Help! 2014 seat won?t pop off

[World8_imp]

Hi everyone!
I’ve been searching and lurking for awhile. Love this place. I seem to have hit a wall and can’t figure this out and maybe I can get some help.
I have a 2014 CB1100 and I can’t get the seat off, yes I am pulling the correct lever.
So I get the bike, pop the seat off and put the registration in, I forgot to drop in the insurance card, so I go to pop the seat off again and it’s not coming off.
I’ve tried the following: punching/slapping the rear of the seat in all directions while pulling the release tab. I’ve had someone sit in it. I’ve tried pure force to hopfully bend the seat enough to get it out from under the tank, so I can access the hook and lock part in the rear. Nothing I’ve tried works.
I have no idea what to do next beside drill into the rear of the seat to manually move the lever. Sprayed oil in there to help free anything stuck. No luck at all.

When I pull the tab, I hear it make the normal click like sounds, the lever has slight tension on it like it did normally, and it moves down about 1cm. Just seems not enough for the seat to unhook.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Houtman_imp]

Is this the first time you have the problem ? I fund that a GOOD bump with my right fist always release the seat while keeping the lever down at the same time.

 

[World8_imp]

Is this the first time you have the problem ? I fund that a GOOD bump with my right fist always release the seat while keeping the lever down at the same time.

Yeah, I just got the bike, all the beating hasn’t done anything.
I’ve taken the seat off once, I just pulled the lever and pulled back on the seat strap, came off.
Now, nothing I do will let it come off.
Tonight I tried to snake a coat hanger in there to push the release away from the seat loop but can’t fish it in well.
I’m seriously wondering if I will have to cut into the seat to eventually get it to unlock.
I’ve read on the forum some people have pulled the seat hard enough to bend the seat and it would unhook from the tank side, reach in to the rear and unhook the seat, but I can’t even get it to do that, seat seems seriously tough, lol or I’m not strong enough

 

[pekingduck]

From what you describe, the seat latch is not retracting fully, as you can rattle the seat loop against the latch. I am assuming the latch is not opening enough to release the seat pin. Rather than destroy a seat or rear fender, I would cut the seat release cable ($8) as close to the seat lock as possible, cut away the outside sheathing, grab the inner wire with vise grips, and tug away.

That will leave you with the problem of removing the seat lock, which is held in by a break-away headed bolt that will need to be drilled out or extracted to replace the cable.

 

[Mixagon_imp]

My rs is different but from memory my 15 model had a similar problem were as I pulled and held the lever fully but the seat would not slide back because as I later found out the rear of the seat needed to be lifted up out of the lock before it would slide back so try that before you start cutting.
Lever held, lift rear of seat and then slide back. good luck.

 

[tod.branko_imp]

From what you describe, the seat latch is not retracting fully, as you can rattle the seat loop against the latch. I am assuming the latch is not opening enough to release the seat pin. Rather than destroy a seat or rear fender, I would cut the seat release cable ($8) as close to the seat lock as possible, cut away the outside sheathing, grab the inner wire with vise grips, and tug away.

That will leave you with the problem of removing the seat lock, which is held in by a break-away headed bolt that will need to be drilled out or extracted to replace the cable.

I concur with pulling on the cable manually, perhaps you can dismantle the lever mechanism and try from there as not to cut anything

'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

 

[Lord Popgun]

Mixagon is correct. You have to lift the rear of the seat before you can slide the seat hooks out of the wire loops.

World8, if you need a picture of the seat latch I can pull my seat and take a pic.

 

[World8_imp]

Mixagon is correct. You have to lift the rear of the seat before you can slide the seat hooks out of the wire loops.

World8, if you need a picture of the seat latch I can pull my seat and take a pic.

I’m aware and that’s not my issue. I can’t get the rear to lift.

 

[Lord Popgun]

I understand it is not releasing. Just thought a pic might help come up with a plan of action.

I just went out and looked at the mechanism. As you said, the lever moves about 1cm and at the other end the latch moves open totally, moving away from the seat latch loop.

It looks to me that the main place for a failure is where the seat latch end of the cable sheath is fitted into its holder. The cable has a nylon part that goes into a hole in a bracket and is then pushed down and slots into a slightly smaller hole. If the cable moved up out of its slotted hole, then nothing would hold the sheath and thus cause a problem. MAYBE thats what happened to you. Not sure what to do though. I couldn’t see any EASY way to get to anything.

 

[Lord Popgun]

I forgot to mention that the latch assm. is held in by one bolt. I guess it could loosen and cause a problem too.

 

[Mixagon_imp]

Its most likely a cable problem unless as said above the has latch worked loose.

Not sure about this but its worth looking into... can the rear fender be removed from underneath ? if so that would give some access to the latch.

Its happened on a car hood to me and pulling on the outer cable as well as the lever opened it, not sure if this is possible with such a short cable on the cb.

As said above, as a last thing I would cut the cable at the lever end and pull the inner with pliers. Its easy to make up a new cable so no need for a new one.

Hope those thoughts help in some way.

 

[j3gq_imp]

Here is an idea which may or may not work, but it’s easy to do and bears no risk of breaking anything.
The seat has 2 forward facing hooks the form of a J. Take a thin wire, feed it in from the side, all through under the seat, until it comes out on the other side. You may have to try a few times. If you manage to get it in between hooks and latches, then pull both wire ends “up and forward” towards the handle bar, the latches may be released.
It’s gonna take patience so!
lf you need a little sketch, I could only do so late tonight.

Good luck

 

[tod.branko_imp]

Its most likely a cable problem unless as said above the has latch worked loose.

Not sure about this but its worth looking into... can the rear fender be removed from underneath ? if so that would give some access to the latch.

Its happened on a car hood to me and pulling on the outer cable as well as the lever opened it, not sure if this is possible with such a short cable on the cb.

As said above, as a last thing I would cut the cable at the lever end and pull the inner with pliers. Its easy to make up a new cable so no need for a new one.

Hope those thoughts help in some way.

Unfortunately the rear fender, although hanging completely under the subframe, can only be removed from under the seat as the two bolts are welded into place and flat from the bottom side.



'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

 

[Cormanus]

j3gq, will the seat move back if the lock is not released? I suppose it’s possible, but it seems unlikely.

 

[World8_imp]

j3gq, will the seat move back if the lock is not released? I suppose it’s possible, but it seems unlikely.

No it won’t move back, I can pull it hard enough for it to want to come off, like the center part lefts out of its retainers, but it’s still as if the latch is still latched.

I’m thinking, the latch is moving, just not far enough to unlock, and maybe if I can take a coat hanger and fish it though behind the loop, and pull the loop rearward, it might clear the latch and can can get the seat off to make adjustments to it.
I’ll update when I try it.
So far though nothings worked.
So weird too as it came off easy the first time. Makes me wonder if I screwed somthing up reinstalling it.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Here is what you are dealing with in case you need it:



Thats a seat bag strap right behind the frame. That why you don’t see the fender under it.

 

[j3gq_imp]

@Cor
admitted, it’s a long shot, I am not where my bike is parked these days, otherwise I would
try it on my own CB with the seat on and off, and wires bend in diff. ways, then post pictures with the details.
@world8
if the problem hasn’t been solved by We or Th next week, send me a PM and I get to work sth out while testing it as soon as possible on my bike.
@all
would anyone know if the seat release mechanism has changed between 2014 and 2019?

 

[max]

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.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

It is almost like max and Popgun are performing assisted remote surgery. ¯\(⊙ʖ⊙)_/¯

 

[Lord Popgun]

Modern technology. It’s a wonderful thing. Till it’s not..

Max’s procedure will work, but I was hoping something could fished around the rear frame rail and push on the latch. Don’t know if that would work though. I’ll have to go push on it and see how hard it is to move.

Personally, before I poked holes in my seat I’d remove the security bolts from the latch actuator and do some pulling on the whole cable assembly.