Jubilee/Navigator seat

Hello Dan,

Looks like there's only you and me who read any of the Lightweight messages.

Your seat is strange - it's a mixture of the De Luxe and the Standard seat but it looks wrong around the front as well.

My guess is that it started life as a De Luxe seat. Someone has then cut off the rear fixing bracket (which had a dzus fastener) and bolted on the brackets to make it fit to the rear suspension bolts.The original De Luxe mounting is still there as well. In the picture your brackets are at a different angle to mine. But it also looks odd around the front of the seat. There are two fixing tangs on the frame which engage in two rubbers clips on the front underside of the seat.

All my bikes are tuckd up at the moment under loads of blankets at the back of the garage so I can't get to them easily without shifting various vehicles. But I have managed to get the seat of the 1960 Jubilee and the 1961 Navigator De Luxe was at the other end of the garage so I could get photos of that.

Now lets see if we can work out how to attach them. I'll do some bike photos some day soon when they reappear from hibernation. It's Irish winter weather here at the moment.

Good luck with the project.

Patrick

Picture of Jubilee seat

Picture of a De Luxe seat.

Hi Dan,

Some more pictures to show difference in rear mountings on the frame. This is the Standard Frame mounting.

Patrick

And this is the De Luxe

This is the Yamton and theres a few more bikes under the blankets including the Fireblade - I hope.

Previously patrick_mullen wrote:

Picture of a De Luxe seat.

Same as my De Lux seat

Hi just read the message my standard navi also has a gap between seat and tank I thought this was normal. It fits on two prongs at front and slots into shock mounts at back.

Hi Keith,

Your seat mountings sound right enough so maybe some variation in fitting is normal. I have just checked my two bikes and they are slightly different to each other.

On the De Luxe Navigator (1961) I can get my fingers easily between the tank and seat - viewed from the top. On the Standard model the fit is a little bit closer but doesn't quite touch the tank . Viewed from the side both seats fit fairly tight to the tank without a noticeable gap.

Patrick

Theearly DLseat is different to all these having the addition of "Terry" type spring clips and no rear fastener.(just for the record).The spring clips are availiable from the club and alsofit the other early bigger DL machines.I notice that the club has had some rear end supporting frames made, So now someone can build a 650DL,and there will be at least one to see.

Hello Robert,

Do you know if the rear enclosure is the same for the big twins as for the Lightweights? The side panels are a bit different around the leading edge but they do look pretty similar in appearance. All DL panelwork is now very scarce as people used to throw it away. It was 'bad for the image' in it's day even if it was a very practical idea.

Somehow the 650 will alway look it's best with a race seat, clip-ons,twin chrome clocks and twin silencers!. Fifty odd years ago the 650SS was a legend - a bit like owning your own space ship.. Or am I just showing my age?

Patrick

The rear enclosure is the same pressing for the 250 to 650. Perhaps drilled differently ?, The side panels are not interchangeable. I have a spare rear end and dommy rhs side panel.The reason the rear ends are the same is because it cost too much to change the press moulds so they changed the featherbed frame instead and we have a slimline thanks to this,nothing to do with making the bike morecomfortable (which was needed),this was just smoke and mirrors.I still think that a 650 DL would be a fantastic exhibit ( the only one left in the world).

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the useful information on the rear enclosures. Good luck with your 650 De Luxe project.It will certainly be unique and you can truthfully say that 650SS's (real or replicas) are now too common. A bit like BSA Gold Stars - there are now more Gold Stars than B31s!

Patrick