BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

I'll give it a try.
Yes I think you're right, heat would dissipate by a combination of convection and also radiation.

gadgetgaz wrote: I've come to this thread looking for info on the heated seats as mine don't seem to get hot. To be clear though my tests have only been in the garage as I haven't been riding due to the lockdown.
I tested with engine running and the battery voltage shows 14.3V and all the bars at full. The rider's seat is just about vaguely warm in the centre and I can't feel any warmth at all in the pillion seat.
I only just got the bike before the lockdown and the dealer is still closed so I can't do anything about it yet but I wondered whether there were any pre-requisites such as, for example, battery voltage must be at least xV and there must be actual weight on the seat?

See my post above.  I thought I had a problem with mine too, but it just takes ages to warm up (10 miles+).

Though there is a small amount of radiation involved there is no convection. almost all of the heat transfer is by conduction. Radiation is heat directly emitted from a body and does not require a medium to travel through e.g. the heat of the sun or light bulb. Convection is heating of the air (or other medium). Most radiators have a crinkly bit on the back, this is to heat air which then heats the room by convection (carrying the heat away fromt he radiator). Conduction is heat transfer by contact; hence the room is heated by convection, but your hand is heated far more if you touch the radiator.

FYI only, turning on the heated seat to the maximum level should only be considered temporary to get some heat on your arse and should not be a sustainable setting.  If you crank the heat, and start feeling it, I would suggest backing it off by at least 1-click.


I think this is also in the owner's manual.


-Bob
2014 R1200RT LC


p.s.  I just installed a brand new Sargent seat with the driver & passenger heated seat option.  Will be interesting to see the diff' between it and stock.

I rode for about 9 miles today with the rider's seat on full bars and it definitely got very warm. I wouldn't say it was anywhere near hot enough to burn like some have described but I'm happy enough with it. I didn't check the pillion seat.

Just to add my contribution - I have a 2019 and even on full the rider's seat only gets vaguely warm after many miles. Still have to persuade a pillion to provide a bum test....

I did however once do some testing on heated seats from a superyacht.  These were fitted with carbon fibre heating elements.  The joints between the carbon and the copper supply leads became hot enough to ignite the seat cushions, so perhaps I shouldn't complain about the apparent absence of heat on the RT  :))

My experience with an early 2014 wethead RT might throw some light on the matter.
I had to complain that the seat was virtually burning my behind. In response to my complaint the dealer told me he ran a software update, and after that the seat barely got warm enough, at least in my opinion it wasn't warm enough. He then tested the seat with some kind of heat probe and told me it was operating within tolerance and that was the end of the matter.
I was never really satisfied but took it no further. My learning from the experience is the heat output is controlled by software and unfortunately not something we can influence.

I've looking into this more and tested the connector with a volt meter. The in-dash voltage guage is showing 14.3V with the engine running and the seat gets a bit warm - that's all.
The voltage across the two connectors goes like this
0v - 1sec - 14v - 1sec - 4v - 1sec - 0v - 1sec - 14v ......etc


Is anyone with a working, hot seat, able to do a check with a volt meter please?

Another request (sorry to divert attention).  ANyone know who can fix heated seats in UK?  I've a Sargent that does not heat up and after all the tests it has been decided that it needs repairing.  Thanks.

Sprintgull wrote: Another request (sorry to divert attention).  ANyone know who can fix heated seats in UK?  I've a Sargent that does not heat up and after all the tests it has been decided that it needs repairing.  Thanks.

Won't Sargent refurbish? I know they changed their design last year because a lot of their heated seats were failing. I have been looking at a Sargent seat and been struggling as to whether to have heat or not. In 5 years of having a heated seat and riding all year around, I have only switched in on twice

I did have a conversation going with them pre-lockdown. Did the necessary tests etc to prove it had failed, but the responses seem to have dried up.  Not hassling the guy too much in the circumstances, but I'll resurrect the conversation if there's a known issue with these seats.

Hors Piste wrote: Just to add my contribution - I have a 2019 and even on full the rider's seat only gets vaguely warm after many miles. Still have to persuade a pillion to provide a bum test....

I did however once do some testing on heated seats from a superyacht.  These were fitted with carbon fibre heating elements.  The joints between the carbon and the copper supply leads became hot enough to ignite the seat cushions, so perhaps I shouldn't complain about the apparent absence of heat on the RT  )

+1 on my 2018 MY 1200RT. My wife reports a similar situation with the pillion seat. I suspect it's how BMW intended it rather than a fault.

Hi,
I realize I am very late to this thread, but was experiencing something similar on my 2014. Yesterday a very fine gentleman and a dealership explained that the seats only get hot when the ambient temp is less than 63 F and the engine is running above 1500 rpm and that the highest setting is a "boost" mode that runs for 3 minutes. If that 3 minutes gets interrupted the boost mode does not come back on for 30 minutes. All of these things are supposed to protect the battery. So all the troubleshooting I was attempting while parked in the garage was for naught. I went out at 5:30 this morning and when the temp gauge went to 61 F I turned the seat on and it warmed up rather nicely.


Question: Can you detect heat from the pillion with your hand or does someone need to actually be riding to compress the foam enough to get to the heat?