Adventure Pillion Seat - Can It Be Saved ?

[Alex B]

Have any one of you erstwhile (and undeniably inventive) GS riders come up with a mod to the GS Adventure seat (and by this I mean the poorly misnamed "pillion" seat !) which renders it longer and more bearingly comfortable than the tapered, bum-clenching, waferthin postage stamp that all the Adventure riders seem to claim it is ?

Is an "expensive" Melvin H. mod the only hope ?

or ..............

Are Adventure riders doomed to single rider status ?


Alex B.
(Transylvania Tour Company):drackula

 

[MikeO]

Alex,

Haven't tried this myself (swapped my Adv set up for a std GS seat), but Touratech do the gadget pictured below. The drawback to it is that it's difficult to replace your seat with this thing fitted (there was a thread about it on the ADVrider site).

Mike

 

[Zwerver]

Last weekend I had my first ride with pillion on my new ADV,
and thus a chance to test this Touratech thingy..
Karin's first impression, after a 100km sunday ride through the hills, is positive; She has enough space to move around a bit,
and because it is a bit higher then the seat, it helps her to sit
more upright...
In a few weeks, when returning from the north, we can tell if
it really works on longer distances....

 

[Madmountainman]

Compared to other options, Melvyns prices are very competitive!

 

[Alex B]

Mike, Zwerver,

the Touratech "extender" looks a tad uncomfortable; I could imagine the pillion could sense the ridge after a while. Zwerver - you'll have to let us know after your trip.

Mike : I guess you shifted to a GS seat for a good reason then ?

Madmountainman : yes, I know, old Melvin's prices aren't that expensive really on a comparison basis. Have you done a conversion yourself ?

Duck Ula.

 

[Zwerver]

Alex,


next weekend, 3 - 7 juli, I'll be going to the Stelvio-rally,
together with my younger sister... It will be 2 day trip
through the Eiffel, Black Forest, Swiss Alps to Italy, then a daytour
at the STelvio, and a 2-day trip back through Austria and Germany.
All in all some 3000km, so I think I can tell, or better she can tell, a bit more ....

 

[Madmountainman]

Mike, Zwerver,

the Touratech "extender" looks a tad uncomfortable; I could imagine the pillion could sense the ridge after a while. Zwerver - you'll have to let us know after your trip.

Mike : I guess you shifted to a GS seat for a good reason then ?

Madmountainman : yes, I know, old Melvin's prices aren't that expensive really on a comparison basis. Have you done a conversion yourself ?

Duck Ula.

Its on the list that grows every day of things i want to buy and do involving my GS. But yes, i will be getting it done.

 

[The Foolish Fellow]

sister

post up a photo of your sis z

 

[Zwerver]

Picture of my sister.. and her boyfriend

 

[Frankie Boy]

Mike O

does the seat or bike require modification in order to fit a standard seat on an Adv?

Do you have both seats fitted (inc pillion) or just the front??

By the way, who fitted your lights, horns rear fog etc. - appreciate any advice.

Cheers

 

[Pthagonal]

to fit adv seat

you need to change the seat subframe..

and a few other bits..

the frame on the gs and the adv is the same..

bits needed..

adv seat
adv seat subframe and grab rail
(they are the aluminium bits)
seat mount bits, front
(the seat clicks into these)
seat locking unit (rear)
plus locking mech, cable etc

all this took me about 2 houres to do.. remove old seat and fit new one..

done without instructions i might add..

left the plans at work.. buggerit!!

anyway i find new seat a lot more comfy and i can fit the adv top box as well..

my gf sits on the back every day on our 15mile 35-45min commute and has no problem.. but for longer trips i am thinking of crafting some sort of extra cushion to keep her comfy..

regards

pthag

 

[MikeO]

does the seat or bike require modification in order to fit a standard seat on an Adv?

I found someone on the BB who wanted an Adv seat & met up & swapped seats/racks/mounts - takes about an hour and can be done with the bike's toolkit (just spanner wielding, no drama). Expensive if you buy the bits, free if you can find someone who wants to swap (easier to find someone who wants an Adv seat for some reason - presumably people that haven't ridden with one )

Do you have both seats fitted (inc pillion) or just the front??

Depends what I'm doing. The flexibility to use the pillion seat as a rack if I wanted was one of the attractions of doing the swap.

By the way, who fitted your lights, horns rear fog etc. - appreciate any advice.

Haven't got a fog rear light - do you mean the additional rear light (Touratech)? I fitted the horns (Fiamm twin tones from Halfords). The lights are PIAA 910s (lower pair - fogs) which come on with the dip beam, but are separately switched via an Autoswitch, and PIAA 1200s (upper pair - spots) which come on with main beam. I've a wiring diagram if you'd like it (so you don't have 6 lights on at once, the fogs go out on main beam, requires a couple of relays - designed by Gazza ) The 910s are mounted on a Micatech titanium bar, the 1200s on a Top of the Line headlamp/oil cooler guard, both sourced in the USA.

Mike

 

[MiGSel]

Do you have both seats fitted (inc pillion) or just the front??
Depends what I'm doing. The flexibility to use the pillion seat as a rack if I wanted was one of the attractions of doing the swap.

If you'd want only the front seat of a std GS1150 on an Adv., does that involve the same change as for the whole thing?

Would be nice to be able to swap between the Adv. seat and the single std. seat for me...

 

[MikeO]

If you'd want only the front seat of a std GS1150 on an Adv., does that involve the same change as for the whole thing?

Would be nice to be able to swap between the Adv. seat and the single std. seat for me...

No, the Adv and std GS seat mountings are totally different - you'll have to make a decision.

Mike