R1150RT seat.

Dragon Master

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Hi, first off does anybody remember the RT1150RT? The reason I ask that is that I've asked a question or two about in the past and got no reply. But I'll try again.

I bought the 'bike two years ago with the intention of using it whilst my FJ1200 was subjected to a strip down and rebuild. It's a single spark 2001 'Y' reg, and had 15463 miles on it when I picked it up. It has just gone over the 20000 mile mark last week.

Now it's an excellent bike in most areas; goes round bends like a bike of this style shouldn't be allowed to, pulls well, especially since I fitted one of GSJohn's chips, and as these things are wont do is getting so much smoother as it approaches the 25k mile mark.

Now my 'main' bike is still the FJ, which has been extensively modified, but I want to keep the RT, and was intending to use it as a Blood Bike. But a problem has cropped up.

A few times I've noticed that while it's very comfortable to ride, it's not very comfortable to get off it, in the sense that I've been getting pain in my right-side sciatic nerve. I went for a hundred or so mile ride last Saturday, with a break of a couple of hours half way, and when I got home I could hardly walk due to the pain. In fact it's still twinging a bit now.

I also have a F650 Dakar. That too gave me some back pain on a run out last week, but in the L3/L4 vertebrae location rather than sciatica. I seem to have cured that by fitting a slightly lower seat.

But on the Yam, with it's more sporty 'scrunched up' riding position, I did the RBLR 1000 back in June with never a twinge. I can still ride that with no problems, but I had been having problems with the RT before June. So I'm wondering...

The Yam has a rather hard Corbin seat fitted, and I'm wondering if getting the RT seat modified in this direction might help. Has anybody who once rode an 1150RT had similar problems, and if so, what did you do about it, other than sell the 'bike ?

As said it's a brilliant 'bike and I'm loath to get rid of it; but there's no point in keeping it if I can't ride it more than fifty miles.

Another thought I had, anybody know if the bars from a RS will fit the RT without interfering with the fairing?

Cheers for reading a long winded post, and any suggestions appreciated.

Dave.
 
Has anybody who once rode an 1150RT had similar problems, and if so, what did you do about it, other than sell the 'bike ?

My 1150Rt, I've used for 15 years and over 127000 miles. At first I hated the seat, then I made some changes to the seat adjusting mechanism (which is shown on fiche 52-1045, item 1 on the website below).
I fabricated 2 off 10mm thick spacers (1 each side) and installed them underneath the seat adjustment mechanism. These kick the seat up enough to really make a huge difference. Give it a go.
https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51765&rnd=07242017


....anybody know if the bars from a RS will fit the RT without interfering with the fairing?
No you can't.
However, these items are available:
https://www.wunderlich.de/shop/en/vario-handlebar-riser-31030-011-1.html

https://roxspeedfx.com/products/bmw-rt1100-rt1150-rt1200-handlebar-riser-kit

https://www.motorcycleparts-hornig.com/BMW-R-1100-1150-RT/Alu-High-grade-Steel/Bar-risers.html
 
Hmmm... cheers for the reply... I take it the spacers you made were to fit under the rear parts of the mechanism, the stepped parts? If so that would make sense. Going off the fact that I can ride the FJ with no problems, I think I need a more forward leaning seating position. Puts more weight on my arms, but reduces it on my lower back. (Hence the question about RS bars). Should be easy enough to give it a try, cheers.
 
Try a Air hawk, if its no good you should be able to move it own for little loss, but if it works it will save you a time and hassle, use one on mine and its worth another 100 miles or so on tour, it will alter you riding position slightly, but maybe enough to solve your problem, but don't over inflate it

.
 
Hmmm... cheers for the reply... I take it the spacers you made were to fit under the rear parts of the mechanism, the stepped parts? If so that would make sense. Going off the fact that I can ride the FJ with no problems, I think I need a more forward leaning seating position. Puts more weight on my arms, but reduces it on my lower back. (Hence the question about RS bars). Should be easy enough to give it a try, cheers.

NO, under the front part. The adjuster. You are not convinced. Try it. You will be pleasantly suprised. The stock seat makes you keep fighting to stop moving forward. All of a sudden the bum, feet & hand position starts to work.
 
Try a Air hawk, if its no good you should be able to move it own for little loss, but if it works it will save you a time and hassle, use one on mine and its worth another 100 miles or so on tour, it will alter you riding position slightly, but maybe enough to solve your problem, but don't over inflate it

.

I have an Airhawk. but it doesn't sort out the core problem. Once the angle is corrected, other things sort themselves out.
 
I too have put 10mm spacers under the front mounting point, I did all four - it does kick the front of the seat up and sort of levels it out, makes it much nicer to ride without risking the jewels all the time.

You can just buy some spacers on ebay if you are unable to make them.

I also bought a secondhand set, front and back, Corbin seats for my '03 R1150RT. Not brilliant condition but tidy enough, looks ok and not tatty so that you would turn your nose up but I cannot get on with it.
Yes it is more comfortable, yes it is wider at the arse end.
The pair I have was originally made for the 1100RT so it fits ok but different.

But for me it is too wide at the front and taller overall.
With the standard seat I use the middle height setting and the full balls of my feet are on the ground. On the lowest setting I can get all of my feet, toes, balls and heels on the ground.

With the Corbin seat on the lowest setting I can just about get most of the balls of my feet on the ground, on the middle setting I am on tippy toes. I have a 29-30 inch inside leg..........

The seat(s) actually cost me less than £175 at the time so I think I will move them on..
 
The front spacers certainly seem worth a try, but it seems strange to me that the two bikes with the most upright 'relaxed' seating position should be the two that are the most uncomfortable to ride, over the FJ with its seating position leaning more to the 'sports' side of the equation. And I don't recall ever having these problems with my GS. A seven-hundred miles in 14 hours day trip to the Isle of Skye didn't prevent me from walking into the Pub perfectly normally when I stepped off it on my arrival home.
The Corbin seat tale is familiar, I picked up mine (for the FJ) in what sounds like similar condition to yours, for £60; a trip to Tony Archer soon had it looking good.
It's a strange thing, when I first sit on it it feels a bit hard and uncomfortable, but once riding it becomes completely neutral, I just don't feel it at all. If you decide to move yours on I wouldn't mind first dibs if it's not too soon.(I'm looking at a new 'frame' and some RT wheels for the GS, and the FJ is an on-going 'running project'.)
Dave.
 
I think I have decided to move it on.................... but before anyone commits here are a couple of photos, I do have more..........

<a href="https://ibb.co/kudRRe"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/cR7aKz/IMAG0247.jpg" alt="IMAG0247" border="0" /></a>

<a href="https://ibb.co/ms8hzz"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/cs0HXK/IMAG0253.jpg" alt="IMAG0253" border="0" /></a>

<a href="https://ibb.co/kPRfme"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/fGn9ez/IMAG0251.jpg" alt="IMAG0251" border="0" /></a>

<a href="https://ibb.co/i39pez"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/f6gfme/IMAG0252.jpg" alt="IMAG0252" border="0" /></a>

the "patches" at the back of each seat are velcro flaps for the add-on back rest you can buy. They are quite heavy and bulky so I guess £200 ovno all in posted to the UK............. anywhere else I will get you a quote.

DM, I don't mind waiting a month or so for you so I will not list it in the for sale section or ebay & such if you are still interested?
 
Cheers, just bought the frame for the GS, waiting to see how the wheels go now.

Would it be a hassle to take a photo of it fitted to the bike? Looks in better nick than the FJ one was, but I'd still get it re-covered.
 
here you go, photos of the seats on the bike................. this is with the height adjuster on the middle setting - (with the 10mm spacers remember)







 
Cheers fot the pics, looks good, I'll see how things pan out. Sorry for the late reply, been throwing the Dakar about on some trails...
 
np, off to the German Baltic coast on 8th October myself...........
 


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