Mine has two plastic retainers. As soon as I remove the seat, I screw one of the nuts back on.

 

Just had to re-install mine yesterday after it dropped completely out as I took the sea off Cherry. The Plastic retainers were no longer "retaining".

I just dropped a weighted string (fish line) down through one of the bolt holes, removed the weight and tied ithe string to the corresponding bolt on the piece and pulled it back up and through the hole in the fender. I then repositioned it until it to popped up in the other hole in the fender. I just had to make sure the wire harness lined up with the bump out on the plate.

Since the retainers weren't holding the bolts in place any more, I double wrapped some electrical tape around each disk and poked a small hole in the tape. Then sort of screwed the retainers on through the tape. Now they did their job again to hold the bolts in place while replacing the seat. Should keep it from falling out next time I have to take the seat off.

 

Would a dab of adhesive on the piece the bolts are attached to hold the assembly in place??

Paul

 

I suspect it would but I think it would be tricky to do from underneath

I picked up another to retaining washers today to I can “double up” and get a bit more assurance that the screw won’t be pushed through the retainer if it gets bumped during the seat install.

i haven’t figured out how to install them yet as pushing them on from the top will likely push the screw out of the existing retainer

This seems like a silly design to me.

 

Mine has two bolts sticking out of the fender. They each have the plastic retaining washer. However, the bolts underneath the fender are attached to a metal plate attaching both bolts as a set. So as long as one retainer is attached, it should not fall out. So just screw one bolt down, then push on the retaining washer. Screw the nut down on that bolt and remove the other nut from other bolt and repeat.

If yours are not attached, then they must have lost them and replaced with individual bolts, which I agree would be a bitch.

 

Don thank you I will give it a try

 

The more time I spend with this new Heritage the more stuff I see that appears to have been designed by a first year engineering student. It’s like they’re trying so hard to be clever and totally forgetting that there’s a fine line between “clever” and “stupid.”

 

Totally agree. The ingenious process that Frank had to go through to retrieve the bolts is ridiculous for something as basic as a seat fastener. There has to be a better design.

Don is correct there is a bar underneath connecting the two bolts so I will be able to secure one side while I push the second retainer on and then repeat for the other side.

iIt should be more secure with two retainers on each bolt but there’s still the risk of pushing them through when installing the seat.

i guess forewarned is forearmed so I will be damn careful removing and replacing the seat.

 

I have taken my seat off several times with no issues. I will look closer at the design next time I remove it.

 

Harley has been using this seat mounting system for 15 plus years. I think the only difference is the retaining washers are thinner and cheaper and don't hold as well. Much like the thinner fenders.
A good thing is you can push the studs through and put on a one piece seat.