harleyKmodel

Doen't prove much since there's no doubt the K SOLO seat is always leather... So we can assume some Buddy seats from 52/53 are also leather...

But the KH SOLO seat is not always leather and not always naughahide, that's the question!!!

I thought there was enough anoraks here who could at last tell me for sure and stop my endless sleepless nites rumaging this problem

; O )

Patrick

As long as we’re talking K model seats and saddle bars, let’s move to an adjacent area - the solo seat plunger suspension. A current eBay auction lists a front K model seat mount (saddle bar bolt), but is this not the rear K model seat roller and roller shaft? Is anybody reproducing a nice front saddle bar bolt, or is hunting the auctions required to procure this item? Likewise, I note several vendors reproduce plunger spring sets. Anyone have any experience with any of these and are they similar/the same in terms of spring rate/ride/fitment as the OEM parts? Thank you.

http://tinyurl.com/z72shjx

Was rooting through more of my basket and was pleased to find the rear seat suspension components. I found 2 retaining plates and was wondering which of the plates was correct for a 56 KHK.

Check out the 1967 parts manual in the literature section. They are both in there.

My parts manual only goes to 1965, so regrettably I am still in the dark.

The literature section of this website has downloadable parts manuals plus a ton of info on k's and early Sportsters. Check it out!

strong56KH wrote:The literature section of this website has downloadable parts manuals plus a ton of info on k's and early Sportsters. Check it out!

Yes, the Literature section may be confusing - and I need to fix this. If you click on the picture of the (Spare) Parts Catalog, you get a bigger picture. If you click on the words below the picture "Download the PDF", you get the download page.

This is my fault - I'm a sucky web page designer. I need to change it so it's more intuitive - like when you click on the picture, it goes directly to the download page. OK, that's my job for next week.

After that, I need to break up the Gallery page - it's gotten way too long - we've found a lot more good examples of Ks and early XLs than we ever suspected. So we need to break it up into categories: K-models, early Sportsters, Barnsters, OSKRG meetings, and Everything Else.

If I knew that this is what retirement would be like - I would have kept on working! At least then I would have gotten a paycheck...

DO quit your day job!

Dave Hennessey

hennesse wrote:Yep, that's the correct 54-up seat. Harley Hummer-series seats are the same shape, but different bottom.

In the photo, your 1952-1953 seat looks leather, while the 1954-later seat looks Royalite. One thing I have never been clear on is: When did they switch from leather to Royalite?

Good observation Dave, as upon closer inspection the solo seat pictured is Royalite. This Royalite seat employed an interesting construction method. Appears that the thin Royalite layer was laminated to a heavy leather strip near the edge to reinforce it, and that all the edge stitching, top and under side, occurred in these thick reinforced leather layers.

My real question right now regards the color of the saddle. This Royalite saddle appears to be somewhere between a dark brown and black color, and I am curious to know if this lighter color is due solely to aging, or if in fact there were color options in the seat offerings. My manual suggests that there were no seat color options, so assume they were all black, but then again maybe there are some sales bulletins that teach otherwise. Interested in any comments on color.

Also, any recommendations for vendors that do high quality period-correct leather restorations of such saddles? Thank you.

I believe your solo seat in 54 should be the rolled edge rather then the cut edge. Also if you haven't figured it out yet your 54 should use the retaining plate that does not have the coil mounting holes.

JerrryR wrote:I believe your solo seat in 54 should be the rolled edge rather then the cut edge. Also if you haven't figured it out yet your 54 should use the retaining plate that does not have the coil mounting holes.

Just to be clear this is all stuff for a 56 KHK. With respect to the seat edge, are you referring to just a '54 model year or all models in the 54-56 range? Thanks.