Seat Does Not Match Up to Tank - 1985 ATC 110

[KI4UJO]

Ok, here we go. If you're familiar with these, you know how the seat should set into the tank, and you should not see the stamped recess in the tank. I know the pic's bad, but you can see that isn't happening here. This is without the rubber piece that isolates the rear of the tank from the frame. With it on, the gap is much worse. So, is my frame warped? (This is what I'm afraid of:() If it is, what is my best option to straighten it, if I can? Or am I missing something obvious?
http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee392/KI4UJO/GEDC0091-4.jpg
Thanks in advance

[shortline10]

Check your frame at the base of the tank for cracks. No real fix except for a new frame.

[captainweezy]

I have a used frame if you decide to go that route. I wont ship it but will be happy to bring to trike fest. Maybe $20 is all i want.

[kb0nly]

Take the tank off, put a straight edge on the frame and check it for straightness.

Most of the time though this is the seat, i have dealt with it on the 110's and 125's, especially the 85's with the plastic seat pan, as the seat ages the front gets bent farther back. When you sit on the seat your tensioning the cover, the seat is a large curved bow and the front upper lip gets pulled back from the weight of the rider, after a while they curl a bit.

Looks you need a new cover anyway, here is how i fix it. Remove the cover and get a new one ready, but before you replace it remove the foam from the base and then use a heat gun to carefully soften the plastic seat pan and push the front back down till it meets the tank, hold it as it cools. If you put the seat pan on the trike you can put a ratchet strap around the tank and seat pan, as you heat it slowly tighten the strap until it pulls it down, let it cool a while to let it set, remove the strap and see if it bounces back too much and repeat. You can also do this on a bench and over adjust it some for a tight fit just don't overdo it.

[Honda250RinNC]

kb0nly is right 90%of the time its the seat tweaked!

ALSO: ive NEVER seen a plastic pan for the 110/125m if you can post a picture!? that would be awesome because ive had ALOT of 110's in the past and the seats always have been rusted out..every '85 ive had had metal pans on them!

[kb0nly]

kb0nly is right 90%of the time its the seat tweaked!

ALSO: ive NEVER seen a plastic pan for the 110/125m if you can post a picture!? that would be awesome because ive had ALOT of 110's in the past and the seats always have been rusted out..every '85 ive had had metal pans on them!

Unless i am mistaken i thought it was the 85 that had plastic, i will have to go look again now. If its the metal pan you can bend it back and add some reinforcement to the top side before putting the foam and cover back on.

I know i have had a few 110's and 125's with plastic seat pans, unless they were aftermarket?

EDIT... My bad... Old brain fuzzy again.. It was the 86 125 that had the plastic pan, the 85 out in the garage has a metal pan on it. I even see a 86 plastic pan on eBay. You can still bend that metal pan back into shape and add some metal to it to stiffen it up.

[Honda250RinNC]

yeah the 86/7 125M were an ENTIRELY different beast! not a single part interchanges (well nuts/bolts do but you know what i mean)

[kb0nly]

Yes indeed... But that 85 seat pan is still fixable.

[shortline10]

I have seen the 110 seat pans for the 84/85 in plastic OEM but unsure when they were made . Maybe a late production for 85 or possibly for the 85 125m .

[Thorpe]

Cut that sun rotted seat cover loose and see what happens...

[KI4UJO]

Ok, I took some better pictures.
http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee392/KI4UJO/GEDC0278_zps1ff5da99.jpg
http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee392/KI4UJO/GEDC0279_zps2b3f411a.jpg
http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee392/KI4UJO/GEDC0281_zps022e9264.jpg
http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee392/KI4UJO/GEDC0288-2_zpsf3e7a29f.jpg

The main thing here that I am concerned about is the angle at which the rear fenders set against the tank, as shown in the second photo in this post. This leads me to believe my frame is warped. Am I correct? I would cut the cover off, but I don't have one to replace it with right now.

[Honda250RinNC]

no, It ALMOST looks like the rubbers on the front of the tank are missing or messed up. on the 110's i had (and the 125M's too) the front seam of the tank came to be level with the top edge of the top clamp (chrome piece) that ties the forks together.

[kb0nly]

Agreed... The front end of the tank looks low.. Its possible the frame is bent as they usually get bent down at the head from smacking into something but it would be obvious when you pulled the tank off and put a straight edge on the top of the frame. Is the tank really loose? Can you grab it and pull the front of the tank up? If so the tank rubbers might be missing.

[KI4UJO]

The tank rubbers are definitely there, I had the tank off last week doing a carb swap. Unfortunately, I believe it is warped. Now, I just have to come up with a way to fix it. What I'm envisioning is to first get the frame straight again, and then build a reinforcement plate to strengthen the area behind the tank, where I believe it to be bent at. Now the thinking begins...

[kb0nly]

There have been some writeups on here about straightening the single tube frames, i think the last one pictured was a 110 but it might have been something else. Best way i have see to do it is tear down, removing the tank, seat and fenders, motor, front end. Then use a torch to heat and bend back up the front end with a bar through the neck in place of the forks, then after its straight add a piece of tubing up into the frame and weld it up to add reinforcement. Its definitely savable. I would take the few minutes it takes and pop off the fenders/seat and the tank and lay a straight edge on it and see how bad it is.

Is your front fender hitting the motor? Thats also a good sign its been tweaked, they always seem to bend the front down.

[KI4UJO]

The front fender is hitting the motor. I don't have a torch right now, and probably won't for a few months, so I've got something in mind to try on a junk frame that I have, which is warped not only in the front, but in the back as well. I'm planning on taking a hydraulic ram and placing it between the area surrounding the lower motor mount bolt and the fork. It may or may not work, but this frame is so badly damaged that I don't have much to lose by trying it. At least if I fix the junk frame, I'll have an excuse to build another trike.

[Honda250RinNC]

so strange..iv'e had numerous 90-125 frames(close to 25 all together including parts bikes) and never have had a bent one yet!

[captainweezy]

Still have a bent frame? Here is your answer.....http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/104333-atc-70-flipped-front-fender-Q/page2