RE: Seat/tail piece gaps

[Gaucho]

The seat on my GS does not align properly. Too much of a gap between the tail piece and the seat, and also the horizontal line of the plastic piece at the seat bottom does not align.
After taking apart the tail piece I can see that its fairly easy to close to gap forward. But this creates another issue. If the gap between the seat and the tail piece is to my liking, then the tail piece contacts the seat trim piece at the bottom of the seat. :-(
I used the search feature and couldn't find more info. Maybe some of the gurus can send me in the right direction? And no, take a hike is not the right direction. :-)
Thanks in advance
Gaucho

[rustybronco]

Pictures please...

[Gaucho]

Sorry,
Here you can see a little bit better what I mean.
I'm able to adjust #1 but then I have contact in the are with #2. Also Horizontally the don't align.
The bottom of the seat pan is stock, rubber spacers and all.
Gaucho

[rudeman]

Is the seat alignment off equally on both sides or is the right side off while the left side is proper?

[rustybronco]

Looks like your seat pan is bent upwards.

[rudeman]

Looks like your seat pan is bent upwards.

I was thinking the same as Dale. And it looks as though the aft rubber rests may not be making contact with the frame.

[Agemax]

looks like the seat has been reprofiled and the new seat cover is either too small or has been stretched on too tightly, causing the pan to bend up

[rudeman]

looks like the seat has been reprofiled and the new seat cover is either too small or has been stretched on too tightly, causing the pan to bend up

I would think that the cover would pull long before it could exert enough force to deform the seat pan. They're made of steel...

[Agemax]

I would think that the cover would pull long before it could exert enough force to deform the seat pan. They're made of steel...

what if its rusted and thinned??????

[850 Combat]

Looks like your seat pan is bent upwards.

Happens all the time. I've fixed a few of them. Try bending it over your knee, or putting it upside down on the floor and putting your weight in the middle of it. I've straightened out a couple of them this way. They seem to stay straight afterwards. Mine were G's, but it should be the same thing.

[rustybronco]

Yep, lift them by the seat grab rail and the pan will bend.

[Vmass]

Yep, lift them by the seat grab rail and the pan will bend.

Makes sense. Every GS I have owned has had a seat alignment issue. I do believe rustybronco has the cause figured out............ using the seat grab bar to pull the bike up on the center stand will most likely bend the seat pan.

[Nessism]

Bad design on Suzuki's part to put the rail on the seat. It should be frame mounted.

[rustybronco]

Sometimes it all boils down to the fact people can't read. I'm sure the owners manual shows which handle the use to put the bike on the centerstand.

[Gaucho]

We have a winner!!!
Bent seat pan it was! I put some thin stripes of wood on the frame rails right on the center of the seat. Then apply pressure to the back portion of the seat and voila! after a few attempts now the gap is almost perfect.
I believe that they probably lifted the bike onto the center stand grabbing on the seat or something like that. I've never seen something like that before.
Thank you all for the input!
Gaucho