Lowering your RT seat an additional half inch...

[biometrics]

The lowest position of the seat on my RT was just marginal for me. I decided to see if I could achieve a lower seat position without changing the suspension. Here is how I did it.

 

I marked found something substantial about a half inch thick to hold a box cutter blade stable for marking/cutting the rubber bumper.

 

http://forum.lugerforum.com/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2880

 

Then I cut the bumper carefully to reduce its height.

 

http://forum.lugerforum.com/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2882

 

Here is the standard seat pan peg on which the bumper normally sits. It is about an inch long.

 

http://forum.lugerforum.com/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2881

 

Then I chopped off the seat pan peg using a hacksaw blade and the discarded piece of rubber bumper as a guide.

 

http://forum.lugerforum.com/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2883

 

The cap of the bumper is installed on the shortened peg.

 

http://forum.lugerforum.com/picture.php?albumid=252&pictureid=2885

 

When reassembled to the bike, my seat was a half inch lower and I can still not flat foot at a stop but I do have a much better feel using the balls of my feet, than I did tippy-toed prior to my modification. The cons? The is a work in progress... The front seat has a little movement up and down at the rear where the fitment to the rear seat happens, but I will cure this with a small piece of rubber (like the pieces of the left over bumper) glued in the appropriate place. You can only move the seat when no one is sitting on it...

 

I think I can get another quarter inch if I shorten the peg a little more... but for the time being I am satisfied with the results.

 

If I ever need to restore the seat to its original height, all I will have to do is get some plastic stock the right diameter and length and mount it down inside a spare rubber seat bumper which I already have on hand.

 

 

[Daddoz777]

Bravo! I don't think I've heard of shortening the pan pegs before and will have to check it out on my bike. BTW, your picture links don't ssem to be the right type for the forum as they're not showing up.

[biometrics]

BTW, your picture links don't ssem to be the right type for the forum as they're not showing up.

 

I will try reposting the photos from home... my work filters all web storage sites so I couldn't link to them any other way but though another forum. What happens when you click on one of my links? Please capture a screen shot and show me.

[DiggerJim]

Bravo! I don't think I've heard of shortening the pan pegs before and will have to check it out on my bike. BTW, your picture links don't ssem to be the right type for the forum as they're not showing up.

Have to be careful of shortening the pegs too much or the pillion seat won't fit where it mates with the two tabs that line the seats up together.

[Mike]

BTW, your picture links don't ssem to be the right type for the forum as they're not showing up.

 

I will try reposting the photos from home... my work filters all web storage sites so I couldn't link to them any other way but though another forum. What happens when you click on one of my links? Please capture a screen shot and show me.

 

They all end up as a 1 pixel x 1 pixel white dot in the middle of a black screen.

[Selden]

I'm also height-challenged, but I found that below a certain seat height, the seat to footpeg distance produced an uncomfortable riding position, so to go really low requires lowering the pegs as well. I rode down to Sargent's this spring, and the first thing they had me try was their low seat — I didn't even need to roll the bike off the center stand to know this wasn't going to work. I ended up with a regular Sargent seat, with the nose shaved about 1/2". Even that is a little tight for the seat to footpeg distance, but with an extra 1/4" from a sheepskin + soft foam layer, it's just right. I can flat foot the bike with a passenger, and without the load of a passenger (even a small one), I can get enough down to be comfortable.

 

Other than this, the best thing I've done in the past year was to have my boots resoled with an extra 1/8" between the boot and sole. It doesn't sound like much, but with one foot down and the bike tilted to one side, it's like an extra 1/4", which makes a big difference at a stop.

[MT Wallet]

I can't see your pictures either. It sound like something I tried. I cut about 1/4 inch off the pegs and bumpers. I'm going to elevate the front of the seat again to get a better angle for me. I like to sit to the rear of the seat. I hope you get the pics posted to see what you did.

[Bullett]

I think Stovall (Hops) did this to his hexhead RT years ago. I recall him telling me about it when I was hoping to get off my toes. I replaced the suspension at about 20K miles with one inch shorter shocks.

[biometrics]

I am still having a problem with the photos...computer at home is giving me fits, and my employer filters all web storage sites...

 

if anybody can post the photos, I would be glad to email them to you... just PM me an email address.

 

thanks, -John

[Glenn Reed]

Here is the original post with the pictures John took of the operation:

 

The lowest position of the seat on my RT was just marginal for me. I decided to see if I could achieve a lower seat position without changing the suspension. Here is how I did it.

 

I marked found something substantial about a half inch thick to hold a box cutter blade stable for marking/cutting the rubber bumper.

 

 

Then I cut the bumper carefully to reduce its height.

 

 

Here is the standard seat pan peg on which the bumper normally sits. It is about an inch long.

 

 

Then I chopped off the seat pan peg using a hacksaw blade and the discarded piece of rubber bumper as a guide.

 

 

The cap of the bumper is installed on the shortened peg.

 

 

When reassembled to the bike, my seat was a half inch lower and I can still not flat foot at a stop but I do have a much better feel using the balls of my feet, than I did tippy-toed prior to my modification. The cons? The is a work in progress... The front seat has a little movement up and down at the rear where the fitment to the rear seat happens, but I will cure this with a small piece of rubber (like the pieces of the left over bumper) glued in the appropriate place. You can only move the seat when no one is sitting on it...

 

I think I can get another quarter inch if I shorten the peg a little more... but for the time being I am satisfied with the results.

 

If I ever need to restore the seat to its original height, all I will have to do is get some plastic stock the right diameter and length and mount it down inside a spare rubber seat bumper which I already have on hand.

 

[biometrics]

thanks Glenn!

[Richard_D]

I took out all of the adjustable seat mechanism up front and replaced it with L shaped aluminum . Drilled holes for the front rubbers and attached them with bolts. It lowered the seat about 3/4 of an inch. With the Sargent , it had no forward lean.