How can I know if a R1150 will fit

[cswett]

Howdy, I'm currently owner of a K75 with a low seat. I'm getting R1150R lust, and am considering buying a 2004. The one I'm considering has a standard seat, and I am pretty sure that will be way too tall, but I'm also wondering if a low-seat version would also be too tall, too. I can barely get my feet flat with the K75, which doesn't give me a lot of leverage in backing the bike up and other feet=down maneuvers. I have about a 29-inch inseam. Any thoughts about knowing whether I can handle an 1150 with a low seat if I don't have the opportunity to actually try one out? There don't appear to be any/many low=seat models for sale in my area.

Also, any thoughts on the differences I would find in riding the k75 vs. the 1150, other than power. Do they handle in a similar manner, both top-heavy, etc?
Thanks

[awagnon]

I have never ridden a K75, so I can't comment on handling, etc. However, I bought my 2004 R1150R with a low seat from a young lady about 5' 4" tall. She easily flat footed it and even though she was a new rider, was able to ride it from Alaska without problems. I suspect you would be fine and used low seats are easy to find in the classified of this forum and on ebay.

[pebmr]

I bought my 04 1150R sight unseen except for pics online. I am sometimes vertically challenged at 5' 6" with about 30" inseam, and my bike came with the high seat. If I recall the 3 choices are high (about 32.5"), stock/standard (about 31.3"), and low (about 30.8"). I could only tippy toe with the high seat, then bought a low seat online (many available), and then bought a Wunderlich low seat which seems just slightly lower than the BMW low, but a much better, more comfortable shape. I could flat foot with both of these low options and am happy with the Wunderlich. It's a beautiful bike and pretty much drives itself once you get going.

Good Luck!

[Samiam]

I have a 29" inseam and I was tippy toeing when I first got my Roadster. However, riding boots added about an inch to my inseam and now I can flatfoot the thing even on a hilly intersection.

The bike is a bit top heavy (compared to my previous Harleys and Triumphs) but after a bit of practice I can now do full lock low speed circles and U-turns.

Of all the bikes I've had - and there haven't really been that many - the Roadster is the pick of the litter. It's smooth, quiet, fast as be-Jeezus when you really get on it and it handles like a real lady. I'm old enough to admit that it's a lot more bike than I want to tangle with at even 8/10s of its capacity.

[Oilhead]

I had a '95 K75A/3 with the low seat. I currently have a '02 R1150R with the low seat. I think my inseam is 30" or 31" and I was/am completely flat footed on both bikes. A little more so on the K75 I believe as the seat was a smidgen lower and narrower.

[bikermeow]

I have ridden both a K75S and a R1150R.

The K75S has stock standard (non-low) seat, and I cannot flat-foot the K75S after I swapped to Ohlins (the old shock must have been sagging). Hence it's on tip toe for me. The R1150R with a standard seat is lower (I could almost flat foot it), but I swapped to the GS paralever strut and this shortened the wheel base and increased the height of the bike. I am 1.7m tall, and 72 kgs so I do not think I compress both bikes much.

The K75S is a joy to ride generally (it is one of the smoothest BMWs), the R1150R has tad more vibrations but nothing that will put me off it. It also turns better than the K75S (note strut change). I feel that for the R1150R I am sitting "in" the bike as opposed to being "on" the K75S. In terms of torque the R1150R is way better, but in terms of top end they are comparable, which says a lot about the K75S. The R1150R's boxes are wider than those on the K75S. Weight wise both bikes are similar although I suspect the R1150R is lighter. It is definitely way easier to put the R1150R on the main stand. The K75S has better consumption than the R1150R, regardless whether it is highway or city riding. The K75S has less maintenance issues (what valve clearance?) and has the supposedly less hassled monolever. The R1150R has easier signal push buttons but you will miss the gear indicator on the K75S.

Bear in mind the K75S has a sportier riding position and narrower handlebars than the naked K75 version. The R1150R's bars are wide, even by normal bike standards.

The R1150R servo brakes will take some getting used too, stopping power is tremendous compared to the original weak brakes on the K75S; but to me it is more like an "on/off" thingy; not much feel.

Finally, the R1150R definitely has more "presence" on the road, and a better forum than the K75's

Cheers

[wncbmw]

Not sure I can address the seat height issue vs those two bikes, although I had a K75S just before I got the Roadster. I feel pretty sure a Roadster with the low seat would be at least as short as the K75.

As to handling and power, especially usable torque - no comparison. The R1150R handles much better and will give you more usable 'grunt' than the K75.

I replaced my Airhead with an Oilhead GS. Sold it due to seat height and got a K75S to ride until I could afford a Roadster. Nearly got killed the first time I passed a car with the K75. The torque for passing just wasn't there. Had to relearn the Airhead method of building RPMs and sling shoting cars to pass!

Likewise handling. An R-bike with a stock suspension in good order or aftermarket shocks will handle much better than the K75.

All of this is just my opinion, of course!

[Oilhead]

Do they handle in a similar manner, both top-heavy, etc?
Thanks

The K75A/3 that I had was not a bike to be ridden agrressively. The pegs were low and scraped quite often and when it did, the non para rear turned into a pogo stick. The R1150R's pegs are much higher. When you do scrape the peg(the right side), the para rear does a wonderful job of absorbing the jacking effect. Still not as nice as a chain but definitely a humongous improvement over the K75.

[marine dad]

cswett,
if you get the '04 with standard seat and find it a little too tall, i have a mint bmw low seat i'll trade you for the standard seat
mike

[boxermania]

I had a k75S with 130,000 miles prior to my 02 R1150R and agree with bikermeow and wncbmw assessment. They are slightly different where the K is smoother, less torque, better mileage and you have to work the gears, while the R is torquey, better looking and better suspended.

The one thing I have to say is that the R had far more idiosyncrasies than the K.....

[wncbmw]

The one thing I have to say is that the R had far more idiosyncrasies than the K

Some would call that character!

BTW - the clutch splines stripped on my K75S, resulting in a trailer ride to the shop and an expensive repair. So the R bike is not alone in idiosyncrasies that cost money!

[blovebaiku]

I bought my first BMW in the summer and it is indeed an R1150R. I am not just vertically challenged, I am friggin short at 5' 7" and 140lbs and had only ridden one bike before this one: a Yamaha Radian 600 which was an easy bike with very low seat that I could handle easily.

So with all that said, I'll tell you that I don't know which seat I have as described in this thread but I need to tilt the bike slightly to put my foot completely flat on the ground when I stop. But I don't find that at all disconcerting; I always have the bike in gear at any stop so I put my left foot down and she tilts ever so slightly to the left as I sit at the light. Plus, The bike with hard cases is just too big to manuver sitting on the seat anyway in parking areas etc... a wasted effort IMHO.

So I always manhandle her in tight spots while standing next to her, with the side stand down in case I do something stupid. So far no issues as the bike is really well balanced and is easy to push around forward or backward as the hard case mount points offer easy hand holds. Plus, the bike she handles so so nicely that it is easy to manuver at low speeds and get yourself pointed in the right direction for easy exit when want to leave.

I love this bike by the way. It is versatile and corners so incredibly well on the most bumpy terrain!