Posted by CA on September 25, 2001 at 19:36:32:
In Reply to: Seat & footpeg options posted by Davo on September 25, 2001 at 17:31:54:
> I was thinking of something along the lines
> of what is on the Triumph Bonneville or
> Kawasaki W650, i.e., a straight "bench" seat.
Your complaints are common to all Crusiers, what you really need is a 'Standard' style bike. You could have a flat seat made, but it won't be easy and it will cost you. Do some sketchs over a photo of the LS with it's seats removed and you'll see the task ahead.
> Also, has anyone considered moving the
> footpegs back?
The nifty Japanese-only 'Tempter' has rearward pegs but Suzuki runs a chain drive on that model. The biggest problem with moving the pegs back on the Savage is a lack of room on the left side because of the large belt-drive countershaft pulley. I'm not saying it can't be done, but you'll need to make some intricate adapters that somehow fit to the frame members under the engine... and there isn't a lot of ground clearance already.
> The problem with forward pegs is that your
> spine takes all of the road shock.
I feel your pain (seriously). My thinking on all of this is to have the stock seat built up with another inch of high-density foam which incorporates a gel pad, too. Suzuki does sell an accessory gel seat, but I've not tried it yet.
Also, experiment with the rear shock preload settings. The softest position isn't always best because it will allow the shocks to bottom out and slam you.
Next, change the bars. Lower, or more forward bars will add a slight forward incline to your spine so road shocks don't hammer the vertebra. Checkout all the bends available for Harleys, they're 1-inch bars like the LS uses.