eBay is full of custom motorcycle parts. Some are out there in your face, while others are hidden in obscurity at the bottom of a milk crate full of junk...just like at the swap meet. One section of parts that receive a lot of attention is the selection of custom seats; specifically Bates solo seats. Bates seats have been bringing sky-high prices for a few years now and there is no end in sight. A Bates seat adds ambiance to the period-built bike.
Now, not every Bates seat you find is going to be N.O.S. (new old stock). Some seats have been used and even abused, but if the sticker is on the bottom of the seat pan then you can be pretty sure it's a Bates, so it's worth fixing if damaged. The two most common problems with Bates seats are torn or ripped seat covers, which can be fixed by a competent person and a good sewing machine most times. The second most common problem is a broken mounting bolt. There are two 5/16-inch carriage bolts that slide in the mounting channel that is welded to the bottom of the seat pan, these two sliding carriage bolts are for mounting a pivot joint. The other half of the pivot is welded or bolted on the frame of the bike. We've seen a lot of the carriage bolts that are rusted or broken when the seat's owner wanted to change mounts. So was the case with this particular Bates seat belonging to our friend, Steve Uhl. One of the mounting bolts had twisted off when Steve wanted to change mounts, this situation could easily have ruined the seat and its value. However, there is a way to fix the problem. Steve removed the seat cover screws and the foam padding, and then carefully cut an opening in the seat pan, removed the broken bolt, and slid a new bolt in its place. The flap in the seat pan was folded back in place and welded shut, all without hurting the original Bates sticker on the bottom of the seat pan. The whole operation took a couple of hours, and with the seat mounted back on Steve's Panhead you would never know it required any fixing at all.
Parts:
5/16x2-inch carriage boltLocal hardware store
MSRP $.15