Seats - width

[Pensive]

Hi there,

I'm contemplating a R1100/1150 R as a touring bike, it ticks most boxes but.......

Not being that long in the leg I have looked up the various seat options and note that height wise they obviously make a difference - but what about width?

On some models the lower seat options just have less padding than the standard seats and use the same seat base, consequently they feel wider between the hips when you put your feet down. Is the R1100/1150 seat made narrower to be in proportion for a smaller person, not just a shorter one?

Is it possible to have a lower and narrower seat from other aftermarket sources?

Thanks for any info.

[pebmr]

Also being in the vertically challenged camp, 5'6" and about a 30-31" inseam. I am on my 3rd seat now. My 04 R came with the High seat on it. This seemed narrower in the top but I could only touch the balls of my feet. Tried the BMW Low seat which allowed me to come close to flat footing. Pretty widish at the base, and as others have testified, pushes you into the tank. Finally got a Wunderlich Low seat which is slightly lower than the BMW Low, is just as wide, more dished out, thinner yet but with better cushioning maybe some type of gel. I added a Sheepskin for longer rides and am happy with this. You may need to go custom to get a low, narrow seat. Good luck on the familiar Seat Quest!

[wncbmw]

I have no experience with the shorter seat option - perhaps some of our 'vertically-challenged' riders will post on that, although I would guess it is simply lower by reducing the foam thickness, not the width.

The taller 1150R seat is indeed narrower than the stock one. I borrowed one from a friend to test out and see if the height helped my knee pain. It did but the narrower width quickly made my butt hurt. I now have a Sargent seat, which is a little taller than stock and good to the rearend and my knees!

As to aftermarket options, I doubt any non-custom seat is any narrower than the stocker - I know the Sargent isn't. If you want to go the custom route, those guys can do whatever you want.

Keep in mind also, there are folks out there who can alter the shape of the your stock seat for much cheaper than a custom one.

The 1150R is still a great choice for an all-around bike!

[CRazyCam]

Hi there,

I'm contemplating a R1100/1150 R as a touring bike, it ticks most boxes but.......

Hi Pensive.

Be aware that the R1100R is different from the R1150R.

The earlier 1100 comes as standard with three seat height possibilities, built in, using the standard seat.

You lift off the rider's seat, there should be an Allan key clipped to the under side, which allows you to move the seat's front mounting points to one of the three options. Time to change seat height, about three minutes.

This, I thought, was a brilliant arrangement, then BMW, in their infinite wisdom, dropped the idea on the 1150.

regards,CrazyCam

[spoon]

I have both a low and standard seat on my Rockster. The seat base is the same. Foam thickness is the only difference. I don't know if you could narrow the seat enough to make a difference bacause of the body/frame, but maybe. I suspose 1/2 to 1 inch would make a big felt difference. I'll take a closer look tomorrow. It's like 0 out there now.

[sweatmark]

I'm contemplating a R1100/1150 R as a touring bike, it ticks most boxes but...
Is the R1100/1150 seat made narrower to be in proportion for a smaller person, not just a shorter one?...
Is it possible to have a lower and narrower seat from other aftermarket sources?

As mentioned, the seating components differ between R850/1100R Roadsters and R1150R bikes (Roadster and Rockster), and options for short riders differ accordingly.

First, the shortest/lowest Roadster I've witnessed was a modified R1150R with shortened shocks and custom driver's seat based on OE seat pan, with no cushioning at fore section in vicinity of fuel tank. The rider was a 4ft-something woman with well-behaved Yorkshire terrier as constant passenger companion. Woman and her husband were serious, very experienced riders.

My wife is 5'-5" and rode an R1100R a couple seasons with OE seat in lowest position and both feet flat on the ground; the bike's ride height was standard. She later rode our R1150R Roadster using a custom seat based on OE seat pan, with slightly lower overall cushion height, and - more importantly - a narrow front section that allowed easy reach to ground during stops. The custom seat was necessary because the R1150R driver's seat mounting points are not adjustable*.

* Note that some folks here have modified the rubber "star" mounts that fit within the R1150R seat's U-shaped pockets, effectively lowering the OE seat maybe 1/2 inch.

[Pensive]

Thanks for the replies, looks like I am going to have to look at the individual models and see what can be done.

I have an F650GS and have modified a spare seat myself (electric carving knife and staple gun) to make it quite narrow at the front, not exactly a pretty job but for a bike that is regularly thrown in the dirt it's not really an issue, for a smart looking roadster it would have to be a tidier job.

To a certain extent the mods will be dictated by the shape of the tank which is quite broad at the aft end, and then I guess the reach to the bars is also factor in how vertical pelvis is..... what better excuse for a few test rides.........

[Boxer]

After watching many people over the course of my life, especially women, I have come to the comclusion that a 5' 5" woman generally has longer legs than a 5' 5" man. This being said, men also tend to have longer feet and toes. I'm not certain at this juncture if the leg to torso length ratio is completely compensated for in the increased length of the male toes and feet, but I would hesitate from comparing the ground reach from the seat to the ground in women with that of men...that is based on overall height of the two comparables.

You can send your seat to an upholsterer with directions to make it narrower at the front and if he wants to get paid he will make it nice looking. You don't have to go hacking on your own seat foam...unless you just like doing that.


Sorry Mark I couldn't resist.

[Airman]

I have both a low and standard seat on my Rockster. The seat base is the same. Foam thickness is the only difference. I don't know if you could narrow the seat enough to make a difference because of the body/frame, but maybe. I suppose 1/2 to 1 inch would make a big felt difference. I'll take a closer look tomorrow. It's like 0 out there now.

I also have the two seats for my '03. Mine are definitely different widths, the tall seat being wider. I bought the low seat because I ride in town a lot and the wider seat pushes my legs out making the frequent landings less comfortable. when I installed the low seat I found I needed to put a 3/16" spacer under the front mount to stop the sliding forward. Patrick Rhys, I believe, actually reduced that spacer block under the front mount in the quest for more reach. I think it was Pat who also mentioned that the side panels push your legs out, reducing reach even more. I think WonderLich maks a set of narrowed side panels for the 1150. Custom seat may be good options for reducing height, but they tend to be painfully expensive. I think a Rich's seat (from my area) will run in the $800 range.

[REFFI]

There is an alternative if all you are looking for is maybe another half-inch or so. My brother-in-law who is as tall as I (6'1") rides a Star cruiser (1300, I believe). He is built differently from me. He offered me a ride on his bike. I was wearing sneakers at the time. I got on and flat-footed it. When I came back he said that he was nearly on his toes if he tried riding in sneakers. He is long-waisted and shorter in the leg than I, I guess. His solution is logging boots. They're a little thicker in the sole and probably a half to three quarters higher in the heel. With them, he can flatfoot it on his bike. They are way cheaper than a new seat. Just something you might think about.

Ralph