I traded my F800ST for an R1200R Friday. I've gotten in about 800 miles over the long weekend. It's an utterly brilliant bike with one exception: the seat is awful. I didn't begin to get uncomfortable on the F until about 6 or 7 hours. On this thing, by hour two I'm having to stop every 20 minutes.
So here's my question. I bought the special edition which is supposed to have the comfort seat. But based on the pictures on the BMW web site, I believe mine is a standard seat. Am I right in this? If you can't tell from the picture, should the part number on it indicate? Thanks.
You might want to try that bright yellow seat in the background. It will definitely be more comfortable than the regular seat that is on the bike.
Seriously though, I thought the special edition was in alpine white (like all the very best R1200Rs).
By the way you didn't say if you bought new or used but if you bought new I assume you will be going back to the dealer to locate the correct seat. Since it is unlikely they will have a comfort seat and a regular seat to compare it to and they probably won't know the difference on sight, it might be helpful to know the best way to tell them apart if you only have one and not the other and aren't familiar with both. It might save you a debate on whether it is or isn't.
The comfort seat has a semi-glossy pebble-grain faux leather cover. The regular seat on the other hand has a woven finish that looks like loosely woven nylon embedded into low gloss vinyl. It's hard to explain the finish on the regular seat but there's little need since you have one.
Last edited by Sander Abernathy on Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2014 R nineT,
2011 Grey Matte R12R, (at the beach)
2011 Red R12R (RIP), &
'09 White R12R (RIP)
Sander Abernathy wrote:You might want to try that bright yellow seat in the background. It will definitely be more comfortable than the regular seat that is on the bike.
Seriously though, I thought the special edition was in alpine white (like all the very best R1200Rs).
By the way you didn't say if you bought new or used but if you bought new I assume you will be going back to the dealer to locate the correct seat. Since it is unlikely they will have a comfort seat and a regular seat to compare it to and they probably won't know the difference on sight, it might be helpful to know the best way to tell them apart if you only have one and not the other and aren't familiar with both. It might save you a debate on whether it is or isn't.
The comfort seat has a semi-glossy pebble-grain faux leather cover. The regular seat on the other hand has a woven finish that looks like loosely woven nylon embedded into low gloss vinyl. It's hard to explain the finish on the regular seat but there's little need since you have one.
You may be right that this is not the special edition and hence not supposed to have the comfort seat. I guess I'm going to go the Spencer route. http://greatdaytoride.com/Home_Page.php
Unfortunately, Spencer doesn't modify seats on our pans anymore. Something about the pans cracking. I tried that route as well- he has a great reputation of making stock seats bearable. I ended up with the OEM comfort seat have haven't looked back; just felt a little lighter in the back pocket.
With their 20-percent discount, Chicago BMW parts sells the comfort seat for $443 (excludes shipping). Once I figure out if the tall seat fits, will probably go with them. Usually takes a few weeks for orders to arrive.
websterize wrote:With their 20-percent discount, Chicago BMW parts sells the comfort seat for $443 (excludes shipping). Once I figure out if the tall seat fits, will probably go with them. Usually takes a few weeks for orders to arrive.
I don’t think our Teutonic masters know the definition of “Comfort”. Buy an aftermarket seat.
Mark
What is happening to my skin?
Where is that protection that I needed?
Air can hurt you too
Unfortunately, Spencer doesn't modify seats on our pans anymore. Something about the pans cracking. I tried that route as well- he has a great reputation of making stock seats bearable. I ended up with the OEM comfort seat have haven't looked back; just felt a little lighter in the back pocket.
Not to pick nits, but when I talked to him about it he didn't do his work on them because the cover is glued to the foam.
Play Harrd and Floor It- Stevie Ray Vaughn
Currently:
07 R1200R
07 XB12STT
10 FLHTP
12 Wee Strom ADV
BigEasy wrote:Not to pick nits, but when I talked to him about it he didn't do his work on them because the cover is glued to the foam.
This fact was pointed out to me by the guy at Rick Meyer's shop when I had my seat done. Because it takes so long to remove the cover from the stock seat -- somewhere around an hour of work with a heat gun -- they took the liberty of prepping a stock seat in advance so they could begin working when I got there. They got my old seat, I got the one they had in stock.
So it's quite possible to do, it just takes extra effort.
Yeah, I got an email from Spencer explaining that. Having expended my entire stock of spousal brownie points buying the bike, there's no way I can get a different seat at this point. I'm going to try an Airhawk to see if that will hold me over for a while.
The Airhawk will help quite a bit. It cost over $100 and that’s money that could be saved for a seat. That being said the Airhawk is a good product. If you have short legs it does lift you up some more though.
Mark
What is happening to my skin?
Where is that protection that I needed?
Air can hurt you too
Hey Rockbottom! Nice to see you here.
I went from the F800ST to the R1200R last summer. You're right, the R1200R IS utterly brilliant.
This is a great forum - informative, friendly, supportive. (I found the F800riders forum to be the same way)
I miss a few things about my old F800ST, but I'm really in love with my R12R. It's a modern-classic.
And now that I keep hearing that the R12R is not coming back next year, I'm really glad I got mine already.
Happy riding,
Jeff
Current: 2009 R1200R Night Black
Past: 2008 F800ST Graphitan
Lifer #864
