Covering hole where passenger seat fits

[Bill J. from Austin]

I recently bought a 2016 Freewheeler, because injuries from a 35' fall at work left me with a trick knee and other issues. The knee wasn't so bad at first, but over the years since my accident it's steadily gotten worse, to the point that I no longer trust it to hold me up at red lights and such. Hence, the trike.

Another issue is nerve damage at my spine. When my back is in 'flexion' (seated with knees higher than hips, for instance) that exerts pressure on the damage at the L4 vertebra, and causes low back pain and referred pain down both legs. The only solution is to raise my saddle.

I had an OEM FXRP saddle on my FXRS, and after the FXRS was totaled by a hit-and-run driver I souvenired the FXRP saddle assembly. When I started shopping for trikes I knew I could find a way to make the FXRP saddle work on the FLRT frame. Last week I found a welder who was willing to give it a go, and.... SUCCESS!



However, the pillion seat I used on the FXRP is too long for the raised saddle. Since I won't be packing my wife anytime soon -- the hit-and-run crash ended her interest in motorcycling-- I want to do away with the pillion seat altogether and plate over that open hole. I see 'fender bibs' for Harleys of all sizes, but nothing for the trikes. Does anyone know of a ready-made piece that will fill that hole, or am I going to have to find a leather worker and pay through the nose for a custom piece?

TYIA and Sláinte!

[Jack Klarich]

You will probably have to fab something on your own

If you are handy you could trace out your original seat pan and mock it up with paper or cardboard to see if it fits good, then have an upholstery shop make you a cover?

[Notgrownup]

Thick leather with snaps or clips of sorts, I say thick so it won’t flap around in the wind.

[Bill J. from Austin]

Thick leather with snaps or clips of sorts, I say thick so it won’t flap around in the wind.

That's kind of what I was thinking, and that's probably something I could manage in-house. I may even have the leather on hand.

However, after I wrote this post, me and my wife (who spent most of her working life adapting high-end wheelchairs for kids with disabilities) put our heads together and realized that, even if she's not packing with me, a pillion pad might be a good thing to have. I mean.... what if I meet a damsel in distress who desperately needs a ride? 🤷*♀️

I have a couple of FXR pillion pads made by Mustang and souvenired from the same totaled FXRS. They would fit that spot quite nicely if I got 1.75" cut off the front. Done right, I could even use the OEM Mustang mounting studs to keep the front of the pillion pad secure.

Another possibility is to buy a used FLRT saddle, cut the back half off and get an upholsterer to rewrap the seat cover on it. That way I have a complete stock saddle for future use, and still get the p-pad I need.

Finally, I could have an upholsterer build me a brand new pad, from the seat pan up.

We laid out a big chunk o' cash buying the FLRT, and the brackets for the FXRP saddle were no cheap date, so price is definitely a consideration. I have messages out to a couple of upholsterers, to see what option might be most cost-effective.

For anyone interested, I'll post a follow-up here ASAP.

Thanks again.

[Bill J. from Austin]

You will probably have to fab something on your own

If you are handy you could trace out your original seat pan and mock it up with paper or cardboard to see if it fits good, then have an upholstery shop make you a cover?

I'm fairly handy -- I was a Harley mechanic, bike builder and signman -- and my wife spent most of her adult life working on adapting wheelchairs for disabled kids, so we both have excellent problem-solving skills. As noted in my response to Notgrownup, we have ideas. Just sorting out what's best.

I wanted to respond to you, specifically, because I noticed your sig line. I wanted to share a couple photos of a diorama I assembled. It's a cross between my garage at home and the motorcycle shop I spent most of thirty-five years in, but I draw your attention to the second photo, to the blue and yellow book on the shelf and the poster on the wall. Look familiar? I joined up in '78. Was off my bikes for several years due to the aforementioned injuries, and just yesterday got to be around some C&S riders IRL for the first time in a looooooong time. It felt good!



Thanks for the response. I'll post back with whatever solution we devise.

cheers!

[Bill J. from Austin]

That's kind of what I was thinking, and that's probably something I could manage in-house. I may even have the leather on hand.

However, after I wrote this post, me and my wife (who spent most of her working life adapting high-end wheelchairs for kids with disabilities) put our heads together and realized that, even if she's not packing with me, a pillion pad might be a good thing to have. I mean.... what if I meet a damsel in distress who desperately needs a ride? 🤷*♀️

I have a couple of FXR pillion pads made by Mustang and souvenired from the same totaled FXRS. They would fit that spot quite nicely if I got 1.75" cut off the front. Done right, I could even use the OEM Mustang mounting studs to keep the front of the pillion pad secure.

Another possibility is to buy a used FLRT saddle, cut the back half off and get an upholsterer to rewrap the seat cover on it. That way I have a complete stock saddle for future use, and still get the p-pad I need.

Finally, I could have an upholsterer build me a brand new pad, from the seat pan up.

We laid out a big chunk o' cash buying the FLRT, and the brackets for the FXRP saddle were no cheap date, so price is definitely a consideration. I have messages out to a couple of upholsterers, to see what option might be most cost-effective.

For anyone interested, I'll post a follow-up here ASAP.

I promised a follow-up, and then fell off the face of the earth. Sorry 'bout that. Anyhoo....

For years, the shop where I worked sent upholstery projects to a fellow who called himself Bitchin' Bob. No finer recommendation, IMO, than to have Bud Reveile rely on your work. Bob later walked the Road to Damscus and changed his name to Steelhorse Bob. He now owns Texas Steelhorse Saddles in Liberty Hill, Texas, northwest of Austin, and that's where I went to solve my pillion pad problem.

I carried one of my Mustang pads and my OEM saddle out there, to see if one of those would work, but after some back-and-forth Bob went rummaging around in his pile of stock takeoff saddles, pulled one out and said, 'I'll use this one!'

As I watched, he stripped the cover off the saddle, cut it in half, and then proceeded to fit and cut, fit and cut, fit and cut until he had the shape he wanted. We agreed on a covering, and he said he'd have it ready in a week, and by gollum, he did! Looks like a factory fit, and very reasonably priced, IMO.

Bob does some mighty fancy saddlery in all sorts of colors, with all manner of design stitchery, and also works with the gel-pad cushions some long-distance riders swear by. He's a character, but he's a heck of a craftsman.

[Kneesinbreeze]

That guy did a awesome job. It looks great. I bet it rides a lot better with that spring seat. How did it change your riding position?

[Bill J. from Austin]

That guy did a awesome job. It looks great. I bet it rides a lot better with that spring seat. How did it change your riding position?

It got my hips up above my knees, which was essential due to the nerve damage at the spine. I went with 3" springs, to give myself the best lift, but they turned out to be stiffer and stronger than I gave them credit for. The back of the seat is high enough that even with my full 185 pounds on it, the seat cants forward, and I'm constantly having to scooch back into proper position. I ordered 2" springs at the same time, and am considering switching to those.

As for ride: if you see my thread about shocks ( If this has been asked before.... (shocks?) (triketalk.com) ) you'll see that even with the spring saddle the OEM shocks are beating me up pretty badly. I'm ordering aftermarket shocks and a lift kit today.

I also had to adjust my handlebars a bit. Thought I might have to go to baby apes, because I was having to lean too far forward (which put my back in flexion despite the raised saddle height) but then I realized that someone -- previous owner, presumably -- had tilted the bars forward of the fork-tube line.



Pulling them back to where the manual says they should be made a huge difference.



One problem I encountered with the rise in seating position is that it rendered the stock mirrors virtually useless. No matter how I adjust them, I'm looking at my shoulders and elbows rather than the traffic lane behind me. I've been hit from behind on my bikes, so I value rear-view capability. I'll be looking at long-stemmed mirrors today, to resolve that issue.

The growing pains with any 'new' motorcycle, right?

[Bill J. from Austin]

One problem I encountered with the rise in seating position is that it rendered the stock mirrors virtually useless. No matter how I adjust them, I'm looking at my shoulders and elbows rather than the traffic lane behind me. I've been hit from behind on my bikes, so I value rear-view capability. I'll be looking at long-stemmed mirrors today, to resolve that issue.

The growing pains with any 'new' motorcycle, right?

I scored a clean-looking set of OEM long-stem mirrors (Harley-Davidson part numbers 91846-03B and 91848-03B) on eBay.



They may not be perfect, but (as anyone who looks at either of my bikes could probably guess) I am much more concerned with function than form.

Fingers crossed, they arrive quickly. In Austin, traffic is horrendous and drivers completely self-absorbed! Gotta protect myself!

Y'all be careful out there!