A couple of folk have been talking about getting one of these. I have one and if it helps this is where I mounted it. It is in front of the seat and under the tank.
I moved the diagnostic plug on the airfilter box forward and then made a little holder for the AF and my Shock reservoir. The holder is just Kydex. Cut it and heat it with a heat gun and you can bend it easily.
I wouldn't call it stunningly lovely, but it saves space, it's out of the way but it is easily accessible for adjustment.
It's a device that gets plugged in between your O2 sensor and the Motronic. It works with the Motronic to richen the mixture several percent and improves the performance. It's plug 'n play, no programming needed.
It's one of a few things I would whole heartedly recommend for the R1150r.
1 - Lennie's Rocket Sprockets
2 - AF-Xied
3 - Cam Chain Tensioner Replacement
4 - Ditch the Muffler
5 - Get the best shock absorbers you can afford.
6 - Take every advanced riding lesson you can (but recognise that the telelever lets you do all sorts of stuff that forks don't like without dangerously changing your steering geometry.)
7 - Lose weight
The AF remaps the signal from the Lambda sensor and allows for a richer mixture. It is a plug-in item but the small dial you see allows the mixture to be made richer by decimal increments. There are a range of things that do this, they are NOT ALL EQUAL. This doo-dad has a long history in the Harley arena. My experience has been that allowing the engine to run at the fuel/air ratio that it was designed for provides a significantly better riding experience. I run at 14.3/1 and use the Rocket Sprockets to pull my peak torque back about 900 RPM. I can easily cruise at 80km/h (45mph) at 2500 RPM. Easily. It doesn't lug or complain at all. Roll the throttle on and it just picks up and goes.
At 4000 RPM it's off. I recently rode with a friend on a new Triumph which on paper had more power and less weight. He couldn't keep anywhere near me through the corners. Having my torque down low where I needed it let me gas up quickly without being concerned about breaking traction. My fuel economy with these two mods is completely unchanged. When I first bought the bike I would get about 275km before the fuel light went on and stayed on. Same now. Country riding is a lot better.
Your riding experience may be different to mine. I ride predominantly between 60km/h and 130 km/h (about 35-75 mph) Sometimes I take it out and ride hard but that not my common riding pattern. This arrangement provides a lot of benefit in general riding and has no drawbacks that I can see when I truly open it up. I recently rode through Tasmania in Australia. It is tight, twisty, scenically beautiful and truly some of the most magnificent riding I have ever done. I was running at about 4500 - 6000 when I let the engine sing and the bike felt like a Clydesdale on amphetamines. As I said my friend ended up saying "Just go I can't keep up." Allowing these machines to run at the fuel / air ratio the Germans engineered and not the fuel/air ratio that the US legislated makes a very big change. We have come to think that running the bike stupidly lean is normal. It's not and they don't run at their best at 14.8-9 /1. I have a friend with a 1200 GS. He has ridden my bike and thinks it is smoother and more powerful than his. If you get a chance to ride a bike with these two mods give it a go. It's quite an eye opener.
I don't work for or have any kind of financial interest in either of these two products. These are just my personal experiences. I also do most of my own wrench work and with the exception of structural welding did all the custom work on my bike. Think of it as my 2c worth based on a few years of custom build on this model. I would love to hear from anyone who has had bad experiences.
I have neither a cat nor a full length muffler any more. It is now a Y-pipe and a shorty that I built.
A cat with just a turned out exhaust tip cost $15, sounds great and reduces your weight. Try it. If you don't like it put the muffler back on. No harm no foul.
One of the chaps on the "Add on electronics for low speed riding" topic also appears to have an AF. His experiences would be closer to yours than mine. The Rocket sprockets on my bike are what moved the torque curve down. I think they work well on combination but MSG him and see what his feelings are. This will give you an accurate assessment.
The valve covers are the standard ones.....sprayed black.
I'm sure I could have had them bead blasted and powder coated but a light sand with steel wool, a solid clean with automotive paint solvent and a coat of high temperature engine enamel seems to have done pretty well. It hasn't moved in 4 years.
I was recently parked right next to a woman on the blue grey version of the R1150r at a Cancer charity event. She was right next to me, three feet away.
She asked me what model my bike was...lol.
I think it is the nicest shaped roadster that BMW has built in a long time. The 1200 looks effete in comparison. I did drop the headlight thought to align it with the centre line of the tank. Previously it looked a bit prairie-doggish, like it was always popping its head up. I'm tempted to drop it another 30-40 mm but that will mean rebuilding another bracket.
Agree that the 1150 is the most nicely styled BMW roadster of the modern era. I considered getting one of the new water-cooled R bikes, but upon reflection, said "why?" Maybe if they had retained the Telelever, but even then....
Lawrence Carlson
Redding, CT
2002 R1150R (sold)
2016 BMW F700GS
2021 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
