Modifying for Tall Riders: A Comfort Guide

[Lancer]

HI team. I had to get back and up. It works for me 193cm
Cheers all

 

[Hammo]

Well a great fix , is it comfortable ? Merry Xmas

 

[Lancer]

THanks Hammo even on the pot hole roads in South Australia it works fine. All the very best to you and yours for the Christmas too champ

 

[David Goro]

Hi David
I have an R18 Classic and I am 6ft 3 I have put the Weekender seat with the View attachment 11381driver's backrest on and footboards with the Wunderlich's leg rests and front Motea crash bar. This combination is great for me. I have just come back from Wales and have been riding 200 miles per day for 8 days with no issues. hope this helps.

Hi Terry,

Thank you for sharing your setup on the R18 Classic! It's particularly interesting to hear about the Weekender seat with the driver's backrest, as I'm also looking for seating options that could enhance comfort for taller riders like us.

The addition of Wunderlich leg rests sounds like a smart modification, especially for long rides. I'm curious to know if you felt any changes in handling due to the leg rests? Handling is a key aspect for me, and I want to ensure any modifications don't compromise that.

Your experience of riding comfortably through Wales for 200 miles a day is very encouraging. It’s great to hear firsthand accounts of successful modifications.

Was installing the leg rests a straightforward process, or were there any challenges?

Thanks again for your insights. This is incredibly helpful for refining my own setup and surely for others in our community.

Safe rides,

David

 

[David Goro]

On my Bagger, the shifter pegs were too short and i did not like the heel shifter. So i used the rear or heel shifter arm as others have done for the front but added the black adjustable extension that was on the original front part of the shifter to it. I also added the longer peg to the arm. Now i dont have to bring my foot so far back to shift and i can still get my size 11 under the peg. No issues with downshifting either. And it is still adjustable at the extension..!!! I found an aluminum spacer to put in where the original rear arm was located.

Thanks for sharing your shifter modifications on the Bagger!

Your approach using the heel shifter arm and the black adjustable extension for better reach and comfort is a great idea. It's good to know that it works well with larger shoe sizes too, without affecting shifting efficiency.

Did you face any challenges during this modification? Also, have you noticed any changes in the bike's handling?

 

[David Goro]

6'6" here. R18B. Tall comfort seat was the only change I made. If I know its going to be a long highway day I'll pop the backrest on. Feels like a comfy recline with my feet up on the highway rests. I've done several 350+ miles days with this setup.

Awesome to hear from another tall rider! Your tall comfort seat setup on the R18B sounds like a game-changer, especially with the backrest for those long rides. Nailing 350+ mile days comfortably? That's seriously impressive.

Just curious, does this setup tweak your riding posture a lot? And how's the handling on those long hauls?

Really appreciate you sharing this.

 

[David Goro]

I have the bagger with the 719 seat and I added the “wild ass” seat to it and it allows me to sit higher and further away (I’m 6’3”). It sits you up higher into the wind, buffeting is worse ect…it’s like playing “whack a mole”

Thanks for sharing your setup with the 719 seat and the "wild ass" addition on your bagger. Sounds like a neat solution for gaining extra height and space, something we definitely need at 6'3".

I get what you mean about it being a bit like "whack a mole" with the trade-off of sitting higher in the wind and dealing with more buffeting. Always something to tweak, right?

Have you tried any other mods to counter the wind issue, or found any tricks that help balance comfort and handling?

 

[David Goro]

I'm only 5'11".... but really struggled (FE Pure).... I thought of it in 3 ways.... 1. bum comfort, 2. knee and hip angle and 3. Bar reach'n height. In my case I am only looking for 2hr bum comfort.... but hip/knee discomfort was almost instant on this bike for me.... so my priority was 2 then 3 and lastly 1.

I needed to come up (2" so far for seat).... with bars back 1". Siting a bit more upright helps with hips.... but bars back 2" felt a bit better... but once over 60mph it wasn't..... so went back to 1" for the bars. (I bought 1" and 2" cheap extenders to try for a week or two).

I went with a homage seat to play with riding position since it is easy to fabricate mounts to play with positioning....most other seats seem to be a buy and see how it goes propersition..... with all the padding in some it is impossible to antucipate hip/knee positioning etc.

The homage is not a bum "comfort seat"..... 10mm gel under a lambswool seat cover helps.... along with soft mounts for the seat itself.... for 1/2 inch or so spring.... bum comfort is then good for a "pure"... not plush.... a 2hr seat.

If using floor boards.... foot angle.... especially lifting the heel without lifting the whole leg was also uncomfortable... the height of the heel shifter because of the seam on the fishtale exhaust was an issue. I swapped the toe and heel shifter over and added extension... this allowed the heel shifter to come down more and not fowl the exhaust.


View attachment 11343

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Hey,

It's interesting to hear your approach, especially since you've broken it down into specific areas of comfort. Your focus on knee and hip angles, bar reach, and height makes a lot of sense.

The adjustments you've made with the seat height and bar positioning sound like a solid strategy to find that balance between comfort and control. It's smart how you experimented with different bar extenders to see what works best. Sometimes it's all about those small tweaks, isn't it?

Your choice of the homage seat and the way you've customized it for better hip/knee positioning and added comfort with the gel and lambswool cover is pretty innovative. It's great that you've managed to achieve a good level of comfort for up to 2 hours, even if it's not plush.

The modification you made for the foot angle and heel shifter due to the fishtail exhaust is a neat solution too. Adjusting for comfort without compromising on functionality is always key.

Thanks for sharing your detailed approach. It's super helpful to hear about the different ways riders adapt their bikes, even beyond just the tall rider issues.

 

[petenj]

Thanks for sharing your setup with the 719 seat and the "wild ass" addition on your bagger. Sounds like a neat solution for gaining extra height and space, something we definitely need at 6'3".

I get what you mean about it being a bit like "whack a mole" with the trade-off of sitting higher in the wind and dealing with more buffeting. Always something to tweak, right?

Have you tried any other mods to counter the wind issue, or found any tricks that help balance comfort and handling?

I added a taller after market windshield, which helps a lot. I have the engine guards and leg rests- which work great. I did notice that a lot of buffeting comes from over the engines/gas tank. I am thinking the lower deflectors would help on longer trips- which I’m planning on taking this June- going to Grand Canyon and up the million dollar highway to Vail, then back across to NJ.

 

[David Goro]

I added a taller after market windshield, which helps a lot. I have the engine guards and leg rests- which work great. I did notice that a lot of buffeting comes from over the engines/gas tank. I am thinking the lower deflectors would help on longer trips- which I’m planning on taking this June- going to Grand Canyon and up the million dollar highway to Vail, then back across to NJ.

Did you buy a windshield extension or is it a customized taller windshield? I’ve been thinking about buying the extension but I’m not sure if it has a negative impact regarding visibility. Any thoughts?

 

[RWF]

I'm only 5'11".... but really struggled (FE Pure).... I thought of it in 3 ways.... 1. bum comfort, 2. knee and hip angle and 3. Bar reach'n height. In my case I am only looking for 2hr bum comfort.... but hip/knee discomfort was almost instant on this bike for me.... so my priority was 2 then 3 and lastly 1.

I needed to come up (2" so far for seat).... with bars back 1". Siting a bit more upright helps with hips.... but bars back 2" felt a bit better... but once over 60mph it wasn't..... so went back to 1" for the bars. (I bought 1" and 2" cheap extenders to try for a week or two).

I went with a homage seat to play with riding position since it is easy to fabricate mounts to play with positioning....most other seats seem to be a buy and see how it goes propersition..... with all the padding in some it is impossible to antucipate hip/knee positioning etc.

The homage is not a bum "comfort seat"..... 10mm gel under a lambswool seat cover helps.... along with soft mounts for the seat itself.... for 1/2 inch or so spring.... bum comfort is then good for a "pure"... not plush.... a 2hr seat.

If using floor boards.... foot angle.... especially lifting the heel without lifting the whole leg was also uncomfortable... the height of the heel shifter because of the seam on the fishtale exhaust was an issue. I swapped the toe and heel shifter over and added extension... this allowed the heel shifter to come down more and not fowl the exhaust.


View attachment 11343

I’m looking at bringing the handlebars on my Classic back 1-2 inches. Did you have any issues with your brake and clutch lines, or wiring?

 

[David Goro]

HI team. I had to get back and up. It works for me 193cm
Cheers all

Awesome job! Did you have to make any adjustment to the handlebars?

 

[Noelpolar]

I’m looking at bringing the handlebars on my Classic back 1-2 inches. Did you have any issues with your brake and clutch lines, or wiring?

I bought the 25 and 50mm risers.... they come with bracket(s) to relocate the brake and clutch line joiner screwed under the triple clamp to allow for this..... once I settled on the 25's.... and was ok with the look... I bought a new 30mm longer clutch and brake line so I could remove the brackets and refit the line joiner blocks back under the triple clamp for a stock look. No wiring issues.

 

[2wheels2fun]

6'6" here. R18B. Tall comfort seat was the only change I made. If I know its going to be a long highway day I'll pop the backrest on. Feels like a comfy recline with my feet up on the highway rests. I've done several 350+ miles days with this setup.

Was the Tall comfort seat a BMW option? Also- which backrest did you buy for the bagger.

 

[Hammo]

Well i,m like everyone else here , i,m 6 foot tall own a Classic , after about six months i fitted 1 inch bars risers, also i fitted a Corbin Gunfighter seat and backrest , this made a lot of difference as i sit "in" the bike rather than on it , to be honest though i should of fitted higher bar risers as i,m just short of having my arms fully extended but the back rest is great .

 

[Ulrich]

Well i,m like everyone else here , i,m 6 foot tall own a Classic , after about six months i fitted 1 inch bars risers, also i fitted a Corbin Gunfighter seat and backrest , this made a lot of difference as i sit "in" the bike rather than on it , to be honest though i should of fitted higher bar risers as i,m just short of having my arms fully extended but the back rest is great .

Go Apes! Lol

 

[hsi100]

6’2”. Works for me.

Can you share where you sourced this setup? Recently purchased 2023 R18 Classic. I don't see it ever becoming my go to long distance ride (GSA),but look forward to getting it comfortable enough for day rides. Thank you.

 

[hsi100]

6’2”. Works for me.

Can you share where you sourced this setup? Recently purchased 2023 R18 Classic. I don't see it ever becoming my go to long distance ride (GSA),but look forward to getting it comfortable enough for day rides. Thank you.

Reply

 

[nielsm]

Can you share where you sourced this setup? Recently purchased 2023 R18 Classic. I don't see it ever becoming my go to long distance ride (GSA),but look forward to getting it comfortable enough for day rides. Thank you.

Reply

Replace the stock seat. It’s great looking, but definitely could have been used as a medieval torture device. When you are tall, it suffers from two issues:

The seat is too narrow and doesn’t provide enough support. You get hot spots on the edges of the seat from the pressure.

The seat is too low. Your hips end up being lower than your knees when riding.

I put the Weekender on & it solves the width issue. It’s still not as tall as I’d prefer, so I throw an Airhawk on for very long day rides (>400 miles) as it gives me about an inch more height. But with the Weekender and the back rest for it, a decent long day ride of 2-300 miles isn’t an issue and longer with the Airhawk. But with the stock seat, I couldn’t do more than about 50 miles/day without begging to get off the bike.

My GSA is still overall more comfortable and that’s mostly due to the really low seat height on the R18. Sadly, the R18 would look really bad with a 4” taller seat, but would be very comfy then. But, I do find I love the character of my R18 and in the 3+ years I’ve owned it, I’m averaging about 25% more miles annually on it than my GSA.

 

[Pork Rind]

I still at some point want to get a R18 B or TC, but for now, at 6'5" and 275# I went with a R1250 RT, and I'm having my seat done by Russell Day Long. The arrangement will be better than the stock seat with an Alaska Sheepskin Seat Cover.

I can do about 90 minutes with the sheepskin, before the hot spots start. I hope the RDL seat fixes that for good.

Just saying, for me... the RT is a better option for putting down some miles in a day, maybe, if you're quite tall.