K75, K75/2, K75/3

[ultracyclist]

Other than year of production, can anyone tell me the differences between these models?

TIA

[atlbmw]

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=28002

[rideoregon]

I don't know about the other models you ask about, but at least in 1995, BMW produced a K75/3 that was characterized by having the three-spoke wheels and low seat. Buyers who wanted a standard seat could make the swap for free, and many did. But the default was the low seat. The give-away for the /3 are those upgraded three spoke wheels. Hence the (rather confusing) /3 designation.

[lvhbugmanK75]

Hunh?

I never knew I had a low seat model, but now it makes sense. I met the p.o. after he spotted the bike (which I bought from the LD) in the parking lot of a motorcycle shop. He was short! Haha.

Can you still get the OEM "stock" non-short seat parts? I'll have to look around ...

[bikerfish1100]

post a pic- we'll be able to tell you what you've got.

[ejressler]

Conversion parts are still available. I just converted mind a few months back.

[deilenberger]

Chances are excellent if you post to the fleamarket asking to trade a low seat for normal seat, you'll find some height disadvantaged person willing to make the trade. There are quite a few components that have to be swapped, so it's not just the seat..

[mieczkow]

I have done the high to low swap. While not neurosurgery, it is not just take off one seat and put on the other. The low seat (at least on my 1987 K75S) has the rear "claw" mounts which, in order to add them, require a little drilling, etc. As well the low seat attaches centrally at the seat nose, not on the side and that hardware which attaches to the frame has to be installed. My original high seat (or normal seat, I guess) was hinged, flipped up, and latched on the side. The hardware for the latching is quite different also, including a relatively long rod which runs forward to the central catch for the seat to connect the latching mechanism to the the release. You also have to either swap out or modify the plastic underseat tray, since the high seat tray is not compatible with the low seat model. I modified mine with a Dremel, so I don't know what is involved in paying for a low seat tray.

So, yeah, it's a few hours of work once you get all the parts in hand. Might be easier to get some really cool Disco-era platform shoes to pick up those few extra inches....

[jcpuckett]

Chances are excellent if you post to the fleamarket asking to trade a low seat for normal seat, you'll find some height disadvantaged person willing to make the trade. There are quite a few components that have to be swapped, so it's not just the seat..

I bought a high seat for my 1992 K75C and still have the low seat. I would love to get rid of the low seat. The seat on the K75C is NOT hinged; it has two male tabs or female notches at the rear and a latch bracket at front.

[nh7robmw]

I have a low-seat model K75S. The [Sargeant] seat was too low for comfort for me as soon as I got it; after a few miles my knees started complaining big time.

My easy fix was to put a Wal-Mart memory foam pillow (flat style) on the seat with a bungee net to hold it in place. What a difference this made on my ride home accross the country thereafter.

Besides being able to stretch out my knees a bit, the foam was remarkably comfortable as a seat pad, too. It looked a bit odd but I didn't care as long as the lower half of me was happy.:dance

Now I use some thinner but denser foam covered with black shelving liner (the kind you put in kitchen shelves underneath glasses and dishes) and held in place by a wooden bead seat cover. This is also good for my height (6') and inseam (32") and overall riding position. This setup blends in well with the rest of the seat and is only an inch or inch and a half taller at the rider position.

Eventually I'll send my low seat back to Sargeant for a reupholster and will have them build it up for me at the same time. Btw, there is a thread over on ADV in the Old School section about Sargeant seats for GSPDs that shows the fine finish and style of their product very well, in case anyone is interested.:thumb

[Bread]

I have a 1995 K75 (technically a K75/2-standard) that originally came with the low seat. By the time I got it, the previous owner had changed to a standard seat (but it just sat loosly on the bike, as he never changed any mounting hardware.)

I now have both the low seat and the standard BMW 'comfort' seat. I can switch between both of them rather easily and I did not need to drill or weld anything.

- I DO need to add the hooking-thingy over the battery & computer to mount the low seat.
- I DID need to purchase a handful of parts for mounting (hinge, pins, aforementioned hooking-thingy...)
- Mine is the 1995 vintage, so it sounds like the seat mounting hardware changed over the years.

Hope this helps!

[Bread]

PS -

Based only on my very limited experience, I would also add that it might be easier to switch out the seats if your bike has the LOW seat, and you are changing to the STANDARD seat. I think you would need to obtain a few more parts if going in the other direction.

For example; installing the low seat requires using a different plastic tray for the computer below the seat (or a modified one, per mieczkow).
The standard seat can use either plastic underseat tray so you can use what you got.



-bread

[jcridge]

Not meaning to add the the high-jacking, but I have a /2 low seat and had Rick Mayer do a custom seat that raised the height 1.5" and eliminated the pitch forward. What a difference. I too had knee cramps before and anything over 50 miles was a pain...in the butt. I have not had any issues in 12K miles. It's not a cheap solution, but I would venture to say it's cheaper then converting. Remember, you will be wanting to get the seat done to fit you at some point anyway. Unless you are the one person that fits the factory seat, if so...welcome to our planet.