Tuesday, February 1, 2011

BMW R1150GS Seat Removal

Since the day I bought my 2001 R1150GS, I haven’t been able to figure out how to get the rider/front seat off. Removing the seat is the first step to a number of maintenance tasks including the air filter, battery, and fuses.

I found the key latch in the back that removes the rear seat. I didn’t have an owners manual for the bike, so I didn’t realize that same latch works for the front seat as well.

Step 1: Use the ignition key on the lock under the pillion seat and turn it to the right (clockwise)

Remove rear seat on bmw r1150gs

Step 2: and lift up on the rear of the rear seat.

Remove rear seat on bmw r1150gs

Step 3: pull the rear seat away to make room for the front seat to move.

Rear seat removed

Step 4: Turn the key again clockwise (to the right).

Remove front seat bmw r1150gs

Step 5: While lifting on the front of the seat and pushing back. The seat should pop up and off.

Front seat removal bmw r1150gs

Here you can see the locking mechanism in the back along with the two height choices for the seat – high and low. Mine were very stiff, so I used a little WD-40 to lubricate them. They move easily now.

Height choices on front seat and locking mechanism 

Here is the front seat height choices – high and low:Front height adjusters

Those little locking mechanisms on the rear seat were the crux of the problem for me. They were too stiff to move normally, so it wasn’t clear what had to move where/when.

To put the seats back on, reverse the steps. For both seats, put the front in first and then the back. Make sure to get the front seat into the same height adjusters front and back to avoid a weirdly angled seat.

7 comments:

  1. Chris

    doesn't look like the stock bmw seat.....I assume they built it on the stock seat pan?

    dom

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  2. Dom: It is not the stock seat. It is a Russell - http://www.day-long.com/ It seemed pretty comfy for the one long day I rode it so far. I did find the wings a bit annoying during spirited riding though. The stock seat came with the bike and is still in tact save for the catch mechanism was moved to the russell. a few minutes with a wrench and I can go back.

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  3. Way to go. I was trying to yank it off. New anti-crotch busting Seargent aftermarket seat nstalled now. Thanks

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  4. Very helpful, thanks a lot. One question by the way, can a 1150GS Adventure fit on a regular 1150GS?

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  5. Very helpful, thanks a lot. One question: can a 1150GS Adventure seat fit on a regular 1150GS?

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    Replies
    1. Glad you found it useful. I am not sure about an ADV seat on a regular. I dont have an ADV. You might want to confirm with a BMW dealer.

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