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BMW low comfort seat

10765 Views 23 Replies 18 Participants Last post by  NorthWoods
Anyone here own a BMW low comfort seat?
Is it comfortable?
Apart from finding the standard height stock seat hard and uncomfortable, I am 5' 10 and and not quite flat footed when parked.
So am thinking my best solution is the OEM BMW low comfort seat.
It costs 285 euro here in Ireland for the non-heated version (approx 355 dollars) so if it gets my feet flat on the ground and my butt comfortable, I think it will be worth it.
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I have one and like it.
In the states, the list price is around $580 (heated), so it looks like a deal.
2
Are you looking at the one piece low seat for that price, if so I dont think its classed as a comfort seat , just a low seat.
The one piece comfort seat is lower than stock , heated and pretty good, I actually test road one today and have ordered one based on the ride.Price in UK is £405 inc vat.

The first pic is the one piece comfort seat which is the one Ive ordered.
Second pic is the one piece low seat.

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Tony23 said:
Are you looking at the one piece low seat for that price, if so I dont think its classed as a comfort seat , just a low seat.
The one piece comfort seat is lower than stock , heated and pretty good, I actually test road one today and have ordered one based on the ride.Price in UK is £405 inc vat.

The first pic is the one piece comfort seat which is the one Ive ordered.
Second pic is the one piece low seat.
That's interesting. Are you sure the comfort seat doesn't come in a one piece low version, because that's what I was quoted for?
Wouldn't like to pay that kind of money and then for it to be as uncomfortable as the stock one.
Also, does it come in a non heated version?
confusing isnt it :confused:
Far as I can tell there is no such animal as a low comfort seat, there is a low seat either in rider only or the bench (one piece) seat.
Or the comfort seat @ £400 which just happens to be lower than the stock seat and not available non heated. Im about your height and I could get the balls of both feet nicely on the ground with the comfort seat I tried, its wider at the rear so if you sit back you loose a bit of reach it feels firmer but spreads the weight better. I found if I was coming to a stop I just slid forward a bit and I had balls of my feet on ground.
The low seats will be best option for getting feet on the floor but I suspect you will sacrifice some comfort over distance.
Best thing to do is visit dealer if you have one nearby they should have different seats available, I was fortunate in that my dealer fitted comfort seat for me to my bike and allowed me to test for an hour or so. (BMW Northampton by the way, very accomodating :) )
There is a comfort seat going on ebay at the mo, stands at £175 so far, search for r1200rt seat and it will come up.

More info from earlier posting http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53161
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I rang a different dealer.
You guys are correct, the first dealer was wrong.
There is no LOW comfort seat, just a standard one, and it only comes in the heated option, and it costs 480 euro here in Ireland.
I might just bite the bullet and go for it, as I am planning a few long trips and dont want to be uncomfortable.
And if its 35mm lower than the stock seat low height setting, then that will be an added bonus too.
That is an awful lot of money for something that may or may not add to your riding comfort.

For the record... a standard-frame bike, (meaning not the low bike)... has three seat options.
1. The Standard seat which is heated.
2. The Low seat which is heated
3. Recently there has been a Comfort seat added to the list. (was not available in the '05 time frame- which is what you have.) I do not know if it is heated or not.

You cannot just fit the Low, one-piece seat which come on the Low frame bike to a standard bike without some modification to the seat mounting hardware. This modification may be fairly simple, but I suggest you figure this out before you buy the one-piece Low seat.

I looked back at your first post in this thread and see that you thought the standard height seat was hard and uncomfortable. Going to a Low seat will not improve that situation and may make it worse.

Throw-in the feet to ground problem and you have a complex situation. These RTs seem tall for many of us, and also, many of us have found that your really can ride comfortably with just your toes or the balls of your feet on the ground.

I recall you have experience with a local seat builder but have not been satisfied.

My personal suggestion is to work with that builder till he gets it right. There are many different densities of foam and a knowledgeable builder should know how to fix your specific problem.
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hopz said:
Recently there has been a Comfort seat added to the list. (was not available in the '05 time frame- which is what you have.) I do not know if it is heated or not.
The Comfort seat is heated.

hopz said:
You cannot just fit the Low, one-piece seat which come on the Low frame bike to a standard bike without some modification to the seat mounting hardware. This modification may be fairly simple, but I suggest you figure this out before you buy the one-piece Low seat.
I cannot speak for the Low, one-piece seat that comes on the Low frame but I can tell you about the Comfort seat which fits the standard frame. You do need to remove two supports to make the seat fit. It takes about two minutes.

The Comfort seat is lower than the standard seat put in its lowest position. I'm 5' 10" and the Comfort seat is fine for me. Because the Comfort seat is wider than the standard seat it is not any easier to put both feet flat on the ground. I find the Comfort seat more comfortable than the standard seat.
I'm looking into this option as well... I have the standard heated seat option, and I'm exploring a more comfortable seat option. Looking into BMW's comfort seat.

Several internet threads indicate the BMW comfort seat is pricey and not that comfortable. I'm still considering it, just to maintain BMW OEM equipment, to work w/my heated seat. Moreover, any comfort seat should be more comfortable than the stock seat, right?

Can someone steer me in the direction of a dealer that carries a discount (MOA discount)?

Tks,

B
Benito said:
I'm looking into this option as well... I have the standard heated seat option, and I'm exploring a more comfortable seat option. Looking into BMW's comfort seat.

Several internet threads indicate the BMW comfort seat is pricey and not that comfortable. I'm still considering it, just to maintain BMW OEM equipment, to work w/my heated seat. Moreover, any comfort seat should be more comfortable than the stock seat, right?

Can someone steer me in the direction of a dealer that carries a discount (MOA discount)?

Tks,

B
I'vce now been through, standard seat, comfort seat, Kahedo LD seat (Touratech) and Sargent.

Only the Sargent is comfortable IMHO. The Comfort was OK but no better than the standard for me and the shape didn't fit too well.

Had a Sargent on my GS too and that was an 8 hour seast for me (after break in of my butt of course :histerica !). Still breaking in the Sargent on Arty.
Yeah, this is gonna be a tough call, lol....

I still don't know what to do... :confused:

I'm slightly annoyed that I can get discounts all day long for my Bimmer, but getting a discount for a Beemer, appears to pale in comparison. What to do?

Tks/Cheers,

BB
If you're going to pay that sort of money why get a proper saddle made? I had the BMW low seat on an R1150RT and it was dreadful 130 miles was the limit. I then had a Rick Mayer saddle made and it transformed the bike. http://www.rickmayercycle.com/
I didn't know they made a LOW comfort tour seat, I thought it was just the Tour Comfort? I bought one when I first purchased my RT, wife liked it more than stock. after 5k miles the seat STILL sucked so I bought a Russell. The TC is lower than stock but I gotta question getting ones feet flat on the ground, maybe one but not both. Well not unless your over 6' and have a longer than 34" inseam.
Had a Sargent low seat set for awhile and it was OK. Ordered the "comfort" seat about 2000 miles ago and love it. I'm 5'9" and it works well for me. Money well spent in my book.
I've had my Comfort Seat for over 14,000 miles and with several 500 plus mile days. Never had to stop riding do to saddle discomfort since going with the Comfort Saddle.
hopz said:
That is an awful lot of money for something that may or may not add to your riding comfort.

For the record... a standard-frame bike, (meaning not the low bike)... has three seat options.
1. The Standard seat which is heated.
2. The Low seat which is heated
3. Recently there has been a Comfort seat added to the list. (was not available in the '05 time frame- which is what you have.) I do not know if it is heated or not.

You cannot just fit the Low, one-piece seat which come on the Low frame bike to a standard bike without some modification to the seat mounting hardware. This modification may be fairly simple, but I suggest you figure this out before you buy the one-piece Low seat.

I looked back at your first post in this thread and see that you thought the standard height seat was hard and uncomfortable. Going to a Low seat will not improve that situation and may make it worse.

Throw-in the feet to ground problem and you have a complex situation. These RTs seem tall for many of us, and also, many of us have found that your really can ride comfortably with just your toes or the balls of your feet on the ground.

I recall you have experience with a local seat builder but have not been satisfied.

My personal suggestion is to work with that builder till he gets it right. There are many different densities of foam and a knowledgeable builder should know how to fix your specific problem.
Well Said.....

i'm 5'4" ride an R1200RT 2005 with the Sergent Low Seat.. Toes to the ground when trying to put 2 feet down, full foot down when putting one foot down... you develop and get into a routine.... dont let the 2 foot syndrome bother or put you off

Cheers Squash
Squash said:
{snip}...dont let the 2 foot syndrome bother or put you off...{snip}
If riding solo, I agree. If riding with a pillion, I would strongly differ.

With a ~29" inseam, I've moved to one-footing on a Russell when solo. With a pillion, I use the OEM low (*ouch*) and stop to rest my...er...frame frequently.
Squash said:
Well Said.....

i'm 5'4" ride an R1200RT 2005 with the Sergent Low Seat.. Toes to the ground when trying to put 2 feet down, full foot down when putting one foot down... you develop and get into a routine.... dont let the 2 foot syndrome bother or put you off

Cheers Squash

100% correct! Like Squash, I'm 5'4" (with a 28" inseam). I have the lowered RT but found the one piece low seat a torture device. I tried the BMW "Comfort Seat" at the dealer but never got out of the showroom, it just didn't fit me. Had Russell build me a Day-Long on my one piece seat pan. Got heat added to it. It's awesome. Comfortable over an 1100 mile day and I expect to do a Bun Burner Gold (1500 miles in 24 hours) on it next month with no issues.

Having said that, most custom seats will raise you up an inch or so, mostly due to the shape of the seat. My advice, from a short legged perspective, 'Get over it'. Accept that you won't have both feet flat on the ground and move on from there. Took me awhile to learn that but it was very freeing. I can ride anything I want now. Will I buy a GSA? Probably not but I could... It's mind over matter and losing the fear of dropping the bike (once since I got the RT, 13 months ago, and that was with the 'low seat').

PS: My other bike is a F650GS Dakar, not exactly a short bike either. Don't let your inseam decide what you ride. Improvise, adapt, overcome. You are riding a hell of a lot more than you are standing on a motorcycle anyway if you're doing it right! :wave :wave
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corrcullen said:
Anyone here own a BMW low comfort seat?
In my experience, EVERY seat that BMW puts on motorcycles is "low-comfort."
Solo6 said:
In my experience, EVERY seat that BMW puts on motorcycles is "low-comfort."
:rotf: :histerica :rotf: :rolleyes:
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