Seat Mod From Advrider

[mzflorida]

BMW C400X / C400GT

Tell me more about the bikes shortcomings. I'm interested. Stock suspension is probably the biggest one. It's ass. For me, the front suspension needs...

www.advrider.com

An owner posted this easy project over on advrider.com. Seems like a really good mod to at least try out if you are looking for a little extra space.

BMW C400X / C400GT

Tell me more about the bikes shortcomings. I'm interested. Stock suspension is probably the biggest one. It's ass. For me, the front suspension needs...

www.advrider.com

 

[Lucius Vorenus]

do you know what size they are

 

[mzflorida]

do you know what size they are

I think you are asking if I know the size of the buttons; I don't. But I believe he addresses that in the post over on advrider.

 

[wspollack]

If anyone wants to spend $500 or $600 for a remedy -- or maybe trade with someone (in Europe?) -- I was reminded during a vacation in July that the C 400 X (which I was renting) dispenses with the silly butt-stop altogether, intrinsically giving more room to scooch back:



Me, one of the first things I did after buying a C 400 GT last year was to take off the butt-stop, which was easy enough to do. I discovered two things:

1) The seat was unfinished back there.

That is, I've owned two Burgman 650s over the years. They, too, had butt-stops (which, by the way, were on double rods, so you could adjust them fore-and-aft), but if you completely removed them (and plugged the two holes that the rods were in, by getting some hardware store plastic caps), the entire area behind where the butt-stop used to be was covered in the same material as the rest of the seat. Imagine, say, that C 400 X seat, above, with two holes poked into it.

This is not the case on the C 400 GT (at least not on the '22 model). What's behind a removed butt-stop is a thinner vinyl, not suitable, IMO, for constant exposure to your bum or the elements.

2) Into this thin vinyl, the plastic of the underseat compartment protrudes somewhat. And with hard corners. That is, it is not something I would want my butt pressing against, unless I had large array of hip and coccyx armor in overpants, or something like that.

So I promptly put the butt-stop back in place.

In sum, yep, fond as I am of the C 400 GT, this is one of those nits I have with it, i.e., why it couldn't have a smooth and finished covering back there, for folks who might want to remove that butt-stop (which, I guess, BMW thinks everyone wants, just as they think everyone wants those stupid in-spoke Schrader valves, or who only want to see RPMs on the Urban screen, or ... oh, nevermind).

 

[mzflorida]

If anyone wants to spend $500 or $600 for a remedy -- or maybe trade with someone (in Europe?) -- I was reminded during a vacation in July that the C 400 X (which I was renting) dispenses with the silly butt-stop altogether, intrinsically giving more room to scooch back:

View attachment 4053

Me, one of the first things I did after buying a C 400 GT last year was to take off the butt-stop, which was easy enough to do. I discovered two things:

1) The seat was unfinished back there.

That is, I've owned two Burgman 650s over the years. They, too, had butt-stops (which, by the way, were on double rods, so you could adjust them fore-and-aft), but if you completely removed them (and plugged the two holes that the rods were in, by getting some hardware store plastic caps), the entire area behind where the butt-stop used to be was covered in the same material as the rest of the seat. Imagine, say, that C 400 X seat, above, with two holes poked into it.

This is not the case on the C 400 GT (at least not on the '22 model). What's behind a removed butt-stop is a thinner vinyl, not suitable, IMO, for constant exposure to your bum or the elements.

2) Into this thin vinyl, the plastic of the underseat compartment protrudes somewhat. And with hard corners. That is, it is not something I would want my butt pressing against, unless I had large array of hip and coccyx armor in overpants, or something like that.

So I promptly put the butt-stop back in place.

In sum, yep, fond as I am of the C 400 GT, this is one of those nits I have with it, i.e., why it couldn't have a smooth and finished covering back there, for folks who might want to remove that butt-stop (which, I guess, BMW thinks everyone wants, just as they think everyone wants those stupid in-spoke Schrader valves, or who only want to see RPMs on the Urban screen, or ... oh, nevermind).

The owner on the other forum shared that he does not feel any protrusion after removing the seat back. Might be hit or miss on that.

 

[wspollack]

The owner on the other forum shared that he does not feel any protrusion after removing the seat back. Might be hit or miss on that.

Ya know, I looked at the photo over there:



Two thoughts occurred to me:

1) If I'm correct in that's a 2023 GT seat, it looks as if BMW changed the covering back there. I don't think I have a pic of my '22 with the butt-rest removed, but I seem to recall that the area directly behind the butt-rest was of a different, thinner, material than along the sides, etc. In this pic, it all seems the same.

2) If you look at the area to the left and right of that center button, you can see what (to me) looks like some plastic corners still protruding into the material. That is, it still doesn't look like a smooth expanse back there ... although maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's better, and so forth.

If I get a chance -- perhaps when removing my BeadRider beads from my '22, as they're fastened behind the butt-rest -- I'll try to snap a pic of that area on the '22 GT.

 

[mzflorida]

Ya know, I looked at the photo over there:

View attachment 4061

Two thoughts occurred to me:

1) If I'm correct in that's a 2023 GT seat, it looks as if BMW changed the covering back there. I don't think I have a pic of my '22 with the butt-rest removed, but I seem to recall that the area directly behind the butt-rest was of a different, thinner, material than along the sides, etc. In this pic, it all seems the same.

2) If you look at the area to the left and right of that center button, you can see what (to me) looks like some plastic corners still protruding into the material. That is, it still doesn't look like a smooth expanse back there ... although maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's better, and so forth.

If I get a chance -- perhaps when removing my BeadRider beads from my '22, as they're fastened behind the butt-rest -- I'll try to snap a pic of that area on the '22 GT.

I agree the protrusions are visible. However, he is reporting no ill effects with his mods. Worth a shot as it takes no more than 15 minutes to disassemble or assemble.

 

[Lucius Vorenus]

I took off the back support, it feels a little stiffer behind the butt where it was standing, but it's nothing too bad considering it's only a small part you sit on. You get a lot more space to stretch your legs, just enough for quite tall people

 

[mzflorida]

If anyone wants to spend $500 or $600 for a remedy -- or maybe trade with someone (in Europe?) -- I was reminded during a vacation in July that the C 400 X (which I was renting) dispenses with the silly butt-stop altogether, intrinsically giving more room to scooch back:

View attachment 4053

Me, one of the first things I did after buying a C 400 GT last year was to take off the butt-stop, which was easy enough to do. I discovered two things:

1) The seat was unfinished back there.

That is, I've owned two Burgman 650s over the years. They, too, had butt-stops (which, by the way, were on double rods, so you could adjust them fore-and-aft), but if you completely removed them (and plugged the two holes that the rods were in, by getting some hardware store plastic caps), the entire area behind where the butt-stop used to be was covered in the same material as the rest of the seat. Imagine, say, that C 400 X seat, above, with two holes poked into it.

This is not the case on the C 400 GT (at least not on the '22 model). What's behind a removed butt-stop is a thinner vinyl, not suitable, IMO, for constant exposure to your bum or the elements.

2) Into this thin vinyl, the plastic of the underseat compartment protrudes somewhat. And with hard corners. That is, it is not something I would want my butt pressing against, unless I had large array of hip and coccyx armor in overpants, or something like that.

So I promptly put the butt-stop back in place.

In sum, yep, fond as I am of the C 400 GT, this is one of those nits I have with it, i.e., why it couldn't have a smooth and finished covering back there, for folks who might want to remove that butt-stop (which, I guess, BMW thinks everyone wants, just as they think everyone wants those stupid in-spoke Schrader valves, or who only want to see RPMs on the Urban screen, or ... oh, nevermind).

Hi Bill. I don't object to paying for a good solution. Do you know if the X' seat fits the GT?

 

[wspollack]

Hi Bill. I don't object to paying for a good solution. Do you know if the X' seat fits the GT?

Nope, I don't know.

But my guess is that they're interchangeable. I base my guess on two factors:

1) I think it would be easier -- in terms of parts stocks, engineering, etc. -- for BMW to keep things the same, as much as possible.

Well, the fact that the seats are different on the X and the GT kind of negates what I just said, but BMW has to differentiate the bikes in some ways, or they wouldn't have two variants of the C 400 to sell, wouldn't have one priced lower than the other, and so forth. So the X has this different seat, and headlights, and bodywork around the headlights, and dash, and passenger pegs.

2) I was just looking at the parts fiche, and the surrounding gasket is identical for the two seats (part # 52538558620), as is the giant underseat tub (okay, officially "STORAGE COMPARTMENT, REAR" (part # 46541540812).

If both the X and GT seat are going to plop down on the same gasket, on top of the same tub, I think that lends credence to my theory that the seats are interchangeable.

But still just a guess, no actual personal experience or knowledge about sub-model seat swapping.

BTW, I was looking at https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=60735&rnd=09082020 (C) and https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=60292&rnd=09082020 (GT).

 

[mzflorida]

Nope, I don't know.

But my guess is that they're interchangeable. I base my guess on two factors:

1) I think it would be easier -- in terms of parts stocks, engineering, etc. -- for BMW to keep things the same, as much as possible.

Well, the fact that the seats are different on the X and the GT kind of negates what I just said, but BMW has to differentiate the bikes in some ways, or they wouldn't have two variants of the C 400 to sell, wouldn't have one priced lower than the other, and so forth. So the X has this different seat, and headlights, and bodywork around the headlights, and dash, and passenger pegs.

2) I was just looking at the parts fiche, and the surrounding gasket is identical for the two seats (part # 52538558620), as is the giant underseat tub (okay, officially "STORAGE COMPARTMENT, REAR" (part # 46541540812).

If both the X and GT seat are going to plop down on the same gasket, on top of the same tub, I think that lends credence to my theory that the seats are interchangeable.

But still just a guess, no actual personal experience or knowledge about sub-model seat swapping.

BTW, I was looking at https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=60735&rnd=09082020 (C) and https://shop.maxbmw.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=60292&rnd=09082020 (GT).

Thanks Bill. I hope everyone appreciates your contributions here as much as I do. Grateful.

 

[OldDog]

Cool Covers have made a cover for the X. Would it fit a GT?