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Best seat for short riders


spdyjr

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I'm looking for a new seat and have already bought a Sargent that I'm not too happy with. I'm sure it's fine for most riders and it gives me about 40 miles more range than the stock low saddle (about 130 miles). I'm 5' 7-1/2", 165#, and 30" inseam.

 

Thought I'd try tapping into the impressive knowledge base here before making another mistake.

 

I am just amazed at how capable this motorcycle is in every other way. It's my 23rd motorcycle and 2nd BMW (1st was an R75/7).

 

 

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Any low seat will not be very comfortable because there is no space for enough padding. The only real solution I can think of, but it is $$$$$, is lowering the bike with custom shocks, including modifying the stands, and the get a good custom seat with decent padding.

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I'm about the same height and inseam as you and am currently using the stock (regular height) seat. The dealer promised to trade me for a low one when they get one; it's expected soon. Comfort wise, the regular isn't bad. Is the factory low seat much worse?

BMW makes a "comfort seat" that was well-reviewed by one user I found on the 'net. List price is $686.

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malcolmblalock

I have the comfort seat, and it's better than stock as far as overall comfort. BUT, it makes the bike feel taller because it's wider than stock. Still not nearly as good as a Russell (which is my distance seat, by far). If your issue is the need to reach the ground better, the only way is to get longer legs (thick soled boots) or to lower the bike. Low seats will get you closer to the ground, but will not feel as good to the butt (less padding).

 

For us shorter riders, it's a real challenge...

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I'm looking for a new seat and have already bought a Sargent that I'm not too happy with. I'm sure it's fine for most riders and it gives me about 40 miles more range than the stock low saddle (about 130 miles). I'm 5' 7-1/2", 165#, and 30" inseam.

 

Thought I'd try tapping into the impressive knowledge base here before making another mistake.

 

I am just amazed at how capable this motorcycle is in every other way. It's my 23rd motorcycle and 2nd BMW (1st was an R75/7).

 

 

Have you tried having thicker soles added to your riding boots. I'm 5' 10" and I added only 1/2 inch and it made a HUGE difference with no trade off in walking, waterproofing, or comfort. Others have added quite a bit more. You should check it out at a good shoemaker.

 

Cheap and easy fix.

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Paul Mihalka: Thanks for your input. I've read many of your well informed suggestions on past postings.

 

I really don't want to lose any ride height because I think this bike handles perfectly as it is now (no chicken strips on my Avon Storm 2 Ultras, well, a little one the front one) and I'm averse to compromising that.

 

Maybe I'll just have to live with things as they are.

 

GRB60: I currently have the low stock and low Sargent seats.

 

siman00: I have a lot of dirt bike experience, tip toeing around so that really hasn't been an issue with the seats I now have. Is that Russell you bought made for a short inseam like mine?

 

VinnyR11: That may just help with whatever compromise I end up with. Hadn't considered that.

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From a 27" inseam rider, also considerably heavier,

When I had my RT, I used a seat by Rick Mayer...This was built by sending pictures of me sitting on the bike and with vital statistics sent by email. Was amazed he got it right without a trip to see him in his shop (approx 300 miles away). You are considerably farther, so although some on the forum have had customer service issues with Rick per their posts, I had a great experience and would recommend his seat building for you. Link to Ricks Web Page I can tell you that I bought a Corbin seat before the Rick Mayer seat and even after having it rebuilt 3 times at the Hollister Factory, it never did work out for me from a comfort standpoint.

Since I bought a GS, I talked to Rick about building a seat for me and he didn't think his seat would work out because of bike height and my short legs, so he declined the build. I had his brother Rocky (Bill Mayer Saddles) build me a seat back in 2007 that I still use today and am completely happy with. I spent the better part of a day in the shop having that seat built to my "contour", which would prolly not work for you on the East Coast.

Suggest you give Rick a call and see if he can come up with something...

Good luck !!

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You will probably not agree with this but it has worked for me on 3 different bikes... 6 if you count the passenger seating.

 

The BEST seat for you... is one made the way you like it.

 

Almost every mid-sized town has at least one custom seat builder. They usually can be found by going to the local H-D independent or custom bike shop.

 

What you want is a builder that gives an intelligent reply when you ask if he has different densities of foam. If you just get a blank stare- go on to the next one.

 

My builder starts with a fairly detailed conversation about what I want the seat to do... and we get into details from there. In my case I wanted a Low seat, eliminate the tilt forward, eliminate the uhhh discomfort in the lower regions from sliding forward, a little "roll" in the rear section that goes to both sides... support. ability to go all day without butt fatigue, etc.

 

Any good builder will know how to deal with this sort of input and also ask you to ride his first try for a while then come back for adjustments.

 

The price for all this is normally between half and one-third of the big, well-known guys, with no transport costs..

 

Go search around, you will probably be very happy with the result.

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malcolmblalock

The comfort seat came with the bike when I bought it, so I don't know for sure if it's "low" or "standard". But, I think it's only offered it in one configuration. The comfort seat is the one with the "hump" between rider and passenger.

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JOHNNYWISHBONE

in 1977, i bought a new r100/7 with 2 "Teutonic QSL" seats. the first time i went anywhere, i rode 1.100 miles straight. not on purpose. couldn't find a good place to camp. the QSL seats, i used the same seats on 2 bmws, and 2 harleys.

i am a midget. (the picture makes that obvious.)

 

 

SCAN0001.jpg

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Welcome Johnny.......We have a sizeable contingent on BMWST of the vertically challenged and some of us are male...... :rofl:

I have a low Sargent on my 12RT...And am careful..... :grin:

 

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This is all great input. It sounds like whichever way I go, I'm going to have to work with a seat builder on a seat tailored specifically to me for best results. Now to find a convenient one near Pensacola, FL.

 

I've read through a lot of different forums in my time for various brands and models but this one is a combination of the most interesting, well informed, sometimes hilarious, and civil opinions of any I've read. BMW riders are some cool folks (Check out that clutch replacement issue!).

 

I won't be able to get back on line for about a week, so, thanks all and ride safe.

 

 

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What a cute avatar pic!

 

Have you tried an Alaska leather sheepskin butt pad?

 

I don't have any issues with the low seat on my RT, but the seat on the F650GStwin is like a 2x4. I put the sheepskin pad on it and I can stand it for 2 or 3 hours now. YMMV.

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I am 5'7" with a 29 inch inseam. Had my stock seat modified by Rich, a builder of renown near Seattle. He got me a little closer to the ground, but not much. He was concerned about my riding position (knees too high) and I deferred to his experience.

 

Still wanted more contact when stopped, so ended up having thicker soles put on my boots. That has helped a whole bunch. And if I look like Peter Boyle in Young Frankenstein......so what! Seriously, I would consider getting your riding boots modified by a good cobbler.

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ShovelStrokeEd

One of the most important, and oft overlooked, dimensions for a custom seat for the inseam challenged is the width of the seat where it contacts the inner thighs while balancing the bike at rest. Cut 1/2" out of this area is equal to about a 1.5" drop in seat height. Think about it a bit.

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I am 5'7" with a 29 inch inseam. Had my stock seat modified by Rich,...

 

Also a 29" inseam. Got my standard seat adapted here in the UK. Cheaper than buying a new one and tailor-made. I tried the BMW low seat and it was hard.

 

David

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I have a BMW Comfort Seat on a R1200RT and my F650GS twin. I love them both. What a difference! They are almost equal to the low seats in height but much much more comfortable. The R1200RT was $559 and the F650GS was $359. (west coast dealer discount)

 

Jack

 

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I'm 5'8"+ with a 29" inseam....

 

I bought my RT with the 2-piece low seat. That didn't work out very well. When BMW came out with the newer low seat (one piece), I bought one of those, primarily based on some good reports on this forum. So far, its working out very well for me...and I've got a (big) fussy butt. Its a really nice heated seat.

 

BTW, I ordered mine (and have ordered other things from) from Chicago BMW and got 20% discount and I think only about $15 for shipping.

 

Dave

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