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Old 11-29-2016, 04:47 AM   #5
ions82
Member
ions82
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: ABQ, NM
Posts: 309
5 yr Member
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I took out the tilting mechanism and made the seat assembly fixed. It still has a lot of adjustment, and it currently sits more toward the rear of the adjustment travel. The original seatpost I used had some rear offset, but I switched to the zero-offset when I was testing the tilting mech (as I wanted the seat to be directly over the pivot point.) Right now, the whole assembly just rests on top of the foot pads. In order to get the foot sensors to trigger, I had to put some pieces of stiff foam in the center of the foot pads. So, when I was standing on top of the seat base, the whole thing would rock a little. The same happened when I was sitting on the seat. Also, as you can see in the pictures, it doesn't quite self-balance. I haven't tried adjusting the balance settings with the app. Perhaps when I have a finished version of the seat and steering installed.

The SegSaddle on my i2 is bolted right to the base. I haven't explored the base of the MiniPro to see if I could do the same. The SegSaddle has kind of a convoluted system that is spring loaded and presses the sensors down when someone is seated. The idea is that the sensors will be depressed whether the rider is standing or sitting. Without such a system, one could be seated and take the feet off the sensors, and the machine would go into its riderless mode. Not good! I need to make sure that a seat for the MP will have the same accommodation.

Unfortunately, the foot platforms for the MP are pretty small. So, there's not a lot of room to work with. The steering input on the rear of the machine doesn't help matters. If I didn't have to route the steering tube under the seat, I could make things a bit more compact and streamlined. I have considered making a cable-driven steering system that would be incorporated into a seating system, but those sorts of things add to complexity very quickly. One thing is for sure, I think the MP will do quite well as a seated machine. I only took it for a short spin as it is very cold and damp tonight. I look forward to taking the next steps to see if I can make this a viable seating solution.

So, I now need to take a look under the foot pads and see how things look. This whole seating and steering system is still just a prototype, so a "finished version" will be far more polished and refined. For now, everything is made to be adjustable and left with a "raw" finish. If I make a finished version, I will likely have all of the parts anodized. I sure am glad that I decided to spring for the MiniPro. What an awesome little device!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg MPseatEdit1.jpg (149.0 KB, 73 views)
File Type: jpg MPseatEdit2.jpg (147.8 KB, 57 views)
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