Seat height

Again!.. I am looking at getting a F650GS. I did go into Cotswold the other day and had a sit on a normal height F700GS, which was too high. I am 5'6" with 29 inside leg. It sounds like a factory low F650GS would probably be ok, but I am not sure how I can try one. There are a couple for sale on the web, but too far away to go and try. There is a section on the BMW Motorrad site where you can input your height and leg length and it tells you which bikes are suitable. It said there were no GS models that would fit me, but I am guessing that was based on standard seats and didn't take account of low seat options?

Cheers

If you can find a brochure for the one you are wanting then it should give you the "inner leg curve"/ "step length". This takes into account the width of the seat rather than just the height so is great for seeing if you can actually touch the ground.

If the Inner leg curve matches that of a bike the dealers have in stock you could use it as a very good guide.

If it helps. I've got a 28" inseam and ride a F700GS with the low seat and low suspension. Its Inner leg curve is 1710mm and I am more than comfortable with it. I can reach the ground with the ball of one foot on the standard bike with a lowered seat - which comes in at 1760mm - but simply found the LS version much more manageable to move around. The standard F700GS inner leg curve is 1810 mm, which was completely out of the question for me as I could barley get more than my toes down on one side!

I have a 28/29” inside leg and ride a standard height 700...originally with a low seat but found it too low relative to footpeg height. I now use a Seat Concepts low seat but with a 1” pad to raise it a bit. The difference is in the width at the nose of the seat...the SC is very narrow at the nose but about 2” wider at the back of the seat and so much more comfortable than the standard model. I can get both feet almost flat on level ground.

RogerSlater said:

Again!.. I am looking at getting a F650GS. I did go into Cotswold the other day and had a sit on a normal height F700GS, which was too high. I am 5'6" with 29 inside leg. It sounds like a factory low F650GS would probably be ok, but I am not sure how I can try one. There are a couple for sale on the web, but too far away to go and try. There is a section on the BMW Motorrad site where you can input your height and leg length and it tells you which bikes are suitable. It said there were no GS models that would fit me, but I am guessing that was based on standard seats and didn't take account of low seat options?

Cheers

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Hi I have a factory lowered F650Gs (2010) with standard seat. I am 5'4" & have no trouble getting both feet on the ground. I'm sure you'd be fine on a similar bike. The F700Gs was too high for me. I can recommend the F650GS for excellent fuel consumption, good handling & so much fun once you get the 'hard as a plank ' seat sorted. I sourced a 2nd hand Sargeant one.It didn't make any difference to the height from the standard BMW one.
Good luck in your search.

RogerSlater said:

Again!.. I am looking at getting a F650GS. I did go into Cotswold the other day and had a sit on a normal height F700GS, which was too high. I am 5'6" with 29 inside leg. It sounds like a factory low F650GS would probably be ok, but I am not sure how I can try one. There are a couple for sale on the web, but too far away to go and try. There is a section on the BMW Motorrad site where you can input your height and leg length and it tells you which bikes are suitable. It said there were no GS models that would fit me, but I am guessing that was based on standard seats and didn't take account of low seat options?

Cheers

Click to expand...

Roger appreciate you are new on here, if you google seat height in the F650 F800 section you will see a lot of info on it.

I am very similar to you 5’5 29” inside leg I ride a std F650 with a low seat. It was still a bit tippy toe so when I upgraded the rear shock to Wilbers I had it dropped and inch on both front and rear suspension.

I have ridden a lowered F650 in Spain for 4 day, yes very low and reassuring, BUT and its a big one, the lowered chassis bike from BMW has a significantly reduced overall payload. Im sure its as low as an all up weight of 160 kgs as compared to 237 Kgs for a std bike.
Fine if you are a solo rider. But get rider,pillion and 30 kgs of luggage and you will ofter be in the range 175 to 200. Result in the suspension will bottom out and feel very crashy two up.

Please have a look at relative specs if you are proposing to tour two up.

Steve

Many thanks for all the informative replies so far. In answer to Steve, I would not be touring 2 up, just solo with normal panniers and top box, so perhaps the weight limitation would not be a problem? The middle option of standard bike with low seat is of course the 3rd choice. It's really that I need to try the options as I don't want to waste any sellers time by arriving and finding the bike is too tall!

Roger

5'6"

29" inside leg

Ride a F8GS - use a low seat when off roading, standard seat when jut bimbling on roads.

Had a F650GS twin as well - no problemos on either.

Learn to slide yer bum a bit to one side when planning to plant a foot, if you feel the need to have a foot flat on the ground.

Me - tippy-toes, then slide to one side if the wait is for more than a few seconds.

I never, ever try and turn the bike whilst on it - recipe for a drop (trust me on this one )

Give either standard bike a ride, then if still not confident enough, go find a lowered version.

Just my tuppence worth.

SteveT

Biggest problem with lowered seat is seat to footpeg distance and comfort I am a proper short arse and have a standard height 700 with comfort seat my answer has been to put a Hyperpro shortened spring on rear and pushing the forks through 12mm .Though I cant flat foot I can get the balls of my feet down

It seems from all the replies that there is a difference in seat height between standard 650 and 700. Is that correct?
Anyone got a 650 lowered or not anywhere near Malvern, Cheltenham, Hereford I can try please?

Have you tried to talk to a local dealer and see if they can stick a low seat on a bike for you to sit on?

Before I bought my F800GS I took it out for a test ride with the low seat and it is okay for me at 5’ 7” with a 29 inch inside leg.
Granted I have now lowered it by 25mm with a 19 inch front rim and a Nitron rear shock but the low seat might be enough to get you on the road.

SteveT said:

5'6"

29" inside leg

Ride a F8GS - use a low seat when off roading, standard seat when jut bimbling on roads.

Had a F650GS twin as well - no problemos on either.

Learn to slide yer bum a bit to one side when planning to plant a foot, if you feel the need to have a foot flat on the ground.

Me - tippy-toes, then slide to one side if the wait is for more than a few seconds.

I never, ever try and turn the bike whilst on it - recipe for a drop (trust me on this one )

Give either standard bike a ride, then if still not confident enough, go find a lowered version.

Just my tuppence worth.

SteveT

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Exactly. I do the same on my 800GSA as my inside leg is 31”so similar relative to your experiences with the 650/700. Always respect the height and weight, be aware what the ground is like putting your foot down (pot holes/uneven camber) and don’t park facing downhill or up a slope you have to reverse down as you will not be able to touch the ground once you get to a level bit! Also beware of very thick stack-heeled boots - they’re OK at a standstill but much less flexible when you need to dab a toe down.

As a short person you learn to look for the cambers, slippery patches and high points in the road. Improve your slow riding skills so that you rarely have to stop at a Give Way sign, but look for that ideal piece of tarmac in case you have to

RogerSlater said:

It seems from all the replies that there is a difference in seat height between standard 650 and 700. Is that correct?

Click to expand...

I used to own a 2008 standard F650 twin with a low seat. I wear 28/29" trousers in length and generally only put the ball of one foot down. However, sometimes I didn't have the leverage to push the bike off the side-stand & I'd have to push the bike to a more even surface. I sold the bike only because I moved to NZ in 2014.

Last year I tried to buy an F700 but to my shock, I couldn't even put a big toe down
The shop didn't stock BMW seats to try a lower one but I was so far from the ground, I didn't think it would make much difference. The BMW specs stated the seat height hadn't changed but I'm not convinced.

I've recently purchased a factory lowered 2010 F650 model with a low seat and it's a real treat to be so flat footed. However, I am getting a bit of hip ache on a long ride so the seat / peg ratio may need adjusting, or could be old age

Don't be put off by buying a standard model if you're willing to change the suspension. The only difference between a standard model & factory lowered one is that BMW fit a shorter shock - they don't even adjust the forks. HyperPro, Ohlins and Touratech will all provide you with a lowering kit.

Happy for you to try out my bike, but it will involve a long flight

Cheers Elle. That is useful information. NZ is top of my bucket list. Looks like some amazing biking country!