You could try these.
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=1090&step=4&showunits=inches&id=...They are round 1" diameter x 12" long 6061-T6 solid aluminum. At only $5.04 each they won't hurt the wallet if you don't like them. If you wanted them 11" or 11.5" total length then they'll charge only 61 cents to cut each piece. Not bad in my opinion.
If you want something even stronger you can go with 7075 aluminum which is actually stronger than some mild steels.
You can get flat bar as well. The 1"x1.5"x12" 6061 aluminum bar is $10.05 each. This is exactly what the seller "flightsimshop" sells on ebay as S40/Savage make-your-own solid lowering struts for $29.99 + $14.15 shipping. They are blanks, just like you'd get from OnlineMetals.com, and you drill your own holes. Here's the ebay link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUZUKI-SAVAGE-LS-650-S40-MAKE-YOUR-OWN-LOWERIN... I'd recommend figuring out the center to center distance you want. The shortest I can go on mine, center to center, with the rear fender lowing mod, is about 9.25"center to center. With no rear fender lowering mod you can probably go down to maybe 9" or possibly even 8.75" I think most people on here are using about a 9.5" to 10" measurement.
If you want a half inch extra rod/bar above and below the bolts, then add 1.5" to your center to center measurement to find the total length needed. Likewise, add 2" to your center to center measurement if you want 3/4" above and below the bolt holes to get the total length you need.