Sorry to nag at this again. I have an '89 with a 2007 tank on it. Someone here mentioned that the later seat with wrap 'round ears' (to match the later type tank scallops) won't fit the '89 frame.
Can I clarify WHERE doesn't it fit? Is it that the seat won't fit/attach to the frame... different mounting points? Or is it that the later seat doesn't fit the 98 type sidepanels.
The earlier seat I have (which needs recovering) fits, but doesn't look right with the tank, so as I have to spend money anyway, I thought it's best to try to get a good used later type seat. Maybe I could adapt mount points if this is the issue, or if it's the sidepanels I could do some glassing to reshape them.
Cheers,
Jools

Quote from: Joolstacho on November 03, 2013, 08:13:13 PM
Sorry to nag at this again. I have an '89 with a 2007 tank on it. Someone here mentioned that the later seat with wrap 'round ears' (to match the later type tank scallops) won't fit the '89 frame.
Can I clarify WHERE doesn't it fit? Is it that the seat won't fit/attach to the frame... different mounting points? Or is it that the later seat doesn't fit the 98 type sidepanels.
The earlier seat I have (which needs recovering) fits, but doesn't look right with the tank, so as I have to spend money anyway, I thought it's best to try to get a good used later type seat. Maybe I could adapt mount points if this is the issue, or if it's the sidepanels I could do some glassing to reshape them.
Cheers,
Jools

The frame on the newer bike is slightly different where it attaches to the seat. different mounting points.

The side covers of the 89-00 dont fit with the 01+ seat.
The 01+ side covers dont look right with the 89-00 seat.
The tank ... all years fit the seat and side covers ... only the side covers and seat affect each other.

Cool.
Buddha.

I have a 2013 Tank on my 1990 GS500 with the original shaped seat and it looks fine. There are pictures around here somewhere but CBF looking

Thanks lads, now I've got the answers I need. I think I might slightly remodel the '89 seat to cut down most of that that upward front curve that sits up against the tank. (It's a bollock-crusher anyway, and it doesn't quite look right).

Cheers, Jools

Here




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Brilliant mate, thanks for going to the trouble of posting the pics.
My plan is to cut off the front bollock crusher, and trim the seat along a line that matches the top 'scallop' line on the tank, just a little higher than that final seam on yours.
I'll post pics when I get it done. (Now, where can I steal an industrial sewing machine?)
-Jools

It all fits together without an issue. You just need to make up a little mounting tab because the tail plastics of the '00+ bikes didn't contact the tank where the 89-00 they did. It's a small thing, don't let it steer you away from a newer tank! And the old style seat is going to take a little (and I do mean little) amount of finesse to make latch in there. You just have to be a little forceful instead of it just slipping into the lock

There was some pics and an instructional by ben2go I think about making a grommet carrier bracket for the front grommet push in on the 89-00 plastic.

Cool.
Buddha.

Actually I don't think that front grommet fixing on the sidepanel will be a problem, it's reasonably secure without it, and anyway your thighs would hold it in pretty well as you ride. The new tank being a different shape at the rear, does push back a bit on the front tip of the seat which puckers up the seat foam, that's one of the reasons why I'll cut it down a bit.
I have bought and fitted a later tank, and it's great knowing there's no rust in there at all. (The old tank was a pepperpot!)

Quote from: Joolstacho on November 05, 2013, 04:15:08 PM
Actually I don't think that front grommet fixing on the sidepanel will be a problem, it's reasonably secure without it, and anyway your thighs would hold it in pretty well as you ride. The new tank being a different shape at the rear, does push back a bit on the front tip of the seat which puckers up the seat foam, that's one of the reasons why I'll cut it down a bit.
I have bought and fitted a later tank, and it's great knowing there's no rust in there at all. (The old tank was a pepperpot!)

I dont have the grommets on the front of my plastics and there is no issue at all. As you said your thighs hold them on anyway.

Oh forgot something else important! You need to "fabricate" 2 spacers for the back. The '01+ had a slightly more upswept tail section of the frame. The new style seat will rest about 1.5" above the rear seat support tab thing. I painted 2 wooden blocks black and then attached them to the frame. Problem solved. You don't need to do that if you only ride solo, but if you put a passenger on it without those blocks, I can say with about 95% certainty, you're going to crack the seat pan 

THX for the input guys. I decided to stick with the older original seat, but I'm going to trim down that front bollock crusher so it matches up better with the tank. Waiting for a leather seat cover from England, I'll shoot some pics when I've got it done.
BTW Mustang, it might be quite feasible to bend one of these seatbases to fit using a heatgun instead of adding blocks- just an idea.
Getting jacked up now, because the bike is 'nearly there' - just need a good rear wheel and tyre, and it'll be off for inspection for historic registration. WHAT!!!

(Just between you and me)...  The '89 GS500 will be 25 years old in 6 weeks time. This means it is Club/Historic reg. elegible (here in Oz anyway)... so it's $60 instead of $500 for rego.
Expect '89 prices to start rising when the secret gets out... lotsa blokes will be cottoning on to the fact that here is an essentially modern bike that's Historic reg elegible!)
(Anyone got an '89 frame to spare?  )

And it seems to me that we should do something to celebrate the fact that this is a 25 year model run... pretty amazing I reckon, a credit to Suzuki for sure.

-Jools

Yeah Joolsmine will be in the same boat soon. 1990 version...mind you a bit of a frankenstein creation...hardly original

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when i fitted the newer tank to my 89, i uncovered the front of the seat, and used a heat gun to re shape the plastic togue of the seat. Then i recovered it and, voila. I'll see if i can find pictures.

Looks good Boogieman, I like the heatgun solution.

Sweet...im going shopping for a tank now lol

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Quote from: Joolstacho on November 12, 2013, 08:31:22 PM
THX for the input guys. I decided to stick with the older original seat, but I'm going to trim down that front bollock crusher so it matches up better with the tank. Waiting for a leather seat cover from England, I'll shoot some pics when I've got it done.
BTW Mustang, it might be quite feasible to bend one of these seatbases to fit using a heatgun instead of adding blocks- just an idea.
Getting jacked up now, because the bike is 'nearly there' - just need a good rear wheel and tyre, and it'll be off for inspection for historic registration. WHAT!!!

(Just between you and me)...  The '89 GS500 will be 25 years old in 6 weeks time. This means it is Club/Historic reg. elegible (here in Oz anyway)... so it's $60 instead of $500 for rego.
Expect '89 prices to start rising when the secret gets out... lotsa blokes will be cottoning on to the fact that here is an essentially modern bike that's Historic reg elegible!)
(Anyone got an '89 frame to spare?  )

And it seems to me that we should do something to celebrate the fact that this is a 25 year model run... pretty amazing I reckon, a credit to Suzuki for sure.

-Jools

The seat pan isn't the biggest problem, it's the covering on the seat. It would get stretched so hard if you had a passenger, it would rip

Well only if you try to bend it with the seat cover in place, - bend the base then cover it afterwards would be fine I reckon.