| ERGONOMICS
& STYLING: >> Continued |
Also, with the new styling came a redesigned t-seat,
which remains extremely comfortable. The seat
is stiffer than what I prefer, but there is still
plenty of seat foam for a comfortable ride, and
the seat is now mounted with an above the fender
plastic seat latch, which is easily accessible.
I do have concerns that the seat integrated plastic
latch will wear out over time, which will require
a more expensive seat pan replacement than just
inexpensive bolt on bracket found on the original
Z400.
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The
2009 Suzuki Z400 redesigned T-shaped seat
and new seat attachment
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2008
Versus 2009 Z400 Ride Position changes
diagram shows the dramatic difference
in the stance |
The riding postion on the 2009 Z400 was also changed
by lowering and moving back the footpegs and also
lowering and moving forward the handle bars as
well, which again positions the rider in a more
aggressive riding position than the pervious Z400.
The change wasn’t immediately noticeable
until you actual ride the new and old Z400, which
I had the opportunity to do at the press event.
With the new positioning, I felt more at one with
the machine, which provided me more confidence
to ride at high speeds through some of the tighter
trails, and the new wider footpegs also provided
a much more comfortable and secure ride because
when I raced the GNCC series, I would always replace
the pegs with the wider IMS pro pegs, but with
the new stock wider pegs, this would probably
not be necessary.
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| The
footpeg width has been increased from
32mm to 46mm, and foot pegs have been
lowered 5mm and rearward 2mm |
The
handebar position has been lowered 5mm
and moved forward 10mm, and the steering
stem is now longer as well with a lower
profile handlebar |
The 2009 QuadSport also has a brand new handlebar
design, which is a much lower bend and the steering
stem has been extended to compensate for the
change in the bend. The handle bar dash also
has an updated design for the indicator lights,
and the front brake lever now has an adjustable
brake lever position mechanism, which was also
adopted from the QuadRacer 450. The adjustable
brake lever is great for dialing in the perfect
reach for engaging your front brakes, which
was another item that I typically replaced on
the older Z400, which won’t be required
anymore on the new model.
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Re-Designed
Handlebar Pad with intergrated indicator
lights |
new
adjustable front brake lever for dialing
in the perfect reach for engaging |
