Seat Fixings - '67 650SS Slimline Dominator

I'd be interested to know the correct parts.  In mine, the front two rubber bushes are actually short lengths of rubber oil hose. The frame has rubber pads about 1/8 ,inch thick glued onto the tip rails where the two intermediate pads rest. The rear two prongs simply enter the holes in the top of the rear spring unit mounts. Then finally is a Dzus fastener into the rear mud guard, which has a wire riveted across the hole.

I'm too interested. On the 650SS I'm working on some vandal has removed the pins in front, so I have to make new ones.

Just checked some old pictures - this was taken some years ago and shows the arrangement from the rear.

https://btcloud.bt.com/web/app/share/invite/pwDQ3wDqr1

The seat pins rest on the brackets above the rear mudguard bolts facing inwards visible here.  (The rack is obviously home made - and badly painted at the time this was taken!  I retained it with the seat pins, adding rubber bushes under the arms from the bracket to take the lower ends of the seat pins and stop the rack from bouncing around)

The seat was then new and I don't seem to have fitted the Dzus fastener.  I think that a secure seat fastening is/was required by MOT test?  It does discourage tampering to gain entry to the tool tray.

Went out to the barn and found saddle and rear mudguard from my -68 650SS

Just been to the shed to check and my seat looks exactly like Mikael's. I bought mine direct from Leighton and it came with the rubber bushes and rubber buttons. Maybe Norvil have short changed you if they not include them?

The angle supporting the pins is actually welded to the frame, and not a separate item.

Leonard,

I know that my 1968 Mercury is a bit later than your bike but it appears to have the same fixing details with "D" shaped rubbers at the front, rubber buttons in the middle for support on the frame and two pillars at the back with prongs to push into the holes in the right angled bracket by the top of the suspension unit.  I think I added rubber washers (tank mounting rubbers) to the rear metal prongs to help support the seat and stop damaging the paint on the brackets.

Whilst fitting the new seat I realised that all my spare control cables would fit neatly under the seat pan by using a couple of cable tidy clips, see photo.  An old bicycle tube is useful to protect them and keep them tidy and stop them rubbing the frame. They are then easily available to make repairs or help out a mate!

Philip

Len,

My seat came from Leightons and I don't think it had any rubbers with it either, which is a bit frustrating but seems par for the course if Norvil do the same.

I've only started carrying spare cables since I've been touring i.e.in the last 20 years.  The first time I took a couple of spare cables whilst touring in Wales the throttle cable broke up in the mountains, and there was no phone signal.  The spare cable was adjusted and allowed me to continue.  Perhaps it was because I had a premonition or maybe just luck!  Since then I always take a full set of cables when touring the UK or the continent, just to be sure I can get where I'm going.

Regards, Phil.

At least you got a seat that fitted your frame. Last time I dealt with this pack of thieves and charlatans nothing fitted or was extremely poor quality. It was the first and last dealings I had with them. That was in 1992 it seems that nothing has changed! Les is the most pig ignorant man I have had dealings with in 60+ years of motorcycling.

Holes in the bushes: I bought 2 bushes from the club (last 2??). With a lot of fiddling, got the first one in the front clip, then spotted on the 2nd one the hole is tapered, presumably this matches the frame prongs (my prongs are not original). Panic! Is the first Bush the right way round, as it would be a pig to remove!

Thankfully yes. So be warned, be aware and look carefully at the bushes before you fit them!

PS my seat is a pattern one I bought yonks ago. Let's hope I don't have too many more problems with it - although I'm not yet able to check fit to the dzus screw. 

Our  67  Atlas   lost its dzus mounting   in the platers tank  so i had to pop rivet a stiffning  plate  under the guard.  .There is also a rubber washer between  rear seat bracket and the chrome. If the seat settles  on the  guard or  bathtub on the DL  another sturdy washer can be superglued in place which steadies things up.  

There used to be a bike breakers in Preston run by two guys, one partner was the nicest, most helpful guy you could ever wish to meet, the other rivalled LE for the title, he would lend you tools to takes something off a dead bike, then refuse to sell it to you 'because you came bugging me for tools', 'I've no change' or even 'because I don't like you'. He actually barred me from the place because I told him that what he said was a Sunbeam S7 frame hanging on the wall was actually a BMW R51.