Introduction, And Seat Height Question?

[joejeweler]

Hi all,......i just bought a 2004 R1150R non-ABS with 6,800 miles on it for $6,500 ,......and i bought from the original owner who ordered it without ABS (citing the problems associated with it and the increased maintainance costs), ......and with the optional 6th speed "overdrive" gearing. He also hot jet coated the front pipes to keep them from discoloring.

I must admit the pipes look great, and the bike runs the same! Color is red,......although i would have preferred black as most of you seem to prefer also. Previous owner was a machinest and fabricated a pretty nice stainless steel smallish rack that he painted black to match the seat. I've got a set of used BMW city cases coming off ebay ($350 = $25 shipping),.......and a new Parabellum touring windshield on the way also to cope with the cold winter months on my 8 mile each way commute to work on clear road days.

Included with the bike were 3 BMW oil filters, a twinmax synch tool, and the special BMW oil filter wrench so i'm pretty well equiped to handle most of the minor chores. Just put on a new rear Metzler as the old one wouldn't pass inspection,.......front is good for at least 3-4 thousand more. Other than the tires the bike looked mint.

I just picked up the BMW charger to simplify the process when necessary,.........as i inadvertantly left the front light on just after i got it delivered,..... when i rushed out of the garage during the day to get to a movie. After coming back 4 hours later,.... and going thru all the steps to pull the battery,...............i would have paid TRIPLE the $89.00 charger price just to avoid having to do it again! The charger came about a week after my first battery pulling chore,........and i topped the battery off via the side port just saturday night.

On to my question.......i believe the seat on the bike is the standard height seat of approximately 800mm,..........and i have to get on my toes to back the bike out of the garage. I'm 5'10" tall,......and i guess my legs are a bit shorter than the rest of you folks. I was curious if the majority of you R1150R riders live with the same thing,......or have made changes to get your feet flat to the ground?

Also,......i found the long plastic colored sidepanels push my inner thighs out,......compounding my legs too short condition. Fact is i simply removed them for the time being,.... and must say it's a LOT better although still a bit on my toes. (anybody else do this?)

The side panels have at least an inch of extra width on each side that seems unnecessary,......not to mention just another obsticle in the way to getting maintenance items done from time to time.

Once i get the city bags on, it should hide most of the panel mounting structure,.....save for the 2 rubber gromet holes on the lower gas tank position that i will just plug with a black bolt and nut.

I'll eventually spring for a Corban Canyon Dual Sport Seat in the near furture, (Unheated for the smooth unpleated leather look).......which i believe is a bit shorter than a stock unit. Here's the 1 piece seat in the optioned pleated w/heat look:

http://www.corbin.com/bmw/r1150r01.shtml

It's way more expensive than a BMW "low" seat,......but the leather should keep my butt from sliding around as much! The slick stock vinyl now on the bike has me moving around much to much,......the material is super slick!


My other ride (a near mint 1982 Suzuki GS850GL cruiser with a Windjammer SS fairing and windshield) has a nice low seat with a higher "queen" section that acts as a nice backrest while preventing me from sliding back under hard acceleration.

SO,.......who has (or had) the same problem i'm having,.......and how did you deal with it? Inquiring minds want to know..............

thanks,
Joe T

[DJ Downunder]

Hi there Joe..welcome and congrats on the bike...it sound really nice..

I am surprised that with you being 5'10" you're having a problem with seat hight.

You could try backing off the pre-load on the rear shock to allow more sag in the rear end.

You did well to get those side panels off..that's no easy feat in itself.

Maybe once you get more used to the bike you can put them back on.

It's so much easier charging the battery using the accessory socket isn't it..

I'm also surprised that you find the stock seat slippery...mine's very grippy...maybe you have some kind of vinyl spray on it?

DJ

[TonyT607]

Joe, welcome aboard.

It does sound like you have the std seat - I'm almost 5'9" and was able flatfoot my '02 RR with the lower seat. Here's a trick you might try that will buy you an additional 1/2 inch: when you remove the front seat you'll see its nose rests on two rubber bushings (like 2 little black rubber barrels) that are mounted horizontally. You can pull these off and basically trim them down to about 1/2 their original diameter. Re-install them flat side up, and re-mount the seat. Also consider having the seat re-upholstered (or do it yourself). You can remove the vinyl covering and have the foam trimmed to suit. Many people have done this. There are several M/C seat places that you can send the seat to and have this done. Cheaper than a Corbin or Bill Mayer.

Good luck. Where in NY are you located ?

[joejeweler]

Thanks DJ,......nice to be aboard,......i can see why the previous owner recommended the site!

Yeah,.....being 5'10" isn't all it's cracked up to be,.........when your inseam is maybe 28 1/2 to 29 inches. And riding mostly on the Suzuki low slung cruiser (1982 GS850GL) up to now has gotten me used to riding more upright and flat footed on the stops.

I could almost live with the driving part,.....but pushing the bike OUT of the garage backwards is getting a bit old with not much leverage available. I tried the preload adjustment,.........going to the lowest position and then 1 turn to the firm side. Didn't seem to help me much.

Because i didn't like the bending over position on the roadster bars,....i just ordered a set of setback risers from a site i found in a search on this site that should help me feel a little closer to my other ride. Funny what you get used to over time,..........and being 50 now there are only a few things i looking forward to bending over for.

The "slippery" part of the seat might be more me needing to get used to the quicker acceleration the BMW offers,.......and not having a backrest "hump" stop like i've had on the king/queen seat on the Suzuki.

......for sure the high 6th touring gear AND great brakes are a real nice part of this bike. Brakes sure have improved since 1982,......and the anti-dive characteristics of the BMW are still a bit erie to me! Forgot to mention the heated grips are nice to have also,.......now that the temps are going down in the northeast part of the country. (Upstate New York).

[joejeweler]

Hi Tony,.....i'm located in Schenectady, New York.

I thought about removing the cover and trimming the foam. I even have a nice 6 foot X 3 foot piece of black topgrain leather that would do the job after i did some foam trimming. Seems to me the trimming should be done on the BOTTOM of the foam,......as any minor imperfectings in the trim job would not show up there.

Before i pull the old cover off (if i go that route),..... i need to pick up a suitable staple gun to replace the staples once they're removed.

Anyway,......that sure would save me a ton of dough!

[Fozzie]

Welcome Joe,

I have a Rockster which comes standard with the BMW high seat - yours has the standard (middle) height seat from the factory. I also have a 29" inseam but am 5' 8". And the Rockster has a slightly higher rear ride height that the Roadster due, I think, to a slightly longer rear shock (off the GS?). Anyway, the with a seat height of 835mm life was interesting ... much thought went into stopping; no off cambers, watch for dips etc. I put up with it for a while and then acquired a BWM low seat, which dropped the seat height 50mm, and put on some Moto Technique bar backs (part no. 513-062M at http://www.moto-techniques.com/bmw.htm.

The bike was transformed for me; I could reach the ground comfortably and sat more upright, relieving weight on the hands and wrists. As well, the low seat is quite curved and so stops any backsliding (not that that was a problem). The low seat I find very comfortable as well; you sit in it and not on it and its flatter surface is better on the backside for longer rides. Of course, that is a personal preference; others differ in their view on BMW seats. I have also put a sheep skin on mine which is very comfortable.

Anyway, low seats are sometimes for sale on Ebay or this forum so why not try a second hand one?

[boxermania]

joejeweler

A couple of suggestions:

Get the low seat and have it recovered with your material of choice, you can also add some gel for riding comfort.

you don't mention your weight but if you are in the 150 - 170 lbs range, you can take spme spring pre-load out of the rear shock. That will lower the bike some.

Last but not least you can get some riding boots with thicker soles........

Good luck..........and enjoy the new toy.

[joejeweler]

I'm about 200 lbs. of jelly-solid construction!

I tried to remove most of the preload but still too tall in the saddle. Last night i dug out the full side of topgrain leather i'd been storing a few years,.......and decided to give it a go and trim my seat down and recover with the dark brown ("almost" black) nice looking and feeling cowskin.

Tonight i'll pick up a staplegun and razor knife and extra blades,......and have at it. I'm actually pretty handy having worked out many a jewelry repair problem over 34 years,......and rebuilt a dozen or so automobile and bike carbs over the years,........even rebuilt a Honda 2 cylinder motor back in my youth about 34 years ago.

So a recover should be a snap. My only hesitation is if i ever trade in the bike on another BMW,.......this is the only original seat i have for the time being. I might wait a short while and see if a messed up torn seat shows up on ebay on the cheap. Then i can keep the original and do my deeds on the messed up one.

..................all depends on how long i can live with it as is.

joejeweler

A couple of suggestions:

Get the low seat and have it recovered with your material of choice, you can also add some gel for riding comfort.

you don't mention your weight but if you are in the 150 - 170 lbs range, you can take spme spring pre-load out of the rear shock. That will lower the bike some.

Last but not least you can get some riding boots with thicker soles........

Good luck..........and enjoy the new toy.

[hirsty]

I wear 32" inside-leg jeans, and can just about manage the Roadster on any of the seat settings. I prefer to go with the higher seat setting of the three, simply to get a longer stretch to the pegs & turning down the preload worked for me.

On the slippery seat thing, I think it depends what you've washed it with last & what you are wearing. I just washed my Aerostich suit with Nikwax & I'm sliding around like Hell this week! I'm also looking for a sheepskin pad too.

Enjoy.

[ekiM]

I'll send it up from Annapolis, Maryland and you can use it for a few months. If if you want it after that, you can buy it (how about $50?). If you don't, you can ship it back to me. Shipping should be about $10--it's already in a box and ready to go.

I replaced the low seat (which is in very good condition) with the tall seat (which I got from Mike F. at Beemerboneyard.com--great guys!), and I don't need the low seat anymore.

-Mike

[BigC]

Congrats on the new bike! I'm 5'10" also and just picked up a low seat a week ago What a difference! Very nice to be able to put both feet flat on the ground when getting use to a new bike. Sounds like ekiM has a deal there you can't pass up

[joejeweler]

Hi Mike,.....i'll take it,.... and no need to wait a few months for payment!

It should do the job for me and i'll send you out $60 to include shipping. If the shipping is more let me know via my email: [email protected]

You can ship to my work address as i'm there all the time during shipping hours:

Joseph Tousignant
C/O Ferris Co.
114 Central Avenue
Albany, New York 12206

Work(518) 434-3860

Email me your mailing address so that i can get payment out to you,......if it's not already on the package.

thanks,
Joe T

I'll send it up from Annapolis, Maryland and you can use it for a few months. If if you want it after that, you can buy it (how about $50?). If you don't, you can ship it back to me. Shipping should be about $10--it's already in a box and ready to go.

I replaced the low seat (which is in very good condition) with the tall seat (which I got from Mike F. at Beemerboneyard.com--great guys!), and I don't need the low seat anymore.

-Mike

[apaulcopy]

Hey Joe, welcome. I, too, suffer from tip-toe-itis, being 5'5" with a 28" inseam. I have the low seat and, like you, have to do the old backwards foot paddle to get out of the garage. I must have really strong toenails, as I can do this without too much trouble (and there's downward slope from the garage to the driveway). I am considering sending my seat off to Sargent for a re-sculpt, so let me know how your home-slicing job goes. Maybe I'll do it myself. I am considering doing some "surgery" on that plastic side piece you removed. And I am also considering at some point swapping out the stock shocks with Works shocks lowered an inch or so.

Meanwhile, I find that you just get used to it and stay out of situations that could leave you "high and dry." I also find that it's less of a problem when I have the system cases on with some weight, which lowers the bike naturally.

Good luck and let us know what you end up doing!

AP

[joejeweler]

Hi Ap,.....when i was at a local BMW dealer recently for a new rear tire and inspection,......they had a SUPER LOW '04 R1150R used on the showroom floor. The top of the seat came to the bottom of my pocket,......and i was thinking it must have the low seat on it.

WRONG! Although it may have had the low seat on it,......it had been a BMW rep's personal bike. (a petite girl),....and she had the dealer shorten the height via the shocks and forks,......and had to shorten the 2 stands.

Estimated cost about $1,500.00 YIKES!!!!

[apaulcopy]

Yeah, lowering the bike ain't cheap. I will definitely try shaving the seat before I go that route. Honestly, I have gotten used to it and it really doesn't bother me unless I stop on a steeply crowned road. Haven't dropped it yet (knock on wood).

Let me know how your seat project turns out!

[ekiM]

Joe, I just sent you my contact information. I'll send the seat tomorrow (Wednesday) and email you its estimated date of arrival. I don't check the web during the day, so just email me at work if you need something (I sent you that address too).

Mike

Hi Mike,.....i'll take it,.... and no need to wait a few months for payment!

It should do the job for me and i'll send you out $60 to include shipping. If the shipping is more let me know via my email: [email protected]

You can ship to my work address as i'm there all the time during shipping hours:

Joseph Tousignant
C/O Ferris Co.
114 Central Avenue
Albany, New York 12206

Work(518) 434-3860

Email me your mailing address so that i can get payment out to you,......if it's not already on the package.

thanks,
Joe T

I'll send it up from Annapolis, Maryland and you can use it for a few months. If if you want it after that, you can buy it (how about $50?). If you don't, you can ship it back to me. Shipping should be about $10--it's already in a box and ready to go.

I replaced the low seat (which is in very good condition) with the tall seat (which I got from Mike F. at Beemerboneyard.com--great guys!), and I don't need the low seat anymore.

-Mike

[ekiM]

I emailed you the tracking number, etc.
Mike