AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 67T
his being the fi rst cruiser I’ve
spent a decent amount of time
with, I’ve come to experience
a few of the practices of the
average cruiser buyer. I’ve got to change
the exhaust, throw on new handlebars
and add some luggage options. These
three changes make big statements
about a cruiser’s intention from the get
go, changing a bike from laid-back, clean-
lined for cruising down a coastal road to
ready to cross the Nullarbor with ease.
The intention of Project Bolt has
always been to have a bike whose
purpose, with the twirl of a few spanners,
can be completely changed. While the
sleek and unobtrusive Cobra exhaust
sinks into the blackened engine, the
fl a er, wider Ventura handlebar makes
the rider’s perch more comfortable and
gives the bike a nicer style.
While the fairing comes on and off as
easily as you like and the heap of Ventura
luggage options take you from tourer to
commuter just as simply, the only other
way to change the feel and style of the
Bolt is to go with a diff erent seating option.
With a dual seat, springer, wide-
studded and wide-vintage options on
off er, we used US-made Mustang seats
for the job. With the intention of the
Bolt to be bare bones essential through
to open road tourer, we looked to asingle-seat and dual-seat option.
The single seat was a no brainer.
The Spring Solo gives a neat bobber style
to the Bolt when it loses the fairing and
luggage. For the other side of the coin,
a dual-seat option had to be all about
comfort for the rider and pillion. With
studs not looking right for the package,
the Wide Vintage solo seat with backrest
and the Wide Vintage passenger seat
using the luggage rack as a backrest
were selected.
Fitment was simple — anyone can
do it. Step-by-step instructions guide you
through the seat assembly and it literally
takes minutes to remove the original
seat and replace with the Mustang one.
The boxes come direct from Mustang in
the US, very well packaged. Looking like
leather but made of moulded vinyl, the
seats ooze quality in construction fromthe beautiful quality of fi nish on the base
plate and quality feel of all the screws
and fi ings. The moulded vinyl looks and
feels like leather, but you are not going to
get the adverse wear of leather when it is
not looked a er meticulously.
The change you ask? The standard
one had made the riding a li le more
cramped then before. The Spring Solo
gave it a position lower and further back,
making the foot controls a bit awkward.
The Wide Vintage seat felt the most
comfortable of the lot, but the reach
to the footpegs was too short and the
fairing screen needed to be taller.
All of that doesn’t ma er anyway;
it’s now at a point of refi nement, where
the ride needs to be tailored for its new
owner (details to come). And he’s going to
enjoy it because it can be whatever bike
he wants it to be! — MSPROJECT BOLT
■ The Bolt in touring form■ Touring saddles are
comfortable and look
the part■ The complete touring set-up■ All the tools and parts needed to
do the jobr The hinged springer saddle
carries a neat pouch on its baser Simple lines of the springer
saddleWe go from economy-
class seats to first
class on Project Bolt
SEAT SWAP
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