Saddle hardware, correct install on plunger frame

Thanks Ian...that is very helpful. My original seat has two square bars similar to yours that are double-bolted to the seat frame. My replica seat has single bolts at the fame so that allows the nose of the seat to bob up and down a bit. Now that I see yours I realise that it was not intended to do that. I gather there must be a little movement at the frame boss under your tank as the saddle springs bob up and down?

My seat seems to always be a little high at the back and i keep moving around the attachment points to come up with the perfect spot...certainly not intuitive ...every time i think I've nailed it I step back and it looks odd and feels even more odd when I sit on it. Seems to alway feel like its leaning forward and about to launch me off the bike. Maybe need to gain a few pounds eh?

If it is not too much trouble; could you send me a side view photo so I can see the level of the seat and possibly which of the three optional bolt holes you bolt the springs to on the back of the saddle.

I too have trouble posting more than one photo...when it works it is entierely by accident.

Saddle springs: I'm thinking that if there were springs that were about 1" shorter everything would fall into place as the back would tend to sit lower relative to the frame boss

Thanks for the help...still riding and hope to get another month in before the snow

Grant

Ian...if you get into the mood to photograph...could you kindly include a shot of your battery carrier please if you think yours is probably original

regards, Grant

Previously Ian MacDougall wrote:

Grant, yes the seat does pivot on that frame boss. If you have a seat with single bolts at the nose they have to be really tight otherwise the seat ends up supported by the carburettor (been there with my CS1)! At the rear of my ES2 seat there is a pair of L brackets riveted to the frame, and only one hole in each bracket for the top of the spring so no choice of spring attachment point. No snow here in Northern Ireland either, but very wet & windy so no fun taking the bike out right now.

Cheers, Ian McD

Hi Ian. Rode to work it was lovely and sunny...temp hit 14C. Rode home in a cold rain. typical November !

Thanks for the photos. A big big help. My "original" saddle is a Brian R Verrall. Either original or nearly so and my new one is a Wassell but it has the same frame. I see now that the brackets on yours are what Isee online on the new, extra large Big 4 saddle. They look about the same height from the frame as mine but these brackets bring the top of the spring inboard...forward a good inch or so. When I tighten everything down on mine is looks splayed and just plain wrong. I'm going to make up a couple brackets to shift the springs inboard and see what that does.

My saddle is tilted forward too. Feel like I am going to slide onto the tank.

My springs are 5 1/2 inches long and I see that the springs with some on line suppliers are 4 1/2 long which would drop the back of the seat nicely.

Also the nose of many of the seats i see on line is blunt and deep like mine. Where others seem to taper away on the bottom like yours which allows the seat nose to nestle nicely up to the tank. All of the smaller sized Lycette seats (listed as BSA Bantam plunger) have a more tapered nose plus rear brackets similar to yours.

So...this poses more questions for me.

Could I trouble you one last time please?

could you measure - the lenth of your springs - length and width of your saddle, and - width and depth at the nose.

inches or those new-fangled metrick inches would work for me

Knowing the 1951 saddle size should enable me to sus this out and either adapt my old Verrall which has a great patina or find one that will fit nicely like yours.

THANKS ! this is a huge help !!

Grant

Thanks too for the photo of the battery box. Another mystery solved. I've got the same box but somebody cobbled on a different front strap.

Previously Ian MacDougall wrote:

No trouble, dimensions are: Spring length 4.75", Saddle length 11.5", Saddle width 14", Nose width 3", Nose depth (at first rivet) 3.25". I have not owned this bike for very long and have no history with it. The bike looks original and unmolested so I am assuming that the seat is the original fitment, although it must have been re-covered at some time and there is no maker's label attached. This ES2 is 1950 (E4 prefix) but I do not think that there were any significant changes from '50 to '51. The main problem I need to sort out before putting the bike back on the road is a fuel tank which contains a large amount of petseal (or similar) which will not be compatible with ethanol fuels.

Cheers, Ian McD

Ian...just a quick note to thank you for the info. those dimensions were a big help and will help me get everything sorted nicely with the saddle.

I had a tank on a |BSA that has been sealed with the old cream sealant that is not ethanol resistant. In theory their stripper chemical will remove it but i was so busy continued to use the bike. did not seem to affect the quality of the fuel and the screens prevented the bits from getting into the carb. Once this ssealant goes soft, ideally you want to get it all off. But even with the stripper there will be lots left behind. My buddy ran a warm hair drier through his tank for a couple of days to re-cure the old stuff, then recoated on top of it with the new product and that seemed to work. That said, the manufacturers insist that you must get all of the original soft sealant off. (wishful thinking on their part ? )

Eventually bought a new tank from Vintage Spares in India. I bought 4 tanks from them now for various bikes with good success. They actually respond to emails and will answer questions.

cheers, Grant

PS...post a photo some time of your 1950 ES2. I would love to see it !

Hello Ian

Lovely bike. thanks very much for the photo. identical to my bike except without the dents and dings in the fenders...and you have the older version oil tank.

Great ! At last I have a good reference photo of an unmolested bike only a few months older than mine.

if you are up for it some time...post a photo of the other side please so i will have the complete picture.

Thanks !

Grant

Rode the ES2 to work today. Temp just above freezing but it seems to run better in the cold.