08 Pitbull: Spring seat hits fender

[Germanbiker]

Last season I saw some minor scratches on my rear fender near the back part of the seat. I just put on some transparent film to protect the paint.

Having the bike sitting in the basement I decided to check this issue again.

So I took off the springs and installed the seat without them.

When compressed the seat hits the fender and not the final position of the shocks!! Very very bad built from BDM :bang:!!!

On my bike I loose about one quarter of the travel of about one inch total (of the shocks) !!

There are several solutions:
1. cut off about 1/2" of the back part of the seat pan
2. put spacers between the frame cover and the frame itself to have the seat higher mounted
3. cut off the front pivot point of the saddle and weld it on about 1/2" more to the front of the bike
4. enlarge the wholes of the frame cover for the screws more to the back so that you can mount the support more to the front

I think I'll go for 4. To ensure the frame cover cannot silde back I have to built a new bracket between it and the frame.

Do other 08+ Pitbull owners have the same issue or it is just my bike?? Did anybody check this out??

BTW:
The lower seat cover comes off on any 08 Pitbull I saw . Bad material and gluing. Does anybody have a good idea what material to put under the seat pan??

And: Yes, I know my bike is not clean .

I'll keep you updated on my reconstruction
Jochen

 

[Germanbiker]

Here' a pic of my bike.

Does my seat sit too much back?

Jochen

 

[toodie]

not sure i follow but those seat shocks are adjustable. I am thinking that removing the springs is not a good idea. I am 280lbs and the seat does not hit the fender. You have to adjust the shock so there is less travel when there is a load on it.

 

[Germanbiker]

Of course I ride the bike with the springs on! Just removed them for to check, whether I can use the whole travel of the shocks.

Instead of 1 inch of travel I can only use about 3/4 of it - that is a great loss!!!

When you hit a big bump you will always get to the end of the spring's power.....

In my case the seat hits the fender and not the small rubber at the lower end of the shocks.

Jochen

 

[Ratman]

Do they not have various springs for different weight riders (heavier springs for heavier riders)?

 

[Shredder]

yes, they have a set for 250lb plus.

Shredder

 

[Germanbiker]

Did a little work on the frame cover.

Looks good now :up:.

In my opinion BDM had to work over the frame cover as there are THREE supports towards the frame (lower end of the frame cover) and THREE screw threads in the frame. But only the outer ones are used for screws....


I suppose in the beginning BDM planned to use ony one screw - the inner. Then they found out, that it was impossible to have access to the screw because of the shocks :lol:.
That happens when you construct parts only on CAD .

Another issue is that the inner support of the frame cover is higher than the outer ones. That causes the frame cover to swing from left to right.....

When you pull one outer screw tight the frame cover will not be leveled and hang to one sight. In my case about 2 mm......

Hard to explain these technical things for me in English .

I'll post some pics tomorrow.

Jochen

 

[cavcom278]

Just find a drop seat and go with it that's what I did.looks better to. Im partial to the ridged look and ride

 

[Germanbiker]

Oh no,

not on our streets here in Germany !!

I have been airborne more than a couple of times :angry: - with the engine reving up .

So no tiny bumbs - real ones .

Jochen

 

[toodie]

I have no engineering or technical skills worth speaking of but I can tell you my experience. As I mentioned I am 280#. When I initially got the bike the ride felt like I was bottoming out sending my spine fluid out thru my eyeballs and as you mention in your origianl post the seat seemed to be awful close to the fender. Since seat shocks were the 180s I was thinking it may be a shock rating (180 vs 250) issue I contacted works performance the manufacturer of the shocks. They explained to me that I needed to adjust them (load them up was the term I believe). They also stated the rating of 180# was per shock and a rider of my weight should be fine. Any who on my 500 mile service (that is when there was still a warranty :bang: :angry had the shop adjust them by a couple of turns on the adjustment nut and wala a world of difference. Now don't get me wrong it is still a rigid ride and the big pot holes/bumps will still give your spine a tingle but the adjustment made all the difference.