Author Topic: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet  (Read 5115 times)

Offline Rcgreaves

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High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« on: January 06, 2019, 11:48:19 AM »
So I hosted fellow Motobricker "Eville Rich" at my shop yesterday, he long of inseam and me..not so much.

 I'd never seriously considered swapping my 94 k75S to a low seat, but he wants high and he has an 87K,  I'm 5'6" my inseam a stubby 29". Only dicey for me at a stops with a passenger on unlevel terrain... my wife dumped it stopping at 4 way on a steep hill.

Frankenduck has posted a nice summary of the parts compatibility/incompatibility

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,2829.0.html

 and it appears to me that as long as I have all the bits shown, I swap with Rich for mine, forfeiting my handy-dandy toolbox area of course, and it should go.

Anything in your experience - "going from high to low I ought to know"  Almost sounds like Dr. Seuss.  And yes Rich has big feet and the Ks posture with low seat as he related-kindof made for  of a cramped/awkward feeling when riding.

attached image of red bike is one I swiped off the web, but that's exactly my end goal as my ride is the same color...same year/model

thanks.
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"
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Offline Martin

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Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2019, 01:35:09 PM »
RC before I lowered my seat I found a couple of other solutions to ducks disease. You can drop the front forks through the trees by up tp 1/2" with out adversely effecting the handling. Buy boots with the thickest soles possible, get some shoe lifts. Note if you are going to go down both the boots and the lifts buy the lifts first. Not all boots will accept lifts comfortably. Doing all of the above will gain you 2-3" in height. A good motorcycle seat upholsterer can shave and shape your seat without reducing comfort. There is a shorter rear shock available but it interferes with cornering clearance and makes putting the bike onto the centre stand difficult.
Regards Martin.
  • North Lakes Queensland Australia
  • 1992 K75s Hybrid, Lefaux, Vespa V twin.

Offline Rcgreaves

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Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2019, 01:43:12 PM »
Thanks, Martin,

I've made the presupposition that I won't monkey with the suspension geometry at all.  I've felt the difference with thicker boots, definitely  A further downside has been that engaging the shift lever just wasn't as...smooth.  Then there's the whole issue of having lost control and totaling my pride and joy due to a suspension.."issue".  I file that episode under pilot error. or better idiot pilot.  I'd have bad dreams if I started sliding the tubes around just to get better footing. 

As for the foam shave...to each his own, but my sorry ass needs all I can get. 

I may regret the feel of the low seat vs my current Corbin...but that's another discussion.  Also I hope my reach for the bars doesn't feel different.  Thick gloves ...nahhh!
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

Offline Martin

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Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2019, 01:58:13 PM »
RC I had a mate who had a identical K75s to mine. One day he asked to swap bikes so we did for a while. When we pulled over he commented on the fact that mine turned in better than his. My forks were dropped through the trees by 10mm and I was running different tyres. He decided to try dropping the forks by 10mm and said it handled a lot better after. I never tried it after the swap and I don't know whether it did make a difference, or that it was all in his head. :dunno
Regards Martin.
  • North Lakes Queensland Australia
  • 1992 K75s Hybrid, Lefaux, Vespa V twin.

Offline Rcgreaves

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Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2019, 02:10:33 PM »
That's an outstanding point sir. +1.

I ride sweepers in the country flat out sometimes and as the suspension compresses I feel like somewhere in the K's loins it's winding uip a spring and it starts to .....gyrate??  It gives me visions of worn but invisible bushings and the like. Id hate to make things worse... 

Who's to say I can't set up my own test regimen just like I do with aircraft and drive off some test miles doing identical tasks such as the above for comparison purposes right? it might correct it for all I know..

One thing is sure- handling issues like my current steering wheel wobble at 55 can have their genesis from multiple sources and for all I know the PO for all his care may have assembled something wrong.

 You watched me struggle with my headlight shutting off last year because of worn starter brushes  @#$%@#$%#$% what an odyssey!

Not that I minded the trip really, I'm just reticent to.( How's that word Laitch?? :hide:) Im reticent to add insult to injury by changing another parameter knowing that my very top priority task in the shop this winter is inspecting and most likely replacing the front fork bearings and races.  If lowering dials things in you have my attention.

Cheers sir.

  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

Offline Martin

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Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2019, 02:27:03 PM »
RC have you cleaned and greased your fluid block damper. Dow Corning make a silicone high vacuum grease that does the job. Some inmates have remove theirs and report no difference. However I do maintain mine believing that they wouldn't come up with such a wacky solution for a non existent problem if they didn't have to. I have now opened a can of worms does it or does it not do anything. :kill-sword-dueling:
Regards Martin.
  • North Lakes Queensland Australia
  • 1992 K75s Hybrid, Lefaux, Vespa V twin.

Offline Rcgreaves

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Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2019, 02:52:53 PM »
well, we had this discussion at length but I have yet to dig into the front headstock to inspect etc.. I bookmarked the Dow silicone link you sent months back.  I have no excuse not to renew the dow silicone at the same time as I service the bearings. 

This reminds me of a story I read recently in an aviation mage where a pilot started a fire by taping circuit breakers down so they would stop popping up and interrupting his fun.

My 87 had zero wobble/weave issues before I totaled it...when I pulled the front triple tree apart recently I found that damper and the bearings well lubed.  My 94k75s wobbles fiercely, I hope to correct that very soon.

Pics attached are my 87 upon disassembly- the one behaving well...what does bad look like.. Eville Rich knows best as he now owns my frame!
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

Offline Nine80seven

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Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2019, 09:49:21 AM »
Had the same inseam problem early on.  Last winter picked up trashed Corbin LT seat, cut it down with electric carving knife to my specs.  covered it with a $6 piece of marine grade vinyl.  '84 K100RS.
  • MN
  • 85 K100RS
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Offline Rcgreaves

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  • "I'd rather be flying, but this will do nicely"
Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2019, 10:58:55 AM »
That’s just beautiful!

I am of course referring to the green gras in background s so lacking in my days of late!

Any sensation of bottoming out on serious bumps?

  I know seat foam is an art form in some avocations such as aviation.  At EAA last summer I met a seat upholsterer who layers varied densities of foam when the cushion must be thinner. 

Thanks.   Eville Rich is disassembling his low seat for me to pick up soon.
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

Offline szabgab

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Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2019, 05:05:12 PM »
So I hosted fellow Motobricker "Eville Rich" at my shop yesterday, he long of inseam and me..not so much.

 I'd never seriously considered swapping my 94 k75S to a low seat, but he wants high and he has an 87K,  I'm 5'6" my inseam a stubby 29". Only dicey for me at a stops with a passenger on unlevel terrain... my wife dumped it stopping at 4 way on a steep hill.

Frankenduck has posted a nice summary of the parts compatibility/incompatibility

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,2829.0.html

 and it appears to me that as long as I have all the bits shown, I swap with Rich for mine, forfeiting my handy-dandy toolbox area of course, and it should go.

Anything in your experience - "going from high to low I ought to know"  Almost sounds like Dr. Seuss.  And yes Rich has big feet and the Ks posture with low seat as he related-kindof made for  of a cramped/awkward feeling when riding.

attached image of red bike is one I swiped off the web, but that's exactly my end goal as my ride is the same color...same year/model

thanks.

Clayton, if that blue bike is yours with the sport seat, never get rid of it. Apart from being really nice, they are rare, also probably lower, than a stock seat...
  • Budapest, Hungary
  • K75S 1985 model

Offline Rcgreaves

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  • "I'd rather be flying, but this will do nicely"
Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2019, 05:26:56 PM »
Gabe hi and happy new year I think of you and your project often .  Yes that is a beautiful color but sadly “ gravity won “and o totaled it in a crash as you may recall, and you along with dozens on motobrick are benefactors.  Eville Rich is removing his low seat set up for me this weekend.  2nd bike is Red
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

Offline szabgab

  • ^ Proficient Motobricker
  • Posts: 346
Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2019, 05:48:17 PM »
Gabe hi and happy new year I think of you and your project often .  Yes that is a beautiful color but sadly “ gravity won “and o totaled it in a crash as you may recall, and you along with dozens on motobrick are benefactors.  Eville Rich is removing his low seat set up for me this weekend.  2nd bike is Red

Thanks Clayton, happy new year to you too.... I'm starting to forget, it is a new year already, as work is burying me in :) My bike is a project indeed, but we are getting there. Poor thing is getting a fair share of the salty crap, that is covering every road, but without the bike I would be stuck in a cage in boomtown traffic and I would be surely getting a massive seizure daily from the ineffectiveness of it :))

 Anyway, I had an inkling, that the blue bike is the one, that was ditched, but it had a different seat to the one pictured here, didn't it? At least I seem to remember, your bike on those sad pics had a Corbin type seat, and this one is the factory (?) sport seat, that is rare (and beautiful :) )
  • Budapest, Hungary
  • K75S 1985 model

Offline Rcgreaves

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  • "I'd rather be flying, but this will do nicely"
Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2019, 05:52:42 PM »
Correct on all points.  It’s fun to transform the look now and then.  Generally I prefer the Corbin. Time will tell if this low seat is equally comfortable.
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

Offline Rcgreaves

  • ^ SuperNatural Motobricker
  • Posts: 973
  • "I'd rather be flying, but this will do nicely"
Re: High Seat Low Seat big feet small feet
« Reply #13 on: June 12, 2019, 10:29:26 PM »
Here it is June and the low seat sits boxed in the garage.  New headstock bearings await bad weather too.  Winter was sooo grueling I can't bring myself to lay up the brick for repairs.  For now I'm just enjoying the commutes on the brick.. 

Cheers all
  • Livingston in Southwest WI. USA-"With the good earth all around."
  • 94' K75S, 85' GL1200 Aspencade, 96' VFR750F, 01' GL1800. Restoring: 95' K1100RS, 83' R80RT NEW: Motorvation Formula II
Doing “better than I deserve"

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