CB 550 K3 original seat

[Gromitdog]

Hi Everyone
I have been dead lucky and with the help of Kens great knowledge🤗🤗🤗, I found a seat on eBay a original metal one which is in fair condition just needs recovering and should keep my old butt comfortable 😂 when out and about .
I have had a trial fit this morning with the tank and its quite tight to the tank on the R/H side of the bike I have adjusted the seat hing back to about 3/4 of its movement and that gives the L/H side a slight gap 🤗, unfortunately by doing this to the R/H side is about half a hole out where the seat latch is . It will latch but in doing so it pulls the seat fwd on the R/H side

The question I am asking are the 2 bolts that come though the seat which holds the seat latch on are they welded to a plate or are they welded individually to the seat pan? As the plan is to take the 2 bolts out and file a slight elongated hole so that I can move the seat latch fwd to give me the clearance that I need to get the seat to fit how I want it to.

Unfortunately Mutely the Honda has had 20 odd owners before I got him and everyone and their dog has fitted any 550 Honda parts including odd nuts and bolts which are getting replaced as where currently doing a frame and engine overhaul so open cast bank account mining is in progress  😎

Sorry I can't post any pictures of my progress but can't seem to be able to upload any if you want me to email them I can

Thank you any help and advice

Nige

[Oddjob]

It should fit straight on without modding Nige. It's an original seat. Have you made sure the tank is fully fitted on it's mounting rubbers? I always use a little silicon grease on them to help the tank slide home.

As for the questions, the studs are individually welded onto the base. The seat latch hole should be your focal point for where it should fit. You've got a small amount of movement on the hinge plate.

I found it easier to fit the seat pan to the frame before having the frame done and the pan as well. They don't fit very well TBH, when you see them bare you realise how much isn't really doing it's job, the back rubber for instance doesn't touch the frame, it needs another 3mm of rubber stuck on it, that's why the seat breaks in the middle, the weight of a passenger forces the back of the seat down and the rider forces the front down, somethings got to give and it's always the seat pan. The front rubbers don't always fit around the frame tubes either. Took me a fair while to get the seat to fit on mine and that also involved modding the seat lock a little, it would lock but not release. Fitting the seat before having the frame coated also shows what's been twisted over the years, the hinge pin brackets on the frame as a prime example, the back one always seems to be pushed down, maybe that's because of the distortion going on when you take a pillion on board.

If you're having the seat recovered then remove the seat cover and foam and fit the pan bare, get the pan coated, the rust from the top down, so it may look pristine from the bottom but it won't when you remove the foam. The recoverer will thank you for a rust free seat pan. Get the seat to lock and release easily, even if that means the seat hinge isn't fitted, then see what you need to do to the hinge to get it to align. Easy when it's bare metal, not so much when it's covered.

Check the threads in the captive nuts fitted to the pan for the seat hinge, cut off and replace if they look dodgy. I used flanged stainless nuts on mine. Check for cracks in the pan near the seat lock and hinge plate, down the side is where they go.

[Gromitdog]

Hi Ken
Thank you for the update on what I need to insp / look at  The plan was to have the seat recovered as the foam feels firm until my fat ass gets on it 😂. I was hoping not to have to remove the foam but your right strip the foam off carefully and clean and get the seat pan resprayed / coated then you know where your starting from .  As you say if I fit the seat pan on its own it will show what's might be wrong ie  hing could be twisted and seat could have been stress tested to it limits with a pie eating pillion on the back and a heavy rider up front,  I need to check to see if there is any slack / movement from the latch lock as the 2  cks screws seem oversized for where they go,

I will double check tank position as I did not lube the tank fwd mounts before I put the tank on as I didn't want grease everywhere ( good call I normally grease them )

Will get some photos done so you see

Cheers Nige