In and Under Seat Storage for the BMW K1200RS
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by Deryle Mehrten
The storage in and under the seat of a BMW K1200RS is limited to say the least. I don’t believe BMW meant for K1200RS owners to carry any kind of tool kit, or pack a bunch of other stuff under the seat like most of us do.
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Here is how I’ve made the best use of the space in and under the seat of my 1998 K1200RS.
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First, the evaporative canister has been removed from my bike. The tool bag slides into that vacated space. The BMW rear lug nut wrench is about the longest tool I have and it fits fine. I have a fairly comprehensive set of general tools.
Between the right side cover and the frame rail I stuff our first aid kit. I put the kit together based on Dr. Flash Gordon’s excellent article. You can find it at: http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/firstaid.html.
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I stuff the tire repair kit between the left side cover and frame rail. To make this fit a bit better, I removed the clip that holds the diagnostics socket that is attached to the frame that normally resides here. I zip tied the socket to the bundle of wires just below it, freeing up quite a bit of room.
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The tire repair kit is a collection of pieces that you should be able to get at any motorcycle or bicycle shop. I recommend replacing any tubes of glue or sticky string plugs every year. They tend to dry out and lose their stick. I carry the type of co2 cartridges that are readily available at any big discount store.
The bag of “stuff” goes right over the battery. I don’t use the stock tool tray, it’s just too small. “Stuff” covers a lot of ground - cell phone charger, Leatherman, duct tape, multi-meter, wire, etc. Before we leave for the BMW MOA National this year there will probably be a few additional items of “stuff”!
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In the OEM seat compartment we carry the vehicle registration and proof of insurance, along with a BMW MOA Anonymous Book. I also squeeze in a set of jumper cables stuffed into a nice bag Wanda made.
The last few items are a bit hidden: three feet of plastic tubing stuffed under the rear tail light; our Autocom intercom 9-volt power supply just under the left side frame rail; and both of our Gerbing Jacket power supply cords tucked into vacant space between the left side cover and frame rail.
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Well, that’s it. Most of this stuff (less the tools) used to be in the tank bag. Now the tank bag carries a whole fresh batch of stuff looking for a home under the seat !