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Zumo 550 MC Mount

gbyoung2

Member
Member
Hate it when you get caught in a predicament, but still decide to move forward. Talking about a MC cradle for my Zumo 550.

Not really liking the affair I had rigged up to mount the unit on top of the CL77 gas cap using a vacuum winshield mount, I kept looking. Finding parts for obscure/obsolete relics, such as the 550 are really hard to come by now. Then, out of the blue a complete cradle set appears on eBay, so I scarfed it up. Kinda like shopping at Costco – you see it, you better get in ‘cause it might not be there next week, or even tomorrow, for that matter.

Then – a friend, and local ADV inmate says he has a cradle set and would I be interested. Oh geez – sure – why not. Always good to have spare parts for old stuff like that. My wife has made similar comments, but we won’t go into that. He was going to drop the stuff off in a couple of weeks when in town for a job.

Then, a couple days later, he sends me another note that he had made a mistake with the model number; his was a 660, and not a 550, which has a completely different cradle arrangement.

I backed off of his generous offer since I preferred to keep total compatibility with what I have now.

The one that I bought on eBay cane in a day later, and it was complete and in good shape; everything worked. Installed it on Friday, because another inmate and his son and I were planning on doing the 5 & 10** ride early Saturday morning, and I wanted it in place on the CL just to see how it worked out….. which was good.

** The 5 & 10 (nickel/dime – call it what you will) ride is riding down local Route 5, cross the James River on the Jamestown Ferry, then ride Route 10 back up towards home.

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My friend and his son:
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FWIW – the ride was about 150 miles in length, but the CL I have now beat the living tar out of me. It was nothing like the original I had back in the late 60’s when my previous wife and I did close to 3900 miles on it up through Canada one year. Suspension on that one was totally stock; not sure about the one I have now. Seat padding (or lack thereof) is completely different, I know; my backside will attest to that. Forgetting the discomfort level, the bike ran great with no issues what-so-ever. That was the first, long ride I've made on it since re-assembly awhile back.
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After grousing about the seat padding (?) in my CL that someone had obviously redone, I decided to boost the Vietnamese economy somewhat and ordered an aftermarket seat for the bike. It arrived yesterday. Not particularly cheap, but the quality and workmanship appear first notch. They’ve done a good job replicating the original, complete with the metal trim work around the periphery of the bottom. Certainly a far better job than I could have done trying to bring the one that came with the bike back to a presentable, and useable life.

Rode the bike around the neighborhood a few times earlier this morning after getting the Connie inspected, and it felt “okay.” The true test will come later during, and after a longer ride.

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Looks very nice! I’m betting that there’ll be a break-in period like on my ‘21 C14. The first couple thousand miles were harsh, but now at nearly 7k miles it seems to be softening up just enough to let me enjoy long(er) trips. While I still don’t like the forward slope, the harshness of the full and fabric has begun to mellow.

Congrats! AB
 
Looks very nice! I’m betting that there’ll be a break-in period like on my ‘21 C14. The first couple thousand miles were harsh, but now at nearly 7k miles it seems to be softening up just enough to let me enjoy long(er) trips. While I still don’t like the forward slope, the harshness of the full and fabric has begun to mellow.

Congrats! AB

I suspect that'll be the case here too. It's definitely firm, but suspect it'll loosen up a bit as time goes on. The original seat's foam, or whatever they put in it, simply gives way after a few miles and you find your backside bouncing along on the seat pan.
 
After grousing about the seat padding (?) in my CL that someone had obviously redone, I decided to boost the Vietnamese economy somewhat and ordered an aftermarket seat for the bike. It arrived yesterday. Not particularly cheap, but the quality and workmanship appear first notch. They’ve done a good job replicating the original, complete with the metal trim work around the periphery of the bottom. Certainly a far better job than I could have done trying to bring the one that came with the bike back to a presentable, and useable life.

Rode the bike around the neighborhood a few times earlier this morning after getting the Connie inspected, and it felt “okay.” The true test will come later during, and after a longer ride.

Img_6957-L.jpg


Img_6958-L.jpg


Img_6956-L.jpg


Img_6954-L.jpg


Img_6955-L.jpg

That seat looks really nice
I thought about buying one of these fir my 78 KZ. But, I had a spare pan, so I went with an upholstery guy instead.
An old boy in Tennessee.
I haven’t gotten it back yet / don’t even know what he’s charging me. Be interested to see how mine works out vs yours.
I may need to buy one like yours 😁
 
Ok. Thanx.
I wasn't aware that a complete seat could be ordered for the old bikes..

Ride safe, Ted
Same here Ted,
I was very surprised.
They come outta Vietnam, that’s a good thing.
Im interested to see how it wears / sits long term
Best
Bob
 
Ok. Thanx.
I wasn't aware that a complete seat could be ordered for the old bikes..

Ride safe, Ted

I wasn't either. Everything I saw in the past was just a cover, no padding, no metallic trim. I saw it, and immediately jumped on it. Mine is what they call the "C" Mount (way it slips on to the frame in the front by the horn of the seat), which they had. Another version, I'm not sure what they call it, they also had.

I have about 20 miles on it now, and it's beginning to loosen up a little - OR - my backside is. Time will tell. Going on a 100+ mile ride next Saturday so stand by for a later report.

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That seat looks really nice
I thought about buying one of these fir my 78 KZ. But, I had a spare pan, so I went with an upholstery guy instead.
An old boy in Tennessee.
I haven’t gotten it back yet / don’t even know what he’s charging me. Be interested to see how mine works out vs yours.
I may need to buy one like yours 😁

I had two Connie seats redone by a local a year or so ago...... $80/per. VERY happy thus far.

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