Information Requested Regarding Low Seat

[tnrider]

I am considering the Tenere 1200 to use basically as a Sport Tourer. I've looked at the Yamaha FJR and Honda ST1300 but prefer a more upright sitting position as provided by the Tenere. At 5' 8" the stock seat height of 33.26"/34.25" is just too tall. My question is regarding the Low Seat of 31.96". Would anyone that uses this seat please comment on the comfort compared to the standard seat as well as the position of your feet while stopped. Also please include your height. Thanks.

 

[TierHawg]

Here is a thread I started a week after I got the bike and both seats.

http://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?topic=1650.0

Basically, I was comparing the standard seat to the low seat, and posted a few pictures. Since then I have used the low seat exclusively, and am very happy with it. The seat is now broken in and I consider it to be comfortable. Comfortable enough for all day riding, and I don't plan to do anything else to it. As for the "low" height, I posted back then it didn't really feel like it was one inch lower. I suppose it is now that the foam is broken in. As the pics show, I think it the nose of the seat helps with getting closer to the ground, while the back area of the seat has about the same amount of cushion as the stock seat. As for me, I'm 5'9" with a 29 inch inseam, and can flat foot the bike with the low seat.

 

[tnrider]

Thanks for the information and the pictures. It sounds like I might be okay with the low seat. I doubt I would ever use this bike off road so in your opinion would this bike serve well as a sport tourer going across country? Thanks again for your response.

 

[Mfriday]

Hey is this Steve? If so welcome to the forum and I know these guys will help you out!
Mike

 

[bloke]

I am considering the Tenere 1200 to use basically as a Sport Tourer. I've looked at the Yamaha FJR and Honda ST1300 but prefer a more upright sitting position as provided by the Tenere. At 5' 8" the stock seat height of 33.26"/34.25" is just too tall. My question is regarding the Low Seat of 31.96". Would anyone that uses this seat please comment on the comfort compared to the standard seat as well as the position of your feet while stopped. Also please include your height. Thanks.

something else to consider is running less pre load in the rear and dropping the front 12mm (by pulling the fork tubes up) both these things make it possible for my wife to ride with the stock seat in the low position albeit still a little high for both feet to touch the ground as long as one can get there she is good to go ::008::

 

[Tippo]

I am also 5'9" (barely) w/ a 29" inseam. I was concerned about the height of the Tenere and had full Vibram soles put on my boots (gave me another 1/4 inch) before picking up the bike. I have the standard seat in the low position and can flat foot both feet on a perfectly level surface. Most roads have some camber but I can always get one foot flat and the other fairly well planted. I recently moved the seat to the high position to give me more leg room on long rides. I don't think I've grown but I do think the seat has "packed out" after 2,500 miles. This is the tallest bike I've ever ridden and I was intimidated for the first few days. Once I got used to it , no problem.

 

[Spider]

I put the low seat on just a couple hundred miles ago. 5 ft 8 in, 30 inch inseam. Maybe I am too light (160 lbs) but even with the low seat I cant flat foot it, it feels like my heels are about an inch off the ground on both sides. But it sounds like from what others have posted that the seat may compress a bit over time. When I'm stopped, the low seat doesn't feel a whole inch lower than the stock seat in the low position. But when I'm riding, it does feel lower, and I think I like the extra legroom of the stock seat.

 

[bloke]

remember people you dont have to have both your feet flat on the ground ::024::

 

[Twisties]

It doesn't ride as tall as it specs. I didn't think I could ride it until I sat on one... then no problem. 5'9" here. Can flat foot with standard seat in low position. Can ride it in the high position if I want to...

One thing, the seat is fairly narrow at the front, so your legs can go more straight down than some other bikes. Another, it settles/sags more than a sport tourer.... if you set preload for a sag of 1/3 of travel on a sport tourer with say 4.5" of travel you are sagging like 1 1/4" or so. But you have like 3 more inches of travel on a dual sport.... so you would get like 1" more sag with the suspension properly set, so like 2 1/4 inches or so.

When considering low seats vs lowered bikes keep in mind that the seat to foot peg relationship needs to comfortable, and the seat to ground relationship is a separate matter. For sport touring you don't need all the ground clearance that the S10 provides. So you have the option of the low seat, or has been suggested, a lower bike. My point is that I believe you should get the bike, sit it, ride it, and see what you think. You may be happy with the stock seat. You may find that the low seat would cramp you vis a vis the foot pegs and you would have to lower them too. You may feel that you prefer to keep the stock ergos and lower the bike instead of the seat. All readily done.

Best wishes.

 

[markjenn]

For sport touring you don't need all the ground clearance that the S10 provides....

There's more to ground clearance than just off road obstacle clearance. I was scraping my left peg feeler 18 miles into my first ride on the S10. (There is a feeler on the left but not on the right, I presume because the centerstand touches down earlier on the left.) This bike does not have a surplus of pavement cornering clearance and lowering may exacerbate the problem.

I'm probably going to add raising links to my bike to help get the pegs off the deck.

- Mark

 

[Spider]

remember people you dont have to have both your feet flat on the ground ::024::

Bloke, thanks for the note. I should have said "I can't put both feet flat on the ground but that doesn't matter, as the important thing is that I can reach the ground soundly without falling over, I'm not on the tips of my toes." I did have a very short buddy with the Dakar (high) version of an F650, who fell over every other time he stopped. But he sure loved that bike...

 

[Salty]

I have almost 3000k on my S10 low seat and found it very helpfull. I am 5 foot 10.5 inches and a short 28 inch inseam The low seat enables me to almost flat foot on both sides and with a short leg the riding position is fine. On the downside I find the seat has broken in a little on the hard side and I am now considering a custom seat for all day riding since I don't want to lower the S10.

Ride safe
Salty

 

[Buckeye56]

Thanks for the information and the pictures. It sounds like I might be okay with the low seat. I doubt I would ever use this bike off road so in your opinion would this bike serve well as a sport tourer going across country? Thanks again for your response.

I do not foresee anything rougher than graded gravel or maybe dirt roads with mine. It has replaced a ST1300 and is now my long distance bike. I find that I can ride the corners faster with less stress and physical work as the lighter weight in combination with greater leverage of the higher, wider bars makes the Tenere more flickable than the ST13. The down side is less weather protection by a fair amount. I have swapped the OEM screen for a medium CalSci and that helps. So yes, I do think it is good sport tourer and will do just fine on long rides.

 

[Twisties]

Thanks for the information and the pictures. It sounds like I might be okay with the low seat. I doubt I would ever use this bike off road so in your opinion would this bike serve well as a sport tourer going across country? Thanks again for your response.

My RT has been sitting since the Tenere arrived. May take it out today for a spin just to be sure, but I think it's going to be for sale.

 

[tnrider]

Thanks for all the responses and good information. It's given me alot to think about.