lowering the seat

My K100LT has the stock Corbin seat on it. Being 5'9" tall I'm on my tip toes. I love the bike except for this. I've been reading about lowering it with shocks 1" but what about lowering the seat? Have any of you done this sucessfully?

Mike Barnett said:

My K100LT has the stock Corbin seat on it. Being 5'9" tall I'm on my tip toes. I love the bike except for this. I've been reading about lowering it with shocks 1" but what about lowering the seat? Have any of you done this sucessfully?

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If you look at the Corbin seat - there isn't a lot of meat to be taken out where it counts - which is the nose of the seat - that's where you are when you're attempting to put a foot or two down.
If you have a real custom saddle made (ie - not a Corbin) you can ask the maker to make the nose as narrow as possible (since you don't SIT on the nose when riding) - this helps your legs go down straight, which effectively makes them longer.

And it's not the height - it's the inseam Mine is 27" on a tall day, less on most days.

Steps I took to lower the bike (and the PO did also)..

Shorter shock (Wilbers adjustable - gain about 3/4" that way), low profile tires (radials) - gain about 1/2" that way, shortened spacer in the front forks (about 1/2-3/4") gain.

And tall boots - I wear hiking boots with thick soles. I've yet to find a bike boot that has thick enough soles (and I have a collection of them sitting gathering dust..)

Thanks Don for the reply. I plan on trying all three ideas. I bought the bike with new tires so it'll be a while before I get to change it but I'm looking into the shorter shocks and taller boots now. The bike had a new Corbin seat put on it when I bought it but I made them give me the old one so I could have a new one made and still ride.

I have the same bike and the same problem. My solution was to find a factory-option low seat, which completely replaces the original and lowers the seating position by about four inches. I can send you a picture if you like. The problem is, these seats were only available for a short time and are like hens' teeth to find now.

jonmill said:

I have the same bike and the same problem. My solution was to find a factory-option low seat, which completely replaces the original and lowers the seating position by about four inches. I can send you a picture if you like. The problem is, these seats were only available for a short time and are like hens' teeth to find now.

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Apparently not everyone wants the hen's teeth

If you keep an eye on the IBMWR marketplace, K parts - you'll see them offered for trade or sale. The trades are typcially for the normal height seat. Besides the seat - you'll also need the rubber bit that attaches to the rear of the tank, and a different computer box for over the battery.

You should note - that on later model K's - this is not an option since the ABS-II setup precludes using it..

Don,

We must know different hens with different teeth, because my bike is a '94 with ABSII. The low seat was a simple swap, with no change to the computer box. It is a lockable lift-off seat, not hinged. I lost the cosmetic plastic covers on the side of the bike, and you are right, there is a BIG rubber cowling-type thingy that covers the exposed part of the tank.

This set-up works well for me, especially since Rick Mayer rebuilt the seat and covered it with leather.

my tall GS1150 Adventure

Hi my name is Looie and just bought an 1150 GS Adventure, I have a problem of height, I am 5'8" tall (not growing anymore) and have to tiptoe to reach the ground. I have the regular seat which is suppose to be 900mm off the ground vs. a replacement seat which is 860mm off the ground. Frankly I dont know what this is in inches 1.5inches?? Anyway the tiptoeing is hard especially in traffic situations, plus the bike weighs 600 lbs. and it is hard to keep upright when one is tiptoeing. If not for these two things I love the bike, maybe I should have bought the 1150 GS and not the adventure. Still I like the looks of the Adventure. Good looking bike!!! Anybody want to comment please feel free to do so. BTW any bmw bikers in the Philippines want to hook up and bike around