Motorcycle seat cowls

Riders looking for a motorcycle seat cowl nearly always want the same thing: to cover the pillion seat so their sports bike or naked looks like a single-seat track machine. This section brings together those cowls, made by Puig to fit each model, and here is what is worth knowing before you choose yours.

Tail unit, seat cowl or solo cover

To a mechanic, the tail unit is the whole rear section of bodywork that runs under the seat and ends at the rear light. The accessory sold here is something else: a rigid cover that sits where the passenger seat was, also known as a pillion seat cover or solo cowl. It leaves the tail panels and the rear light untouched and simply fills the space of the second seat. While it is on, the bike is a one-seater; you keep the original pillion pad and, whenever you want to carry someone again, you take the cowl off and put the seat back.

Neutral finish or body colour

Several manufacturers sell their own cowl painted to match each version. The ones here come in gloss black, matt black or carbon look, shades that suit any paintwork and spare you the job of matching a particular red or green. Carbon look stands out most when the bike already wears other parts in that finish.

Bikes with a cowl available

Sports bikes lead the way: YZF-R1, ZX-10R, ZX-6R, CBR1000RR-R, S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR or GSX-R1000. Among the nakeds you will find the Z900, the MT-09 and the 990 Duke, and as oddities there is one for the R 1300 GS and another for the TMAX 560. The part numbers for each model and the colour code for each finish are under Puig seat cowls.

What goes with a short tail

With the pillion seat covered, the standard number plate hanger often looks far too long. A short tail tidy cleans up the rear end, and at the front a pair of winglets keeps the same racing look. To carry on with the bike, browse the rest of our motorcycle accessories.