I’m far from being a tall guy...

[bernardofeio]

Hello

I’m far from being a tall guy so besides lowering the seat what are my options to reduce height the BMW R100GS?



Thanks

 

[brassmonkey001]

Fit a rear shock from a R100R.

 

[Beemerboff]

For solo riding the rear shock work quite well at minimum preload and 80% rebound damping, and this drops things a bit.

Reshaping the seat so that the nose is a bit narrower and the whole thing is a bit lower helps too, and there are some rubber buffers underneath which can be thinned a little to give a little more.

Any more than this and it starts to cost real money

The R100R shock is shorter, but it goes with an 18" front wheel and fatter front tyre, so you are opening a can of worms if you start on that path - it may just be a case of dropping the forks through the yokes, but unless someone else has tried it I would proceed with caution, dropping them 4/5 mm at a time to see what difference it makes before going any further.
The 18" front wheels occasionally com up on German Ebay for around $300 euros.

A aftermarket side stand helps confidence too - but they are hard to find for the GS. There are good pics of the shurefoot stand on Motorworks site - It looks like one could be made to fit with a little cutting and welding.

You will get used to the height eventually - I have a 30" inseam and found it a bit daunting at first, but I have ended up with an Ohlins and HPN fork inserts , both of which raised the bike.

 

[John Armstrong]

I have the "normal" and "lower" seats. I'll take some photo's of them if that's any help?

I'd get the lowered pegs if you go the lowered seat though.

 

[bernardofeio]

hello

Thanks for your comments


“For solo riding the rear shock work quite well at minimum preload and 80% rebound damping, and this drops things a bit.”

All the rear shocks are adjustable? I have a Hagon rear shock…


“it may just be a case of dropping the forks through the yokes,”

The forks will not hit the handlebar?


“A aftermarket side stand helps confidence too”

I thought that all GS had side stands!! I’m fuc#*


“I have the "normal" and "lower" seats. I'll take some photo's of them if that's any help?”

Yes please! [email protected]


bernardofeio

 

[VAL. H.]

Hello

I’m far from being a tall guy so besides lowering the seat what are my options to reduce height the BMW R100GS?



Thanks

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87965&page=7

Have a look at my post on this link (post 100). My other half is 5'4" and can now reach the ground easily with the balls of both feet.

there are a few things you need to be aware of though.

If you'd like more info just PM me. You'll need to subscribe to do that. Easy enough to do, just click on my user name and follow the links.

BTW Welcome aboard


Val.

 

[John Armstrong]

Some photo's for you to have a look at:

 

[John Armstrong]

And some more photo's if the ******* site software isn't ******* about

 

[John Armstrong]

Hopefully the artfully placed spade and brush in some of the piccies will let you see the difference in seat heights

 

[B Murr]

How about these?

 

[Beemerboff]

With a 30" inseam and stock set up it is only just possible to push the stock sidestand down, and if it slips of your toe and flys up at the wrong time you are stuffed.

My homemade copy of the Shurefoot klunks down with a flick of the heel , and doesnt fly up.

Sounds like you are too late for the shock alterations.

I bought a seat cover from the Comboguy on Ebay, reshaped the foam with a palm sander and fitted the cover myself- a bit cheaper than a new seat and looks good too.

 

[Kenny]

Agreed..the R100R shocker doesn't work..makes the bike like a chopper
Dropping the forks to compensate would also require bar raisers or the handlebars will hit the fork tops.
Lowering of the seat is a must and also acquiring lower footpegs (if required)
Once you start lowering shock/bars etc then side stand etc plays a big part...are you sure you want a G/S and not an R100R ?

 

[brassmonkey001]

Agreed..the R100R shocker doesn't work..makes the bike like a chopper
Dropping the forks to compensate would also require bar raisers or the handlebars will hit the fork tops.
Lowering of the seat is a must and also acquiring lower footpegs (if required)
Once you start lowering shock/bars etc then side stand etc plays a big part...are you sure you want a G/S and not an R100R ?

Yep, I put bar risers on mine so I could drop the forks to compensate for the R100R rear shock.
I also fitted lower pegs for comfort.
I can't put my bike on the stand while sat on it, I have to get off and do it. I can see me dropping it one day.

 

[bernardofeio]

Thanks again

Any photos of the “homemade copy of the Shurefoot”? this seems an very important upgrade….


For now I think I will go for the seat and if possible to the rear shock 80% preload…

 

[mikyh]

I'm also challenged in the hight department

5'4".
As a retired bicycle racer I know I have longer than avarege legs for my size, but still something like 28-29"

I rarely take my GS real offroading these days.

I have a standard single PD seat, Ohlin shock (higher than standard)

What works for me? dropped the forks 15mm in the yokes, and I have a sidestand bought from Wunderlich, with an extension to help push it down - no way I could use the standard stand while sitting on the bike.

I also plan ahead all the time, it became a second nature, to have a suitable place to put my foot down (never feet down - don't reach the ground together). it is more needed off road ofcourse, but if for example, i stop on a sideways incline, I'll always put down the foot on the higher side.

Regarding the changed bike geometry - it just became a little more modern

No problem, realy

cheers
Miky

 

[Sylvester]

I have the "normal" and "lower" seats. I'll take some photo's of them if that's any help?

I'd get the lowered pegs if you go the lowered seat though.

John, your lowered seat looks like the normal one and the "Normal" seat looks like extra foam has been added. Or...mine has a lowered seat as well.

 

[John Armstrong]

John, your lowered seat looks like the normal one and the "Normal" seat looks like extra foam has been added. Or...mine has a lowered seat as well.

I haven't owned both seats from new so can't say which is original and which isn't. But, it was an option to get a lower seat when new, see here:

http://www.xmission.com/~wendell/GS/node144.html

I bought the lower one to give the missus a better view ahead thinking it was the rear that was higher Will probably end up getting one of them amended with more padding ie height for the pillion seat, not certain which one though. Having the lower pegs has reduced the knee angle quite a bit with the "lower" seat

More confused now?

 

[Sylvester]

Yep well confused. I've not seen one like the higher one before. I'd love a touratec one but I'm not going to stump up for a new one, they don't appear on german fea bay very often and then go for stupid money.

 

[Beemerboff]

Any photos of the “homemade copy of the Shurefoot”? this seems an very important upgrade….

I dont have a digital camera , but the Motorworks site gives a few good photos of the various Shurefoots available , but doesn't list one for the R100 GS.

They all seem to mount to the rear engine mount.

Mine does too, but I have mounted it to a longer piece of 30mm x 10mm flat bar, with the front centered on the engine bolt and the rear end tucked up in behind the footrest, with the stand pivot centered about 25mm in front of the footrest.

Will be clear after you have seen the Motorworks photos.Go to popular modifications then click on the stand photos to see it fitted.

The stand itself was cut off a Jap wreck and welded to the plate, and the stand switch connected into the neutral switch line, to stop me starting the engine with the stand down.

My friendly Jap wrecker let me fossick through his pile of old bent frames and cut off the bits I needed, and I didnt have to pay for the welding, so the cost was around 15 quid including the switch.

I was lucky enough to get the complete front end from a late K on Ebay for 80 quid - so if decide to get a lighter and lower trail bike it wont cost much to convert the GS to a R100R spec road bike.

 

[John Armstrong]

I'd love a touratec one but I'm not going to stump up for a new one, they don't appear on german flea bay very often and then go for stupid money.

When you look at some of the prices TT tat and other GS bits go for, I do wonder if there's a recession in Germany.