[King_Panther13]

I don't have pics at the moment, so I'll try to describe this as well as I can.



We cut the lip on the tank back as shown in the quick reference, and have the backs of the ears only very slightly the mounts that are part of the frame. Using allan bolts, we put in rubber bushings that are slightly larger than the mounts, rather than the Deluxe mounts or nylon bushings, but they're soft enough to distend and support the tank in the same position those other things would.



The rear of the lip doesn't go all the way down on top of the surface that has the hole in it, as the tank hits the frame before the lip can hit. The forks won't hit the tank (strange as quick reference shows the forks hitting the tank) and only the left side of the handlebar will hit, but that's probably related to steering stop issues.



It seems like the tank is slightly too tall in the rear, or just a bit too far back....even though it really can't go any farther forward,not due to steering stop issues, but due to the ears going fully onto the mounts. We can get the lip on the seat where it needs to go, but can't make it go far enough forward for the holes on the seat to line up again. We've decided that the only solution is to either cut the seat pan, or relocate the bracket that's under the seat.



I've never heard of this happening with this mod before, and search turned no issues with the seat up, so I'm making a new thread. Any advice is appreciated; I really don't want to cut anything other than the tank, but it looks like I may have to. Tomorrow I'll post pics if I have time to work on this again tomorrow.

 

[ScrapMetal]

I'm doing the same mod. After cutting the lip I had to drill a new hole in the remaining tank lip to fit to the tank bolt location.

Here it is before the hole, not much help, I know.



<Edit> After rereading your post, it sounds as though your tank is not flush just before the seat. I'm thinking you need to cut more off. If you are putting this on your 1980 it "should" fit (although I mocked mine up on an '82 first). I'm also going with an aftermarket seat, so that might be it also.

 

[King_Panther13]

We cut a bit more off of the lip than that, but only because we can't slide the tank up forward any further. We also cut it into the original shape so the mounting rubber would work with it, though we tried using the seat with and without the mounting rubber.

 

[MikeCMP]

I had a similar problem, but I was using a Harley Dyna Wide Glide seat. I un-stapled the seat cover, trimmed the seat pan (The Harley one is plastic so its easier) and stapled it back together.



Not sure what others have done, hopefully someone else will post about it.



Mike

 

[King_Panther13]

I had a similar problem, but I was using a Harley Dyna Wide Glide seat. I un-stapled the seat cover, trimmed the seat pan (The Harley one is plastic so its easier) and stapled it back together.



Not sure what others have done, hopefully someone else will post about it.



Mike

Yeah, I was unable to take pics today (rainy rain is rainy

) but looked closer...somehow the other people who did the mod were able to push the tank further forward, and maybe I could force it if I grinded down the mounting points on the frame (which I really don't want to do) but then there's the whole fork clearance issue as well. I think I may just have to grind a bit of the seat back (hopefully I can find an old one to "butcher" first).

 

[ScrapMetal]

Yeah, I was unable to take pics today (rainy rain is rainy

) but looked closer...somehow the other people who did the mod were able to push the tank further forward, and maybe I could force it if I grinded down the mounting points on the frame (which I really don't want to do) but then there's the whole fork clearance issue as well. I think I may just have to grind a bit of the seat back (hopefully I can find an old one to "butcher" first).

I don't read so well. That is your problem,,,



Take an angle grinder, dremel, or hack saw and shave off the mounting tabs a little.



And yes, you will lose a little handlebar clearance.



That, or mod your tank attachments on the tank itself a little.

 

[King_Panther13]

I don't read so well. That is your problem,,,



Take an angle grinder, dremel, or hack saw and shave off the mounting tabs a little.



And yes, you will lose a little handlebar clearance.



That, or mod your tank attachments on the tank itself a little.

I've seen/heard of a few people doing it without cutting the mounting tabs though. That's what I was trying to achieve. Seems like everyone who did it was running some sort of aftermarket seat though. Sigh. I don't want to cut more, but it looks like I'll have to.

 

[King_Panther13]

Ok, still wasn't able to take pics, but I figured that I'd sooner bend the seat than cut it.



So I did...I bent the lip at the very front upward enough so the seat would just barely fit in with the tank.



Eureka! It finally works!



The right side of my handlebar clears the tank fine, but the left won't, but that's just because my steering stop is off center from when I crashed (or my uncle thinks that it was put on crooked from the factory). I think that someone doing this with good steering stops wouldn't run into any clearance issues, and wouldn't have to cut anything but the tank itself, and would only have to bend the front of the seat up just a bit.



Now all that's left to do is drill the hole in the tab, and paint the tank, and I'm good to go.



Oh, and I need a key for it too >,> apparently the double sided keys won't fit into the Deluxe tank locks. Go figure.

 

[karmapolice]

I did this mod today and had the same problem. I kept my tank back a little to counter the clearance problem, but had the problem of my custom seat not lining up with the two tabs in the rear of the seat.



To fix this, I elongated the holes by taking a file to them. After that, I flipped the seat over and loosened the rear mount a little so that it could flex a little and then shimmed it. To help stabilize it, I raised the seat up in the front by 1 inch putting wood blocks under the two little donut bumpers on the mount closer to the tank. Put the seat back on and wiggled the seat back into place and had a second set of hands move the rear mounting tabs into place, popped in the screws and I was done. The front of the seat will raise up when weight is only on the back part of the seat (couldn't figure out a way to keep the front seat tab under there, so I just let it be), but the rider's weight will keep it down and at least it works now. That tank mod is harder than it looks! I didn't think I'd have to do that much with the seat. Sorry, no pictures. Just be creative and take some risks and you won't have to chop up your seat! Good luck.

 

[King_Panther13]

When I bent the front of the seat up with pliers, I was able to get the tab on the seat pan where it should've gone, and didn't have to mess with the bracket at all, though it is angled a bit more forward than its usual spot.



YMMV I guess. The metal bends really easily on the seat pan, and the seat doesn't look much different at all, save for some small wrinkles in the seat cover now, and when I put my custom tank back on (still going to be running it for a while until I get the Deluxe tank painted) I noticed an annoying little gap between the tank and the seat! Oh well, I won't be running the custom tank for much longer.