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When you hold the key in the unlock position are you cupping the very back of the seat and lifting vertically before exerting any rear pressure? Do you get any vertical movement at all, you should as the seat will flex a little. Just trying to figure out if it really is the latch mechanism that is bunged up or further forward in the hooks. I had got my seat stuck with a helment strap when using one of the helmet hooks and hadn't routed it properly. It took me some time to free it, brute force won over in the end lifting the rear and getting someone else help me beat the seat backwards. If there is no rear seat upward movement then you obviously do have a jammed lock of some sort.
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I was just out looking the the latch again and I noticed something. Around the bottom of the seat frame rail (above the fender) there is a plastic cover. I looks to me that you could drill a hole in it off center of the rail and get right in there with a tool.
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From time to time my seat has been a little finicky to release. I think, unless there is some other mechanical problem involved, Tev62 may be in the right track. Have someone hold the key/lever all the way over to the release position and hold it there. At the same time you cup fingers under the end of the seat, lift vertically as Tev62 said, but while doing so use a side to side jiggling motion. Although I have not had to use another person to help, I have used the side to side wiggle while lifting up, a time or two. If it works and you get the seat off, maybe lubricate the latch mechanism.
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I earlier recommended cutting the cable, but realize that is not necessary. Since you can still hear a sound at the seat release when you pull the handle down, the cable inner wire is still attached at the release end. If the inner wire is pulled, the release should open fully, even if the outer wire is loose or broken at either end.
If the two helmet lock bolts are removed, you can then yank on the cable inner wire. This means drilling out or otherwise extracting the easily-accessible 6mm bolts). It is by far the most direct, cheapest, least damaging solution.
(Since there are 2 bolts, I would remove the left one first. If it is out of the way, the whole lock assembly may be able to rotate counter-clockwise just slightly, which might slightly loosen the other bolt enough to extract it more easily)
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(07-03-2021, 08:42 PM)Tev62_imp Wrote: When you hold the key in the unlock position are you cupping the very back of the seat and lifting vertically before exerting any rear pressure? Do you get any vertical movement at all, you should as the seat will flex a little. Just trying to figure out if it really is the latch mechanism that is bunged up or further forward in the hooks. I had got my seat stuck with a helment strap when using one of the helmet hooks and hadn't routed it properly. It took me some time to free it, brute force won over in the end lifting the rear and getting someone else help me beat the seat backwards. If there is no rear seat upward movement then you obviously do have a jammed lock of some sort.
The seat moves up slightly. The same as it does when I’m not pulling the unlock tab
So I tried the wiggle left and right and other things mentions. No luck. Somthing is wrong. I guess I’ll be cutting into the seat cover. I’ll wait till I buy a new seat cover first I guess. Figure I’ll get a luimoto Vintage brown leather cover, then cut into this seat, try to figure out why this happened, and fix the issue before recovering the seat. Thanks for the help and happy 4th to you all of you in the states.
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Here's what the seat lock looks like.
And the latching mechanism.
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I'm no expert but when my seat sticks, and occasionally it does, I find that pushing down on the seat while pulling down on the latch, and then, while maintaining downward pressure on the latch, pull the seat abruptly up and back... I hope this helps!
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(07-03-2021, 07:36 AM)max_imp Wrote: Provided you have a "standard" low seat there is a possibility to perforate the seat at the back close to the seam with a 3mm flat screwdriver and manually move the latch in LPG's picture.
about half an inch in front of the bead puts you right on top of the metal loo held in by the latch but it should also work closer to the bead sown into the seat and look not so much out of place, if the hole is small and made with a needle like object it's shape may return almost unnoticeable and maybe need a bit of paint to hide it from view.
The metal loop in the seat, notice the open space in the top with the yellow foam showing;
place right above the latch;
Latch close up;
The bowden cable which may have slipped from it's position;
screwdriver inserted to move the latch back;
Hope this helps.
Yeah man, this helped a lot!
I purchased a Luimoto seat cover Incase I ruined this one, but this is what I did. I took the rear staples out of the seat cover, and lifted the cover and foam and found that small hole in the plastic that you took a picture of. Stuck a screwdriver in there and pop! Came right off! So, it appears the cable has worked itself up and out of that retainer. I guess I’ll put a dab of RTV sealer on it to keep it in place.
Thanks everyone for the help!
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Nice solution, World8. Thanks for sharing your results for future occurrences.
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(08-18-2021, 11:20 AM)World8_imp Wrote: (07-03-2021, 07:36 AM)max_imp Wrote: Provided you have a "standard" low seat there is a possibility to perforate the seat at the back close to the seam with a 3mm flat screwdriver and manually move the latch in LPG's picture.
about half an inch in front of the bead puts you right on top of the metal loo held in by the latch but it should also work closer to the bead sown into the seat and look not so much out of place, if the hole is small and made with a needle like object it's shape may return almost unnoticeable and maybe need a bit of paint to hide it from view.
The metal loop in the seat, notice the open space in the top with the yellow foam showing;
place right above the latch;
Latch close up;
The bowden cable which may have slipped from it's position;
screwdriver inserted to move the latch back;
Hope this helps.
Yeah man, this helped a lot!
I purchased a Luimoto seat cover Incase I ruined this one, but this is what I did. I took the rear staples out of the seat cover, and lifted the cover and foam and found that small hole in the plastic that you took a picture of. Stuck a screwdriver in there and pop! Came right off! So, it appears the cable has worked itself up and out of that retainer. I guess I’ll put a dab of RTV sealer on it to keep it in place.
Thanks everyone for the help!
Cool! Sometimes I complain about how much I pay per month for internet...and then I think how much money I've saved over the years doing home improvement and motorcycle projects that I never would have attempted if not for youtube how-to videos and forums like this where you can get valuable tips and ideas.
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