Take a Seat, Cover

Early 2017
Ugh. This seat issue has dragged out for far too long; besides the added effort and cost, it is interfering with riding time too!  To recap, the seat and pan as purchased on bike were not stock; being made of aluminum, the pan also was losing shape and not a good platform for my project.  I purchased a cafe seat which looks great, but was not designed to fit with the 4" rise of the stock rear fender.  Much modification later I got it to fit, but it was too low (not a lot of leg room) and did not meet the tank in an appealing way.  So the next plan was to add two inches of foam to raise the seat height and cover the seat with a stock(ish) cover.  But the leather (vinyl) of the V7 style cover I bought does not stretch enough to retain the foam shape I'm looking for (cafe style similar to my after market cafe seat).

stock Moto Guzzi V7 seat cover

 I finally realized that I'd have to cut and sew my own seat cover.  Although a reasonably capable tailor, not looking forward to this.

Starting with the fabric, I sourced a black vinyl product which has 4-way stretch; I would not characterize it as 'stretchy', merely that it has some give in it.  Not a lot, however, meaning that my cover had better come very close to matching the foam shaped underneath. 

Next was to finish the foam reconstruction of the seat pan to raise the height 2".  This further required an extension to the front of the pan, by which I cut two strips of steel and riveted each to either side at the front.  The foam also needed to be built up around the front to 'cup' the rear of the tank (dark grey section you can see in the photos).

After a few internet searches and YouTube videos, I then tackled the hardest part of the seat cover - a quilting effect on the top.  I glued 1/2" foam to the back of a piece of liner fabric and then to the piece of vinyl I'd cut out in the shape and length I needed (here, I also needed to note that I'd extended the foam top forward about 1", and measure lengths accordingly).  A few practice runs using heavy duty thread had the tension off and the thread binding in the needle.  I had to resort to regular black cotton thread (meaning that however this seat turns out, the stitching will not last forever....).  Sounds like a good excuse to get that industrial sewing machine I'd been thinking about.  So my results are as pictured below.

finished, with piping

compared to purchased cafe seat

I was noticeably off on one row, but when stretched a little and mounted I don't think it will be a problem.  Was pretty happy with how it turned out in relation to the cafe seat I'd originally purchased; except the ridges are 'higher' than I'd wanted since the foam I used was likely a little thicker - should have measured 2" between them instead of 1 3/4".  That piping I had to make from scratch as well.

Next is to measure the rear and sides; but before sewing these on, I'd always really liked the Moto Guzzi logo in white across the back of the V7 cover (and other models as stock).  I hand cut a stencil using clear window decal paper and purchased a can of white vinyl spray paint.  The first test (yes, testing first is always a good idea!) had the paint bleeding under the stencil due to the embossed nature of the leather-looking fabric.  A second test showed that dusting the paint on in a single pass (or two) with 5-10 min in between passes resulted in very little bleed.  Once I started painting the cut rear fabric, it would be all over for better or worse.  Level, square and no bleeding were the goals.

stencil placed along center line

stencil taped for painting

I'll let you know shortly how it all turned out............

Ok, it's about 2 weeks later, and about that time!  The logo painting worked very well, with just a little micro-bleeding under the the stencil (not visible except very close; below).  And after MUCH puzzling and planning and measurement I finally decided how the sides and front would be sewn, and committed to doing so.  The only section I was prepared to mess up was the front, as any errors would be covered by the tank.  Indeed, I had to pull stitching out of the front two times due to flawed estimations.  The rear turned out to be tougher than the front, reverse of what I'd been expecting.  I realize now that any change in surface angle or direction requires a separate section cut out for it; sewn interfaces are much easier to conform to turns and corners, etc, than relying on the stretch of the fabric alone.  But I made it work.  'First' Final product below (not fully tacked down):

I was happy but not entirely so.  The seat on its own looked fine, but was a little bulky looking on the bike itself.  And the 90 degree turns in the back led to bunched up fabric that did not look as professional as I'd hoped for.  So I did some more thinking and looking on the internet for examples of seat shapes.  I realized that a gentle curve up near the tail would both reduce the bulk and avoid sharp bends and thus reduce bunched up fabric.   Even more puzzling and thinking led to a plan.  I had purchased several tack strips but had not used them; one of these would be needed. I realized that if I made two cuts on each side of the seat pan it could be bent upward gradually towards the top of the fender.  A length of tack strip could then be riveted into place across the gap, and over top of the fender, to continue the smooth arc from one side to the other.  Again, my trusty 4" cut-off wheel did quick work of it and soon the idea was tested (below).

curve cut into seat pan (top left) to take the line up and over the rear fender

Once the cover was stretched over the seat pan, the latch mechanism was the last element to construct.  I pulled the one off the seat that came with the bike and, after several measurements, drilled the holes for rivets.  These holes had very little margin for error, as they directly dictated how the seat lined up with the seat tang welded on the frame.  Thankfully my measurements and estimations were good, as the fit and function are perfect.

So I can call the seat done, finally.  The extra leg room and more upright seated position on the bike is noticeable and feels much better than the stretched-out, knees-under-the-armpit position from before.  It is not 100% what I would wish for, but it looks very passable for a first time fabrication, and it works well.   So much went into it too that it deserves to be let go of for a while at this point and just ride.......

Sorting Stuff Out

Nov 2016 - what's next for this Moto Guzzi?

So, with the bike reassembled and the project goal accomplished, I've had the opportunity to put about 250 miles on the 850T.  A few things quickly became apparent, as one might imagine; nothing unusual or troubling, just the routine experiences and observations which come from daily living with such a mechanical entity.  While I can live with it just fine as is, a little attention to the following will enhance the reliability and rideability.  The forks are quite undersprung and the front disc brake is very poor, like a block of wood against steel.  I also found a small leak at the base of the right cylinder and the rear drive leaks as well (minor leaks are a major reason for maintaining a clean bike so, first, you are aware of a potential problem very early and, second, you can more quickly pinpoint the source).  Minor issues are par for the course on a 40 year old bike - note, I do not expect it to handle like any of the other decades-newer bikes in my stable.  Nonetheless, these are correctable, and things that I'd like to sort out.

The first thing is getting the cylinder leaks taken care of (leaving tiny, misted droplets on my boots after a 30 mile ride).  Some brief research implies that this is normal for big block Guzzi's, and should be rectified by re-torquing the cylinder heads.  After sorting through various forum exchanges I determined that the torque needs to be at least 32 lb/ft and no more than 34.  Unfortunately I only have a torque wrench in inch pounds, which tops out at only 3/4 of this range.  Oh well.  Pictured below are the rockers under the valve cover over the left side cylinder.  Another 'unfortunately', the rockers have to come off for access to two of the six bolts holding the cylinder head down.  It was not difficult or all that time-consuming, but I had put it off for a few weeks as the first time doing anything carries with it a little trepidation.  I could feel that the six bolts loosened fairly easily (not easy, just easily enough) - judging that they needed more torque and not having a torque wrench, I simply marked each bolt with a tiny scratch so I could confirm that it had been snugged a tad (technical unit of measure) more than before.  All buttoned up again, the left side is ok but the right still has a little pool of oil collecting on the lower inside.  I've since borrowed a larger torque wrench to get to this job again shortly.  Ugh.

The next thing to warrant attention are the fork springs, since I'd like to correct the saggy feel and dive before addressing the disc brake.  I'd removed and serviced the forks during the rebuild, and put the stock springs back in; whether they ever were in the first place, they are not quite up to the task now.  I called Progressive earlier in 2016 looking for springs with a heavier spring rate for this bike.   I purchased the recommended springs (0.68 kg/mm) but they were 60mm too long.  Or at least they were 60mm longer than the stock springs and I was sure that they could not be compressed enough to fit.  Past 90 days from purchase I could not return them, but the tech told me they could be cut down a few inches.  Consulting Guzziology, it was noted that a spring should generally not be much more than 1.5 inches above the top of the damper shaft at full extension (or spacer length if setting preload).  The stock springs sit at exactly the top of the shaft when not compressed.  Feeling that the Progressive springs would be stiffer than stock, I elected to cut the Progressives down leaving about 1.5 inches.  This was a mistake!  Whether they are stiffer than stock or not, I still cannot really say.  The sag is better and they are compliant and not springy, they still sag several inches under bike and rider weight and then bottom out under heavy braking.
To Resolve - the cut piece can actually be used as a spacer; either with the stock spring or the Progressive.  Although the total length of the Progressive spring may be prohibitively long.....  I just hate to take these on and off in a trial-and-error fashion.  But I cannot identify what the spring rate of the stock spring is.... Ideally, for a bike weighing about 500lbs and a rider (me) weighing about 200lbs, a spring rate of 0.95kg/mm is called for.

above = stock spring (420mm); below = Progressive after cut (total 480mm)

And last, the seat.  I somehow knew that this saga would end with me actually fabricating a seat for myself.  After the shop which made the first cafe seat (too low and interferes with rear fender) promised to replace it, and then waiting another 2+ months, they won't do it.  Options include buying a stock seat just for the pan, or using the cafe pan I have.  I can't use the seat that came on my project as it is not original and was fabricated from aluminum, thus it doesn't hold its shape well and presents problems for attaching the seat cover.  So cannibalizing my new cafe seat for the pan will be my approach.  I also think I can cut off the top of the foam to retain the shape of the cafe seat, as they did quite a good job of this (and it requires patience and skill, two things I have only in limited supply).
Two dense foam pads from Home Depot (gardening kneelers) will serve as the base on top of the pan.  Then the cafe padding, then I bought a roll of 1/2" foam to cover and smooth the underlying layers.  From eBay, I found a Moto Guzzi V7 replica seat cover that has the words 'MOTO GUZZI' in block letters across the back.  The hump is not the same, but close enough that I'm confident that it will fit (and still look "cafe") with a little tuck here and there and extra foam if necessary.

slightly photoshopped to show where it would sit higher after modification

Shifter Fix

Oct 2016
Which brings me finally to the shifter.  Since last February, I'd spent hours deciding how the shifter and brake levers were going to work using the Tarozzi rearsets* (and levers) I'd purchased for the project.  In brief, the stock foot peg bracket on the right of the project I'd purchased was bent, and the foot peg itself had been cut off, replaced with a threaded hole.  Replacement either on eBay or new would be costly, and the aftermarket rearsets suited the cafe-style project better anyway, so I went this route.  But the 1975 frame and drum rear complicated matters.  I thought I had both figured out, but putting the solutions into practice turned out to be easier said than done.

Tarozzi brand aftermarket rearsets & levers

This issue has hung over the project since the beginning, and it took on a more urgent nature once the bike was actually finished and ready to ride.  A few short test rides quickly revealed just how much torque and force is going through the shift lever.  My prior solution (see earlier posts) became more and more sloppy, and the hole I'd drilled in the stock left block plate was actually cracking.  This plate is composed of some composite alloy and would not weld.  My neighbor Jerry suggested fabricating a plate with a spline shaft from scratch, and although I dreaded such a drastic approach I ended up concluding that this was indeed the way to go.  The alternative was to buy an $80 replacement stock block plate and return to the stock shifter (by cutting it down and adding the toe piece from the Tarozzi).

So it was, I sourced a steel plate and 5/8" ID steel bushing and drew out the required measurements.   Then drilled and cut until I had a rough bracket (as below, shown with stock bracket)

Jerry provided welding expertise and after a few hours we had a finished bracket incorporating a very snug-fitting bushing for the spline shaft.  All holes lined up and a test ride revealed positive shifting up and down through all the gears.  Success!  So now just have to dismantle, clean it up a bit more and paint before re-installing.

*footnote: the folding pegs stick out more than an inch wider than the non-folding pegs.  these were far too wide for the bike, and Jim at FFTP graciously agreed to swap my pegs for a new set they'd made which were shorter.  installation proved these to be a much better way to go.

Finishing Touches

Quick Update - Oct 2016.
Following completion of this project over a month ago, there remained several aspects to still address; some for running and driveability purposes and others for aesthetics.  I'd not been sure if I'd add signal lights to this bike, preferring to keep it closer to the stripped-down 'cafe' look.  And it had no signals when bought.  But the wiring harness has signal leads already included, and the left bar switch accommodates turn signal operation; and its a safer way to ride.  So a lot of searching and thinking arrived at a set of mini-stalk marker lights from BikeMaster, which were fairly cheap and actually look pretty good.  The round (closer to oval) lens and flat black housing do not look out of place on this bike.  And at 23W each, they put out a lot of light.  One of the four arrived not working, so I bought a few spare bulbs for the inevitable next time.

Also, a mirror was in order, and I'd looked exclusively at bar-end mirrors.  The left grip had already been chewed away at the end by something or someone, so cleaning up the hole for a mirror on the left did not damage anything further, assuming it did not work out.  Good thing, as it has not quite worked out.  The mirror I bought (BikeMaster again) looks the part, but includes a chunky mounting point which interferes with the clutch lever at full disengagement.  So to rotate the mirror to where it does not contact the clutch lever makes actually viewing traffic behind pretty difficult.  Oh well, I'll keep it for looks for now as I can no longer return it.  I may get another style or go with a bar-mounted mirror.
EDIT: I replaced this with another bar-end mirror which is much smaller yet fits well, looks good, and does not interfere with the clutch lever.

For the brake lever, I ended up tossing the Tarozzi lever and cut down the stock lever instead.  It already fit on the brake spline shaft with no modification or linkages (which were getting somewhat cumbersome to assemble).  Just past the curve I cut, ground and smoothed the end of the lever.  A hole drilled in the end accommodates the Tarozzi toe piece so it still has an integrated look.  Note gray PVC spacer between bracket and folding part of foot peg to take up the space that the Tarozzi lever occupied.
Also, the shorter lever reduces leverage on the rear brake shoes meaning less ability to lock up the rear.

Next, the shifter and seat are all that remain.