Seats

[mcc*]

Good morning
Am the proud new owner of a 2004 R1150R......however the stock seat is about 2+ inches low for me. Can anyone direct me towards higher seating options. Thanks.

[DJ Downunder]

Congrats on the bike and welcome...

There is a tall seat option from BMW and they are not that expensive..IMO

I have the tall seat and also have the tall rear seat..both are shown in this pic.

DJ

[mcollect]

Having tried most available seats, I would not spend a dime on the stock seats. I would buy a Sargent, again without a second thought. Tried the stock, good for an hour, tried a Corbin OK but not great for long rides, the Mayer was good but limited my moving around.

[OU812]

Look at this: http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=10888
Also, try the long cut Alaska Sheepskin Buttpad. It will add some height/comfort at a cheap price.

[toolinalong]

firstly, everyBODY is different.

i bought the tall seat when i bought the bike in march 2002. paid $185. rode it about 36k miles. it was ok, but on the long days i wanted more. it was a tad over 32".

paid rick mayer $325 last year (price has gone up since then) for a custom made-for-me seat. it is a tad over 35". i've put about 28k miles on that one. love it. even the long days find me without butt burn.

http://www.rickmayercycle.com/

6'3". 220 lbs. 34" inseam.

BTW, i have the original low seat, front only, never used, if anyone wants one.

[wncbmw]

I experimented with the tall seat option to take some of the stain off my knees. My knees felt better but the taller BMW seat was narrower for the butt and then my butt started hurting sooner! If you were a skinny guy (DJ qualifies ), it might work, otherwise try the Sargent (hopefully my option this fall!) or the custom route.

Edited to add - I just followed the link to the Rick Mayer site and his pdf price list shows front seat only in vinyl for only $149! Since I don't even have the passenger seat installed on my bike, I seriously may have to reconsider and check out the Mayer seat! Even the solo and dual seats are reasonable!

Edited again to add - Checking Sargents site - their prices have gone up!

[baltm604]

Here is the progression for me:

Bought the comfort seat with the bike. this is an oxymoron. Additional sh#$@% padding and no better support and no consideration for the individual differences in riders.

This especially p@#$%#@ me off since the r1100r came with an adjustable height seat that was perfect for me.

Road to deal's gap and fontanna damn from chicago. At the honda hoot in knoxville I bought a alaskan buttpad as a quick fix for serious monkey butt and a painful ride home. best $40 I ever spent on anything for the bike. It got me home without additional pain!

Then I bought a used sargent on the board (paid like $270 + ship for a $300 seat new). I don't know about now, but 2 years ago sargent had a 3 month back log so used was the only option. This might explain the price jump (a little supply and demand).

The sargent is a lot firmer, and also wider. This gives you a little more leg room, but a much farther reach to the ground when stopped. It was definitely worth the $$ for me.

The best thing you can do is either get a custom seat or buy a sargent. The best thing about a sargent is they are very easy to sell. If you don't like it, you will get most of your money back.

Bill

[ruddy]

I have the higher BMW seat and lowered pegs. That combination works great for me (32" pants inseam & 34/35" sleeve length). I've done back-to-back 650 mile days with no problem.

[Sunbeemer]

Hey Ruddy...do lowered pegs make it difficult to use the shifter and rear brake? And do they limit your cornering lean much?

[mcc*]

Hey Guys
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction......your experience and knowledge is greatly appreciated.
mcc*

[NK ED]

I have been very pleased with my Bill Mayer leather seat. Unlike his brother Rick, Bill's seats have no stiching which can allow more water absorption.
The smooth leather is so much more comfortable than vinyl and allows me to ride longer distances without the monkey butt feel. I also had the Bill Mayer group raise the height of my seat just a touch (3/4 inch).
They took my weight, height and pictures of me sitting on my bike. I shipped them my seat (both front and passsenger) in mid winter and in three weeks had my new seat back. I treat the seat with bees wax four or so times a riding season.
Here is the link.

http://billmayersaddles.com/october25homepage.html

[AZR1150RRider]

BTW, i have the original low seat, front only, never used, if anyone wants one.

Still have the low seat? How much? Thanks.

[Biff's R]

Edited to add - I just followed the link to the Rick Mayer site and his pdf price list shows front seat only in vinyl for only $149! Since I don't even have the passenger seat installed on my bike, I seriously may have to reconsider and check out the Mayer seat! Even the solo and dual seats are reasonable!

Edited again to add - Checking Sargents site - their prices have gone up!

Vann, thanks for the info on the Rick Mayer seat. I may look at one too.

[awagnon]

Also, try the long cut Alaska Sheepskin Buttpad. It will add some height/comfort at a cheap price.

This plus a stock "high" seat I bought used from this board. The combination works fine for all day riding for my butt. If I didn't used the dead sheep, I'd want a Sargent. Have one on my RT and it's great.

[frbank6]

I have the tall seat and the Alaska ButtPad. In addition, I removed the bracket the seat rests on at the front and put three or four washers between the bracket and the bike. This effectively raised the front edge of the seat a bit and helped eliminate the 'slide forward' feeling. It doesn't look any different, and I suppose if you got longer bolts you could squeeze a bit of extra height out of this.

[ruddy]

Hey Ruddy...do lowered pegs make it difficult to use the shifter and rear brake? And do they limit your cornering lean much?

Since the pegs are lowered approx. 1 1/2" and moved forward almost an inch, it does change the relationship to the brake and shift lever. You can adjust both to compensate, but since the pegs are closer to the levers and farther out, you have to turn in your toes a bit to apply them. I don't have a problem with the brake pedal, but the shifter is another story. I'm OK if I wear boots with thin soles, but thick soles make up-shifting more difficult.

I just scored an extended shift lever on eBay that will restore the original relationship between the lever and peg.

Here's a link to what I have:

http://www.suburban-machinery.com/R1150R.htm

I'm sure they would scrape sooner, but I'm not a knee-dragger, so I haven't felt limited by them yet.

[dcameron]

got my 03 R1150R 2 years ago. it came with the high seat which was fine for me at 6'2". only problem was that it broke my a** after about 30 minutes of riding. got a Corbin and i can ride as long as i like, sits about the same height . the seat is wider, which makes the difference.