My Time with the R nineT Scrambler – Getting it Just Right
Alright, so I got my hands on this BMW R nineT Scrambler a while back. Cool bike, really dig the looks, that boxer engine has some character, you know? But like with most things straight from the factory, it wasn’t quite perfect for me. Not complaining, just how it is. You ride something enough, you start noticing little things.
For me, the first big thing was the seat. The stock one looked okay, I guess, but man, after an hour or so, my backside was letting me know about it. Not exactly built for long hauls. Plus, I had this idea in my head, a slightly different look I wanted to go for. More classic, maybe a bit tougher looking.
So, the hunt began. Looked around online, forums, saw what other guys were doing. Lots of options out there, some crazy expensive, some looked kinda flimsy. Didn’t want to just slap anything on it. This bike deserved better. Finally settled on one – found a nice brown leather bench seat, bit flatter than the original, had that retro vibe I was after. Ordered it up.
Waiting for parts is always the worst, right? Felt like ages. When the box finally arrived, I dropped everything else. Time to get wrenching. Didn’t think it would be too hard. It’s just a seat, after all.
Getting Down to Business
First step, gotta get the old seat off. Pretty simple, really. Found the release mechanism, gave it a pull, and pop! Off it came. Easy peasy. Looked kinda naked under there, just the frame and wires.
Now, lining up the new seat. This is where things got a little fiddly. The mounting points looked right, but getting it to actually click into place took some shoving. You know how it is, gotta wiggle it just right, push down here, lift a bit there. Definitely wasn’t as smooth as taking the old one off. Sweated a bit, maybe cursed under my breath once or twice. Classic garage stuff.
- Lined up the front tab.
- Tried to push down the back to engage the lock.
- Nope. Okay, try again.
- Shifted it slightly left. Pushed down. Click! Got it.
Stood back, took a look. Yeah, that looked much better. Changed the whole profile of the bike, just like I hoped. The brown leather against the tank color, it just worked.
But the real test is riding it. Bolted everything back down, double-checked it was secure. Didn’t want my new seat flying off mid-ride. Threw my leg over. Felt different immediately. A bit firmer, maybe slightly higher, but flatter, which felt good. Fired her up, let that boxer rumble for a bit.
Took it out for a quick spin around the neighborhood, then hit some back roads. Big difference. Way more comfortable, felt like I could actually sit on the bike properly, not just in it. Could move around easier too. Rode for about two hours, way longer than I could comfortably manage on the old seat. Success!
So yeah, that was my little seat swap adventure. Wasn’t rocket science, but took some fiddling. Made a huge difference to the bike though, both in looks and how it feels to ride. Sometimes it’s the simple changes that make the biggest impact. Now, what to tinker with next…
