The Chopper Builders Handbook – Chopper Saddles
Figure 23
Each individual will eventually decide on type of seat that best suits their own unique riding habits, requirements and frame design but I strongly suggest you look into several different options before going down any particular path.
Part II
Seat Mounts
There are literally dozens of ways to mount a saddle to a frame and we simply can’t go into each and every method in this small article but we’ll cover the basics.
Many custom builders don’t even use hardware mounts at all preferring instead to just use some Velcro strips at strategic locations. I’ve done this myself and it works very well but there is the remote possibility that the saddle could shift out from under you in a hard corner on a rough road.
I got a kick out of the Discovery channel episode where Billy Lane’s seat was blown off the bike when he hit a bump and when airborne for a moment.
Another method used by several custom fabricators is the installation of ‘spring clips’, sometimes called ‘tool grips’ that are welded or riveted to the pan and just clamp down on the frame rails. You can install adhesive backed felt inside the spring jaws so your paint job doesn’t get messed up. I’ve also used this system but again there is a remote possibility of the saddle shifting sideways.
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The Chopper Builders Handbook – Chopper Saddles
Figure 24
The shot below gives you an idea of how the clips would be installed on a pan. I just sat these in place, they’re not riveted and I couldn’t get the front one to stay put but you get the idea.
Figure 25
The picture below shows the positions where the clips grab the frame rails. There are many possibilities using this system. It’s very light, easy to facilitate, low cost, low tech and works as well or better than many other mounting systems. It kind of has that charming ‘garage-industrial’ aura about it that unknowing folks might laugh about until they tried it.
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The Chopper Builders Handbook – Chopper Saddles
Figure 26
You can lessen the force of the spring action by forcing the clip down over a section of tubing that’s slightly larger in diameter than your frame so it gets stretched out a little.
You can add some small angle iron legs to the underside of a pan to prevent the saddle from shifting sideways if you use the clip-on mounts or Velcro system. The ones shown below are far too large for the application but they’re all I had handy for an illustration.
Figure 27
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The Chopper Builders Handbook – Chopper Saddles
In practice the little angles are installed so they snug up to the inside of the wishbone rails so they prevent any lateral movement of the pan. Again some adhesive backed felt on the legs will protect the frame finish.
A more traditional attachment method involves welding threaded studs or button head cap screws to the pan. These shanks fit into drilled mounting tabs welded to the frame and the saddle is secured with wing nuts or knurled knobs so it’s easily removed.
Figure 28
This is a shot of the underside of our pan and you can see the front fasteners protruding from the bottom.
Figure 29
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The Chopper Builders Handbook – Chopper Saddles
This shot shows the upper side. I’ll tack these button head cap screws to the pan so they basically become threaded studs. After they’re welded I’ll grind the heads down a little and lay down some body filler to act a fairing so you can’t feel the heads through the foam padding.
Some saddle makers prefer what’s normally called a ‘tang’ mount at the front of the pan. This tang fits into a corresponding loop on the frame backbone as shown below.
Figure 30
With a tang mount on the front of the saddle the rear is normally held down with a threaded stud or studs into tabs on the frame or rear fender. Spring clips could be used as well.
The classic or traditional mount usually involves having a hinge at the front of the pan so the saddle can be swung upward to give access to the battery and oil bag. If a front hinge is used the rear is normally supported and anchored with locating pins, springs, threaded studs or spring clips.
If you choose to use a front hinge this is one area where you can express a considerable amount of design ingenuity and creativity so don’t just slap on some pre-made hinge if you can build something eye catching.
It’s worth looking into several parts catalogs to find out what kind of seat mount hardware exists that might suit your particular application but most often you’ll end up having to make your own if it’s a custom bike you’re building.
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