Water under the seat?

[ItsTracerTime]

As I'm sure you've all probably experienced when washing your bike, the seat does not fully "seal" the cavity under it - where your battery and other electrical parts are. Water can also slip in between the passenger/pillion seats, and soak any contents too.

 

Is there a good fix for this, to at least keep hose water from splashing in there? I plan on getting a Corbin eventually, which I think would alleviate it but for now I want to keep things dry-er. I have a 3d printer, but could I make some gasket type of setup using foam weather stripping?

[OldBikers]

Plastic bag your stuff under the pillion. 

[2and3cylinders]

I've had a piece of 40 mil thick rubber I cut and taped to create a closure under the gap between the 2 saddles and divert it out to the sides.  Some dust filters in but everything under stays dry.  I still am careful washing the bikes and usually go "waterless" pressure foam, Sprayway foaming glass cleaner and for oil and grease, Kerosene.  Kerosene usually will not harm paint (actually acting like a "moisturizer") or most plastic and rubber in moderation of course, like hoses, wire insulation, wheel bearing dust seals, chain O-rings, etc.. I also use paint clay and special cloths and rouges.

I have a large tried and true  selection of treatments, "polishes" and sealers including testing a couple of ceramic types.

I have done similar installations on all my bikes for 40+ years.

Here is my 111k mile 98 VTR1000F

You should see my 76 RD400! 

[betoney]

11 hours ago, ItsTracerTime said:

As I'm sure you've all probably experienced when washing your bike, the seat does not fully "seal" the cavity under it - where your battery and other electrical parts are. Water can also slip in between the passenger/pillion seats, and soak any contents too.

When I wash my bikes I simply don't spray water where I want to avoid getting soaked, some over spray is inevitable though.  I wrap the dash and handlebar controls with towels but that's just me being overly cautious.  Bikes were designed to operate in the elements and many riders live in wet climates and commute in the rain daily.

I have heard of riders saturating the bike with spray foam cleaner and soaking it with a garden hose, that makes me cringe but apparently its not uncommon.

[bwringer]

You will never keep rain water out, so make sure whatever's under there isn't going to be harmed by water.

If you try to seal the area, it will only slow down the process of drying out.

Some bikes have an issue with a tray that won't drain water; I've had to drill small drain holes in a few.

Overall, I think it would be more productive to change your washing routine; when washing the bike, remove the seats, clean up the dust and dirt, rinse, and dry underneath.

[larolco]

I modified the under-seat tray in a few ways (to fit more stuff, like an air compressor), including drilling drain holes. It gets wet in there if you are riding in the rain, so plastic bagging anything you want to keep dry is a good idea. The idea of some kind of an added lip to the seat to redirect water might help, too, though it's not something I've tried.