Steve530 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:


Yup, the ball on either side is held out a bit by a spring in the middle. If fitted into a fairly tight hole, they won't pop out without a good yank on the ring.

The other kind, with the push-button, slides out easy when you push the button, releasing the spring tension on the balls.

Gotta be easier than fighting those bolts back in.

I may attempt to use them as part of my Sportster seat conversion. The seat is here, now all I need is to get work space cleared in the garage, and find the time...

IIRC, the tab on the seat is not threaded.  So if you unbolt the other side of the seat, you might be able to move it over far enough to get the tab over the broken bolt. Then you could just use vice grips to turn the bolt out from the back side.  

Otherwise, that's going to be hard.

Yea lateral movement might be a problem with the pins. The front seat mount does not prevent the seat from moving from side to side. The bolts prevent the lateral movement.

Looks like these speed pins are designed to hold forces perpidicular to the long axis of the pin. In other words, without any force applied that would make them slide.  

I don't know how much lateral force would be generated when you're riding.  Maybe it's not anything to worry about. But the pins would have to be just the right length to keep the seat from moving around without a load.

Someone makes extended, toolless seat bolts for the Triumph Bonnevilles.  One end is threaded for about an inch, then about 3 inches of shaped rod, then the other end is knurled.  The threaded end is also cut down to serve as a pilot for getting the bolt started.

Unfortunately, they appear to be much smaller diameter that out bolts, m6x20.

Well, I removed a seat bolt from my Savage, it it does seem to be a m6 bolt. Can someone else confirm that they are indeed m6 bolts?

So I suppose the Triumph bolts will work.

Thanks for the confirmation.

I guess if you have $25+S&H for a set of bolts, you might want to go for a set of  Bonnie seat bolts.  

I think that I might try a m6x50 allen head bolt with a nut set at the depth of the stock bolt head and a second  nut jammed against it.  

I'm very thankful for zip off yokes on my bags!  Makes getting to those seat bolts a piece of cake!  8)

I bought a 1/4" drive speed handle years ago that I use when ever space permits, which is most of the time.  It's like the old time hand powered drills.  Once you get the hang of it, you can spin it single handed.  And when you can use it 2 handed, it much faster than a rachet.