What Lies Beneath...

Ok, bringing this thread back on track... I finished putting the bike together today. The only obvious issue was a slow, drip - drip, from the fuelcock/fuel line interface. I think the fuel line is a bit like Mick Jagger, does the job of keeping the motor going, but getting a bit old n' stiff! Again, I'll swap this out sometime, but a jubilee clip from me majik bog o' spares does a fine job of rectification!

Just been out on a shake down ride to burn the grease off and find loose bolts... loved it! now its back in the garage awaiting the results of my single seat pondering!

 

Looking good mate

 

Aye mate up north!
NE England

 

Pissing it down in Cumbria this morning... so took seat off and using a cardboard template I'd made, checked dimensions and did a little mock up of solo seat plus luggage rack... seat is nowhere near on the underside, so it's going or being butchered.

 

So having a little bored daughters assistance, I marked up and hand tooled the basic shape of the baseplate in 4mm aluminium.

 

That's looking good mate
Sort of thing I like doing,it's very addictive but satisfying,keep the pictures coming mate and good luck

 

Snatching minutes here and there, I've bent the base plate to profile (gonna invest in a press to make linear forming easier... one day... when I have a spare pocket full of change )
There are 4 round cap screw heads just where I don't want them, so had to account for that in the forming (last photo) they are still a little proud for when the rubber bump stops come, so drilled 4 relief holes to seat them.
@dilligaf notice rusting hulk in the corner, awaiting IT's project time!

 

Take one perfectly good Thunderbird solo seat and rip it into its component pieces.

 

Drill out the rear seat brackets, reverse them and re-rivet to bring them closer to your frame width. Create a couple of base plate brackets out of some handy nickel plated steel. Form and create a front seat bracket, drill and tap it to bolt onto seat pan (I may put a safety rivet in to stop rotation forces), the seat pan is marrying up so much better to the frame/base plate now.


I don't know why the system mixed the photos order up, you'll just have to mentally order the pics, sorry!

 

After using some cardboard cutouts as rough templates copied of my main seat. I carved and bent a couple of seat retainer hooks out of the 4mm aluminium. I made them longer than necessary because the base plate and the main seat are totally different shapes n sizes... they needed significant fookin about... but I think I got the final shape n size sorted. I used zip ties for the marrying up rather than rivet them in place 'cos I wanna rub down n smooth up before final spray painting.

 

Thank you, it never looks much at the end of the day... but these little things take time, especially if you have kids to entertain! Fortunately, either one of mine likes to come in and spend an hour or so tinkering... I feel really lucky that way.

 

Finally grabbed some more time, fixed the seat position now and the rear rack... time to put things back together, paint up and fix in position... can't wait!

 

It's an important safety feature, don't want anyone sliding off the back...

 

Rubbed down, riveted & bolted, ready for final bead basting and spraying... Matt black to match the frame.

 

Not the neatest staple job, but I was on my own. The seat with all its modifications is now reupholstered and the vinyl is seated nicely.

 

With the base plate painted Matt black but the edges rubbed back to aluminium to match the engine fins... its al ready to put together (no butt locator now!)