Solo Seat

[wilcom]

I found these two images on Ebay... apples and oranges?

[marcmax]

And THAT dear friends is why this is such a wonderful resource for our beloved rubber cows. Joe it now makes perfect sense how a solo seat mounts and still pivots up using one stock seat mount and one specialized one. You would never figure that out from the parts fiches.

[BPT]

You're absolutely right, Marcmax. I couldn't figure out how that funky ($30!!!) hinge fit into the picture. Now it makes a little more sense.

[BPT]

And here's another one: how about #5, that they call Flap?  Does that serve some specific purpose? Looks like storage of some sort, maybe paperwork?

[BPT]

One pic I found online:

[Barry]

I'ts the holder for the riders manual.

[BPT]

A ha, thanks Barry. I thought it must have some specific purpose.

So, one more question then: the fiche also shows a different tool  tray. Do you think that means the old one can't be used?  I am having trouble visualizing why it would be so much different since it looks like the only big difference is that new hinge. Otherwise I was thinking this was just a shorter version of the original.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I will be able to add what I know when I get home from work.
I can logon at work, but I can't access my photos.

I know my subframe was modified with tabs for the seat rubbers to sit on.
Also, I owned one of those freaky hinge pins, but I don't think I was ever able to incorporate it.

More later.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

OK, I remember now.  I DID use the weird hinge for my solo seat.  (Pictures at home).
Unlike the eBay pictures of the /7 solo seat, the R65 hinge only fastens with 2 screws to the seat pan.
The threaded portion of the hinge replaces the top nut and bolt for the right-hand subframe/mainframe connection.
It mounts from the outside-in.

And there is an equally queer nut.  It is tapered to go where the tapered Allen bolt used to be (1st generation*) on the inside of the frame joint.
Tightening this special nut is a bit of a challenge, especially as it is a high-torque, critical (frame) fastener.
I used a screwdriver and hammer for mine.  I'm sure there is a really nice specialty tool out there, somewhere.

*this was a major change on the switch from 1st to 2nd gen.  This is one reason why the tool boxes from one will not work with the other.  (they are also shaped differently)
Also, because of this, the two generations have different subframes.  The early one has the tapered hole on the upper-right mount, the later ones have a standard hole, and used a standard nut and bolt, which sticks out into the toolbox area, while the early ones were flush.

[DeeG]

Not the best shots, but it gives you an idea.  I can take more tomorrow if there is something specific you need or if you just want more.

[BPT]

I'd be interested in seeing more except I've noticed that both of you have 70's versions. Mine is an '83 and it's sounding like there is a difference?

After the last bit of exchanges in this thread, I contacted someone on ebay who was selling solo seats.  Turned out it was a guy from Boxerworks. They sell some German made (not BMW) solo seats. He didn't have an R65 in their shop to look at but said, as far as he knew, it fit and worked the same as far as latches and locks go. And he couldn't tell me why the toolbox would be different, he thought it didn't look like that would need to be changed.

[Barry]

The early model tool box is different for sure and even the subframe has a different part no.

[BPT]

The fiche shows a utility seat but doesn't specify years. There are two different bench seats and it's the up to '80 version that also has that same toolbox. 
So does the seat really fit both older and newer models?