BMW R1150GS Seat Removal

Since the day I bought my 2001 R1150GS, I haven’t been able to figure out how to get the rider/front seat off. Removing the seat is the first step to a number of maintenance tasks including the air filter, battery, and fuses.

I found the key latch in the back that removes the rear seat. I didn’t have an owners manual for the bike, so I didn’t realize that same latch works for the front seat as well.

Step 1: Use the ignition key on the lock under the pillion seat and turn it to the right (clockwise)

Step 2: and lift up on the rear of the rear seat.

Step 3: pull the rear seat away to make room for the front seat to move.

Step 4: Turn the key again clockwise (to the right).

Step 5: While lifting on the front of the seat and pushing back. The seat should pop up and off.

Here you can see the locking mechanism in the back along with the two height choices for the seat – high and low. Mine were very stiff, so I used a little WD-40 to lubricate them. They move easily now.

 

Here is the front seat height choices – high and low:

Those little locking mechanisms on the rear seat were the crux of the problem for me. They were too stiff to move normally, so it wasn’t clear what had to move where/when.

To put the seats back on, reverse the steps. For both seats, put the front in first and then the back. Make sure to get the front seat into the same height adjusters front and back to avoid a weirdly angled seat.