Supplier of period-looking seats??

[diegom]

hi everybody,

this is my first post... my name is Diego and I live in Italy

I have a 1949 Ducati Cucciolo engine and I'll be building the rest of the bike... I'm still in the "thinking" stage, and I might be going for a board tracker look, or maybe something more "sedate", we'll see...

anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows where I can buy a period looking seat, like the one on this 1914 Pope...

thanks!

diego

 

[2door]

Diego,
I'm not the one to help you for a source for that saddle but I want to welcome you to the forum and to thank you for posting that photo. That is a beautiful bike. If your build comes anywhere near it, it will be a winner. Thanks for joining us and I think you'll enjoy yourself here. Lots of talented and friendly people. Ciou.
Tom

 

[bairdco]

Antique Motorcycle Saddles and Seats

Mesinger Motorcycle Racer Saddle

there's a link for you. the seat may cost more than your whole bike...

 

[dmar836]

Diego,
Welcome! The prior post is where I got my seat. It is a source used by many who restore original bikes. The cost was somewhere near $370 USD.
Keep us updated with your progress.
Dave
KC

 

[diegom]

hi guys,

thanks a lot... those seats might be expensive, but surely look the part! that's EXACTLY what I was looking for

another seat I was considering is the Brooks in attach... much more "bicycle-style" than "racer-style"... but man I looove the brass rivets... I love brass, actually, I hope I'll manage to use it for several parts

before being side-tracked by the whole boardtrack-racer-replica, the original idea (and inspiration, really) was to build something like the other pic in attach... that's an original late 40s/early 50s Ducati Cucciolo of a friend of mine, the frame looks a lot like a portuguese Vilar... (google up "vilar cucciolo" you'll find plenty), with some plans of improving the looks a bit, like using an internal throttle and inverted levers to hide the cables, etc...

beside the engine I already have a set of girder forks, two wheel hubs with tiny drum brakes and a little roundish tank from another 50s italian ultralight motorcycle (a bianchi aquilotto I think), and an assortment of period front and rear lights which I bought at a recent swap meet in Milan...

but now I'm not sure anymore... it'll certainly look old, so I hope it belongs on this forum even if I won't go down the racer route!

we'll see and I'll keep you posted... and don't hold your breath, it'll be long and won't start before next year anyway...

ciao and many thanks again from italy

diego

 

[42blue15]

$385, yikes.

......though I can't say I know anything that looks quite like that for much less. :|

-------

One thing to decide from the start is if you will be using the regular bicycle seatpost to attach the saddle with or not. The motorcycle seats need a totally-different setup.

If you want to stick with the simplicity of a bicycle seat, some of the Brooks seats look very retro but then they ain't cheap either..... MOST cost well over $100 and a few cost over $200.

What you can look for is to Google the terms "hairpin bicycle saddle". A number of custom/chopper bicycle places sell these, in various styles. It is a "sprung" saddle that is more-retro looking than the typical modern seat, and there are some cheaper versions (<$50) out there.
~

 

[dmar836]

That's the most reasonably priced Mesinger I have found. I had ordered a Brooks that was the second largest saddle in the lineup but it was way too small for my application and so I returned it - it looked silly. The B190 might be closer the right size - certainly if you are using a bicycle frame.
Although in my opinion, if you build a frame with a 50"ish wheelbase, once you attain the correct look with a proportionately-sized Brooks saddle, it will look even more like a LARGE bicycle seat on a motorcycle.
JMO,
Dave