Seat latch XS650B

[chrispyduck]

I can't get my seat to pull down into position when closed. Sitting on it is fine, it's just when stationary and off the bike the seat looks to tilt as if the latch needs to pull it down further.
The photo shows the latch fully engaged and locked into position. Is there anyway of getting the latch to engage so it pulls the seat down further.
Hopefully I've made it clear what I'm trying to achieve.
Thanks
Chris

 

[arcticXS]

Put some washers/ shims under the part bolted to the seat pan?

 

[chrispyduck]

Apologies perhaps i didn’t explain the issue properly but washers under the part bolted to the seat pan would have the opposite effect. It’s almost as if the latch needs to be shorter in length.

 

[Bob Wegman]

How about putting a spacer under the mounting bracket and the lock assembly below the spacer.

 

[Raymond]

The one on mine was a faff. and a fiddle. IIRC the problem was like yours the latch didn't go deep enough - looking at where it went, and again this is a distant memory, it was landing on a ledge so not going to the bottom of the well as it were? I fiddled with the latch, bent it inwards towards the bike so it missed the ledge and went home properly. I've also had to fiddle with how forward/backward the latch has to be, and I replaced some little spring in the mechanism inside the lock. All good fun but only in retrospect.

 

[Wagner73]

^^^^ - @Raymond may be correct, that your latch needs to be massaged to let it connect deeper into the mechanism.

However, you have said "The photo shows the latch fully engaged", which maybe indicates it is where it needs to be. To add to that I have attached a photo that shows my latch completely engaged...looks pretty much like yours. Finally, just showing the length of the latch "post" for your comparison (although mine is a '78, so not sure if it's the same?).

 

[virgis9]

See if the striker pin on the frame can be raised slightly (or shimmed upward). That effectively makes the latch travel further before it clicks, pulling the seat down tighter.
Check if the latch mechanism is fully rotating to its final locked position-sometimes old grease, wear, or a weak spring stops it just short.
Compare the latch hook for wear or bending. If it’s worn, it can lock without pulling down properly.
Also double-check the rubber stops-if they’re too tall, they’ll fight against that final bit of pull-down.

 

[chrispyduck]

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to try all suggestions.

 

[Wagner73]

As mentioned, at least based on the photo you posted in this thread, I think you are good...two photos below are first, your latch, and second, mine...looks the same. And mine is fully engaged and down on a stock seat pan and stock rubber "bumpers".

The only other thing I can think of - if you still believe you have a problem - is something that was mentioned somewhere else (can't find the comment) and that is if someone in the past swapped out the latch piece that attaches to the seat for one from a Special, that one may be longer. I posted the pic of the length of mine further above for comparison - Post #6.

 

[Shelby]

I can't get my seat to pull down into position when closed. Sitting on it is fine, it's just when stationary and off the bike the seat looks to tilt as if the latch needs to pull it down further.
The photo shows the latch fully engaged and locked into position. Is there anyway of getting the latch to engage so it pulls the seat down further.
Hopefully I've made it clear what I'm trying to achieve.
Thanks
Chris

Chris, can you remove the seat fully? (My '80 was hinged, and if yours only latches on one side this won't be your answer). If it comes off completely please post some picks of the underside, both the bike and the full length of the seat, and all the latches (Left, Right, Front, and Rear).

We used to rebuild these seats in full leather, and I've gotten one stuck more than once when it was out of alignment. Usually when they won't latch correctly one of the front pegs, which looks kinda like a fork tine, is bent or not seating correctly, there's a torque to the seat -- it's twisted -- or I've managed to get something in the rear out of place and it's not setting flat there.

In any case, assuming you already tried all the other fixes and it's still not latching properly, either the seat's bent, or something's forcing it out of alignment. One way to check for twist is to set the seat on something flat and debris free, like your workbench or the kitchen counter, and see if both sides hit the flat surface evenly with the center still level. Use an actual level. A twisted seat and a latch that's out of alignment look pretty much the same from the angle of your pic.

For a small gap, adjust the travel of the latch. More than that you're going to need to twist the seat frame back the right way, so mark the high side. Yes, they flex. They're supposed to, they're just supposed to go back to true after. My DH (darling husband) used to be able to sit on the back edge of the seat and twist the whole seat for me till he got the torque out of them. (He likely still could, but payback's a bitch these days). To be fair, though, after the first one, I checked that the frame was true before I built the new seat cover. It's way harder to see once the seat's covered because you're looking at the edges of the upholstery rather than the seat frame.

Not that hard to twist a seat out of alignment, really. Get frustrated and slam it down on a saddle bag strap that's in the wrong place and you can pull things out of alignment you'd swear would never move. When I first got Rusty, my 83, I managed to bend the front prongs by pulling the wrong way because I didn't realize she needed to slide back, not open up like a lunch box lid.