Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

After a decade hiatus, I'm putting my R50 back on the road. Replaced the well worn and poorly patched bench seat w a modern solo saddle.

Damn, finding the saddle an uncomfortable ride. There's little ability to move around, you are locked into where the saddle is. An internet search shows riders divided into two camps: solo saddle is #1 for comfort, or the bench is way better. No middle ground.

Before I switch back to the old bench, am I missing anything?

Joe
Taunton, Mass. USA

Joe -

It's clearly a personal butt issue! My R69S came with a bench seat, the wider one. It was a bit uncomfortable because it was so wide where my legs went down to the pegs, and especially with my feet on the ground. And to my eye, the bench seat just isn't that sexy. So, I bought the solo saddle. I agree it doesn't afford much moving around. But a friend and I made the two-day one way trip from central Texas to Vech's rally sometime back in the past. I don't remember it being that painful. But we were stopping for gas and stretch breaks every so often.

On a separate note, I notice you have a link to a /2 group on the IO domain. I wasn't aware of that group called "Slash-2". You might remember the other /2 ground on the Yahoo domain...it got moved over to IO as well under "slash2". We're still getting a few posts now and then. Where was your /2 group originally located?

Kurt,

The seat is very much a personal issue. Just making sure I'm not missing "the magic bullet" of solo seat comfort, before I strip it off and return to the old bench. It looks like for me at least, the bench is the way to go.

Forget about that Slash2 IO group. I formed it when Yahoo Groups was closing, before the main Slash 2 was created. I wanted a fall-back if the primary Slash2 never got stood up. It's moot now.

Joe

I loved the comfort of the solo that came on my /2 and then loved the wide bench that came on my US bike. If I had to choose, the bench is the winner.

My 69S also came with the large bench and I found it uncomfortable. (I'm 6', 33" inseam) I replaced it with a solo Denfeld and would never go back...

It has a lot to do where you place yourself on the seat.
And after 7 days of riding my R26's Denfeld at the end of a long day I needed to place the ball of my feet on the pegs to release the pressure from my hamstring (back leg) to ease the pain generated by the seat frame corners.
After a few minutes on a single cylinder I got more fun with the numbness and the tingling provoked by the vibration then the saddle. After a week of riding the numbness made it difficult to maintain the throttle open and had to change hands.

My R69S has been in the family since new and has had a wide array of seats over the years. It originally had the wide double seat, which for me was too tall. After that it had a Harley tractor-type saddle, which was very comfortable (I still have it), but I never found a good way to mount and position it. It was followed by a Denfeld solo that I found punishing on long rides. Several years ago I settled on a Corbin solo. I was able to have mine custom fitted at the factory in Hollister. It fits, it's durable and very comfortable, and it looks great. I'l keep it.

https://www.corbin.com/bmw/2f_1t.jpg

Grey Interlocking Utility Mat
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gray-Anti-Fati ... in/3111467

I cut a chunk of this stuff to fit between the 2 rubber layers. I weigh 230 and this made the difference.

If you are touring, you want a bench seat. I used to ride hundreds of miles on the bench when in my 20 and thirties with no unexpected discomfort.
The solo is more for an hour or 2.
Buy a good thick sheep skin for a change and additional comfort.

Don

I normally tour on a Guzzi V7, and for that I use an Airhawk inflatable pad, which is a huge help.

For the R50, the solo saddle is uncomfortable even for short rides. The saddle curves put me in one position, with little ability to move rt/lft, forward/back. I'll go back to the bench, which I toured with as a young man (ah, the glory days).

Thank you all for the replies. The experiences go both ways, but your tips have given me some new perspectives.

Joe

I'm 6'6" tall. In my younger days the solo seat was fine. Now I have trouble bending my knees and find the bench more comfortable.
Frank.
NYC.