R75 solo seat

[Jim Day]

My standard R75/6 bench seat had several large cuts in it thanks to the previous owner. So I'm planning to replace the cover but I wanted to pull it and check out the foam before going further. Once I pulled the cover off, I looked it over and decided there was enough there to build a temporary solo seat. I've been thinking about trying to build one anyway so I figured why not.

Started off with some sheet stainless.




Added some foam from an old Mercedes passenger seat, stretched the cover over the form and foam, heated it up with a heat gun, put some screws in to hold it, and I've now got a solo seat.





I was considering making some kind of rack but I'm probably going to combine it with this Corbin Pillion I've got sitting around.



You know how it is....... A good rack is nice, but there's times late in the evening when you just feel like giving someone a ride.

At any rate this should work out for the time being.

Jim

[chasbmw]

You will need to build a subframe for that pillion cushion, why not build a rack that you can fit the pillion pad to?

[Jim Day]

Originally Posted by chasbmw

You will need to build a subframe for that pillion cushion, why not build a rack that you can fit the pillion pad to?

Good idea. That's one thing I was considering.

I could go with a rack and make the pillion detachable.

I was also considering running two curved 1/8 x 1/2 hard steel strips underneath the fender between the front and back bolts to make kind of an invisible under frame for it.

Then again I could just put a sticker on the pillion that says max capacity 120 pounds. Works for me

[Jim Day]

Originally Posted by chasbmw

You will need to build a subframe for that pillion cushion, why not build a rack that you can fit the pillion pad to?

Thanks again for your input. You got me thinking and I finally just broke down and started a rear rack tonight. Here's some pics of it just tacked together. I'll pull it off, weld it out, sand it clean and and paint it tomorrow.


I'm pretty happy with that, even with little spot welds it's already strong enough to sit on, I think it's going to work fine.

Building the rack caused me to re-evalute the size of the seat and I've lengthened it a bit, but I just see this as a prototype, and will probably now make a much nicer solo seat to fit that rack.

I'm sold and I'm definitely going to a solo seat with this bike.

[chasbmw]

That rack will take some pounding especially with a passanger. I would take the rear supports from the back of the rack and preferably I would weld them onto the subframe, those tabs on the subframe were only designed to carry the weight of the mudguard. iMHo etc etc