R1100RS Passenger seat

[skotlyc]

Hello all! I'm not a new member, but I've never posted here before, so here it goes. I just recently replaced my K1200LT with a much more fun to ride R1100RS. Its a blast to ride and my wife loves riding on the back, but the problem we are running into is passenger comfort. Her and I just got back from a 1000 mile weekend trip. I stayed rather comfortable, but my wife has been complaining of sharp pains in her butt and we have to stop every 100 or so miles for her to move around. Those distances got shorter the further into the trip we got. SO I am on the hunt for a more comfortable seat for her, not nessecarily for me for our big trip at the end of the summer (Going to Tail of the dragon by way of Eureka Springs, AR). Anybody have suggestions of passenger comfort on the R1100RS?

[Walking Eagle]

First, and most important, WELCOME to the forum.

The R1100RS has some magic, for sure, and is my favorite ride of all time. Love my Airheads (for different reasons), but this one is a mile-muncher.

Curiously, the (stock) rear seat on this machine "usually" gets high marks from passengers, whereas the front seat is known as a butt-killer. One issue your S.O. may have is that if you use an Airhawk, Bead-Rider, etc., it may put her too high in the slipstream, and that's uncomfortable for some. This factor would depend on your relative body-sizes, of course; that said, you may want to try a Bead-Rider first, as that's not a lot of money, and it may solve the problem. I've lost faith in Airhawks because they FAIL after a few years, and are expensive. However, they DO work, as advertised. Minimal inflation is the key to happiness if you go this route.

Many good seat rebuilders out there. Again, not inexpensive, but if SWMBO ain't happy on a ride, nothing else matters. Having sore cheeks is NOT some minor thing, and anyone who has experienced it knows that it's very intrusive and is a safety-factor when it's the pilot, and not just the co-pilot being afflicted.

Regardless of what else you may try, she might start using Anti-Monkey Butt Powder (PINK container, for women, yellow for men), which I've found to be a great help on long multi-day tours.

Good luck with this, and let us know how it comes out -- probably a lot of others are interested.

Walking Eagle

[flars]

My wife made me buy an RT, because she wasn't comfortable on the back of the RS. Her main complaint was the slope of the seat kept her from getting comfortable - she was constantly having to push herself back. So that may be part of your problem. If so, you may try removing/cutting down the rubber bumpers on the rear of the seat to make the seat 'flatter'. Then try a bead-rider. A cheaper experiment would be to get a beaded seat cover from Walmart and cut it to size. Then if that helps, get the bead rider (they have flatter beads - especially the 'deluxe' version.
Getting someone other than the big dogs (Russell, Bill Mayer) to work on the RS seat will be tough because the BMW seat pans have a bad reputation for being hard to work with.

[REDSLEDRIDER]

Air flow or good ventilation is needed as well to help stay dry.
They have pink monkey butt now.

[ANDYVH]

Typical BMW seats of that era, for some reason were set up so the passenger and rider were constantly sliding forward, like your wife reports.

I used to have a Corbin Rumbleseat on my 94 RS, its the style with the flip-up backrest. When the backrest is down it looks a bit like a solo seat. Stylish for sure, but only really good for the rider. The flip-up pivot mechanism, aside from being quite heavy, forces the passenger to sit too far forward on the otherwise nice "pocket" of the rear section. So, unless your SO is quite small, like 5'-0" and size 4 tops, this is not a good seat choice. Without the backrest on the Rumbleseat, like I have it now to suit a Givi tail trunk and backrest, the rear most seat edge beading is too far forward and causes my SO to sit with it digging into regions such things should not be dug into,....catch the drift?

Mayer or Russell are probably your best choices. Also, Cee Bailey will recover your stock seat set, and modify the foam as needed. A pocket shape that offers some "cradle" shape side to side, with no beaded edging any distance from the back edge of the seat is good, along with a tapered side/front portion for thigh relief.

I'm in the process of making my own foam layout and new cover for the stock seat set. For the rear section, I am shaping the foam into a cradle/pocket shape with a slight rise to the front. The sides will taper in toward the front for thigh clearance which also relieves a potential pressure point. Also, passenger footpeg height to seat height can be an issue or something to consider. If she is shorter of inseam that those typical long legged German passenger models then the issue is also more of the "sliding forward" feeling because the legs are not bent enough or she may even be on the balls of her boots rather than resting the instep area over the footpeg. So you may need to consider "lowering" the rear seat section to reduce compression on the back of her thighs.

[lsouth3]

Welcome
Skwoosh has been wonderful for my backside on both my Corbin and factory seats.
It will not solve the pillon angle problem is there is one but is really has been a great remedy for those pressure point pains. Moderately pricey but for me it has been a real bargain.

skwoosh.com

[skotlyc]

Well the airhawk only delays the pain for my wife. I just bought one hoping it would do the trick. I think the contour of the seat is spreading her hips apart creating excruciating pain to a point her legs are going numb. Not Good!... We did 200 miles today and she could barely walk when she got got off. She's only 23... she shouldn't be dealing with this kind of stuff yet. Looks like a custom seat is going to be the answer, but I $600 is kinda pricey for me. Any cheaper suggestions?

[REDSLEDRIDER]

Have her move up to the front seat of her own bike. More and more ladies are finding the front seat nowa days.

[skotlyc]

Already did that, but she keeps finding her way back to the rear seat of my bike. She loves to ride, she just likes riding behind me better I guess??? I dont understand myself.

[Bmandiego]

Have her move up to the front seat of her own bike. More and more ladies are finding the front seat nowa days.