banana seat!!!

I have a 2005 f4i and HATE the banana seat and would like to change it to a two piece seperate seat but have no idea how to do it can anyone help PLEASE?

I hate my 04 seat as well... Now in theory i belive the 03 split seat should fit rite in... I got this idea when i realized the undertail is the exact same for the 03 - 05 so give that a shot. Im still looking for the entire rear off an 03 but i think it will fit right in...

Found this on www.cbrworld.net:

"Your best bet in finding the parts you need is Ebay. All F4i parts for yrs 01-03 should be the same. You need the rear subframe, rear undertray, rear tail section, rear brakelight, front and passenger seat, and the rear pegs. The way the holes spaced on the 04 and 05 passenger pegs are different and won't bolt on the 01-03 subframe. If you plan on getting a whole new undertail, then you wouldn't need the rear light. If you just get a fender eliminator, then you do need the rear light.

Also, what some forums about the swaps here don't mention are that some bolt's are needed. Specifically the frankenstein bolts. (look at pics of the older f4i's and you'll know what im talking about.) Also there are two bolts for the operators seat. You can get these at www.ronayers.com. Click on online microfiche, select honda/type of bike, and then the selected part, and it should give you a list items that are used for that part. The screws and bolts are there as well.

Labor was free cause I did it myself. It does not take too long, maybe just 4-5 hours if you want to get it done in a day, and is just a process of unbolting the old stuff and bolting the new stuff. You can use some of the old bolts and screws you had from the one piece seat for the bolting on the subframe, and the new tail. Re-locate the key lock, Then viola! You're done!"


Hope that helps!

I don't know why everyone hates the banana seat so much. I think it looks fine and it's probably a lot more comfortable for both riders and passengers than the two seats. I think that's what sets the f4i apart from other sportbikes...it's a lot more comfortable but it's still a mean machine... I think that taking away from that defeats the purpose of having a f4i.

Just my opinion

It's cool that it's a comfortable seat....no one will argue with you on that point

But it's just not the nicest looking seat in the world. It's a frickin' banana seat...u know??
All the other sport bikes have the two seat style or a sinlge seat with a real cowl, and that makes them bad ass I guess.

If you saw a R1 or any other sport bike with a banana seat....it just wouldn't look right, u know??
Geez you might even lose respect for it.

And like it's been said before....it looks like a Suzuki Katana (I had one) and those are very slow bikes.
Just people will "assume" it's a wimpy bike because of the banana seat (only if they don't know anything about the bike)

Why is everyone always bitchin about the banana seat? If you don't like the look of the bike because of the seat, then why on earth did you buy the bike in the first place? The funny thing is, those who swap out the banana seat for the two seat style spend a lot of $$$ getting the required body parts that would've about equaled getting a 600RR or another bike with the seperate seats in the first place - that's a slightly better performing bike yet the same is invested.

for the record....
I wasn't bashing the "banana seat"

I was just saying that most people who see a new F4i and don't know anything about it....would "probably" think it's like a Katana or something and underestimate it...u know??


But yeah....if you don't like seat....why did you buy the bike then?!?!?

If you didn't like it on the bike originally...did you think it was gonna change or get better in the future??? lol

i got the f4i for comfort. . . i just got my mini-saddle bags and tail pack so i can get ready to do 5-600 mile days maybe more. the first test will be going from FL to NY in a couple weeks. i highly doubt i could acheive that on a 600rr or 1000rr. i swapped out the tail section as i wanted a sportier look. honestly with the older style rear the bike is probably 95% as comfortable as before (nothing can beat a bannana seat for comfort) but i think it look 100x better with the older subframe. lol the f4i wasnt even my first choice. i was looking for an sv650s for some sport touring/commuting but no dealers could locate one so i ended up with the honda. no regrets here as this is an excellent bike.

They make a Targa cover that will give it a better look and you still can take it off and have a bananna seat.

Yeah they make the cowl, but one it's like $180
Two, it's hard to get under the seat.....you gotta take the cowl off to get under the seat
Three, if you wanna take a passenger you gotta take off the cowl....whereas on the older rear section ('01-'03) someone could just hop right on.

The banana seat looks just as good as the two seater. I know it's not cool to have one right now but to me it's not worth sacrificing comfort not to mention money to make the bike fit in better. As I said before, one of the main selling points of the f4i is that it's a comfortable ride and a true sportbike at the same time. If you want to be in a pissing contest with other riders then the f4i's not for you. You might as well have one of those sportbikes that sacrifices all the comfort and pleasure of riding it for looks and speed. you can't ride them for more than 15 minutes before your wrists and ass go numb but at least no one will question how fast your bike can go because you have a banana seat.

Just putting my two cents in:

Honda changed the F4i to the bananna seat so it wouldn't compete with the RR. It was billed as a comfortable sport bike even when it had the split seat.

The reviews that I read for the spilt seat on the F4i said that it was hard and uncomfortable....I figured they put the new banana seat on there in response to them. Who knows though, you may very well be right.

the 01-03 F4i seat isn't very comfortable but on the plus side it looks more like an actual sportbike