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[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

If you can remove the bracket from the seat pan, then attach bracket to frame with mentioned shank bolts. Maybe you could rivet a plate or glue a bunch of rare earth magnets to the bottom of the pan. Magnets dude!

I do have magnets extracted from the tank bag I'm using.

I'm not sure what you mean by shank bolts - illustrate with a photo or diagram or something?

[Say10 15FX 16FXS]

A bolt with a non threaded portion (shank). That way it won't rub the frame.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I know what kind of bolt you meant, but didn't understand where or what you were implying by magnets or use of the bolts.

I've spec'd matching shank bolts from McMaster but haven't pulled the trigger. Even quick release pins are available but not in a way that clears the tube for the top rack mount.

Magnets to hold the seat on? Presuming the seat is disconnected from the bracket.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Anyway, yeah, I'll try it; thanks for the encouragement.

[Doug S]

I was wondering about the magnet comment, too...everything's aluminum on this bike! It's not a bad idea, though, might even be worth bolting on a steel pad for the magnet to grab onto. Of course, then anybody could pull the seat off, and the seat might not be held forward hard enough to keep the tabs engaged in the frame.

[Say10 15FX 16FXS]

Seat bracket (steel) bolted to frame with shank bolts, steel plate fastened to seat pan with screws or rivets. Place some magnets betwixt and you've got a quick release seat. That's what I was thinking may work.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/181880934761?_mwBanner=1

[Electric Terry]

To reduce compression from the seat, add 1 or 2 washers between the bottom of the seat and the seat bracket itself

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Seat bracket (steel) bolted to frame with shank bolts, steel plate fastened to seat pan with screws or rivets. Place some magnets betwixt and you've got a quick release seat. That's what I was thinking may work.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/181880934761?_mwBanner=1

Yes, that seems reasonable, although I'll consider a mechanical catch as well.

I've ordered quick release pins as well as shank bolts, to try both options.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

To reduce compression from the seat, add 1 or 2 washers between the bottom of the seat and the seat bracket itself

Good point. I can try that, too, although the compression is to the rear of the bike more than vertically as far as I can tell.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

It looks like the second bolt went recently. I unloaded my top rack and got replacements with washers from a hardware store.

I think this all just resulted from an aggressive touring test phase this year where I had cobbled together a tail arrangement that put too much stress with not enough reinforcement back there. It's salvageable, and I have projects scheduled to make it quite a bit better.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Success! I installed socket head hardened bolts with deeper threaded length (M6x25mm) and sandwiched the rack bracket with washers.

The top rack now rests on the tail tab and no longer can regularly be displaced at speed. The Corbin seat barely cleared the socket head height with the washers but was okay. On a regular seat, I'd recommend a mushroom cap bolt and still use washers to eliminate play.

The broken bolts were painful to remove, so be aware of they show signs of strain (particularly when the top rack does not rest fully on the tail when unloaded).

I've removed my hanky side racks and am switching to Happy Trail racks shortly for sturdier bracing.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Some updates after tinkering this weekend:

I've "resolved" the seat bolt issue by installing the most massive seatbolts possible, which are 90mm bolts with a shank right up to the last 25mm, and include spacers that help anchor the access hole on the top rack bars themselves. I did have to grind at the holes in the bars laterally to allow the spacer to sit flush against the frame side of the interior. The bolts are not going anywhere.

Why do this? Because it's part of the sturdiest side rack I've ever installed: Happy Trails SU Side Rack for Zero Motorcycle

I'll check later on making a latch for the seat - right now to unlatch it, I unbolt by just enough to let the latch off and leave the rack mount hardware in place.

I also added some padding between the tail plastics and the tab that rests on it for the top rack, because there was still some play in it while riding which caused the washers to make a squeak sound against the bolt head - a concerning symptom if not at least distracting.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Some illustrative photos: