Help - just taken delivery of my new R1200GSA TU

[itspilsbury]

Hi,
I have owned for 7 years now a R1150RT. The seat was not brilliant so having tried various options airhawk pads, sheepskin etc I picked up an old Corbin seat, ah bliss! 400 + miles a day in my stride.
I then bought a 2nd hand F650GS twin, that wasn't so bad but I got a new Corbin seat as after having tried the BMW comfort seat I didn't rate it.
Anyway I have just traded my F650GS twin and took delivery (The Corbin seat and lots of other bits and bobs are for sale and will be on Ebay as and when I get time to put them on) yesterday of a brand new R1200GSA TU. I have done 140 miles on it so far, thats 100 today = 50 miles then a 20 min stop then 50 miles and boy does my bum hurt!
I thought the saddle on this bike would be spot on!, do they need some breaking in? or will it always be like this? I am off on a 500 mile trip over the weekend after today I think this will be hellish on my backside.
Any advice, should I get an order in again for a damn Corbin.
Ian

 

[Goose]

after about 1000miles the seat will feel much better!

dunno if it's the seat that's breaking in or your bum!.... the longer you ride it the better it starts to feel. A good excuse to stand as well....

 

[m1keyp]

While mine did get better, we went to this guy for some modifications

http://www.diggerseats.co.uk/

Why having spent so much money we had to I am not sure, can you imagine having the same issue with their 4 wheel product?

 

[ianf]

I'm a bit thick, what's the TU stand for?

 

[Twotter]

Turtles upsidedown

 

[itspilsbury]

Technical Upgrade apparently - DOHC etc....

 

[itspilsbury]

Hi,
Did they re-cover it with vinyl or leather as was it expensive?
Ian

 

[itspilsbury]

I meant - and was it expensive?

 

[61nearlybold]

I had an SE GS in 2009. It had many extras including a GSA seat and I thought it was very uncomfortable. It always seemed to be pushing me forward. Bought an Aniversay GS last september and bliss, back on a standard seat. I am not a high mileage rider but I did notice a big difference. GSA seat was also higher I think???

 

[ianf]

Uh-huh... Ta.

 

[snerkler]

The GSA seat definately beds in and is hands down the comfiest seat I've had on a bike. I found it started bedding in after about 1000miles but wasn't 'fully' bed in until 4-5k

 

[snaponphil]

GSA seat adjustment

Hi spilsbury, I too have just got a new GSA & I know this will seem obvious to most of you old hands, BUT, on handover the gentleman kindly showed me 2 silver rods underside of the riders seat that allowed me to tilt it up at the front & now soooo comfy u wouldnt believe.

 

[itspilsbury]

Thanks guys, I have almost completed 700miles since Thursday. I have tilted the front up and it is a bit better. I can cope with it, still nothing like my old Corbin but I will give it a few thousand miles and see how it goes.
Can I ask, how much oil is this bike supposed to use. When I picked it up the sight glass was full, at 400+ miles it was empty so I topped it up. Now it has almost 700 miles on it the sight glass is half full again.
Is this normal?

 

[Edventure]

Thanks guys, I have almost completed 700miles since Thursday. I have tilted the front up and it is a bit better. I can cope with it, still nothing like my old Corbin but I will give it a few thousand miles and see how it goes.
Can I ask, how much oil is this bike supposed to use. When I picked it up the sight glass was full, at 400+ miles it was empty so I topped it up. Now it has almost 700 miles on it the sight glass is half full again.
Is this normal?

Are you running it in gently? That could be the problem

 

[itspilsbury]

Fairly gently I guess, been out for a 500 or so miles bike trip with some friends. Not gone above 70, max rpm 4500. Why would that cause more oil to be burnt? rather than if I had ridden it harder?

 

[Twotter]

That's all very well but how are the turtles getting on???

 

[Davy F]

I found the seat on my 12GS was the worst seat of virtually any bike that I've owned. Again, it was at the 50 mile point that I started to get sore. It didn't bed in (nor in actual fact do they really bed in) and I bought the deeper seat (not many know you can buy differing seat thickness's) from BMW hoping the extra thickness of foam would help. It didn't. Next up was an AirHawk. Yes, I can see how some swear by them, but although it was better, it still wasn't the answer and I especially didn't like having to remove it if the bike was parked up out of sight. Finally, nirvana came in the purchase of a Sargent saddle. I could do 350 miles easily before I started to get uncomfortable. A half hour break and I was happy to do another stint and without doubt, it was the best thing I bought for the 12. Yes, they are not cheap but (IMO), worth every penny. Also, you get a good proportion back if you decide to get rid of the bike as I did, so in real terms it was pretty cost effective and my bum would testify to this fact.

 

[Edventure]

Fairly gently I guess, been out for a 500 or so miles bike trip with some friends. Not gone above 70, max rpm 4500. Why would that cause more oil to be burnt? rather than if I had ridden it harder?

The engine needs to be worked hard in short bursts to avoid glazing of the bores. If the bores get glazed the piston rings don't form a good seal which in turn leads to higher oil consumption and potentially less power.

Have a search for motorman technique. Some may poo poo it but I've run 4 new BMWs like that from the start, no oil use at all.

 

[Neil W]

Seats are a very subjective thing, a seat that suits one person may be hell for someone else. It's as much to do with the way the rider sitting position on the bike and their bum shape.

I've always found the seats on any BMW I've ridden from F800's, R1150 RS/RT/GS's and R1200GS/RT to be absolute pergatory after less than 100 miles ( that said according to one german lad I was talking to is because I obviously don't have a fat german arse- his words not mine ).....

I ended up after trying the gel seat route getting an AIRHAWK.

Seriously I have never had a problem even with trail bike seats any japanese bikes from Fizzies to Katanas and in the last few weeks I've tried both Super Teneres and Guzzi Stelvios which were excellent but the R1200 GSA was the proverbial pain in the A*** after 40 miles .