Introduction/R1150R Ergonomics Questions

[drb]

Hi-

My name is Dan, and this is my first post to this forum. Last night I picked up my new (to me) 2002 R1150R ABS and rode it home from Lyme, CT to Boston. After that, I rode it to work this morning. I've got two ergonomics questions that hopefully someone can answer...

First, I'm thinking I might want to install a set of risers to relax the seating position. Does anyone have experience with the $50 Ebay variety like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 0303117265

The bike was a bit of a stretch for me financially, and I'm headed back to grad school soon so I'd like to save a bit on the farkle if at all possible. However, I'd rather not trust my life to something that gets bad reviews.

Now for my real question... I commute to work every day, and I usually carry my stuff in a messenger bag (a Chrome Kremlin, if it matters). I work two jobs, and I need to carry a lot of stuff with me, including a laptop and some heavy books. Typically, my bag weighs about 30 lbs. This morning I donned my bag, hopped on the bike, and immediately noticed that the weight of the bag kept pushing me forward on the seat (a Corbin, not stock). Sometimes I slid to the point that some rather sensitive equipment was pressed up against the tank... It certainly happened during deceleration, but even riding at constant speed I was creeping forward. I wasn't sliding forward on the long ride last night, so it has to be the bag.

Any thoughts? My 17" Macbook Pro won't fit in the side cases, so is there a top case that might accommodate a really huge bag? Is there some sort of "grippy" material I could apply to my riding pants and/or seat? Is there a way to tilt the seat backwards a bit (raise the front part)? Would that help? Has this happened to anyone else? All things being equal, I'd rather not sing soprano...

Thanks!!

--Dan

[Karmøy]

Hey Dan.

Why not use a BMW "tank" bag I dont now if a 17"mac will fit,put you will get all the heavy material in front of you,and when you arrive at next stop you just grab the bag and walk away to work......

Have one on my bike,its perfekt..


And if you need any Qulity improvment on your bike try this company....

http://www.touratech.com

Regards from Norway.

[NoRRmad]

A 17" Mac won't fit in the BMW tankbag. I'd be looking for a right-sized bag to strap onto the rear seat.

[DMM]

Dan,
Ergonomics are subjective, so some testing is necessary on your part, as you probably expect. Haven't used barbacks, but any actual barbacks made for the RR should fit and work well, used or not (provided they haven't been structurally damaged, which I imagine would be difficult).

As for seating, do a search about seats on the RR threads and see what others have done. The Corbin is a fine seat, but perhaps much more like the OEM than the Sargent. Some folks have added padding to the front end of the seat. I imagine that adjusting the padding in the Corbin will be less expensive than purchasing a new or used front Sargent seat. Altering the padding should be relatively inexpensive if you can find out how some of the other inmates have done their own (vs. sending the seat to Corbin for the work).

As for the bag, I use a Chrome bag (metro) myself and love it.

Side note: the Kremlin, yikes!
Groceries, $30; gym clothes and running shoes, $100; text books, $450; brown bag lunch, $5; being able to carry everything, including the kitchen sink, priceless.

There are top cases that will probably contain the 17" Mac; however, finding one (and the appropriate rear rack) used may not be a simple matter. Take a look at the Buy, Sell, Trade section. You can certainly find a new one at a variety of on-line shops (perhaps even your local BMW dealer - Max's is in or near NYC, I think). Then again, fixing the seat may resolve the issue with the weight of the bag.

Best wishes as you set up your ride. It's a great bike and (provided you treat it well) it will serve you well for the long haul.

[sweatmark]

Chrome Metro here. Use it for rides on Buell as required, with Autocom Easy attached to shoulder strap, iPod and bike-to-bike GMRS inside the bag. Works great, but find that the messenger bag will "fly" a bit if too light a load + too high a speed.

Back on topic: if it was me, I'd commute with the System cases installed, heavy items like books stashed therein. Precious cargo like your MacBook would stay in the Chrome, keeping load on your back fairly light & manageable. You can lock the cases while parked, transfer what you need into the Kremlin (which safely holds the furnishings of a studio apartment), and go about your business. The plus of using the System cases is flexibility in case you grab some groceries on the way home.

Many are the times I regretted NOT using my cases on the Rockster, when an errand popped up as part of a day's ride. I seldom ride the Beemer without 'em.

[Remow2112]

The risers on ebay look very similar (then again how much variation can you get in risers.) to the ones I put on my bike from http://www.zianet.com/genmar/

They work great on my 2004 r1150r. Make sure you cut the wire ties to get the needed range. Also use anti seize on the bolts since they screw into aluminum.


The sliding forward on the seat must be related to the Corbin. I have the OEM tall seat and my girlfriend sliding into me on a quick stop does not ram certain precious parts into the tank.

Use the system cases. I never take them off. Makes the bike very usable. If you need 2 full size cases that can be managed by messing with the exhaust system.

HTH,

Dan...

[bimrluvr]

Try these barbacks...call the company cause if they've had any returns they sell them marked down.

http://www.moto-techniques.com/061062.htm

On the question of bags/cases, there are several Givi top case look-alikes that would work, but it's never advisable to have that much weight so high up as it affects center of gravity. I commute everyday with my laptop briefcase in a topcase, but when the load is extra heavy I put some or all into the System side cases - I have the City Lids on to keep the profile a little narrower for lane-sharing and better wind streamlining.

[Buckeye Beemer]

There has been lots of discussion on topcases lately (partially due to my queries ).

Re the 17 inch laptop this is going to be tricky. I carry a Mac 15" with a 2004 R1150R and have not been happy with carrying it in the side cases so am moving to a topcase. The sidecases are too small for a laptop in a nice carry case and the laptop has experienced some damage.

I was looking at several topcase options; one the Hepco Becker (H-B) 45 L junior with a H-B rack. Note that I already have luggage mounts on the "R" so the H-B rack will go on that. Another option would be a 46-50 L Coocase with Givi mount and coocase adapter or a Shad 46-50 L topcase with a cutting board mount if you have the BMW luggage rack. A really good and sturdy topcase piece and mount would run up to $450 (the H-B or the Coocase route).

You could probably get away with a cheaper set-up with a Shad and the cutting board but the 17 is a big laptop and you might want to spend the $$ try and find a quality topcase. BTW, I know some of the riders have found the JC Whitney boxes acceptable but I would be hesitant with trusting my laptop to that.

I ended up getting a 45 L Shad topcase off of ebay and am going the cutting board route. I plan on making some test rides with ballast just to make sure the cutting board approach is adequate. The Shad should accommodate my 15 in the case.

Good luck with finding something that works for you.

[drb]

Hi-

Thanks to everyone for the replies! I tried taking some books out of the bag on the commute between jobs this afternoon, and the lighter bag definitely made a difference. I'm still sliding forward a bit, but not as much as this morning. I'm tempted to try stitching some sort of grippy material to my riding pants. Any ideas?

Also, does anyone know whether the 1" up, 1 1/4" back riser will work with the R1150R without putting too much strain on the cables? I think that sitting a bit more upright in the seat will keep me planted better. It will also be more comfortable since my arms are on the shorter side.

The laptop is definitely too big for a tank bag, but perhaps I can transfer some additional stuff to that one in order to save some weight on my back. My previous bike was a cruiser (Yamaha Virago 535 - for sale in Boston if anyone knows anyone...), and my messenger bag used to rest comfortably on the pillion pad. I guess that was taking a lot of the weight. The Kremlin is indeed a monstrously large bag - perhaps I need a smaller one.

Thanks again for all of the info. If anyone else has more tips, wisdom, etc. about this or any other R1150R issues, please let me know!

--Dan

[snowprick]

drb,

Welcome to the board.

Dont put your 17 MBP on the rear rack, it will get damaged there. Better keep it in a sleeve and put that in a waterproof bag then strap it to the pillion seat. I would advise against wearing a back pack as this will encourage "creeping" and offend the family jewels.

Good luck, ride safe.

[pinecone]

Once when I washed my Darien pants with Nikwax they came out really slippery and someone suggested I get some kind of horse saddle spray that makes the seat slightly tacky. I never bought any, but instead went the primitive route and rubbed some pine pitch on my seat But I don't have a nice Corbin so you may want to track down some of that saddle stuff.

Also, get some ROK straps for the laptop bag and strap it to the pillion seat. I just use a regular laptop bag and keep a drybag in my system case for rainy days.

[taosports]

Dan,

You may want to consider Pelican cases. They make all shapes and sizes, most are lockable, most offer padding and all are waterproof. I use one bolted to my luggage rack to carry my camera equipment.


Think this case will work for your 17 inch MacBook.
http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1490CC2

[bimrluvr]

Either size barbacks will work without straining the cables.

[AirForceDirt]

Hi-

Thanks to everyone for the replies! I tried taking some books out of the bag on the commute between jobs this afternoon, and the lighter bag definitely made a difference. I'm still sliding forward a bit, but not as much as this morning. I'm tempted to try stitching some sort of grippy material to my riding pants. Any ideas?

Also, does anyone know whether the 1" up, 1 1/4" back riser will work with the R1150R without putting too much strain on the cables? I think that sitting a bit more upright in the seat will keep me planted better. It will also be more comfortable since my arms are on the shorter side.

The laptop is definitely too big for a tank bag, but perhaps I can transfer some additional stuff to that one in order to save some weight on my back. My previous bike was a cruiser (Yamaha Virago 535 - for sale in Boston if anyone knows anyone...), and my messenger bag used to rest comfortably on the pillion pad. I guess that was taking a lot of the weight. The Kremlin is indeed a monstrously large bag - perhaps I need a smaller one.

Thanks again for all of the info. If anyone else has more tips, wisdom, etc. about this or any other R1150R issues, please let me know!

--Dan

An idea, before spending the money on the bar-backs. Try tilting the bars up some. I did that on mine and the annoying shoulder pain I had after I changed seats went away. 250mile test ride with it like that and it works wonders. As to the laptop, please let us know what you end up doing. I'm looking into a pelican case to bolt to the rear-rack but finding one to fit my 14.1" widescreen laptop without being ugly-huge is tough.

[DMM]

Dan,

You may want to consider Pelican cases. They make all shapes and sizes, most are lockable, most offer padding and all are waterproof. I use one bolted to my luggage rack to carry my camera equipment.


Think this case will work for your 17 inch MacBook.
http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1490CC2

Dang. He beat me to it. I was just about to recommend the Pelican cases. Perhaps you could explain to Dan how you attached it to your rear rack, since most of the Pelican cases I have seen are simply multipurpose cases. Do they make any specifically for bikes?

As to the barbacks, one word of caution. Most cables barely have enough play to add the 1" risers. Mind you, I haven't tried this myself, but that has been the case for friends who have GSs. Perhaps your bike has enough, but you should probably give it a good look before purchasing any risers/backs.

As to adding grip to your pants, well, to each his own. I still think that adding a little padding to the seat would be simpler (or at least better in the long run).

Like the others have said, best of luck with your modifications and happy riding!

[riceburner]

Pelican cases are the Hi-Cost solution.

Here's a LO-COST solution (for a grad student):

Bungee net over current bag on the back seat.

[pebmr]

Dan:

Welcome to the Board. I have an 04R new to me early last year. I also have the short arm syndrome so the stock bars were a stretch forward for me. I just installed the Mototechniques 1" up and 1-1/4" back barbacks and they work better for me. I didn't need the up, but just the back but that's the way it goes. I did not have to do anything with the cables except cut a couple intermediate ties.

[Airman]

There is some adjustment to the front seat mounts. By placing spacers under the mounts that the front of the seat locks into, you can raise the front of the seat as much as an inch. This might help the forward sliding situation.

[drb]

Hi-

Thank you to everyone who has replied so far!! I'm going to try a number of things. My wife rides horses, and she said she would bring home some of that saddle sticky stuff tonight. Hopefully that is enough right there. I also ordered 1" rise, 1 1/4" run risers, and those should be here on Tuesday or Wednesday. Also, I would like to try shimming the front of the seat a few millimeters to see if that does anything.

Stupid question: How does one go about removing the seat, and where is the bike's tool kit? The guy I bought from didn't have the manual. I have to ride it over to the shop (also a BMW dealer) this weekend to get an inspection sticker, and I was planning on ordering a copy of the manual. I might just hit up a hardware store on the way home tonight though, and I'd like to take a look at the bolts to see what kinds of washers I'll need as spacers.

Thanks again!

--Dan

[NoRRmad]

A few inches below the seat on the right side, there's a lock. The ignition key fits this lock. It's right next to the chromed loop that opens to lock the helmet to. Turn the key one way, and the helmet lock loop pops open, turn the other way and the back seat pops up a bit, and you can remove it. Once the rear seat is off, you can see the tool compartment behind it, and can lift up and remove the front seat.