https://www.ebay.ca/itm/SUZUKI-04-2004-GS500F-GS500-GS-500-SEAT-SEATS-CHEAP/280628842881?hash=item4156c85181:g:QVQAAMXQSnVRZXXX

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/1990-SUZUKI-GS500E-GS-500-E-FRONT-REAR-SEAT-SADDLE/272156636887?hash=item3f5dccb6d7:g:rm8AAOSwZQxW2cR0

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Black-Retro-Hump-Vintage-Cafe-Racer-Seat-For-Suzuki-GS500E-GT380-T500-Motorcycle/401504840678?fits=Make%3ASuzuki&hash=item5d7b8dabe6:g:SosAAOSwwlZao0T1

Just wondering if the top two links/seats are compatible.  It should be? I'm really looking at the cafe racer one and probably need to modify but it does say that it fits.
I see the older seats have a pointed end as oppose to the curved one the newer bikes have

Nope, the top two are not compatible.  The first link is for 2001+ bikes, the second is for bikes made before.

You need the respective gas-tank and side-plastics, and perhaps even the corresponding subframe.  People have done the swap, I don't recall all what's involved.


The custom seat stops listing GS500 compatibility at 2002, so it should fit all GSs.  Not sure why it doesn't list for 2003+, but 2003 and up is 2001+ sooo...   

For that third seat, well you'll have to do a fair amount of work to get it to fit any GS and it likely is not long enough to cover the frame at the rear of the bike. It's a generic seat for a motorcycle that can be adapted to use on basically any bike with a flat-ish rear frame. Many people have made them work on a GS500 but usually it requires cutting, welding, a completely custom (or missing) rear fender and relocation of most of the wiring, battery, relays, etc. that are hidden under the stock seat. This generic seat won't mate at all with the tank aside from the metal tab that fits under the edge of the tank to hold it, and it would necessitate removing the side plastics on any year bike because they are not going to be even close, there will be huge gaps and overlaps, etc.

The '01+ seats "wrap around" the tank, mating with a recess in the tank on those bikes so they won't fit an earlier bike due to the tank incompatibility. You'd have to cut the plastic seat base and foam and redo the cover. They will fit on the frame though. The side plastics won't line up with the edge of the seat. The earlier seat has a "tongue" on front that doesn't mate correctly with the later tank so you'd have to cut most of it off and redo the cover/foam. And of course the earlier seat won't line up with the late side plastics. Basically using the wrong seat for the year of the bike requires removing the side plastics (or switching them to match along with the seat) and modifying the plastic seat base.

Excellent info, I never considered it to be that much work, I may have to think twice on that.  I can buy seat cover for the gs500 so I may just do that and redo it myself.  I'm into customizing my bike right now so I'm really looking at things and definitely thinking twice on a few things.  Great to hear different perspectives!!

Recovering the seat is not hard. Also the plastic base mods to the stock seat(s) is not hard but of course necessitates modifying the cover to fit, but again, it's not difficult work.

Likewise removing the side plastics and doing something else to cover or relocate whatever stuff is showing that you want to hide is not hard but it is a cosmetic problem that most people would not want to live with long term. Far and away the easiest way to solve a seat cover issue is to recover the seat, since most alternatives involve recovering the seat at least partly or fabrication of other things.

Anyone knows if there is any café racer seat that doesn't need welding?
I would really avoid cutting too if possible.

Quote from: inakashi on July 04, 2018, 05:49:10 PM
Anyone knows if there is any café racer seat that doesn't need welding?
I would really avoid cutting too if possible.

Only think I can think of is a tail fairing like this:

http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/suzuz/GS500Titan.htm

And there is the gimbel tails

http://www.whaccessories.com/GS500Accessories.htm

Seen here I think: 
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=63018.0

GS has a horrible frame for cafe-ing it out. just saying. you can't get the lines right.

the street fighter thing is a lot easier due to its lines.

Quote from: J_Walker on July 05, 2018, 09:50:06 AM
GS has a horrible frame for cafe-ing it out. just saying. you can't get the lines right.

the street fighter thing is a lot easier due to its lines.

I don't know, these look pretty classy.

Quote from: Toner on July 05, 2018, 12:50:45 PM

That one is stunning. Shame the legal 'number-plate and reflector' combo would probably ruin it. Maybe you could wear it on your back.

Quote from: Kookas on July 05, 2018, 01:19:27 PM

Quote from: Toner on July 05, 2018, 12:50:45 PM

That one is stunning. Shame the legal 'number-plate and reflector' combo would probably ruin it. Maybe you could wear it on your back.

BTW that looks to me like a modified stock seat.

Still cutting and welding involved to make that look and a lot of creative wiring.

Quote from: Toner on July 05, 2018, 12:50:45 PM

Quote from: J_Walker on July 05, 2018, 09:50:06 AM
GS has a horrible frame for cafe-ing it out. just saying. you can't get the lines right.

the street fighter thing is a lot easier due to its lines.

I don't know, these look pretty classy.

Very cool pictures, gives me ideas!

The purists insist that for the true cafe racer look the focus has to be a horizontal line running along the seat and tank base. Impossible to achieve with the GS5 owing to it's design.

However.......beauty is in the eye of the beholder.