Riding Position

[Frost]

Are there any mods i can do to get a more aggresive riding position?

Also, are there any efficient mods to get better performance?

[Frost]

well...basically i just want to do some mods to get better perfomance...
any ideas?...

[Lerxst]

What kind of performance?

More HP - Jetting, Exhaust, Porting, valves, etc...
Acceleration - HP, 15-tooth sprocket, etc...
Braking - aftermarket pads, steel-braided brake lines, new tires, etc...
Handling - progressive springs, gixxer rear shock, new tires, etc...

Start by looking in the modifications link of gstwin.com, do some thread searches, you'll find a whack of stuff.  Pantablo's got a great site too.

[Adam R]

Swap your stock handlebars for some lower bars and change the front suspension fork springs.  If you do that and upgrade to decent tires, maybe like BT-45s, I think you'll find the GS a lot sportier.  

You could also raise the rear a little by fitting a 1991-1995 GSXR rear shock.


Adam

[alerbaugh]

for a totally leaned over riding position, when there's not alot of traffic I'll put my passenger pegs down and put my feet on them.  Slide all the way back on the driver seat. and put my head just under the slipstream.  I don't know jack for performance.

[pantablo]

Swap your stock handlebars for some lower bars and change the front suspension fork springs.  If you do that and upgrade to decent tires, maybe like BT-45s, I think you'll find the GS a lot sportier.  

You could also raise the rear a little by fitting a 1991-1995 GSXR rear shock.


Adam

This is the best advice that addresses the first question. Your bar choices are a)drag bars, many complain about wrist position but many more arent bothered, b) suburban-machinery.com handlebars (see my page), they're quite good and mimick clip-on position getting more weight over the front wheel helping handling, c) buy srinath's s-m knock offs for same result but lower build quality/finish at substantially reduced price, d) install clip-on handlebars, very involved actually...

Progressive suspension fork springs are a must on the gs, as are better than stock tires. Do these things and the bike will be completely transformed for the better. Raising rear ride height does same as handlebar switch but dont do the rear shock until you've done the forks and tires.

[chimivee]

Are there any mods i can do to get a more aggresive riding position?

To go w/ the handlebar swap, consider installing rearsets. Especially w/ the more forward position of the lower bars (SM), I found myself wanting the pegs a bit further up/back.  There are aftermarket ones made for the GS (kinda pricey) or you can modify a set off another bike (cheaper, but requires some rigging).  Not sure which ones are "compatible," but I managed to make cbr600 rearsets work.

[Frost]

WOW...you guys are great...just what i'm looking for...Thanks a lot

any idea how much Progressive Springs, and handle bars will cost?

[scratch]

I've heard that Woodcraft makes a good pair of rearsets for the GS or the CBR rearsets may work.

[The Buddha]

Hey who you calling lower quality.....
Not lower nothing... S-M uses stainless steel, which costs more for material, and more to weld, and their markup is like 100% cos they make large quantities and stock them, and cos SV guys will pay more for a part that is prettier to look right on their pretty bike...
The bars I make are steel, 3/16 wall... that is thick - twice as thick as stock atleast, and welded up for strength... It is strong, weighs as much as a stock bar with the weights and made to fit and feel right on a GS. Its got cheap ass black paint... to keep it from rusting in shipment... and its the only cheap aspect of it. oh yea... My markup was nearly 0 for the first lot, the second lot may be ~3 bucks. I can make them in stainless if enough people (8-10) wanted it for ~$80-90.
Btw They are lower than stock, they are lower than the 89's even, they are a bit wider than the 89 but nowhere near as wide as the stock 90+.
Cool.
Srinath.

[rideLIKEjehu]

I've heard that Woodcraft makes a good pair of rearsets for the GS or the CBR rearsets may work.

what is a 'rearset'?

[Adam R]

A "rearset" is the name given to a bikes peg and pedal set-up (i.e. left peg and shifter along with right peg and brake lever).  Aftermarket rearsets, as James says, usually raise and move back the set-up.  Sometimes the shifter needs to be extended or swapped in order for your foot to reach it with the new set-up.  I have seen James set-up and must say it looks really good.


Adam

[dgyver]

I have Woodcraft rearset (thanks to JamesG   ) and have switched it to GP shift but could easily run it standard.

[TheGoodGuy]

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[Frost]

lower handle bars and rear sets plus progressive springs...
how will this affect the performance?...in a good way or bad...
will it be too stiff in a tight turn?

[chimivee]

lower handle bars and rear sets plus progressive springs...
how will this affect the performance?...in a good way or bad...
will it be too stiff in a tight turn?

The springs tighten up the front end, making far less nose-dive under braking and a more consistent and controlled feel overall.  The progressives seem to do a decent job of stiffening up the front w/ out becoming becoming overly harsh on the street.

Lower bars may not necessarily improve performance directly, but they definitely provide a more "direct" feel when it comes to handling.  Probably a slight aero advantage too since your hunched over more.

Rearsets should give you more cornering clearance and make it a little easier to move around on the bike.  But the lower bars/rearsets also tend to be less comfortable for cruising.

[Frost]

so that means there isn't really any disadvantage to those mods i listed except for maybe comfort when crusing...

thx a lot ppl...

[chimivee]

so that means there isn't really any disadvantage to those mods i listed except for maybe comfort when crusing....

Yeah, I'd say so.  Actually, the springs probably improve comfort as well, since they just make the bike generally nicer to ride - shocks don't bottom out over big dips, less drama under hard braking.

My rearsets put my pegs up about 3/4" and back about 1" over stock and have no problem w/ comfort - I actually prefer this position, even for cruising, but I'm a small guy, so being cramped isn't an issue.  Maybe with stock bars, I'd prefer stock pegs.

As for, lower bars, they'll definitely be less comfortable for cruising.  The less upright you are, the more weight that is on your wrists. Although, I've found the lower bars to be more conducive to a tucked position when you're flying down the freeway...

[Frost]

'tucked in' that's the word i'm looking for...

how much will all this cost?
Progressive springs $100 CDN

handle bars from suburban-machinery type 1 $150 US (what's the difference b/w Type 1 and 2??) ---so expensive???

rear sets $300 US??

tires i'll get it when it's worn...prob in a year or 2...

so all together approx $500 US...is this right?
it's quite a lot...

[dgyver]

An alternative to new rearsets are relocator plates. Easy to make and very cheap. 1/4" thick aluminum flat bar 2" wide cut to fit the frame. Drill 4 holes and tap 2 of them (or use a nut on the back) to mount the stock rearsets. Takes less than a hour to make a set and thats with basic tools. Cost is about $5 for the aluminum flat bar at most hardware stores. I use a palm sander with 220 grit sandpaper to give them a brushed aluminum look.