Changing seats on a Ninja 500 or GS500

[talldude]

I'm going to look at a GS500 tomorrow. I've sat on the newer GS500Fs before and they were uncomfortable. Is it possible to change the seat to a more comfortable one? Hopefully one that wouldn't force a forward angle? Maybe a flat one similar to the regular standard or cruiser seats?

Thanks!

[gsJack]

What year GS500 are you looking at? Suzuki made a gel seat for the 2000 and earlier GS500, but not later ones. Also, Corbin makes a rather pricey seat for the 2000 and earlier models. From 2001 and on they have a different seat.

Not sure what you mean by the seat forcing a forward angle, some have complained about sliding forward on the seat. The GS has a sort of moderate sportbike like seating position with the pegs up and back a bit and a long reach to the bars.

I put 80k miles on a 97 GS with the old style seat and now have 50k miles on a 02 GS with the new seat and have found them both to be quite comfortable for me, much better than the seating positions of the CB400T, CB750K, CM400A, and CB650SC Honda standard bikes I had previously that had flat seats and upright seating positions that gave me sore backs and sore butts that I haven't had with the GS500s.

I did have a problem with my hands going numb early on with the first GS500 due to leaning too much of my weight forward on my hands. Solved that problem with some GenMar risers that moved the bars up and back a bit. No problem since.

[talldude]

Thanks for the reply Jack.

What I meant about the seat is that it seemed to make me sit more forward than what was comfortable for me. Maybe it was more the feet position, not sure. For all I know it could have been the f laired gas tank at the top making my legs go out wide that did it...

Anyway, someone else bought that bike and I wound up getting a KAW KZ750. Your riser idea may have made the difference for me with the GS500 though. Maybe I'll check it out for my next bike down the road.

Ride Safe!

[Lil'Suzi]

Hey Jack,

I'm getting a '95 GS500 this weekend. I'm a little short legged, would the gel seat you mention let me sit lower than the standard seat on the bike? Where would I find the gel seat, online?

Thanks!