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[DonTom]

I just got done making a quick-release for my 2017 Zero DS ZF 6.5 seat. I will do the same later with my 2017 Zero SR w/ pwr tank later, when I get back to Auburn where I keep that bike.

Travel trunk rack is REQUIRED to do below.

Parts needed (1 ea of all below).

1.  Black Stanley gate hinge.

2.  2.5" or 3" Universal Clevis Pin 7/16" x 3" (7/16 x 2.5 " will also work).

3. 3/8" hitch pin.

4. A wood type bolt / screw to mount the hinge to the seat. Do not overtighen. Keep it loose, that's all that is needed.

5. A couple of small machine screws, washers  and nuts to mount hinge bracket under travel trunk mount.

There are no mods to the bike and only one hold drilled into the bottom of the seat.

The seat can be removed in ten seconds. Perhaps 20 seconds to get seat back in place.

If you do not want the seat to be that easy to remove  with no tools required, simply use a bolt with a castle nut (or whatever) in place of the Clevis pin.

All this stuff can be purchased at Home Depot.

Attached are several photos of what I did (in the next several posts).

-Don-  Reno, NV

[DonTom]

More attachments.

[DonTom]

And a couple  more.

[DonTom]

more attachments:

[DonTom]

last attachment.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I like this idea for a number of reasons!

So, if I understand right, this anchors end of the seat pan to the rear rack. I'm hopeful that this could help stabilize the rear rack (more than the tab does). I also like that this (apparently) doesn't require destructively modifying any of the OEM plastics.

Did you have to remove and re-attach the vinyl in order to fasten the bracket to the seat pan? How did you get that fastening set up?

Thanks for the photos; I'll try to queue this for the manual, although I may wind up trying it first since I'm getting really bothered by the difficulty of accessing my OBD-II port lately.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Bless McMaster-Carr for having a very similar hinge listed with a drawing:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#13125a51/=198pd7z

[DonTom]

Did you have to remove and re-attach the vinyl in order to fasten the bracket to the seat pan? How did you get that fastening set up?

Yes. Remove the two tiny Phillips screws and remove the small piece of vinyl. Put it back after you have the rack hinge mounted.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[DonTom]

Bless McMaster-Carr for having a very similar hinge listed with a drawing:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#13125a51/=198pd7z

As long as the bend in it is at the exact same place and same amount. I will compare the measurements to mine later.

I made one very minor improvement today. I added a screw at the end of the bracket on the seat. The reason I did this is because sometimes, when I go  to put the seat back on, the one screw would let  the bracket to move a little when I tried to line it up. The second screw (also not tight) holds the bracket in place perfectly. This makes it easier to get the seat back on the bike.

At this point,l I don't think any improvements can be made (but suggestions are always welcome!). The seat is very easy to get off and on in just seconds and the seat bracket now holds perfectly in place.

To reinstall the seat, the rear of the seat has to be installed first, past the bracket on the trunk.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[DonTom]

Bless McMaster-Carr for having a very similar hinge listed with a drawing:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#13125a51/=198pd7z

Looks like that will NOT work:

"Pin Type   Nonremovable"

The pin has to be removed! With the hitch I used, the pin is  held in only by gravity.    The Clevis pin MUST go in it's place.

Unfortunately, I cannot find the package for my hinges. I bought them years ago when I was fixing a gate, but they never got used on the gate.  But I can look for them in Home Depo and Lowe's and post a model number or whatever. All I see on my hinge is the name "Stanley".

This here looks like the hinge I am using.  It also explains how I found two of them in my garage!

-Don-  Reno, NV

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Bless McMaster-Carr for having a very similar hinge listed with a drawing:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#13125a51/=198pd7z

Looks like that will NOT work:

"Pin Type   Nonremovable"

The pin has to be removed! With the hitch I used, the pin is  held in only by gravity.    The Clevis pin MUST go in it's place.

Unfortunately, I cannot find the package for my hinges. I bought them years ago when I was fixing a gate, but they never got used on the gate.  But I can look for them in Home Depo and Lowe's and post a model number or whatever. All I see on my hinge is the name "Stanley".

This here looks like the hinge I am using.  It also explains how I found two of them in my garage!

It looks like the same item, though. I'll buy a pair and see whether it can be removed. I have plenty of 8mm ⌀ quick-release pins that might do the trick, or I'll find something for that specification.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Bless McMaster-Carr for having a very similar hinge listed with a drawing:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#13125a51/=198pd7z

As long as the bend in it is at the exact same place and same amount. I will compare the measurements to mine later.

What bend? Regardless of whether the McMaster part is the same as yours, we still need enough information for someone to know exactly what to buy (or what will make a decent substitute).


If the Stanley part is not made of a decent tolerance or varies year over year randomly, this hack won't be repeatable.

I made one very minor improvement today. I added a screw at the end of the bracket on the seat. The reason I did this is because sometimes, when I go  to put the seat back on, the one screw would let  the bracket to move a little when I tried to line it up. The second screw (also not tight) holds the bracket in place perfectly. This makes it easier to get the seat back on the bike.

At this point, I don't think any improvements can be made (but suggestions are always welcome!). The seat is very easy to get off and on in just seconds and the seat bracket now holds perfectly in place.

To reinstall the seat, the rear of the seat has to be installed first, past the bracket on the trunk.

I'd like to see close-ups of how the bracket fastens to the seat with better lighting. You could send the original resolution photos to me at by email at "(this username) at gmail dot com".


The general fitment makes sense; I just want to get a lot of the details sorted before I try this in my garage. At least I have a spare seat to practice it on.

[DonTom]

What bend? Regardless of whether the McMaster part is the same as yours, we still need enough information for someone to know exactly what to buy (or what will make a decent substitute).

There is a slight bend in the bracket that helps the bracket fit under the seat which just happens to be lower than the higher Clevis pin and  by the exact same amount of the bend in the bracket. However, a different bracket shouldn't be difficult to bend as needed.

I'd like to see close-ups of how the bracket fastens to the seat with better lighting. You could send the original resolution photos to me at by email at "(this username) at gmail dot com".

For now, look at the LOOSE bracket next to the seat in my very first photo above. That bracket is held in the EXACT same position as the one mounted on the very middle of the seat. That was why I put it there.  But if you still need a photo, no problem, I can do that during the day. I have been doing most of my work at night lately as it has been very hot out here.

The general fitment makes sense; I just want to get a lot of the details sorted before I try this in my garage. At least I have a spare seat to practice it on.

Mount the part on the rack first. Then what to do to the seat part of the bracket will be obvious, when you have the loose seat. The bracket for the seat should be the very last thing you do before putting it together.

-Don-  Auburn, CA (I am doing my SR bike wight now!)

[DonTom]

A few more helpful hints now that I just completed the  job again on a different bike.

The wood screw /bolt mounted on the seat is in the center hole of the bracket and is mounted into the center of that little rectangular hump you will see on the bottom very rear of the seat. Later, I added a small long screw to the last hole of the bracket as well, so the bracket cannot move at all when putting the seat back on. This screw just barely goes into the plasctic under the seat.

Notice on the loose bracket in photo, when mounted on the rack, the part that holds the clevis pin will be flipped up toward the rear of the rack. This bracket will use the very first two holes in the very front of the rack, with the clevis pin more to the rear. The holes on this bracket will line up well enough with the rack for the machine screws with washers and nuts. 

When you start doing the job, it will be fairly obvious what to do before you drill a hole into the seat, as long as you start with the part that mounts under the rack.

Entire job took me less than an hour. It's an easy job that goes smoothly all the way.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Ah, that's very helpful context, thank you.

I'll try to set up the task myself and see how it works for me.