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turning my stock 86 into a brat

  • Thread starter Thread starter Yeslek
  • Start date Start date
Y

Yeslek

Guest
Hey all, I'm really new to this forum and even newer to the gs life (just bought my first bike last night, an 86 450l) and I'm definitely going brat style with her. I've done a little bit of digging online but have no clue where to look for some of the main features of this style of ride. I mainly am curious to know what some reputable and well reviewed sellers I should be looking into in terms of a handlebar swap and a brat style seat, among other things. If I can figure out the photo feature, there should be a couple photos of lil' Gigi and I below. Fingers crossed.
Thanks in advance for any help y'all can offer!
IMG_8251.jpg
 
Be sure to ride the bike for at least a few hundred miles before doing anything major. This will give you time to learn what it needs mechanically to be a reliable and comfortable bike. I'm sure you'd have no trouble getting help if you were broke down on the side of the road, however it's always a good thing to make it home instead.
 
Please define "brat". Hope it doesn't involve a hacksaw.....
 
Yeslek said:
Hey all, I'm really new to this forum and even newer to the gs life (just bought my first bike last night, an 86 450l) and I'm definitely going brat style with her. I've done a little bit of digging online but have no clue where to look for some of the main features of this style of ride. I mainly am curious to know what some reputable and well reviewed sellers I should be looking into in terms of a handlebar swap and a brat style seat, among other things. If I can figure out the photo feature, there should be a couple photos of lil' Gigi and I below. Fingers crossed.
Thanks in advance for any help y'all can offer!
View attachment 47263
Click to expand...

Nice seat, is it stock?
 
DohcBikes said:
Be sure to ride the bike for at least a few hundred miles before doing anything major.
Click to expand...
I definitely will be. Mechanically, I'm not changing anything for a while. It's just that I'm 5' and the seat I've got now is much too chunky to comfortably keep my feet on the ground, it's a little bit of a stretch as is. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated!
 
Brat style kinda just more ratty than cafes. Still has the skinny little seat and the lower handlebars, just not as clean/polished looking.
 
1948man said:
Nice seat, is it stock?
Click to expand...
To my knowledge, it's stock. It's just much too chunky for my short stature. I'm only 5' and I find that my feet hardly touch the ground when I'm on this thing. Gonna have to get that fixed asap.
 
Yeslek said:
I definitely will be. Mechanically, I'm not changing anything for a while. It's just that I'm 5' and the seat I've got now is much too chunky to comfortably keep my feet on the ground, it's a little bit of a stretch as is. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated!
Click to expand...

One thing I noticed when I changed the rear suspension on my MC was I could raise and lower basically seat height around inch, or inch and half atleast , when I adjusted the shocks "Preload" adjuster...

Still have a great link (IMO) bookmarked http://www.sportrider.com/suspension-setup-guide

Under "Preload" there's pic of the part which turns (on the rear shock(s).
There's a link there too which explains measuring proper "sag" for the rear suspension of bike.

Link mentions 25-30mm rear sag when seated for sportbikes anyway . you might(?) be able to lower the rear of your MC some (?)
(Just looked at pic of "86 GS 450L shock" stock does have the preload adjust looked like, IDK how much it can be adjusted).

On my first street-bike, the seat was ripped, so my brother helped me get some vinyl and used a staple-gun to recover it.
I was surprised, but that's how the stock vinyl was attached...same thing on my current MC except I'm thinking of using leather and stripping some foam on sides of passenger seat, as well as adding a taller strip just behind rider portion...
Good Luck. Nice pic BTW.:cool:
 
BurntKittyForge said:
One thing I noticed when I changed the rear suspension on my MC was I could raise and lower basically seat height around inch, or inch and half atleast
Click to expand...
very good to know! I definitely need to drop her down an inch or so. I'll look into that link you sent, thanks!
 
Thanks so much Steve, I really appreciate that, that should be pretty helpful.
 
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