2002 r1150r questions (new owner)

[dodi]

I just bought a 2002 r1150r that I pick up on Tuesday. It has 40,000kms, has abs, bmw bags, heated grips and cost me $ 7800. CDN...hopefully this was a fair price...the bike has new tires and all service records but may be due for a major service soon...( valves ?) It's my second BMW and I am very excited. I owned a 1996 r850r a few years ago and enjoyed the bike quite a bit. I have gone through several bikes since the 850 , most notably the v-strom 650 (2 of them ) and a 2008 Klr 650. The single cylinder KLR just wasn't strong enough on the freeway and I never took it offroad. I was going to buy the single 650gs but it was too expensive next to the Kawasaki. The v-strom was a good bike , but top heavy, long and gangly,( not very pretty to look at )and it looks bigger than it is ( large footprint ) and vibrated a lot....I also never took it offroad, which finally leads me back to the BMW. I am concerned about a few things. First off I am only 5'4" tall with a very short inseam ( 27") and even though I have ridden the 1150 in the past I find it a tad tall. My 850r had a three position seat and was a fair bit lower and as a result was very manageable for me....I put about 15000 kms on bike. If you are wondering how I rode the Kawasaki and Suzuki , I had them lowered quit a bit.....with longer dogbones (links) , cut down seat etc....The 1150 has the low seat and the preload adjustment is at the lowest setting...I weigh about 160 pounds.I know I can cut a bit out of the seat and I have read somewhere in the past a procedure to remove the rubber bushing that holds the front of the seat in place or to modify the rubber stops, or remove the spacers. I am not sure if these are all the same, but I would appreciate any help or advice in lowering the bike further. I do not want at this point to buy lowering shocks.I am not concerned with handling the weight of the 1150 because my 850 was fairly close in weight.
Last question.....the bike I bought is missing the r1150r sticker on both sides of the tank and I would like to replace them....are they easy to order and apply on the tank? by the way my bike is the Atlanta Blue, my second favourite color next to black. Thanks for any input and I apologize for the very lengthy rant and bike history. I have gone through at least 15 bikes since 1996 and I am hoping this one is a keeper. I am also excited about joining the forum....Thanks again and cheers and safe riding to all.

[rdsmith3]

I can't help with the lowering, but regarding the stickers, many people here have taken the time to remove them (including me). It is a subjective thing, of course, but I think the bike looks better without the stickers. So why not ride it for a while before slapping the stickers on, and see if the look grows on you.

[bikermeow]

Welcome, Dodi ..

Looks like the only way to get more lowering will be lower profile tyres and to remove some padding from the seat. Yes, the sticker is available from BMW and IMHO, they cost a bomb.

Cheers