1250GSA Seats

[PWP]

Folks, I'm getting old and cranky. I know, join the club.

My lower back gets very stiff and sore when I'm riding for long durations (4+ hours). I have a 1250 GS Adventure (2023) with the standard OEM seat.

I've looked at so many options - Wunderlich Aktivkomfort, Touratech Comfort, Sargent, Topsellerie delux seat ..... but I'd like comments, before I throw out money on these.

I just have a pain in my a .... coccyx ... when riding for a long time.

I do also ride two up, so need to make sure whatever I get, I can also get for my pillion. She'd kill me if I didn't.

All advice welcome.

 

[Doc]

I ended up with Touratec front and rear plus a cool cover for me. Did also try Wunderlich.

 

[GB.]

If you want your GS to look like a Harley get the Sargent, if you ride off road get seat concepts, either the touratech or the wunderlich are far better than stock. Never had a stock seat on a GS as they are shite

 

[Gavla04GS]

Hello @PWP

Theres a similar thread running somewhere but for speed of reply,
I have just sold on my Wunderlich Aktivcomfort as I was in agony after three hours riding to Brands, my error was not having the bikes suspension pre-load set correctly so please check that.
Mine was left in low so cramped myself up but when I sorted that and had reverted to OEM seat the easiest and least expensive investment was a Cool Cover and they have Rider and Pillion deals at NN.

 

[Hartley]

Hello @PWP

Theres a similar thread running somewhere but for speed of reply,
I have just sold on my Wunderlich Aktivcomfort as I was in agony after three hours riding to Brands, my error was not having the bikes suspension pre-load set correctly so please check that.
Mine was left in low so cramped myself up but when I sorted that and had reverted to OEM seat the easiest and least expensive investment was a Cool Cover and they have Rider and Pillion deals at NN.

Not sure I understand, how goes preload effect seat comfort?

 

[snerkler]

Not sure I understand, how goes preload effect seat comfort?

It doesn't per se, but if the pre load is too high it means the suspension won't soak up the bumps as well as this is then transmitted to your seat.

My bike came fitted with the BMW comfort seat and it is waaaayyyyy more comfortable than the stock seat for me.

 

[icedfusion]

rather than changing the seats at great expense, have you tried using an airhawk?

 

[GSian]

I have the Wunderlich Aktivecomfort seats and did the RBLR 1000 in 19 hours this year, with no back or arse ache problems at all, granted, that was in combination with a pair of Motoskiveez under kegs.

 

[GSian]

Another thought, Nippy's allow you to try Wunderlich seats FOC for a few weeks.

 

[Hartley]

It doesn't per se, but if the pre load is too high it means the suspension won't soak up the bumps as well as this is then transmitted to your seat.

My bike came fitted with the BMW comfort seat and it is waaaayyyyy more comfortable than the stock seat for me.

Gotcha

 

[Schtum]

If you want your GS to look like a Harley get the Sargent,

That's more the province of Russell Day Long. The Sargent for the 1200 / 1250 isn' that sofa-like. It is, however, quite comfortable in a firm kind of way.

 

[PWP]

rather than changing the seats at great expense, have you tried using an airhawk?

I have an air hawk somewhere.... had one for my cruiser, when I had it. Might dig it out and try it on the GS. Thanks.

 

[Gavla04GS]

Not sure I understand, how goes preload effect seat comfort?

I had the preload on the Minimum (low) setting so the peg to arse distance was very cramped and made it painful, I perched on the pillion seat to relieve the discomfort…

 

[Hartley]

I had the preload on the Minimum (low) setting so the peg to arse distance was very cramped and made it painful, I perched on the pillion seat to relieve the discomfort…

Am i missing something here?
The peg to arse distance is not effected by anything the suspension does. The seat and pegs are attached to the frame and remain the same.

 

[snerkler]

Am i missing something here?
The peg to arse distance is not effected by anything the suspension does. The seat and pegs are attached to the frame and remain the same.

lol, can you imagine if they moved independently

 

[icedfusion]

Am i missing something here?
The peg to arse distance is not effected by anything the suspension does. The seat and pegs are attached to the frame and remain the same.

That is not strictly true - if you have the suspension in low and move it to high you can think that the seat/rear swing arm pivots like scissors - whilst the front of the seat may not change in distance, the back of the seat changes in angle - this change in angle can affect how you are sitting on bike. Another example would be if the suspension collapsed, you would feel like you are leaning right back and so the seating position would change but the distance from pegs to the front of the seat would remain the same.

I suspect it is this change in angle that he is referring to.

 

[TIJ650]

I use the Sargent for long trips and the standard Rallye for less than 200 miles. Think the Sargent is good and it's my 2nd one, but haven't tried the others.

 

[snerkler]

That is not strictly true - if you have the suspension in low and move it to high you can think that the seat/rear swing arm pivots like scissors - whilst the front of the seat may not change in distance, the back of the seat changes in angle - this change in angle can affect how you are sitting on bike. Another example would be if the suspension collapsed, you would feel like you are leaning right back and so the seating position would change but the distance from pegs to the front of the seat would remain the same.

I suspect it is this change in angle that he is referring to.

Then what he said WAS true as you’ve just stated yourself the distance from seat to peg doesn’t change

 

[icedfusion]

Then what he said WAS true as you’ve just stated yourself the distance from seat to peg doesn’t change

i was trying to be diplomatic - the rear of the seat height does change as the pegs are almost on the pivot point.....if you think of a pair of scissors as you open them up then any point beyond the pivot point increases in height - it's just that the front of the seat is near the pivot point and the rear of the seat is not so will increase in height more(than the front) thus changing the seating position which can result in a more comfortable seating position which is what Galva04GS was referring to.

 

[snerkler]

i was trying to be diplomatic - the rear of the seat height does change as the pegs are almost on the pivot point.....if you think of a pair of scissors as you open them up then any point beyond the pivot point increases in height - it's just that the front of the seat is near the pivot point and the rear of the seat is not so will increase in height more(than the front) thus changing the seating position which can result in a more comfortable seating position which is what Galva04GS was referring to.

I understand what you’re trying to say but it doesn’t make sense to me. The seat and the pegs are on the frame of the bike, the frame does not alter and therefore it’s impossible for the distance between the seat and pegs to alter.

Yes the rear can drop down which changes the angle of the seat, but that’s in relation to the swing arm and ground, the whole frame moves as one meaning the pegs and seat move together and therefore the distance between seat and pegs remain the same.

Think about it, every time you go over a bump your knees and/or hips don’t bend more do they, your hip and knee angles remain the same.

Now having preload set low and therefore dropping the rear down will affect the pressure areas on your backside due to the angle of the seat, but that’s nothing to do with seat to leg distance