My Seat and how to cover it ???

[SusanC]

Yes, she is a kicker, and boy does she kick, I think we may have gotten it down to a couple of kicks and she will start but when we first got her it was more like 100 kicks before she would even cough. I'm planning on adding an electric start as I just don't have enough of what it takes to kick it anymore.

Did some carb work and some new points, but the carb still isn't right, going to change the old zenith out for a Mikuni and see if that helps, the zenith won't stop dripping fuel and it coughs out gas every time you kick it until it starts, the guy told me he didn't think the zenith was right, that's why he gave me the Mikuni, but I had to try to rebuild it anyway, it was good for about 2 days and then it went south.

The reflectors are already on their way out, there is only one left on one side and I still have to get them off the other side. The front forks are off a 78 so that it could have dual disk brakes.

I do have to find a case for the side where the clutch cable goes in, someone stripped it and the clutch cable won't stay adjusted it just sort of flops around, I might be able to put a helicore in there but that is on the list. I am also going to have to replace the front fork seals as they are leaking.

The shocks are worn out so I have talked to a friend and he has a new set, hopefully they will fit, his price is pretty good.

The mikuni carb has the round air cleaner and I do have that and it's painted to match the bike, I also have a chrome one that may fit as well, I just hadn't put it on yet as I didn't want to fill it up with gas, I'm sure the foam filter on the chrome one won't take much gas to mess it up, I don't know about the other one as it is like a K&N type filter.

Does the bike look like it sits up too high off the back tire?, it looks like too much air space to me but if someone heavy sits on the bike the fender rubs the tire.

I have not been on the site you are speaking of, may have to go check them out. Thanks!

[rdb]

I've been looking at this picture all night, and couldn't figure something out..."why would the weight of one person drive that high fender down to touch the tire?".

I keep seeing the axis of that shock off by a few inches at the bottom, tells me the shock is not in the ideal top location....almost like the top should be moved to the rear a few inches.

I like the idea of the shorter shocks anyways, I'm hoping one of our people who is more mechanic than I am will support my theory, or tell me I'm full of it...Either way I get to sleep...lol

[SusanC]

I don't know the answer to that, it doesn't do it when me or my hubby sit on the bike, but both of of weigh under 150, if someone heavier sits on the bike the fender rubs the tire (at the front side of the fender) bad enough to where it is chewing the rubber off the tire. I'd hate to put a new set of tires on and have this happen, so any help would be appreciated. I don't like the look of the bike sitting way up in the air off the back tire anyway, makes it look like a dirt bike to me.

[MatthewD]

I swear that shock in the picture looks like it is broken on the bottom half of it....

[SusanC]

You know, it does look kinda weird, I'm going to go out and take a look at it. I don't remember seeing that before.

[barra]

I would do what Roger said and use the old cover as a template. Before you take it apart, get a chinagraph pencil in a contrasting colour like white or yellow. Make marks on the seat that intersect the seat through the stitch line and into the gusset. Make as many marks as you like but all you really need are a few at strategic points on the seat. These marks are called location/progression marks (other similar names may be used).

Now you can safely cut the seat aparts and use the old seat as a template. Transfer the chinagraph pencil marks onto your new material. When you reassemble the seat, line up the corresponding marks from the seat and gusset.

When all done the chinagraph marks wash off.

P.S. I should add that if you only make tiny marks that are just big enough for you to see. They should protrude onto the new material less than the distance of your seam allowance. Then there is no need to wash marks off. If using vinyl, who cares you can play noughts and crosses on the seat. The marks easily wash off.

Barra

Edited October 16, 2008 by barra

[rdb]

I like your idea barra. Those marks will be critical to lining the whole thing up.

If you don't want to take the old leather apart, The old "Duck Tape" wrap can sometimes work too. wrap the seat tight in saran wrap. Then start duck taping the seat. Start from the bottom inside with clean cuts, that way the bottom where you staple/rivet will be even when you flatten everything out. Do several layers, and it will be strong. Along with marking as barra suggests, you should have a good pattern.

[Luke Hatley]

SusanC......put a larger tire on the rear then do away with the shocks........make a Hard tail.

but what do i know........

Edited October 16, 2008 by Luke Hatley

[howardb]

Susan - just an engineer's observation here. I don't know nuttin' about no harleys (or much about mc's at all)...

it looks like the rear trailing arm is too short. The rear wheel looks like it's too far forward, and yep, the shock looks broken or bent to me. Could the bike have been mangled in a past life and the rear trailing assembly shortened during the repair process?

Like I said, not a bike dude, just an engineer looking at the picture and hearing the comments and formulating a possible cause.

It is a pretty thing though and I'm sure it will be better when you are done!

good luck,

Brent

It is an ironhead, and a project indeed. I have been so busy trying to clean it up from neglect and work on all the little things

that have probably needed fixing for a while that I haven't gotten to make one thing for the bike, but it's in the works.

I think I am just going to forget about covering this seat and go on to plan B (which I haven't figured out yet)but I'm sure there

is a Plan B out there somewhere.

I've only got one "before" picture, so take it easy on the old girl, she is a work in progress.

[BradB]

You are right Brent, something does look a miss compared to this 1974 Sporster XLCH, the rear shock appears to be at a slightly different angle:

Susan - just an engineer's observation here. I don't know nuttin' about no harleys (or much about mc's at all)...

it looks like the rear trailing arm is too short. The rear wheel looks like it's too far forward, and yep, the shock looks broken or bent to me. Could the bike have been mangled in a past life and the rear trailing assembly shortened during the repair process?

Like I said, not a bike dude, just an engineer looking at the picture and hearing the comments and formulating a possible cause.

It is a pretty thing though and I'm sure it will be better when you are done!

good luck,

Brent