Triumphrat

11-16-2004

Mick,

I finally got a sport seat with cowl.

The locking pin on the seat is back about 1” from the lock mechanism on the frame and the pin needs to be rotated around. It looks like I can make a steel plate to move the pin forward without too much trouble.

Am I missing some easier way to install it?

Do the sport seats not have the two side catches, the “L” shaped brackets that come down and hook onto the bike frame cross support?

My bike is a 1995 Thunderbird, not sure what year the seat is for only that it is new and it has the locking pin.

I do not want to modify the bike catch as I want to still be able to use the stock seat.

Thanks,

Matt

00wabbit · 11-16-2004

I dont think it will work for you. You should sell it to me.

:-D :-D :-D

Slinky · 11-17-2004

I have a TBS seat on my Thunderbird.

The locking tab is a different length, as well as being in a different position.

If you look at the TBS seat pan there is a raised area about 1" away from the locking tab. That is where you need to mount the tab for it to work on a standard Tbird. For best results you should use the shorter locking tab from the standard seat.

The hooks are different too, you really need to use the ones from the stock seat. It may be possible to not use any.

MickMaguire · 11-17-2004

Slinky, I did not see any difference on pin lengths on the 98 regular seat and TBS single seat, in fact the hardware looked identical (production changes perhaps).

Matt, I did not need to make a bracket ot the like - I simply removed the latch pawl (the pin) bt drilling out the rivets, then redrilled and bolted it back in the correct location. I made the new holes oversized and used fender washers and spring washers on the back so that I had room for adjustment. When I was happy witht he fit I loctite-ed it all up solid for safety. Having said all that, I was fitting mine to a 2000 frame. There were 2 revisions to the rear subframe between yours and mine, so if the catch were too far forward I could see you having to make a plate. Be sure that you have the seat pushed all the way up to the tank, it can take a bit of effort at first. The first time I located my latch pawl I had it a bit far back even though I could have sworn I got it right. Optimally, it should be a little bit of a tight fit and will then bed in.

You dont need those hooks. They are in fact supposed to be helmet hooks, and you can use them as such with a lot of effort and with a cooperative helmet. They do nothing to locate the seat (hence the TBS solo seat not having them). If you look carefully at a fitted seat you will find that they dont contact the bike at all, but just hang between the frame members.

As an aside, I know that they fitted them (the helmet hooks) to the bolt on seat, they were redundant. They also make a place for the manual and a rivet location for the latch pawl on those too! - I think it is down to lack of communication with the supplier.

[ This message was edited by: MickMaguire on 2004-11-17 06:26 ]

00wabbit · 11-17-2004

Some of the 98 T-birds use Tbird sport parts. Thats why your 98 Tbird is very similar to the Tbird sport seat. For a 95-97 things are in a different place.

I just found this out because I bought a seat for a 95-97 and the hooks and pin didnt line up.

MickMaguire · 11-17-2004

The 98 did not use TBird sport parts as such, but some parts were "harmonized", although I do believe some of the constitiuent pressings used for the subframe were the same. The rear subframe wasnt one of them, but it was redesigned around then.

[ This message was edited by: MickMaguire on 2004-11-17 08:02 ]

cafetbird · 11-17-2004

I have a '96 T-Bird and the TBS cowl seat fits fine. I only had to relocate the locking pin. Don't see what you folks are going on about...

Scot

11-17-2004

Mick and the rest,

Thanks for all the responses, even you 00wabbit, I know I have a ready market for it if it does not work, which I doubt because I’ll duct tape it on if I have to. I have lusted for this seat for years and I figure I better get it now before these parts become impossible to find.

The pin looks to be the same, just turned around. Mick I hope I do have to shove the seat forward more like you say because right now the scratches show on the gas tank where the stock seat covered and that would also make it easier to remount the latch pin as right now it looks like the latch pin needs to go where the seat pan dishes up.

Looks to be an easy enough job to make it work either way.

The hooks on the seat bottom do hook onto the frame cross-member and then there are wire type hooks on the outside frame rails for the helmets. If the stock seat is not put on right the hooks won’t catch. I think they are there to hold the seat down if a passenger is pulling on the seat strap.

Love this place, great resource, got bimmer.roadfly.org for the BMW autos and this for the bike, good tools.

Matt

MickMaguire · 11-17-2004

Quote:

On 2004-11-17 09:26, Matt95TBird wrote:

The hooks on the seat bottom do hook onto the frame cross-member and then there are wire type hooks on the outside frame rails for the helmets. If the stock seat is not put on right the hooks won’t catch. I think they are there to hold the seat down if a passenger is pulling on the seat strap.

Hmm, that certainly wasnt the case on the later ones, they just kind of dangle there. Good point about the pillion strap, I had never thought of that!

If you get really stuck Matt I could sell you a post 2000 rear subframe, but that would come with headaches of its own. :wink:

[ This message was edited by: MickMaguire on 2004-11-17 11:41 ]

Slinky · 11-17-2004

Quote:

On 2004-11-17 06:22, MickMaguire wrote:
Slinky, I did not see any difference on pin lengths on the 98 regular seat and TBS single seat, in fact the hardware looked identical (production changes perhaps).

Mick, let me just clarify what I mean. This is just my experience, and may or may not be relevant to Matt's fitment.

The TBS seat pan which I have, has two mounting positions. The forward one is raised about 3mm. The mounting pin on the TBS would not engage properly when rotated and fitted in the forward position.

The stock T-bird pin was about 3mm shorter, and that worked perfectly. I assumed that the shorter pin was to compensate for the raised boss it sits on. I used the standard Tbird hooks as well. Fortunately I had an old seat to take the fittings off of.