Lower seat mod leaves seat feeling like it's going to fall off bike

[semmyroundel]

Hi all, I've read a lot about lowering the seat height/modding the angle to be flat, but being a real shortstop I'd like to do both.
I've already had lust racing lowering kit added, but as I use the bike predominately in city, I'd like the extra comfort of being that ltlle bit lower.
I bought and used all the 5 lower rubber pads, now it's nice and low, but the seat is so wobbly it feels like it'll fall off.
The only time it doesn't is when i'm sitting and riding.
Ideally, I'd like it to be flat AND not wobble.
I'm guessing that at the moment the lock bracket isn't engaging properly

 

[EricV]

A common scenario is that the plastic hook on the bottom of the seat now doesn't fit tight against the bracket it tucks into at the rear of the seat. I stuck a piece of hard felt from a furniture slider to the tab after cutting it to the shape of the tab. It stays in place and takes up most of the space so it's a nice fit and the seat doesn't wobble. You can buy rectangular pieces and cut to shape like THIS but I just used some 2" round ones I got at the Dollar Tree, similar to THESE. They have self adhesive backing.

Secondary, are you using the high/low plastic adjuster still, or did you remove it? IMHO, it should be used, even with the lower bumper mod.

 

[semmyroundel]

Thanks EricV, still using the plastic adjuster, I know what you mean about the felt pads, I have them for furniture not to mark my oak flooring.
Dunno, but it seems to wobble a LOT, like front AND back, but maybe my imagination?

 

[EricV]

Thanks EricV, still using the plastic adjuster, I know what you mean about the felt pads, I have them for furniture not to mark my oak flooring.
Dunno, but it seems to wobble a LOT, like front AND back, but maybe my imagination?

It is possible to get the seat partially latched instead of fully down. I've had this happen. It's locked, but not really down all the way. Just a wild guess, but take a look at the latch when it's open, then when you press the seat down it should go down tight to the frame. If it's forward or backwards a bit too much, it doesn't like to fully seat, if I recall correctly. (It's been a while and I no longer have a S10 in the garage)

 

[Thetractorman]

Had the exact same issue with mine when I got it (2nd hand).
Previous owner had removed all the bump stops?
I used similar to the furniture protectors being described just where the front ones had been (only) .
Put the adjustment sub-frame to the high setting but when replacing the seat ensure the rear 'catch arm' is hooking into the lower setting.
The new bump stops now sit against the 'high' setting mounts on the adjustment frame.
Wobble gone, and has the added advantage that the S10 tilt to the front that we all hate is gone!
Here's hoping for you.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

 

[Bart]

It is also possible to heat the plastic hook under the seat and bend it to suit

 

[Bill_C]

Sorry if this is hard to follow, I am bad at describing stuff.
I have seen where someone drilled a hole in the metal cross piece that the seat hook sits under. That hole is the exact same size as the holes that the seat bumpers go into on the seat pan. He then installed one of the original sized rubber bumpers off the underside of the seat to the bottom side of the metal cross piece. The result was that all of the play was removed from the seat.
Hope that helps.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[cyclemike4]

I took the rubber bumpers in the middle and back of my seat out. I left the front two in. I used a plastic block cut to size and bolted it to the hook on the back of the seat to take up the space. Works great and feels great to me riding it

 

[semmyroundel]

A thousand thanks everyone, food for thought there.
I do find some of the advice a bit difficult to imagine in my head, but I need to get the seat off again and have it in my hand to appreciate what is being said above.

 

[yen_powell]

A thousand thanks everyone, food for thought there.
I do find some of the advice a bit difficult to imagine in my head, but I need to get the seat off again and have it in my hand to appreciate what is being said above.

I did my seat levelling (in the low position) following a Youtube video, easier to understand that way. My seat is super solid, although there is a slight gap at the front by the tank.

 

[Edbo1960]

I have a RDL and did different saet mods, last one (I forget which) would have the seat "unlock" if I stopped to quickly and started to wobble. I got a rubber door stop (I know, not very elegant) and jammed it between the gas tank and the seat, skinny part down, and that stopped the seat from moving forward, just FYI - good luck.

 

[semmyroundel]

Sorry if this is hard to follow, I am bad at describing stuff.
I have seen where someone drilled a hole in the metal cross piece that the seat hook sits under. That hole is the exact same size as the holes that the seat bumpers go into on the seat pan. He then installed one of the original sized rubber bumpers off the underside of the seat to the bottom side of the metal cross piece. The result was that all of the play was removed from the seat.
Hope that helps.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Actually, you described it rather well, especially now that I've digested other comments and watched that embedded video.
I think your advice is a cross between that given by: cyclemike4 and yen_powell

 

[PineLaneRider]

I took one of the large rear bumpers that I removed a replaced the thin front bumper. This keeps the seat from sliding forward and becoming "unhooked" at the rear.

 

[McJeep]

If ya don't want to drill the metal bracket as shown in the above vid, just drill the tab on the seat that goes into the bracket and put the 5th seat rubber on the seat itself