Edit: What I should have asked instead: Is your GS lowered? If so, do you take it off road, and have you ever felt the lowered suspension limited your off (or on for that matter) road enjoyment of the machine?

My 2016 R1200GS is factory lowered. After almost 3 (supercalafragalistic) years with the bike, even at only 5'8" (5'9" when it's real hot out) I suspect going with the lowered suspension was a mistake. Does anyone know:

1. What the factory lowering option entails?
2. What is involved in 'undoing' the factory lowering?
3. Opinion piece: would you pay to 'undo' the factory lowering or just trade the machine in?

Why do you consider it a mistake?
Factory lowered has different shocks and a lowered seat.....I think

I have a 2017 R1200GSA, and I have the factory lowered suspension and love it. I can now sit on the bike and put both feet flat on the ground with my 28" inseam. I wasn't even able to do that with an RT from 2008 on. The front and rear shocks are shorter, as is the side stand. Am unsure of the center stand, and my seat is the standard one with 2 settings-not lowered. I keep the shocks set on either normal or soft ride which allows bike to sit lower, and on single rider. All this keeps my ride lower, but the low seat only lowers the seat which makes ones knees to be more bent like a jockey and for me that is uncomfortable.

I would sell it to another height challenged person and get a new one. The new TFT display alone is worth a new bike.

Or better still, spend less than the cost of the upgrade to a new bike on custom suspension from Touratech or the likes, You’ll have a bike specifically tuned to you, with better suspension than a new bike with standard height suspension. And you can always transfer the suspension to a second or third generation 1250, when the bugs have been ironed out. I suspect however you’ll need to replace or mod your side stand-minor really. The TFT is nice but not a reason to trade in.

"Mistake" is probably a bit strong ... I should have asked: For those of you with a factory lowered bike, do you take them off road, and have you ever felt the lowered suspension was a limitation? The gist being: I want to start riding my bike off the pavement, and I want to use my own bike to do the level 1 GS course.

Interesting ... mine came with the low seat. Part of my original calculus was: I could swap out the low seat for the regular one of I wanted / needed a plusher ride and / or more open knee angle. That said, I keep my low seat in its high position all the time (lowered suspension + low seat + high seat position), which I believe is the same seat height as low seat + low position + normal suspension (on the GS at least ... probably different on the GSA).

That TFT screen is the one thing I would most likely trade my 2016 in for.

That thought has crossed my mind. I recently watched Bret Tkacs' suspension videos with Ted Porter from Beemershop and thought "I too want the very best possible suspension that money can buy." Looks like the Touratech shop in Bromont, QC has closed its doors, but there seems to be another one in Montreal now (could be the same people, just moved).

My friend has a factory lowered 1250 and we have traveled offroad together in hostile terrain.....and he has been just fine