let's talk seats for bit

[dan r]

I am no seat maker, wish I was.

I have a big twin 4 speed swing arm bike. The frame is a 64 that some may call a step down or drop seat frame. It's a frame that's more or less used 58-64 until electric start forced a minor frame profile change.

Right now I have a small solo seat mounted on a cut down oem seat tee on a stock pogo stick. The seat just don't make me happy. The way the bike is set up, the seating position not only looks bad, it's also quite uncomfortable. I would like to come up with a frame mounted seat but there is a wrench or two in the spokes. I want to be able to remove or pivot the seat up out of the way for quick oil tank access. I don't want to need tools to simply check the oil. I have no desire to make other changes to the bike past the seat.

Anyone have ideas, pix of anything you have done or seen like I may be looking for?

Thanks for any info you may have.

oh, here's the ugly seat bike I am tinkering around with...

[tomsoftail]

Tough to say for sure. Your bike is a nice rider but a chopper it ain't so a KnQ wouldn't sit right. The only other seats I have personally seen are really thick, chunky. Three pogo might be your best option outside of a custom pan.

[magnum45pete]

out of the aftermarket seats I think you'd be better of with a Corbin, they are well made with quality components, designed by riders who want comfort over many miles, drag spec ones look ok but lack the comfort of a Corbin, same for le Pera, Mustang and a few others I have tried including some factory seats !.. I know new Corbin seats are a shed load of beer tokens but good used ones are often on ebay, I got this one for about $125, it comes off in a second as it is held on with a QD pin on the rear so it's easy to get to oil tank & wiring, you can see the QD pin at the rear of the seat in the 3rd picture......

[joe49]

Solo seat? Get the frame part of the stock buddy springs, make up a seat bracket that has 2 studs down into that and a post that goes into the Pogo hole. Will lift right off.

[750Devo]

https://www.wwag.com/cgi-bin/WebObje...?page=%2177364

https://www.wwag.com/cgi-bin/WebObje...?page=%2174930

Some options if you want to go bolt on

[dan r]

Thanks guys.
Was looking at my fxr that has a hinge on one side and a latch on the other. Always liked that but it wouldn't adapt to well.

After looking here and then at the links 750Devo put up, hummm… The front hinge adapter in the pogo stick hole is maybe something to think about.

What I don't want to do now is start drilling holes and welding on bits to the bike. I spent to much time fixing those types of things on this bike before it was painted.

Was also looking at a late model bike that has those clip on windshields, rear rack and saddle bags. Maybe make something that slips into the frame cross tube and then the seat clips on at the rear and retained with one of the spring wire clips.

hummm… hinge on the front, spring retainer clips at the rear of the seat. Sounds like a project. Now if it would only quit snowing and warm up in the barn...

[hammerweight]

Originally Posted by dan r

Thanks guys.
Was looking at my fxr that has a hinge on one side and a latch on the other. Always liked that but it wouldn't adapt to well.

After looking here and then at the links 750Devo put up, hummm… The front hinge adapter in the pogo stick hole is maybe something to think about.

What I don't want to do now is start drilling holes and welding on bits to the bike. I spent to much time fixing those types of things on this bike before it was painted.

Was also looking at a late model bike that has those clip on windshields, rear rack and saddle bags. Maybe make something that slips into the frame cross tube and then the seat clips on at the rear and retained with one of the spring wire clips.

hummm… hinge on the front, spring retainer clips at the rear of the seat. Sounds like a project. Now if it would only quit snowing and warm up in the barn...

Here’s how I did it....
Used the original pivot point...

[dbkp]

Can't go wrong with Hirschberg style. Several companies (V-Twin is one) have spring brackets that mount to the inside of the shock studs, and a nose bracket that mounts to the two holes in the casting on either side of the seat post. Or do the mount on the top of a tube that goes into the seat post hole like previously said

[Ratso]

[Why didn't bikes like Hirschberg's catch on in a big way? Too stock-looking? Or people who liked them bought Superglides instead? Or what?

Sorry, don't mean to pull this thread off track. I'll look for a Hirschberg discussion in the JJ archives.]

[dan r]

Originally Posted by hammerweight

Here’s how I did it....
Used the original pivot point...

Very nice, thanks for showing that.

[dan r]

Originally Posted by dbkp

Can't go wrong with Hirschberg style. Several companies (V-Twin is one) have spring brackets that mount to the inside of the shock studs, and a nose bracket that mounts to the two holes in the casting on either side of the seat post. Or do the mount on the top of a tube that goes into the seat post hole like previously said

Originally Posted by Ratso

[Why didn't bikes like Hirschberg's catch on in a big way? Too stock-looking? Or people who liked them bought Superglides instead? Or what?

Sorry, don't mean to pull this thread off track. I'll look for a Hirschberg discussion in the JJ archives.]

That bike was the inspiration I had to build mine. I didn't want a copy but my version of a like style. I wanted something of a super glide style before there were super glides.

[joe49]

Originally Posted by Ratso

[Why didn't bikes like Hirschberg's catch on in a big way? Too stock-looking? Or people who liked them bought Superglides instead? Or what?

Sorry, don't mean to pull this thread off track. I'll look for a Hirschberg discussion in the JJ archives.]

Very common style in Chicago, back in the '70s and into the '80s.

Harley did copy it in the Superglide ,also.

[govmule84]

Originally Posted by joe49

Superglide.

Literally the answer to the OT question. The style did take off! Hirschberg built that bike in the late 60s if I recall rightly... the FX didn't exist; Willie G just copped it.

[47str8leg]

You already have shocks . I just ride the rails .
Simple, slides into the pogo hole , pulls out easy. Barely moves when I'm riding from side to side.
Worked on these three bikes . The wide glide bikes version wrapped around the fender slightly though to negate the side to side a bit.




.

[snatchleeka]

Originally Posted by dan r

I am no seat maker, wish I was.

I have a big twin 4 speed swing arm bike. The frame is a 64 that some may call a step down or drop seat frame. It's a frame that's more or less used 58-64 until electric start forced a minor frame profile change.

Right now I have a small solo seat mounted on a cut down oem seat tee on a stock pogo stick. The seat just don't make me happy. The way the bike is set up, the seating position not only looks bad, it's also quite uncomfortable. I would like to come up with a frame mounted seat but there is a wrench or two in the spokes. I want to be able to remove or pivot the seat up out of the way for quick oil tank access. I don't want to need tools to simply check the oil. I have no desire to make other changes to the bike past the seat.

Anyone have ideas, pix of anything you have done or seen like I may be looking for?

Thanks for any info you may have.

oh, here's the ugly seat bike I am tinkering around with...

nice bike and a nice seat, they just do not belong together.

[46international]

My bike '76 FLH had a terrible seat on it when I got it(was not a stock seat) and a buddy gave me a late model solo seat that he had taken off of his bike when it was new. What I did was modify the newer stock seat mounting bracket so that it had a post that fits in the tube on the frame. Then made supports that support the rear of the seat and rest on the frame side tubes just before the rear fender. Getting back to the post that fits into the tube on the frame, I drilled a 1/4" hole from the right side of the bike through the frame tube and through one side of the seat post. When I install the seat post into the frame tube I have a stainless steel pin with a spring loaded ball at the end that goes into that hole. So to install or remove the seat all I have to do is pull the small pin and pull the seat up, reverse to install.
About comfort and looks of your seat, I think mounting it as far back and as low as you can will help, this is what I did.

[magnum45pete]

Originally Posted by 46international

I drilled a 1/4" hole from the right side of the bike through the frame tube and through one side of the seat post. When I install the seat post into the frame tube I have a stainless steel pin with a spring loaded ball at the end that goes into that hole. So to install or remove the seat all I have to do is pull the small pin and pull the seat up, reverse to install.
.

on an old 45 chop I built in the late 70's I did something very much like this but on the 45 frame seat post tube there was a grease nipple a couple of inches down on the left side so all i did was to grind a flat in the round bar attached to the seat base and used a wing nut welded to a 1/2 long bolt & used that to hold it in untill i wanted the seat off, & for the rear two bolts under the seat i used allen bolts and Key Hole slotted the fender soas i undid & lifted the front the rear would come out of the key hole slots and it came off in seconds..........