Not bad for an afternoon's work + pics

[mortation]

After seeing this thread http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?

I decided to scour Ebay high and low for a seat. I found one, and won it yesterday. Here is a link to the Ebay listing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=009&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=190077480280&rd=1,1

Cross that of the LONG list of things to do. Now I just gotta strip the seat down, weld new mounts to the pan, and figure out how to incorporate the lock mechanisim into it...or maybe I'll just you a 1/4 turn fastener...

Closet thing I could find is this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LEPERA-2UP-SILHOUETTE-HARLEY-XL-SPORTSTER-82-03_W0QQitemZ180085920032QQihZ008QQcategoryZ35566QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Think that will work and still allow two riders?

[Mike_H]

Closet thing I could find is this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LEPERA-2UP-SILHOUETTE-HARLEY-XL-SPORTSTER-82-03_W0QQitemZ180085920032QQihZ008QQcategoryZ35566QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Think that will work and still allow two riders?

Ya, that will probably work. Justa warning though, Its not going to be a direct bolt up. I have mine in, and I'm going to have to move my fender a little bit, and trim the front seat mounts from my fram to make it work. This isn't a big deal for me, cuz I stripped the bike all the way down this winter, and have access to fab equipment. If your just looking for a quick and easy seat replacement, you may want to investigae taking the stock seat pan to an upolstery shop, and having them foam and cover it to your specs.

[mortation]

Ya, that will probably work. Justa warning though, Its not going to be a direct bolt up. I have mine in, and I'm going to have to move my fender a little bit, and trim the front seat mounts from my fram to make it work. This isn't a big deal for me, cuz I stripped the bike all the way down this winter, and have access to fab equipment. If your just looking for a quick and easy seat replacement, you may want to investigae taking the stock seat pan to an upolstery shop, and having them foam and cover it to your specs.

Yea I was just looking at this. I am gonna place the seat and the fender at the same time to get the correct fit. The front locking mech of the seat consists of two "hooks" on the frame and two steel barrels on the seat pan. So i was thinking about getting a piece of steel like this _|-----------|_ and using two big bolts through the sides to act as the steel barrels and bolt the whole assembly to the harley seat pan. Or perhaps some large L brackets bolted to the seat pan like _|--- and ---|_ with the bolt.

For the rear the "loop" is already in the pan so I was just going to bolt it to the fender.


Thoughts? I don't know squat about welding so thats out. I will just blow myself up

PS: the ----- are in the middle of my example but in reality the would of course be at the top.

[mortation]

And I found a better match for the seat:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Harley-Davidson-Dyna-Wide-Glide-Seat_W0QQitemZ320079904012QQihZ011QQcategoryZ35566QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Bopi]

nice stuff, are you gonna work in a FCRB to the underside of the fender.

Fact is any fender with a 6.5 width will work and we already know the dyna's are. The problem I had was with the fender placement sitting too high. It forced me to sit too far forward and it seemed (was) awkward. A hacksaw solved that. This is why I also think the softtail fenders will also work

Now I've got a situation and though maybe you guys could give some imput.

I've put about $100. into my tank with the purchase, the bondo, etc...
The tank is apparently off of a 650 gsl with a fuel capacity of 12 l or 3.2 gallons.


Now I find a chance to purchase a 1100 gls tank with a capacity of 18l or 4.5 gallons. The tank will give the bike a wider stance but its the capacity that really has me thinking. I won't be able to sell the 650 tank as it has been modified to fit a 78 gs so I'll end up with 2 tanks. I would let the opportunity slide but I'm sending my stuff to get painted soon and its now or never for the larger tank.

Is an extra 70-80 miles per tank worth the extra investment.


About your taillights mort, You can e-bay a dyna tail assembly ( I've seen them) and I mounted turn signals in two of the existing fender holes. Aftermarket the turn signals with mini's and match the front. Clean and simple. I fabbed a tail bracket because the dyna mount sticks out too far for my tastes. My catseye is almost flush with the fender and I just drilled and bent some sheet metal for a bracket. I did have a bandsaw handy although I don't have a welder.Everybody has a hand drill.

I've just picked up some etching primer that does a great job of prepping chrome so now I'm giving my rims a long look. I haven't made up my mind on that one yet but you'll be the first to know.

[Bopi]

By the way I'm going to simply drill the frame and insert ( drill and tap) two studs to the underside of the seat pan. I'll wingnut them under the frame so that i can access the battery by taking off the side panels, undoing the wingnuts and pulling the seat straight off. I tried to work in the exixting hinges but they tended to be too wide to fit anything practical and made the whole seat question too complicated. Hacksaw and grinder. thats simple.

[mortation]

nice stuff, are you gonna work in a FCRB to the underside of the fender.

Fact is any fender with a 6.5 width will work and we already know the dyna's are. The problem I had was with the fender placement sitting too high. It forced me to sit too far forward and it seemed (was) awkward. A hacksaw solved that. This is why I also think the softtail fenders will also work

Now I've got a situation and though maybe you guys could give some imput.

I've put about $100. into my tank with the purchase, the bondo, etc...
The tank is apparently off of a 650 gsl with a fuel capacity of 12 l or 3.2 gallons.


Now I find a chance to purchase a 1100 gls tank with a capacity of 18l or 4.5 gallons. The tank will give the bike a wider stance but its the capacity that really has me thinking. I won't be able to sell the 650 tank as it has been modified to fit a 78 gs so I'll end up with 2 tanks. I would let the opportunity slide but I'm sending my stuff to get painted soon and its now or never for the larger tank.

Is an extra 70-80 miles per tank worth the extra investment.

I guess that depends on if you plan on utilizing those extra miles frequently. Me personally I would leave it as is, you have already put the time and money into it and it looks great.

About your taillights mort, You can e-bay a dyna tail assembly ( I've seen them) and I mounted turn signals in two of the existing fender holes. Aftermarket the turn signals with mini's and match the front. Clean and simple. I fabbed a tail bracket because the dyna mount sticks out too far for my tastes. My catseye is almost flush with the fender and I just drilled and bent some sheet metal for a bracket. I did have a bandsaw handy although I don't have a welder.Everybody has a hand drill.

I've just picked up some etching primer that does a great job of prepping chrome so now I'm giving my rims a long look. I haven't made up my mind on that one yet but you'll be the first to know.

Yea these are all pretty much the conclusions I have been coming too and I wanted them confirmed thanks I am thinking about trying out a kit for the directionals like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/harley-davidson-2004-dyna-super-glide-turn-signal-post_W0QQitemZ330087805820QQihZ014QQcategoryZ10064QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So there is some sort of stem. I was also looking at the dynaglides chrome rear fender supports and thinking about ordering those but I just cant see how I would get them mounted to the frame.

[mortation]

By the way I'm going to simply drill the frame and insert ( drill and tap) two studs to the underside of the seat pan. I'll wingnut them under the frame so that i can access the battery by taking off the side panels, undoing the wingnuts and pulling the seat straight off. I tried to work in the exixting hinges but they tended to be too wide to fit anything practical and made the whole seat question too complicated. Hacksaw and grinder. thats simple.

So you are going to punch and drill from the seat pan down into the frame and then have your seat reupholstered? By hinges I am assuming your seat mounting system is not like my GS but more like my GT with the side mount barrels on the side that you slide a pin through. For my GT550 I was thinking about cutting the existing seat pan down to the minimal length then using a solo seat mounting kit to the pan or bolting the solo seat directly to the pan. I was going to put a Solo seat skirt between the seat and pan to cover the original pan. This ways I still had my lock and key to open the seat and helmet lock.

Dunno if any of that will work for your GS

[Bopi]

My turn signals come with a 5/16 (roughly) stem, its actually metric, that as I said, fits an existing hole in the dyna. I wasn't too worrried about breaking one off and taking the fender with it due to the minimal size of the mini's. The hardware you have pictured seems to mount to the harley side rails and that placement seems a little high as well as problematic due to your round rail and the harley flat rail. If you really want to spend some cash, they have led's with tail and turn signals built into the same catseye unit for a really minimal look for about $100.

[Bopi]

You'd be correct with the seat pan plan. I do have (had) the hinge set-up. This added an additional 1.5 inches to the overall width which diminished from the slimmer tailored look I had in mind. Wingnuts it is.

I may scrap the new tank idea as I really do have alot of work into this one. 3.2 gallons should be enough.

[mortation]

My turn signals come with a 5/16 (roughly) stem, its actually metric, that as I said, fits an existing hole in the dyna. I wasn't too worrried about breaking one off and taking the fender with it due to the minimal size of the mini's. The hardware you have pictured seems to mount to the harley side rails and that placement seems a little high as well as problematic due to your round rail and the harley flat rail. If you really want to spend some cash, they have led's with tail and turn signals built into the same catseye unit for a really minimal look for about $100.

Hmmm whats the link to the size you ordered?

[Bopi]

in stem, I'm referring to the bolt-up screw as opposed to the stalk and the mini's you've pictured seem to have the same set-up. I'll post the link later as I have to do some shopping before the rollers get out of church and take up all the good parking at wal-mart.

[Mike_H]

Wow...whole bunch of activity here today...Gosh, paint a room, and look what you miss. Anyway, Mortation, Your mounting Idea may work, but I don't think it will. I was going to do exactly the same thin you were thinking of, basically duplicate the mounting system off the original seeat. Unfortunately, my Lapera seat does not have the same amount of "frame wrap" that the original does. Basically, it sits right on top of the frame rails, which gives me a gap of about an inch between the seat and frame...this IMHO is unacceptable. I will be trimming the seat mount tabs off, and probably looking at a Buddies Dyna, to duplicate his mounting. I know I still owe you pictures of the tailight mount. I'll see if I can get to it tonight.

[mortation]

Wow...whole bunch of activity here today...Gosh, paint a room, and look what you miss. Anyway, Mortation, Your mounting Idea may work, but I don't think it will. I was going to do exactly the same thin you were thinking of, basically duplicate the mounting system off the original seeat. Unfortunately, my Lapera seat does not have the same amount of "frame wrap" that the original does. Basically, it sits right on top of the frame rails, which gives me a gap of about an inch between the seat and frame...this IMHO is unacceptable. I will be trimming the seat mount tabs off, and probably looking at a Buddies Dyna, to duplicate his mounting. I know I still owe you pictures of the tailight mount. I'll see if I can get to it tonight.

No worries. If you can get pics of the dyna's seat mount thats would be cool too

[Mike_H]

I'll see what I can do.