Old Biker New Rocket

Dave Mac said:

That helps a lot, PH. I will go out to barn tomorrow and carefully drill it. I have the advantage (thanks to 'Wonder-Dog') of seeing on the top of the seat pan what looks like two rivets "possibly" holding the male end of the seat lock latch to the bottom of the seat. If, after I grind those off, I still can't pull the seat up, I will follow your suggestion & drill a hole near where it seems the latch is and hopefull get a tug-hold on that cable. Who knows what's under the seat... maybe there's a spare key in the tool kit (if it has one). It's all conjecture at this point. If you'd like I can let you know what happens when I'm done drilling...

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Plow Horse said:

Please do.

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TURBO200R4 said:

I had a single seat and i was able to take a coat hanger and with it double make a small bend and slide it in from the right side and grab the cable and yank on it while pounding the seat and came unlatched after a few tries. After it was off it looked like i could have came from the left side with a screwdriver and trigger the lever

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Dave Mac said:

PTL I was successful in removing the seat! Thanks to "Wonder-Dog" chewing all the upholstery & foam I was able to find the two rivets holding the base of the seat to the lock latch, drill and grind the rivets off, and lift the 'carcass' from the bike. Since this R3 was abandoned then stored in a shop for years, all the stuff under the seat hasn't seen the light of day in over a decade. The tool kit case and the tools inside are all present as is the owners manual and maintenance book. I haven't looked through these yet but, because they've been stored in a plastic pouch, they seem to be in good condition. I am grateful for your suggestions, PH, and that of the others who took the time to write. Once I get the proper blanks for the lock from a Triumph dealer I will be heading over to a locksmith for key-work.

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Dave Mac said:

Greetings, R3 Forum Fans,
About 50 years ago I purchased my first bike (a little Yamaha Omaha Trailmaster). Not long after that I began finding various Brit bikes for sale (most needed work). Fast forward to 2020 and here I am by God's grace still riding... and still working on some of England's finest. I recently purchased a non-running 2005 Rocket III that had been neglected and set aside for more than a decade. I am the 3rd owner; the previous owner got the R3 w/o keys so naturally I'm having to begin right there: no keys, locked tank, bad fuel, missing seat and signals. This bike presents lots of challenges for me but it seems like a worthwhile endeavor to take on. I need to go about getting keys made for it for if anyone is reading this and has a suggestion, I would welcome it. I look forward to becoming part of the forum; my thanks to all of you who helped in creating and contributing to it.

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aquilla said:

Based on the frame number and providing ownership documents, any Triumph dealer should be able to get you original keys. The elegant way.

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