Rapide seat - tight fit

danno

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Hi
Just a quick enquiry regarding the rear tank retaining bolts (FT172/1) on my series C Rapide.
The heads are allen type and due to their height they dig into the front of the seat making
it difficult to line up the front seat lug holes.A fair amount of forward pressure is required in order to get the seat
bolt through the frame mounting.
The spare parts list show them as normal bolt heads which may give more clearance.
I may not be tightening the bolts down enough to get them lower but they're only gripping rubber plus I don't think there's a lot more clearance at the other end of the bolt.

May consider grinding a bit off the bolt but thought I'd check here first.
Any help appreciated.
Dan
 

Big Sid

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The seat squab is a bit rich or pulled down really tight by the cover . The original bolts were common hex heads . Sid .
 

A_HRD

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QUOTE:I may not be tightening the bolts down enough to get them lower but they're only gripping rubber plus I don't think there's a lot more clearance at the other end of the bolt.
END QUOTE.


If the bolts (technically a 'setscrew' if the thread runs all the way to the head) are no more than one inch long under the heads they won't foul on anything beneath... But do put large diameter penny washers on the bolts before fitting and tightening down gently... If you have an over-rich seat squab and/or plywood at the front - along with the short front tabs on the A-frame - you might need to change to the std hex-heads (with drillings for lockwire).

Peter B
Bristol, UK.
 

A_HRD

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VOC Member
QUOTE:I may not be tightening the bolts down enough to get them lower but they're only gripping rubber plus I don't think there's a lot more clearance at the other end of the bolt.
END QUOTE.


If the bolts (technically a 'setscrew' if the thread runs all the way to the head) are no more than one inch long under the heads they won't foul on anything beneath... But do put large diameter penny washers on the bolts before fitting and tightening down gently... If you have an over-rich seat squab and/or plywood at the front - along with the short front tabs on the A-frame - you might need to change to the std hex-heads (with drillings for lockwire).

Peter B
Bristol, UK.

Ooops - sorry about doubling-up don't know what happened there....!
 

Bill Thomas

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Hello Dan,Is the seat a Vin' one ? I bought a cheap after market one for the Comet !! I have had No money for 6 years !! Any way it was far too close to the tank, So I made up 2 small brackets for the front fitting, Which took it up and back, Super now, Cheers Bill.
 

danno

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Thanks for the replies.
The seat is a pattern one, probably with a plywood base. It was was fitted when the bike was renovated in the 90's.
Still got the original metal base type which has got a few miles on it!

The bolts have marked the new seat so will need to modify or change them.
 

Big Sid

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This marking at the seats front against the rear tank bolts is very common , nearly all do it . A simple fix is to cut a nice looking black leather oval patch and flexibly glue it across the seat s front so that it thickens that contact area and accepts the wear .
THEN GO RIDE THE BEECH ! It's not an object of art , but instead a machine . Care for and love it , but it's meant to RIDE .
The old saying in my day , and quite true . " if it won't run , chrome it .". Another . " The really beautiful bikes are the slow ones " . You could always tell those treated as Art from the quick ones . Never fails . Sid .
 

Big Sid

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Bs and CS indeed had cheap plywood bases . raw , no varnish . My first one broke right across . Built one in good marine ply , varnished it lasted til Hell froze over . Sid .
 
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