BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Picked up my new (to me) RT over the weekend. Have gone on several short rides, and commuted to work the past three days. Wow, is it different from my Harley! I like the power, smoothness, and especially how it protects me from the cold wind here in Utah. However, I'm having a problem shifting and stopping. Doing it smoothly is the issue. I can do it, but have to really concentrate. With my Harley, when I would shift I would back off on the throttle at the same time I would pull in the clutch. Flick the shifter up, back off the clutch and back on the throttle. All kind of an easy, synchronized maneuver. The RT, on the other hand, seems to require much quicker shifting as the RPMs drop very fast and I end up jerking at every shift. And that ABS is something else! Stopping from normal driving speed is controlled, firm, and sure. However, stopping during slow speed like when moving up in a congested intersection for a left turn is jerky. Is there a secret Beemer book I need to buy and study...or does it eventually come through practice?

The differences are even greater between a Harley and a Jap sportbike. I would say of the bikes I have, the R1150R is somewhere in between my HD Dyna and my SV650 in feel and operation. My SV isn't a full blown sportbike, but the transmission is very similar. If you think you have to shift quickly on your RT, the you'd find the SV to hardly give you any time at all to shift. It's truly a flick of the wrist.

Enjoy the BMW. You'll love it. Welcome to the fold.

Hi John,

Congrats on your RT, first of all. As you've noticed, the light-flywheel RT is a bit of a departure from your Harley of old. When upshifting, I've found that the best technique is:

- to preload the shifter a little bit, i.e. push a little bit up on it
- use only half a clutch while shifting, or even just a quarter...
- ...while simultaneously backing off the throttle just a bit, not close it fully

Doing these three things swiftly and smartly can result in a very smooth shift, and after a while I'll bet you'll be able to pull off silent upshifts time after time. Downshifts are similar, except instead of backing off the throttle you'll blip it, i.e. goose it a bit.

As for the brakes, I'm not sure. My R1150R does not have the servo ABS setup. I would think however that if you use just the rear brake in slow-speed situations, you ought to be fine. Either that or upshift to a higher gear and close the throttle, using motor braking to slow you down.

Enjoy your RT!

Yep, the brakes take getting used to... it's definitely a learned thing (IMHO)... you'll have to figure out how to finesse the brakes at slow speeds... don't grab as much as you're accustomed to on the Harley... I feel I've got it down to an art... and it's not ABS, per se, that results in the brakes being so touchy, but rather the electric brake boost (as I understand it). I believe even non-ABS is just as touchy.

I've also learned how to finesse the foot brake only in really slow conditions... however, I don't believe my brakes are linked on my '02 RT, while I do believe they are linked on the '04... so that may not help you out.

gilx,

Congrats on the RT!, You'll enjoy it.

I got my R1150R last Sept. Shifting definately requires getting used to, I was just getting the hang of it when I had to put it away for the winter. I rode 30 mi the other day, only got through about 2 intersections smoothly.

Capt. B's suggestions are "Spot ON"!

gilx wrote:Picked up my new (to me) RT over the weekend. Have gone on several short rides, and commuted to work the past three days. Wow, is it different from my Harley! I like the power, smoothness, and especially how it protects me from the cold wind here in Utah. However, I'm having a problem shifting and stopping. Doing it smoothly is the issue. I can do it, but have to really concentrate. With my Harley, when I would shift I would back off on the throttle at the same time I would pull in the clutch. Flick the shifter up, back off the clutch and back on the throttle. All kind of an easy, synchronized maneuver. The RT, on the other hand, seems to require much quicker shifting as the RPMs drop very fast and I end up jerking at every shift. And that ABS is something else! Stopping from normal driving speed is controlled, firm, and sure. However, stopping during slow speed like when moving up in a congested intersection for a left turn is jerky. Is there a secret Beemer book I need to buy and study...or does it eventually come through practice?

Upshift is also herky-jerky due to the shaft drive lashing too.

And you got that ABS nailed down right. Because it's servo-assisted, you can't really regulate the braking power that well and at low speed maneuvering, it's a PITA. And that's why new Beemers don't have servo-assisted ABS brakes any more.

I know what you are going through, partially (my R1150R doesn't have ABS, so I can't address that part). I converted from a Honda cruiser to the BMW last year and noticed immediately that the shifting pattern was dramatically different. Most noticeable was the close ratio gears in the BMW. The cruiser (not so close ratio gear set) called for a substantial reduction in RPM to get a suitable match in the necessary RPM when releasing the clutch to qualify as a "smooth" shift. However, the BMW needs to be kept comparably "close" in RPM when upshifting. I could see where the BMW was meant for quick shifts (and rapid accelleration ) compared to the cruiser. Don't let the RPM's drop too much. That's the key to smooth shifting. It didn't take long to get used to this.

Appreciate the feedback. It snowed today here so I wasn't able to try the "preload" and half clutch trick...will give that a shot tomorrow. Maybe another couple questions if ya'll don't mind.

1. I assume it's normal to hear the brake servo whine when either brake is actuated? It doesn't sound like anything is wrong, just that the engine is so quiet that I can hear them. As long as I press on either brake I hear what I assume is the servo. The harder either brake is pressed, the louder (but still quiet) the sound.

2. The RT I bought is nearly new, just over 10k miles. It seems to function properly at all speeds...as far as I can tell. However, frequently on down shift it sounds like I'm getting a muted backfire. My RT came with an aftermarket Lazer Duotech exhaust and chip that replaced the original headers, cat, and muffler. Normal?

3. To my surprise there was a radio/cassette player in the fairing! I have all the owner's manuals except for the "optional supplement" that apparently explains the operation of the radio and bar controls. Without that supplement I'm not sure if I've done something stupid or not. It seems like a nice compact little unit, but the FM reception is really crappy. I'm thinking maybe the antenna has worked its way loose...or does this radio have normally poor reception? I'm planning to partially dismantle the fairing just to look around and will check the connections while I'm in there, but would appreciate feedback from others who have the radio.

Thanks much for helping the newbie. As I gain knowledge and experience I will hopefully be able to return the favors.

Gilx,

Where in Utah are you? I'm in Sandy. Congrats on your sweet RT! I have a 2004 R1150R and it's treated me well

John

Yep, the brake servo whine is normal. A little bit of backfire is relatively normal (from my experience). I have a Remus exhaust on mine, and like the difference in sound it makes.

Can't help with the radio... I had everything (speakers, antenna, wiring) but the radio. Don't mind not having it, actually.

Your RT has ffully integral brakes as opposed the 1150R which has partially integral brakes. (RT= the pedal and handbrake work both front and rear brakes, R=hand lever works front and rear brakes, foot pedal works only the rear brake.)

My dad currently has 2 RTs and the radio reception has always been pretty lame. He ended up only listening to cassettes.

Have fun

UT R1150R wrote:Gilx,

Where in Utah are you? I'm in Sandy. Congrats on your sweet RT! I have a 2004 R1150R and it's treated me well

John

I'm north of you by about 40 or so miles. I'm in a little burg just south of Ogden called Clinton. When I started looking for a bike to replace my Harley Sportster I was seriously considering and almost bought an R a couple times. However, I got such a good deal on the RT, and I was seduced by the fairing blocking our cold Utah wind, that I ended up getting the RT. During our summer I may regret my decision! We will have to get together and run a few miles.

Update on the Radio

I pulled the wind screen off, couldn't get to the antenna connection, couldn't see it. Pulled the left side fairing off, still couldn't get to the antenna connection. Pulled the instrument cluster pannel off, could almost seent he antenna connection. Pulled the left speaker, and finally saw the antenna was properly connected. Pulled out the radio...bingo! The antenna cable either was never connected or had come loose. Plugged it in and it works great! Put all the panel pieces back on and didn't even have any spare parts left over