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fastback longrange tank mounting

Submitted by richard_woolnough on Sat, 07/10/2017
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Commando

O.K I have the 'tins' back from paint, I have just dry mounted the tailpiece, the seat doesn't fit it well so will have to sort it out, the tank I have not tried yet but I do not know quite what I need to mount it on the frame, cotton reel supports at the front I think but is there not a large rubber piece that sits under it and on the frame? any advice will be gratefully received. kind regards

Submitted by richard_woolnough on Mon, 09/10/2017

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thans John, I have just noticed the tank still has it's cotton reels but I have mailed Andover for the bits required, however the damn seat won't fit, the seat came from Ken with the tank but it will not sit in the curvature of the tail fairing, looking at it it appears to be to shallow at the curve, I have taken the cover off and will try to add a little to the bend, the old fastback seat sits in O.K. I don't want to butcher it if I can help it. on another note I assume the tail fairing sits under the mounting stud and against the suspension bracket

kind regards

Submitted by richard_woolnough on Mon, 09/10/2017

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more simple queries from me again, firstly are there small perhaps rubber feet which fit in the bottom of the spacing squares under the seat then sit on the frame members? and I'm afraid I am gonna have to butcher the original seat by cuting off the forward ears because as mentioned the replacement just will not sit correctly the retaining 'ears' are at least 1" forward of the retaining studs if it does, .any suggestions or advice will be welcome, phew I though a 'modern' bike would be easy! kind regards

Submitted by john_holmes on Tue, 10/10/2017

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I sent a different way, I took an Interstate seat and ground the welds off the mounting ears to release them and the bolted them some 2 inch back to move the seat forward. No Fastback rear fairing to worry about but not a Fastback look either. The seat has 8 rubber pads to protect the frame/mudguard and spread the load.

Submitted by philip_hannam1 on Sat, 22/02/2025

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Richard.......
Make certain that the tank fuel filler cap washer is in perfect condition.
Otherwise each time you brake hard, fuel will slosh forward and leak past the cap and spoil every piece of tinware paint on your Norton.  It is not only the tank that needs proofing against Ethanol.

Submitted by alex_arthur on Tue, 10/10/2017

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I have contemplated changing my Commando to the fastback arrangement but in my research I have seen more than one seat that wouldn't fit. In one case I watched a new seat being brought from the stores to a potential customer's bike and the owner then attempting to fit it. The curve of the seat rear section didn't match the glass tailpiece and the mounting tongues were in the wrong place to allow the seat to be moved fore/aft to make it fit where it touched. If the seat is disassembled it may be possible to re-manufacture the parts (I am in the process of doing exactly that for my Dommie to get the correct fit) so that they better match the bike.

Submitted by david_evans on Tue, 10/10/2017

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The Fastback Long range seat does not have the ears that go either side of the back of the tank, if that's what we are talking about here. I also had to cut the mounting "forks" off my standard fastback tank and move them back about 20mm to get the seat back far enough to clear the back of the tank.

Submitted by richard_woolnough on Tue, 10/10/2017

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sorry David you are confusing me, do you mean the ears on the seat?, I don't have any ears on my tank, anyway the seat appears to have two receptacles for rubber feet behind the ears, I think I will obtain some thick rubber and try to make some buttons for the seat to sit on against the frame., I won't do anything untli the bits from Andover arrive, however am I right in assuming the rear fairing fits adjacent to the suspension mounts? and having compared the curvature of both seats the non forward eared one certainly has a different and further back curvature by at least an 1" kind regards

Submitted by richard_woolnough on Wed, 11/10/2017

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Hello John, yes these are what I was also referring to, unfortunately the rear upward curvature begins an inch or so behind these on the cut seat I could cut and reweld the 'ears' but the shape at the rear of the seat would still be wrong

'nother point ther appears to be only one place each side that a rubber buffer, thats a more correct term I think, could be accomodated there are no brackets forward, however the front of the seat is very close to the top of the oil tank so I will try to place some kind of buffer here and maybe a few from here to the rearmost one.

Kind regards

Submitted by richard_woolnough on Fri, 13/10/2017

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hi guys, well I have cut the seat and it does sit better, I shall use the cover off the incorrect one I think,

I am puzzled though to how the tail fairing fits, it seems to stand off a tad from the top suspension mountings, should there be a small washer/distance piece between the fairing 'ear' and the frame pse? kind regards

Submitted by david_evans on Fri, 13/10/2017

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The fibreglass should sit next to the frame. It does seem alien to clamp your top suspension mounts onto a piece of fibreglass. If a washer would make the ear sit better I would use one if there is enough length on the screw.

Submitted by richard_woolnough on Fri, 13/10/2017

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thanks for that David, I have placed a washer between the ears and the frame also a fibre one between the 'ear' and the retaining bolt, popped it all back together, rear number plate etc, but havn't really connected any wires as the painter wants the tank and tail piece back to 'nib off,' damn nuisance really but the bike having slumbered for in excess of 20 yrs a few more weeks/months won't hurt I'm sure. kind regards

Submitted by james_eastwood on Sun, 10/12/2017

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Previously john_holmes wrote:

I sent a different way, I took an Interstate seat and ground the welds off the mounting ears to release them and the bolted them some 2 inch back to move the seat forward. No Fastback rear fairing to worry about but not a Fastback look either. The seat has 8 rubber pads to protect the frame/mudguard and spread the load.

John - that's exactly what I have in mind to do with my spare LR tank sitting on the shelf. The capacity is ideal, being a compromise between the Roadster and Interstate tanks, and it seems a shame that they were not made in larger numbers (or indeed being re-manufactured, along with different bases for fitting to Dommies etc)).

My motivation is primarily to improve the riding position on my Interstate, (though I do think the LR tank is pleasing to the eye as well). How did your tank and seat marry up? I'd love to see some photographs of your conversion - are there any that you have posted?

I'm 6ft4'' and have issues with the standard footrests being so far forward, but suspect that rearsets are possibly too extreme in the other direction (but don't know anyone who has them fitted that I could try out!).

Happy days........

Jim

Submitted by john_holmes on Sun, 10/12/2017

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Jim,

I have pics which I can send, I will try to send you a message with my email address. I am 5' 8" and making my own rearsets and a test of my feet in the proposed new position shows no issues.

Apologies John, for I have only just stumbled across your reply, and am still interested in examining rearset designs, so yes please. 

I'm not looking for anything radical, and the availability now of RGM's folding kick-start lever must have spawned many new possibilities? (If that lever were to be shortened so that it is the same length as the factory MK3 lever, that would look even better! Especially if the pedal part was replaced by the factory pedal, so it doesn't look so Honda inspired?)

Incidentally, I find that the footrest positions on my 1976 big block Guzzi are spot on - a little to the rear of the back of the petrol tank.

PS Anyone.  Is there something I need to do in order to automatically receive email notifications of new posts being added to a particular thread?

 



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