sport-touring / default rider 183 cm
BMW R 1100 S vs Buell S3T Thunderbolt ergonomics
BMW R 1100 S and Buell S3T Thunderbolt land within a few ergonomic points for the default rider, so the better choice comes down to posture preference and bike category.
Fit verdict
BMW R 1100 S
95Comfortable
All contacts reached
Buell S3T Thunderbolt
95Comfortable
All contacts reached
The two bikes are close enough that posture preference matters more than the overall score.
Rider fit: reaching the ground
The BMW R 1100 S has a 800 mm seat; the Buell S3T Thunderbolt sits at 800 mm, within a few millimetres of each other. As a rule of thumb you flat-foot a bike when your inseam roughly matches its seat height: about 80 cm for the BMW R 1100 S and 80 cm for the Buell S3T Thunderbolt.
Geometry snapshot
| Spec | BMW R 1100 S | Buell S3T Thunderbolt |
|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 800 mm | 800 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,480 mm | 1,397 mm |
| Wet weight | 229 kg | 233 kg |
| Displacement | 1,085 cc | 1,203 cc |
Posture metrics
Knee angle
- BMW R 1100 S
- Sport (58.0 deg)
- Buell S3T Thunderbolt
- Sport (57.7 deg)
Hip angle
- BMW R 1100 S
- Neutral (89.9 deg)
- Buell S3T Thunderbolt
- Neutral (91.7 deg)
Elbow angle
- BMW R 1100 S
- Relaxed (143.3 deg)
- Buell S3T Thunderbolt
- Relaxed (143.3 deg)
Torso lean
- BMW R 1100 S
- Neutral (13.5 deg)
- Buell S3T Thunderbolt
- Neutral (12.5 deg)