2 large neon file rubber bands. Trust me, it's temporary until I can fabricate a rear latch mechanism like the stock seat has. I've got two OEM seats...I might just switch out the guts and with a little modding might work. I refuse to settle for..."well it looks ok I guess".

[nah.uhh]

Originally Posted by SaintJPN

I finally picked one up used online only because the price was good. First thing I thought about it when I put it on was "F#%K!n& POS!" The front secures ok but with a giant wobble and of course the gap and the rear just sits in the hole in the back mounting bracket LOOOOSE-flap flap flap flap rattle rattle. We as consumers are WAAAY too used to settling for manufactured crap. Right now, mine is held down in the rear by 2 large neon file rubber bands. Trust me, it's temporary until I can fabricate a rear latch mechanism like the stock seat has. I've got two OEM seats...I might just switch out the guts and with a little modding might work. I refuse to settle for..."well it looks ok I guess".

If you read the thread b4 hand.. Anyway your missing the grommet (rubber neck for the way to loose rattle rattle flap flap) available at lowes, part # in this thread
Right?

Edit: youre in japan so no lowes (ithink..), the measurement of the grommet might also be in this thread,

[SaintJPN]

I'm not missing anything. 09 in Japan doesn't come with a rear grommet. Even if it did...it's still a horrible product design . I've place the front grommets for the old one onto the new one blah blah blah...end result same. Long story short. I'll make something that will work and looks professional. Having to do this to make a product worthwhile is WORTHLESS. Oh and BTW, nice job on pointing out that I should have read the thread beforehand nah... (my you burn so brightly) Anyway, you missed the point. Bigger sin than missing a grommet.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by SaintJPN

I'm not missing anything. 09 in Japan doesn't come with a rear grommet. Even if it did...it's still a horrible product design . I've place the front grommets for the old one onto the new one blah blah blah...end result same. Long story short. I'll make something that will work and looks professional. Having to do this to make a product worthwhile is WORTHLESS. Oh and BTW, nice job on pointing out that I should have read the thread beforehand nah... (my you burn so brightly) Anyway, you missed the point. Bigger sin than missing a grommet.

Most people don't think thier bike comes with them here either because they are always missing before anyone takes a look! I don't remember ever seeing mine. I did, however, see the two rubber dampers under the passenger seat at the dealer before I rode it 600 miles home and left it at the local dealer for the first service. When I got it back the rubber dampers had fallen out and were gone. I remembered seeing glue around one of them and now I know why: Kawi had not been fully inserting them and they knew they were falling out. Indeed, I could not tell that my replacements weren't fully inserted until I began spinning them while pushing and they eventually popped in and would suddenly spin more freely. I've used my helmet lock under the seat daily for three years and 24,000 miles and the replacements never fell out even without glue.

[nah.uhh]

Originally Posted by SaintJPN

I'm not missing anything. 09 in Japan doesn't come with a rear grommet. Even if it did...it's still a horrible product design . I've place the front grommets for the old one onto the new one blah blah blah...end result same. Long story short. I'll make something that will work and looks professional. Having to do this to make a product worthwhile is WORTHLESS. Oh and BTW, nice job on pointing out that I should have read the thread beforehand nah... (my you burn so brightly) Anyway, you missed the point. Bigger sin than missing a grommet.

"and the rear just sits in the hole in the back mounting bracket LOOOOSE-flap flap flap flap rattle rattle. We as consumers are WAAAY too used to settling for manufactured crap. Right now, mine is held down in the rear by 2 large neon file rubber bands." - saintJPN

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...8&postcount=54
which links to
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...07&postcount=6

sure id rather the cowl secure ie the stock pillon but i sure as hell dont have a rattle rattle flap flap
FYI the grommet doesnt come with the bike, it comes with the cowl. which you bought used
... and like czroe said the DAMPERS on the seat do come loose and fall off easily if not properly inserted

the gap on the front of the cowl is by design, and the rattle flap is you not having a grommet in the rear hole
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showp...07&postcount=6
correct me if im wrong.........

[greatwhiteninja]

I got mine to fit best by using no rubber grometts on the actual seat cowl itself, 4 of them.. the seat cowl did come with a rubber gromett for the rear connection, on the bike .. basically I had to bend down the rear tab on the bike just a little bit with a hammer and putting a towel over it not to scratch it all up.. then I bent the locking tab front bracket on the seat cowl itself in a little .. fits nice now with hardly any gap and perfect and tight .. no play at all in it.

[SaintJPN]

Like I said before, I'll make something work. I took 15 minutes out of my schedule over the weekend and looked into my rear seat cowl. I've owned 2 brand new 2009's and both did not have this infamous rear grommet here in Japan and my cowl didn't come with one either. I'm sure that my cowl is different from many other people's cowls in how it is made also..BUT! That does not matter because grommets do not lock. FYI-if you're into small little rubber holes, you're into something entirely different than rear solo seat cowls. It does involve the word "solo".

I had two options that I was toying around with in my head. The first was to fabricate a sleeve for the rear tab to slide into and the second was to use the guts of an extra rear seat I had (from my first 2009). I wanted to do this without using a lot of money because I believe that I've already paid enough just purchasing the seat cowl.

I went with gutting the extra rear seat. Turned out to be pretty simple and almost everything aligns with a little slight modding here and there. There was a little cutting, shaving, and a couple of holes had to be made. I'll post pictures and provide step by step what I did. The end results: A rear cowl that locks into place without any rattling or movement and no one can walk by and lift up on your cowl to get at whatever is under your seat. There is a small gap all the way around but it is uniform and looks good. Out of pocket expense was only $1.00 for a small pack of bolts (I think M5). Tools I used as a saw, knife or a drill (to make the two holes), extra rear seat, two short and small bolts with 2 washers each, and some electrical tape (any color ok because it won't be visible).

Can't promise exactlly when the pictures will be posted (I've already taken them) due to some really important things I've got to take care of before that will happen. Should be in a few days I think.

[Buffalony]

Hitting the bike with hammers, shaving, filing and shimming!! Even losing the rear grommet before getting the cowl

When receiving the cowl you should have received a grommet. Put the grommet in the frame hole and check that the bottom of it is as flush as the top. Stick your pinky finger in there and press around the inside of the grommet.

When assembling the cowl, the bracket only goes on one way. Pay attention to the location of the pin in the cowl plastic and the receiving end of the bracket.

When installing the cowl, place the rear pin in the grommet. It will be noticeable when it seats in there properly. Make sure it actually seats itself in there with a slight push, pull. It will feel snug with very little but also noticeable play.

Then push down the front of the cowl plastic right above the bumper with the base of your palm until you hear the lock click.


I refuse to believe any of the major modifications being made in this thread are necessary to get the cowl to fit unless there is a non-OEM part involved.
Kawasaki’s QC is much better than what this thread is saying.

The only major problem with the cowl is the bracket. It is what causes the cowl to fit funny. It was designed and manufactured with the right dimensions. However, it comes bent in the middle. This deformation is from the pin weld cooling and can be fixed very easily.

If one or both sides are too high or low for your liking, take the bracket off and put the side you want to adjust into a vise. With a hammer, gently tap the opposite side of the bracket to adjust the side in the jaws. I.e. tap the top of the opposite side on the top if you want to lower the side in the vise jaws. Test the fit often until you’re satisfied. You'll notice that the closer to perpendicular you get the pin, the better the cowl will fit.


Except for the modification to the helmet lock slots, all OEM cowls are identical. There is a possibility for there to be some warpage of the frame brackets from welding. If your stock passenger seat fit fine, the cowl will too.

[vnranger]

Terrible gaps before mod:

Front side gap before.jpgLeft Side Gap before 1.jpgLeft Side Gap before 2.jpgRight side gap before 1.jpg



1. Remove the front OEM bracket and two OEM metal clips from the seat cowl:

OEM bracket.jpgOEM Clip.jpg



2.Use Dremel tool to cut the bracket at both ends so it can fit underneath the plastic part of the seat cowl:

Dremel tool.jpgAfter cut 1.jpgAfter cut 2.jpg



3. Use Dremel to cut on one side of the plastic part of the seat cowl so the bracket can slide in:

plastic cut off.jpg



4.Slide the bracket in:

Slide in 1.jpgSlide in 2.jpgSlide in 3.jpg



5.Tighten the bracket to the plastic part using 2 OEM M6 bolts and 2 6mm nuts:

Nut 1.jpgNut 2.jpg



6. Patch the cutting place on plastic part using 15min Epoxy:

Patch.jpg



7. use 2 washers under the lock ASSY to raise it up:

Washer.jpg



8. Install the seat cowl and look at the gap now

Right side after fix.jpgLeft side after fix.jpgFront side after fix.jpg

[vnranger]

I lost two of these rubber grommet already . So now I 'm using paper clip part to keep them stay in place

Clip 1.jpgClip 2.jpgClip 3.jpg

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by Sound Wave

the rear grommet is hillman part number 139377. it is a 31/32" outer diameter and a 1/2" inner diameter. found it at lowes in the nuts and bolts section in the drawers.

for me, i just used some rubber caster looking thingys in the front. i stacked 3 of them up on each side. i will try to find my packaging...

I'll have to pick me up one of these in the morning.

[CZroe]

It's actually the LOWES part number. The Hillman part number is H# 881261. Now, I know I have the right part: The bin said "Lowes: 139377 H#: 881261" and it is labeled "32/32OD x 1/2ID H# 881261" on the sealed package.

I test-fitted it in the store and it just falls right off of the nipple but I found that it tightens up perfectly when I get it in the bike.

Now, regarding fitment, mine is a used cowl that seems to fit perfectly fine. The bracket appears straight and unmodified and the gap is minimal (didn't really notice even until I took the picture).

Question: Why does the nipple have a ridge around only half of it? I see others in this thread exactly the same way.

Originally Posted by ScorpionNinja

Ive worked in A few plastic factories over the years. Let me tell you, plastic no matter what, will Warp like most man-made things! Plastic injection molding isnt perfect. If some of the OEM cowls sit for a long time, due to too much weight being pushed down onto through the boxes 'strenght' and pushes down on the Cowl/Part itself alil bit... over time it Warps things even further! (in case of final products Boxed and sealed, stacked till shipped) Some of these mightve been sitting for afew Months, also these OEMs could've been Made (like most cases) before the first 250R (2008-2009) was even built, and wasnt really Test-fitted. Manufacturing parts ahead of time without 'making sure its perfect fitting' happens more times then we'd like to think. Its plastic molding, theres alot more 'room for error' in the correct size, vs a CNC Machine Shop with steel,stainless-steel Molds and Parts that have 'tight' tollerences.


anyhow im just pissed we spend our hard earned money on something that once you get it outta its box, like a 8yr old on X-mas morning all excited and such, your Quite bummed with the results of your find!

I doubt this is the case. Mine has no notch for the helmet so it is clearly the earliest made. I think this issue is a combination of people mounting the U-clips upside down, the mounting bracket backwards, and the slight bend on the mounting bracket from the TIG weld of the latching pin. My bracket was straight, the hardware was secured correctly, and I didn't have to do a thing to the rubber bits and neither did the previous owner.

Now, I will be putting my contact info on the inside somewhere and using Loctite though I myself have not personally experienced it coming off (haven't ridden with it yet).

[greatwhiteninja]

the only rubber pc i am using on mine is the back one that inserts into the bike, i actually superglued it on so it wouldnt keep falling out when i would remove the cowl.. but the 4 rubber pcs on the seat cowl itself i have removed, i dont have any issues with it, fits nice and flush and doesnt move around or anything.. its all in bending the front bracket.. the rear i slightly had to bend after installing the hotbodies undertail , but otherwise it was all just the front bracket on the cowl..

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by adri99an

Here's what I did so I don't lose that valuable grommet as one day I noticed my cowl just hanging there--I almost lost it and have read about many that have lost their entire cowl because Kawi didn't make them so great--although they are so pretty!

I think I saw someone on this forum do this as well......if you've got some zip ties...you won't lose your grommet or your cowl...

I was already planning to make a tether like this but it fell in gravel and on pavement three times in a single day before I could get to it (while I was still working on the grommet).

Without a place to put it while you secure or retrieve your helmet, it clearly wasn't designed to be taken on and off regularly. That's why the grommet is as likely to push through when mounting the cowl as it is to fit correctly.

[dragonboy]

Awesome thread, Lowe's gasket Now can someone post a pic of the bent bar and how to properly do it. Thanks!

[killamuf]

Thanks, this thread helped a lot. Gonna pay a visit to Lowe's tomorrow. A+ for you.!

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by CZroe

My experience with the passenger seat tells me that if you insert them fully they will not come back out. Basically, Kawi didn't install them right. I lost BOTH of them on my seat within a week of owning the bike. There was adhesive around them that was clearly meant to secure them as a secondary measure. When the dealer replaced them under warranty I twisted and twisted until cone pieces snapped fully into the holes on the passenger seat. Then, I drove 12,000 miles, using the helmet hooks under the seat up to several times a day and never had a problem since. I didn't even add more adhesive. It was pretty hard to get them all the way in. It even seems like it's impossible to fit them but I assure you that it is. The rubber cone pieces just seem too fat to fit and the stem seems like it compresses too easily to force it. IIRC, I just smashed it down HARD and repeatedly twisted.

I even asked on Kawi forums and many people never realized that there was supposed to be rubber dampers there.

Well, when I finally got my solo seat cowl I realized that they were twisted all the way in because there was even a bit of slack on the opposite side of the bracket, unlike the seat dampers where you couldn't observe any slack even if there were some. That means that they were fully installed. I lost one of my cowl dampers in under two weeks anyway. That means that, unlike the seat where we only need to make sure that they are truly fully installed (mine were glued from the factory but not fully installed; impossible to check visually), we do need to take precautions with these. When I get my replacement, I'll use the adhesive mentioned in this thread along with the clip mentioned in another thread and, finally, the grommet zip-tie mentioned in yet another (Paging @Alex: Merge threads?).

Originally Posted by addy126

Grommet for my seat cowl kept getting pushed out of the receiving bracket every time I pushed the cowl down into place. Went to Lowes recently and picked up one of their grommets and now the cowl seats itself perfectly and securely.... the stock grommet sent with cowl is way to thin and flimsy to secure the cowl at all. No problems with the "feet" rubbers yet.

I was told that it came with the bike and not the cowl, though I don't remember ever seeing mine.

[Buffalony]

@vnranger. Epoxy, cutting oem design, paper clamp, f-ing LATEX GLOVES!!!!

Do you realize that all you had to do was use just that vise you have and put the bracket into it, tap both ends of the bracket to bend towards the direction of the lock post, and it would have achieved the same... exact... effect. Wow!! yes your cowl looks great now, but "You went full retard" ~ Robert Downey Jr.

[reabo]

Originally Posted by ninjablk08

heres what i find to replace rear cowl rubber grommet and its a better fit ,tighter even, got it at Lowe's for $1.20

Sorry to bring up an old thread but your seemed most reliant.

I live in the uk and we dont have lowe. Do you know anywhere I can get this in the uk or if i was looking what the part is actually called?

ty

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by reabo

Sorry to bring up an old thread but your seemed most reliant.

I live in the uk and we dont have lowe. Do you know anywhere I can get this in the uk or if i was looking what the part is actually called?

ty

Lowe's is a US "home improvement store" that sells tools, fixtures, wood, electrical wiring, finishing materials, lawn equipment, and hardware. It was in the hardware section with the nuts and bolts. I'm sure you have home improvement stores that carry hardware. If they have any rubber grommets take your cowl in with you and size them up. The correct size will seem a bit too large but when it goes in the hole on the bike it will tighten up.

[reabo]

Originally Posted by CZroe

Lowe's is a US "home improvement store" that sells tools, fixtures, wood, electrical wiring, finishing materials, lawn equipment, and hardware. It was in the hardware section with the nuts and bolts. I'm sure you have home improvement stores that carry hardware. If they have any rubber grommets take your cowl in with you ant size them up. The correct size will seem a bit too large but when it goes in the hole on the bike it will tighten up.

ty for the reply We have something called bnq. i'll have a look there. much appreciated

[Aggrotech]

Rise old thread!


I just bought a cowl from a link in the marketplace section with teh Ebay bot.

Came with 4 little rubber dampers and no instruction. took off my seat, put the bigger dampers in front, installed seat cowl, didnt move left/right, but the rear end i could completely lift up..took it off, double checked and i seemed to have lost my grommet.

been waiting a good 5 days to get one in from Partzilla, they offered a tracking number but it still has not updated, lame.

[reabo]

I found my old one a month ago under my caravan. Must of falled off when i changed to my seat.

[Aggrotech]

If anyone is still curious after all these pages. I bought this grommet from Partzilla (#KP-92071-056 92071-056 GROMMET) Fits perfectly. Put some glue on the inside all around it, installed with no problems.

Installed my rear cowl, getting the wobbles to the left/right, swapped out the rear cowl rubber feet with the 2 rubber feet of the OEM seat and its more flush but the wobble is there. Dont want to really fck with any brackets so im not quite sure what imma do

[Xorro]

Originally Posted by reabo

ty for the reply We have something called bnq. i'll have a look there. much appreciated

Did you find one in B&Q?

The only (UK) grommet I can find is this one: http://www.kawasakitripleparts.com/i...&product_id=72 thanks to Aggrotech posting the part number.