Need advice on LOW SEAT option for r 1200RT

Post by **freyguy17** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:55 pm

I am new here.  I have decided to buy a '16 1200 RT, but am thinking of the LOW SEAT option.  BMW literature says it is available heated, but the dealer says the low seat is NOT available heated.  Can anybody out there help me on this issue ?  Anybody out there ride a '14, '15, or '16 with the factory LOW seat ?  Does it help significantly with managing the bike ?
Gary in Ohio, USA

Post by **scunny1** » Mon Sep 26, 2016 11:13 pm

My Low Seat has same electrical connections as Normal height seat. Due to the unseasonable warm weather, I must admit it has never been turned on yet, but presume it will work fine. There is slight loss of seat padding on Low Seat but feels so much better flat footing than tip toes.

Post by **JMRT** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:20 am

Definitely available, had mine changed after a few days.  It's a trade off for comfort, that seat is hard but I have a much better footing, especially on soft surfaces like gravel.  I can send you the part number if your dealer insists on saying no. 

Post by **Lisa_st** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:54 am

I have a low heated seat...
on an R1200RT 2016....

Post by **freyguy17** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:28 am

Thanks very much ! Appreciated !

Post by **carpedatum** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:52 am

I know dealers can be few and far between, but if you feel that yours might have manipulated the conversation to sell you a bike that he has in stock...

I pick up my R1200RT in the morning.  It has almost every option available - I am cheap about cars ;-).  Heated or not wasn't a question, but I tried sitting on both the low and standard seats.  On both, I was surprised to find that the ground was further away than it had been on my K1600GT.  I have short legs and fat thighs, and it seems that the _shape_ of the seat is at issue.  The K16 had a fairly rounded profile at the front, where there is more squarishness in the R1200RT design.

My dealer offered me the choice of taking the low seat on the VIN he had in the warehouse that otherwise fit my interests, or swapping it for free with a standard seat from a bike that he has on the showroom floor.  I told him that it didn't matter (neither seems perfect to me) so I'll be getting the low seat, and ordered a Sargent seat when we got off the phone.  The Sargent has sort of two positions - one you use while riding and another when you're stopped.  I feel a little odd about that, too, but it seems like a better compromise for me, at least until I can ride it into a seat maker and see what they can come up with.

Just a suggestion but try sitting on a K1600GT if there is one in the showroom.  I did that and came away thinking that the shape of the thing matters, that BMW can't make something for each bike that fits every need, and the aftermarket may be able to help me out.

Post by **STeinar** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 6:14 am

I also have  a low heated seat on an R1200RT 2015

Post by **Gonzo** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 4:56 pm

Same here. Heated low seat on a 2016. I was initially concerned about comfort but it has really not been an issue.

Post by **kajita** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:21 pm

has anyone gotten their regular height seat shaved?
I have not done it, but a friend of mine, who I sold my old 2007 k1200gt did that and he said it was happy with it.  and the k12gt had heated seats....

I have had other non-heated seats shaved by my local car/boat upholstery guy, and he did great work... maybe I will inquire about it...

Post by **Methos1979** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 9:36 pm

As others have already said, there is definitely a low seat option with heat. I had one on my new '16 RT for a couple days. I ended up trading it for the standard size seat with heat. I'm just under 5'7" and I can flat-foot the bike if I stand/push forward at a stop. But even in the sitting position on the balls of my feet I don't feel uncomfortable with this bike due to the relatively light weight. I was coming from a 900 pound Harley so the RT feels like a scooter.

Here's a couple of considerations about seat height: You have the height adjust bar under the seat which can be set to high or low. Then there is the suspension pre-load. Single rider, single rider and luggage and dual rider. The latter two push the bike up significantly so will affect comfort level on the bike. My wife is relatively small and light weight at about 110 pounds. We ride with the bike pre-load on single rider with no problem, standard seat set in the low position. For me the standard seat provided more padding (comfort) and a better knee angle over the low seat option.

Next time you test ride (if you have not done this already) make sure the bike is in the single rider pre-load position and try the standard seat in the low bar position. You might be surprised. I've heard that in the aftermarket Sargent offerings, their standard seat option is actually a little bit shorter position than the BMW stock standard. I thought for sure I was going to have to go the Sargent route but have been very pleased to find the stock BMW seat more than comfortable enough.

Post by **Nobby** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 10:49 pm

DEFINITELY AVAILABLE HEATED - I'VE GOT ONE!!

Post by **falconmick** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 1:42 pm

Methos1979 - what is your inside leg/inseam measurement please, as height is not always a good guide?

Post by **freyguy17** » Wed Sep 28, 2016 11:03 pm

I am a 152 pound male, with a 29.5 inch inseam, and am 5 feet 7 inches tall....a "little guy".  I am coming off of a 2012 650 Suzuki V Strom...a great bike, but WAY too high of a seat for me (after I lived with it for a few years).  When I test drove a used 2015 R 1200RT recently (with stock standard "medium" seat),I could flat-foot on one side, with the other slightly tip-toed  I'd feel MUCH better about having both feet flat on the tarmack at stops..hence my interest in a lower seat.

Post by **Methos1979** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 1:22 am

freyguy17 wrote: I am a 152 pound male, with a 29.5 inch inseam, and am 5 feet 7 inches tall....a "little guy".  I am coming off of a 2012 650 Suzuki V Strom...a great bike, but WAY too high of a seat for me (after I lived with it for a few years).  When I test drove a used 2015 R 1200RT recently (with stock standard "medium" seat),I could flat-foot on one side, with the other slightly tip-toed  I'd feel MUCH better about having both feet flat on the tarmack at stops..hence my interest in a lower seat.

My inseam is 29". I wear a motorcycle boot that has probably a half inch heel. If I rock up (forward) just a little I can flat foot. If my thighs weren't so fat I could probably flat-foot fully seated!

When you test rode the '15 RT with the standard seat, do you know if the height adjustment bar underneath was set to high or low?

Post by **pbsrides** » Thu Sep 29, 2016 5:02 am

Sargent low seat with heat on my 14 RT. Like it. 5'5"

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