July 24, 2008 - Al

German bike firm extends choice of lowered bikes for short riders ... Scroll down for the full story

Of all the bike firms, BMW is perhaps the one that most offers a 'bespoke' ordering service. Rather than go to a showroom and pick a bike in your favourite colour from a row of otherwise-identical machinery, the Bavarian firm builds your bike, to your spec, to order. So if you want a blue R1200GS with ABS, sat-nav, heated grips and trip computer, that's what you get six weeks later.

And now it's added a range of seat height variations to the options list. On six of the firm's most popular models (R1200GS, R1200R, R1200RT, F800S, F800ST, F650GS), you can have the bike delivered from the factory with specially-lowered suspension front and rear. These bikes have different shocks, altered linkages, and even different fork internals, depending on model. The option costs £90, and can cut up to 55mm off the seat height. BMW also offers specially lowered seats for almost all the range - from the K1200GT supertourer to the G650 Xmoto.

Al tried out a few of the lowered bikes at a BMW shindig recently. He's not so short - average height for a 70s child of Greenock he maintains, at five-foot eight inches. Even so, the shorter seat height was useful on machines like the R1200RT behemoth. The lowered centre-of-gravity improves balance, and having both feet flat on the ground at a standstill is reassuring. On the move, the pegs did feel a little too close to the seat though, so a bit of fine-tuning is what's required – which is exactly what BMW is offering. With the combination of lowered suspension, adjustable standard seat, or special lowered seat option, you should be able to find a good match for your particular bodyshape and riding skillset.

More info from your local BMW dealer, or www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk