Removing Seat Without a Key?

[Boubepo]

My VTR is in the process of being shipped over from the UK to Spain but it's hit a snag, it arrived at the shipping company yesterday and the shipping company, are refusing to ship/store it because the battery is still connected! This wouldn't be such a problem but I'm not in the UK and the key to lift the seat to get to the battery isn't with the bike, instead it's in the post and will take several days via the Spanish postal service to arrive, before I can send it back.

Although I now have the bike safely stored at my Bro's house I was wondering if there is a way to remove the seat or get to the battery without the key, obviously without sawing the bike in half or doing any damage

[Wicky]

If someone can access under the seat they can trip the cable operated seat retainer to get the seat off.

I was able to do that on a hot day and bend the back of the seat to get access, and somewhere else someone managed to get in from underneath near the mudguard area.

[agentpineapple]

you can use a long thick screw driver tolever the alloy loops of the subframe away from the hooks on the seat, you need to get inbetween the plastics and the seat itself, put some gaffa tape on the fairing so as not to scratch it, it can be done but its bloody fiddly, remember to re-bend the loops into place once you get the seat off, even if you break a loop it can be welded back on easily enough. goodluck buddy

[Xenocide]

Undo the subframe bolts at the top near the tank (if there's room?) to get the front tang off, might give you enough room to disconnect the battery.

Can't you undo the +ve from the starter solonoid? That should be a bit easier to get to (I think it's near the tank.. that might be the ducati though. can't really remember). Or the main earth strap going to the engine / wherever it goes.

Sorry for my shoddy memory

[VTRDark]

If it's a case of the battery needing to be disconnected to break the electrical circuit and not need to be totally removed from the bike. I know it's not ideal, but how about just disconnecting the earth side of the circuit from the engine.

(:-})

[Boubepo]

Thanks for all the input guys, I think I will need to try one of those ideas. The situation is pretty frustrating, having bought the bike, insured it, arranged all the transport and shipping, only to be told they won't deliver the bike here, because the battery is connected!!!! Grrrrrrrrr!

[tony.mon]

Why not fly back and ride it there?

[Boubepo]

It's funny you should say that Tony, I was considering doing just that.

There are some for's and against's to consider though -

Against - It would actually be about double the price to ride it than ship it, when you take into account - the flight back, the ferry, petrol, tolls, accom. etc

Against - I would still need to get all the spare parts which come with it, spare cans, screen etc shipped over anyway.

Against - I'm 48 and I've just had an MRI scan on my back which will more than likely need an op, riding a bike with dropped handlebars on a 1600 mile journey, might be pushing things at the moment

For - I have 2 weeks free holiday coming up in 10 days time

For - It would be a great chance to get to know my new bike

For - A chance to see parts of France/Spain I've not seen before! and it would be one hell of a good ride!

Hmmmmmm - decisions, decisions!!!!!

[AMCQ46]

Solutions:

Get the ferry to Santander and avoid all of France.

Leave the stock pipes at your uk house or with family, you will never use them.

Stock up on voltarol


You know you want to

[tony.mon]

Well, if the scan says you'll need an op, best get all the damage done before that happens.

Get on the bloody thing and point it south!
I rode to Valencia a couple of years back and it was an easy two days, add a day for the extra, and maybe book a day's rest in the middle.

But you''ll feel worse after a day's break than just keeping on, in my experience.
Wake up, do miles, eat, sleep, repeat.

It's quite therapeutic.


I agree with Al re the Santander fery, though, as the first bit's quite boring, mostly toll roads down to the border.

Go over the mountains through Andorra; the roads and routes are breathtaking biking country.

[Boubepo]

Well you are both making it sound all rather tempting

Mind you Carl, from Santander, Valencia isn't even half way to my home in the South. With a bad back I reckon I would need to allow 3-4 days travel in Spain.

I have a 20 yr old CB1000 SF which I regularly do 4 hour trips on, without any back pains [well not too many] If I was riding this bike down, I wouldn't have any doubts but I am thinking about those dropped bars and a relatively thin seat and I'm over six feet.

So here's a question - on a scale from 1 to 10 how would you describe the riding position and comfort on a longish trip on a VTR?

[VTRDark]

Mind you Carl

It wasn't me that mentioned Santander.

So here's a question - on a scale from 1 to 10 how would you describe the riding position and comfort on a longish trip on a VTR?

I will answer you question for you though. It depends on your back condition and your pain tolerance. But if you have a slipped disc or something it would not be ideal.

(:-})

[tony.mon]

Actually, this is the one time when the limited tank range works in your favour. Often, on longer trips, i find that I get back pain when I'm sat in the same position for too long, but as the Storm forces you to get off and walk in and out of the petrol station at least once an hour I can ride all day without problems, 700-800 miles is ok.

That's for me, though, it rather depends on you and your own back. If a longer day leaves you stiff and in pain then it not only affects morale but also your concentration.

[VTRDark]

not only affects morale but also your concentration.

Very good point Tony. That's when it's no longer fun and becomes dangerous. There was a time when I would do 8-10 hour days on the bike and was used to it because I done it all the time, pretty much 5 days a week. I couldn't do it now though.

Boubepo there are so many contributing factors in this that only you can judge whether you can cope with it or not. You know your own body and mind better than anyone. You also need to consider if the bike ran into a mechanical/electrical problem would you be able to deal with that out on the road. Would you be doing the trip on your own or would someone else be tagging along with you. It can get a bit boring on your own, it's nice to have someone else to tag along and enjoy the experience with you.

(:-})

[Boubepo]

Thanks Carl & Tony,

Some helpful and interesting thoughts, very much appreciated.

I'm really looking forward to getting my Storm over here but I really wasn't planning on doing long, long distance on it. At least, not until this mega feck up with the keys and shipping company!

I always had much shorter runs in mind, with the odd 3-4 hour trip to Portugal thrown in. I wasn't looking for it to cover more than 4 hours in one trip.

Although I've had a bike, of some kind or description [some nice ones but also some cr@ppy ones] since the age of 12. In 36 years of riding, I've not even been close to riding a VTR, so it's a totally unknown territory - hence all my questions.

For me though, there is something very special about a VTR, it has something unique, something quirky, something beautiful, perhaps not beautiful in the classical sense but beautiful in the Sarah Jessica Parker way - and boy! I'd love to ride SJP!

With my bad back though, could I ride SJP all the way from Norfolk to Southern Spain?

Part of me says - I'm happy dying trying! the other half says - it would be like sh@ggin SJP non stop for 4 complete days! it's a wonderful thought but..............I might actually end up dying!