Had to fight y'all off for a 79sf seat!

[Shuriken]

Not sure who I had to outbid, (sorry) but my new 79sf seat works and looks great. It is so much better than the mislabeled and incorrect seat I had on it before.

My project is slowly coming along...

Ben

[John]

That's a handsome looking seat Ben. I was watcing that seat real closely, but it got too rich for my blood. The seat pan on mine is rusty, and in the accident, my fat ass flattened the pan, and it pressed into the ignition module, and the force transferred to the inner fender and busted that also. The fender I can plastic weld back together with a soldering iron. I may be able to reshape the pan and then fiberglass it so it will have some support, but a friend of a friend has a 79SF that I will be overhauling the brakes abd carbs soon. He has a spare SG seat that he is going to let me have cheap.

[skids]

It is the SG plastic fender liner thing? I may have a spare, if you want me to check it out.
sidskids @ earthlink.net

Originally posted by John
That's a handsome looking seat Ben. I was watcing that seat real closely, but it got too rich for my blood. The seat pan on mine is rusty, and in the accident, my fat ass flattened the pan, and it pressed into the ignition module, and the force transferred to the inner fender and busted that also. The fender I can plastic weld back together with a soldering iron. I may be able to reshape the pan and then fiberglass it so it will have some support, but a friend of a friend has a 79SF that I will be overhauling the brakes abd carbs soon. He has a spare SG seat that he is going to let me have cheap.

[Shuriken]

Well, here's how it works: whenever I see something I want real bad on e-bay, and then fork out a lot of cash to get it, someone comes along in the next day or two and puts up the same item or better and it goes for less!

I figured the right OEM seat in good condition was worth a lot. I've seen the standard seats many times but not the 79sf seats. Anyway, I think the one I had on it (yes it is mislabeled) was for a newer model year special. I will correctly identify it and then let it go to someone who can use it.

Another big expense will be new tires. Also need to do something with the brake system, rear rotor, tank badges, paint, and a lot of polishing. Finally, I need to really get the carbs set up properly. With that, I should have a nice looker and nice runner. The before/after pics are already really cool.

John, there is another 79sf seat on ebay right now, just as good, for less than mine cost.

Ben

[rover]

John, if the SG seat is like an LG seat, it will not quite clear the side covers. I put an LG (80 midnight special) seat on my SF, and had to reshape the bottom edge of the flange on the pan just below the driver part of the seat. I took about an inch off the part of the pan that dips the lowest. Now, is there a difference in the 78 and 79 Std seats? Every time I see a 78 seat on ebay, the rear plastic extension that covers the black box is not on it. There is a 78 seat on ebay now that shows a good look at the under side of the pan, and it looks like the indent for the black box is under the passenger part of the seat. (like a special seat) I need a seat for my F, but the under side of the 78 looks different than what I remember the F pan to be. I have a new double bucket cover on my stock pan, but it is very hard, and adds about two inches in height to the seat, and with my 29 inch inseam and floorboards, really hard to sit at a stop sign.

[John]

Seat issues

Actually, my bike is an 80SG, but when I restored it back in 92, I bought a used 79SF seat from a salvage yard that was over 130 miles away. When I first installed the seat, was before I had put the freshly polished rear hand rail/tail light on, and upon trying to figure out why the light wouldn't fit in behind the seat, I discovered the differences between a 79SF and an 80SG. This seat was so nice that I had decided to keep it on there and replace the tail light with one from a 79 xs650 SF. I have a luggage rack/ adjustable backrest on the bike and the 80 hand rail would have interrfered with the rack, so I was just better off that way. I know there is a gap between the bottom of the seat and the top of the side covers, but with everything being black, it is very hard to notice, and I really don't care.

[DiverRay]

Rover;
The '78E and '79F seats will interchange. This is for the STANDARD only. I have both, and have moved the seat from one to another with no problems.
The SF, SG, etc. use a different seat pan. They do not fit the standard, and a standard will not fit the special.
Ray

[rover]

Yes, D R, I know the difference between a standard and a special seat, I have 2 79's, SF and F. Is the 78 seat made to accept the short plastic extension on the rear of the seat like the 79 F has? Every one I see on ebay only has the round chrome tube rail, and the back of the seat looks like a special seat, unless the bike breakers have been mislabeling them. The pan for the 79 seat is slanted at the rear, and has four mounting places for bolts or studs. There is a 78 seat on ebay now, but the back side looks to be shaped different than the F seat. And the indent for the ignition module (black box) looks to be under the passenger section of the seat. On my F, the mod is located behind the seat, hence the plastic extension to cover it. I really hate the seat I have now on the F. I had my SF since 81, and it has NEVER seen the inside of a mc shop while I owned it. It had 3200 some miles when I got it, now has over 97,000. 2 years ago, first gear started jumping, and about that time I got a super deal on my F, so the SF is waiting for me to get to it. Both are full dress, but the SF seems MUCH faster and smoother than the F. I have all the transmission parts out of the donor, just need to rearrange the garage to get at it.

[GNEPIG]

.. with a little messing around i have put an 80 special seat on my 79 standard.. it was actualy pretty easy, and it feels like it sits a little lower than normal

[prometheus578]

"Ahem...."

John,

That's a handsome looking seat Ben

I'd tend to be careful using phrases like that.

[John]

Re: "Ahem...."

Originally posted by prometheus578
John,

I'd tend to be careful using phrases like that.

It's a good thing his last name isn't Dover

[DiverRay]

Back on topic, yes the seats both take the tail plastic. The four bolts/nuts will take the red off the 78, and then put the blue on for the 79. Don't forget the two side rails on the seat. They also go on with two studs, one front and one rear.
Ray