Laid back on a Loop

[Canuck750]

On a touring bike, or any bike I plan on racking up long hours in the saddle, a back rest keeps me comfortable and makes long days riding so much easier.

My 72 Eldorado has been fitted with a single seat and I had a spare rack kicking around that hung off the back of a dual seat.

Some cutting of the old rack, new brackets and the rack now sits behind the solo seat.
I then cut 3/16" steel plate for a flat surface across the rack top and welded some nuts to the underside for a removable back rest support.

 

I had a piece of 1/4" thick aluminum bonded to soft foam and a vinyl cover sewn up at a local upholstery shop. Captive nuts are rivited into the aluminum plate to take M6 x 1 stainless cap screws.



The back rest support is also 3/16" steel and bolts through slotted holes to the steelplate. I can adjust the lcoation of the back rest by 1" for and aft.



I shimmed the padded rest lower bolts to get the angle I wanted beyond the bent steel vertical plate. I powder coated the parts in my shop oven.

My old Givi tail bag clips to the rack, ready to head to Alaska and Yukon at the end of July, my buddy is joining me on his 75 Goldwing GL1000. Two old guys on old bikes!



The depth of the foam and the slight spring in the steel plate makes for a nice cushy feel across my back, a Lazy Boy for the road.

[Cam3512]

BRILLIANT!

[Dave Swanson]

That is fabulous

[Scout63]

Gorgeous work!  Careful you don’t just nod off while riding. It looks that comfortable.

[Cdn850T5NT]

On a touring bike, or any bike I plan on racking up long hours in the saddle, a back rest keeps me comfortable and makes long days riding so much easier.

My 72 Eldorado has been fitted with a single seat and I had a spare rack kicking around that hung off the back of a dual seat.

Some cutting of the old rack, new brackets and the rack now sits behind the solo seat.
I then cut 3/16" steel plate for a flat surface across the rack top and welded some nuts to the underside for a removable back rest support.

 

I had a piece of 1/4" thick aluminum bonded to soft foam and a vinyl cover sewn up at a local upholstery shop. Captive nuts are rivited into the aluminum plate to take M6 x 1 stainless cap screws.



The back rest support is also 3/16" steel and bolts through slotted holes to the steelplate. I can adjust the lcoation of the back rest by 1" for and aft.



I shimmed the padded rest lower bolts to get the angle I wanted beyond the bent steel vertical plate. I powder coated the parts in my shop oven.

My old Givi tail bag clips to the rack, ready to head to Alaska and Yukon at the end of July, my buddy is joining me on his 75 Goldwing GL1000. Two old guys on old bikes!



The depth of the foam and the slight spring in the steel plate makes for a nice cushy feel across my back, a Lazy Boy for the road.

Very nice work! Can you provide some info on the captive nuts on the aluminum plate/backrest? Some kind of RivNut? Also, did you flame-cut then file smooth the edges - the 3/16" plate?

[nick949]

Nice job Jim (well duh - there's a surprise).

Have a great trip. Looking forward to some pictures (hint, hint).

Nick

[adaven]

Great work!
Now, I guess, you're all set. Wherever you go, you'll be rested when you get there.

[Canuck750]

Very nice work! Can you provide some info on the captive nuts on the aluminum plate/backrest? Some kind of RivNut? Also, did you flame-cut then file smooth the edges - the 3/16" plate?

Princess Auto captive nut rivet tool



I buy serrated nuts as well on Ebay in larger sizes that I think grip better in steel

I had the 3/16" steel plate sheered to size at Metal Supermarket then traced a 1/4 circle using a spray bomb lid as a shape, hand held grinder to cut away the round ends and ran the grinder with a 100 disc across the edges to get rid of sharp edges, I welded four nuts to the underside of the flat plate on the carrier to attach the backrest plate to and slotted the backrest plates 1" long for for and aft adjustment of the backrest.

[Canuck750]

Nice job Jim (well duh - there's a surprise).

Have a great trip. Looking forward to some pictures (hint, hint).

Nick

Thanks Nick!  Leaving around  July 24th, to Rupert and Ferry up to Haines then ride to Farirbanks along the coast, then Top of The World to Dawson City and Stewart Cassiar south from Watson Lake to hwy 16. My buddy is getting a 75 GoldWing back on the road after it has been sitting for over ten years,  I cleaned the carbs for him but think I will jut get the bike tomorrow and bring it to my shop for a once over.
I checked the valves on my Eldorado today, fired right up, warmed it up and checked timing. I had flat sanded the intake manifold to head mating surfaces, added a wee bit of gasket cement between the pair of fiber gaskets and the manifold face and a ran a finger smooth smear of gasket cement around the mating surface of the carb body to intake manifold, no more air leaks and the bike idles as it should, Its a beautiful thing top hear a big old Lop idling smoothly!

I will be posting some pictures. We are going to take the bikes on a shake down ride to the mountains in a couple weeks and ride the Banff Jasper parkway highway. May even head over to Nakusp B.C. and visit Wolfgang Haerter. Those southern B.C. roads were made for a Loop.

[moto-uno]

 Don't hesitate to change those cam drive belts  .
 Definitely ride as much of Hwy 3 (Crows Nest ) as you can !  Peter

[Canuck750]

I am trying to get my buddy to pony up for a pair of GoldWing cam belts!!