The BSA A7-A10 Forum
Technical (Descriptive Topic Titles - Stay on Topic) => Frame => Topic started by: Daveh67 on 07.09. 2019 22:50
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I was looking on the dreaded ebay at seat covers for my 1960 A10.
So I have a question as to swing arm seats and plunger seats. Are they the same seat?
getting well into my restoration and need to re cover the seat.
Dave
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I was looking on the dreaded ebay at seat covers for my 1960 A10.
So I have a question as to swing arm seats and plunger seats. Are they the same seat?
getting well into my restoration and need to re cover the seat.
Dave
I do not think the seats are the same. The Plungie has a kind of saddle shape for the rider, then a narrower section for the pillion. They also appear to dip in the middle. The swing-arm seats are more parallel in plan view and level along their length.
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GB is correct, the seat profile is different, with the plunger seat pan dipping to follow the line of the frame backstays. The S/A seat pan is much flatter. Getting a new cover should not be too difficult, but there are variations, particularly the shape of the saddle nose. Try R K Leighton, Price Street, Birmingham...They've been doing seats probably longer than you have been riding, and can turn their hand to anything in the way of seats, repairs, foams and covers.
The mountings are also different, so for anyone looking for a seat, here's a quick guide.
Plunger has three bolt holes in a triangular formation at the front to take the support bracket, plus a pair of holes each side at the rear, brackets here mount on the mudguard supports. These pans are a bit weak, and benefit from some extra strengthening under the dip.
S/A front mount is two holes in line to take the support bracket, which fits into a pin located in the frame. Two holes at the rear for the support bracket on the mudguard.
eBay descriptions of seats are a bit of a minefield, as the S/A has several variants of the same basic layout. The plunger seat pan can also have holes in slightly different places at the rear to suit different model frames. What looks like an A10 plunger can actually be off a C11G or Bantam.
Swarfy.
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S/A front mount is two holes in line to take the support bracket, which fits into a pin located in the frame. Two holes at the rear for the support bracket on the mudguard.
A feature to look out for is that the seat has locating holes for rubber inserts which support on the frame left and right of the battery tray.
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Some photos of my 1960 Swinging arm A10 to illustrate what others have said.
(Edit): The rubber buffers on either side locate on nuts on studs. You can see on tool box side where the earth wires are located and secured by a nut. The rubber buffers have a recess underneath to fit on the nuts.
Studs screwed in the seat base locate the holes in the securing brackets (arrows) and are secured with washers and nuts, but some substitute bolts to screw into seat base and do away with the studs - for various reasons, i.e. one I know from experience is that it's easier to thread a bolt with a washer on it into the base from underneath the seat than catch the thread on a stud while balancing a washer and a nut together and catch the thread - without dropping both to disappear to goodness knows *angry* where.
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I think we need to note the two main variations of S/A seat, '54-'59 being the version that hugs the frame and looks better. Then, there's the wider, flatter, '60-'62 version that situates higher up and doesn't conceal the frame as well. Having now had both versions on my bike, I've found the later version more comfortable for the size of my own seating area, nevertheless, not so much so that I favor it over the better look and originality for my '55. I belive the wider version was probably introduced to make the extensive U.S. market (with our oversized backsides) happy.
There is also a much less commn Spitfire version.
You can check out draganfly.co.uk, for pictures of the various versions.
Richard L.
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I had the seat that hides the frame first, but it was so uncomfortable, it made my butt ache just sitting in the garage.
Then I changed it for a Gold Star seat. Not so nice looking but very comfy, I have lowered it a little since this photo was taken.
I am now in the process of changing the seat for the third time now that I have found out what was originally fitted.
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Talking about the rear seat bolts, I machined a piece of stainless hex bar leaving about an inch of hex making it easier to get a spanner on but unfortunately didn't have the correct hex size for BSF bolts. As for the rubber seat buffers I used two BSCY bolts and glued the buffers on to the heads then used nuts to secure at the right height. Cheers. Gerry
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I machined a piece of stainless hex bar
Treasure that stuff Gerry, the word is none of the steel importers here in OZ are going to carry S/S hex bar anymore! " Reason", doesn't sell quick enough & nobody makes anything here anymore. I make a lot of s/s screws & certain special bolts but I have to have a re-think about the bolts for now due to the hex conundrum *pull hair out*
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Talking about the rear seat bolts, I machined a piece of stainless hex bar leaving about an inch of hex making it easier to get a spanner on but unfortunately didn't have the correct hex size for BSF bolts. As for the rubber seat buffers I used two BSCY bolts and glued the buffers on to the heads then used nuts to secure at the right height. Cheers. Gerry
I used stainless hex connectors.
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Roy C, what a lovely A7SS you have..I envy the originality it was impossible overachieve in deep Africa on my own..so I went for what I would have liked he A7SS to have evolved to.! See pictures section.