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New RT Engine noise Question


Deckdr

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Just bought an 06 R1200RT and I'm noticing a slight tap or knock from the engine at low rpm when starting out in 1st gear. Sounds a little like wrist pin knock, piston slap, or spark knock, but only does it when blipping the throttle from idle and when taking off from a standstill and immediately goes away as rpms increase. Does not make any noise under hard acceleration once moving which is a little confusing. I've ridden another RT and did not hear this.

Anyone have any ideas?

Anyone else hear this on theirs?

Your help will be appreciated.

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Sounds like your lugging it a bit. Throttle to clutch ratio is off a bit or otherwise know as user error. I know I do it too dopeslap.gif

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Just bought an 06 R1200RT and I'm noticing a slight tap or knock from the engine at low rpm when starting out in 1st gear. Sounds a little like wrist pin knock, piston slap, or spark knock, but only does it when blipping the throttle from idle and when taking off from a standstill and immediately goes away as rpms increase. Does not make any noise under hard acceleration once moving which is a little confusing.
Could it be the ticking of the fuel injectors during the warmup cycle? Until the motor is warm, you can hear them ticking a bit until you're going fast enough for other sounds to drown them out.
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Mine doesn't do it. Make sure you aren't lugging the engine. If it still make a disconcerting noise, have a dealership tech. test ride it. You might want to test ride another RT.

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I have an 05 RT and I can get it to make about the same noise that you are describing if I lug the engine a little too much on initial takeoff. I also can hear it on moderate to hard accelleration after coasting down in any gear to just below 3k rpm and whacking the throttle again. The sound is a lot like spark knock, but once I am above 3k rpm, I can't get the noise to happen no matter what I do.

 

My guess is that the ECM knock sensor strategy may not be active below 3k rpms.

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I PM'd you a reply to your PM.

 

My delaer will drain my tank/gas system, but I suspect a cam tensioner spec problem..

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Tony, forgive my ignorance here but what does "lugging it" mean? I'm used to some extra engine noise in first and second gears and low RPMs. Is that it?

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Is a term where the rider has either "over-geared" and/or isn't using enough throttle to maintain speed/or accelerate under a load, or not downshifting low enough for the new revised speed/RPM's.

 

A example would be taking off from standstill in 2nd gear with no added throttle.

 

I do not "lug" the engine - and honestly from the PM's I don't think the OP "lugs" too.

 

Specifically, in my bike and the OP's bike, with the same respective riders on different RT1200RT - the other R1200RT's at his dealer and at my dealer don't make this noise.

 

Eithe "ignition knock" system problem, more probably (my feeling) the cam tensioner (correct new tensioner) is too tight to operate as smoothly and effectively as it should at lower RPM.. especially RPM 1500-2300 RPM and correct shifting/load.

 

No lug here - OP and I have a "bug" in our specific bikes that has not yet been documented/bulletined by BMW to their dealers..my opinion.

 

I will let you know next 2 weeks how the short sage ends up from my bike..

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bakerzdosen

Well, I tried Sinclair oxygenated gas this weekend in my r12st, and had similar results. (I say "tried" whereas "forced to try" is closer to the truth.) Also, it was a "single hose" pump, so probably a gallon of that was the cheap stuff. Suffice it to say, the engine sounded funny until my next fill-up.

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It is not a result of lugging. It's always present at just off idle and does it even when blipping the throttle while idling. It's been suggested by someone that it may be the counterbalancer. It's also been suggested by someone that it may be injector noise. I don't think it sounds like an injector. I don't think it's piston slap or wrist pin knock because THAT should be present when lugging the motor and it's not....Only off idle when accelerating away.

I've ridden one other identical bike and could hear the same noise only very, very faintly. That other bike also seemed smoother running than mine. It does sound metalic to me and I'm now looking for an engine breakdown diagram so that I might better understand how the counterbalancer operates....Anyone have a picture?

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I have an 06 RT that makes the exact same sound when starting off and I can guarantee you that I am not lugging it. I have had the "master" mechanic drive it twice and he says that it is running perfect. I have not tried another RT yet as I am hoping that either I adjust or the bike breaks in a little more. I have about 4500 miles so far and it still piss's me off to the point of possibly changing out to a GT.

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I am glad we can come out openly as those that have this issue and discuss it - anyone that doesn't have it, if you did it would irritate you too -

 

I'll take mine down to the shop tmrw.. let them track it down ... it is a noise made by some RT's and not by other RT's... that we know for sure...

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If I deliberately start from a stop, with too little throttle by feathering the clutch, I hear what I think you are describing. I normally use a bit of throttle and do not hear the noise.

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No worries. My 2005 has been sounding like that for 24,000 miles. The time you need to worry is when your boxer is NOT making sounds like that.

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The time you need to worry is when your boxer is NOT making sounds like that.
grin.gif

 

Oilhead/hexhead motors make lots of 'tappy' noises with (as usual) some bikes being worse than others. It's just a characteristic of the breed and I wouldn't worry about it unless it's really objectionable or seems to grow more severe over time.

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Oilhead/hexhead motors make lots of 'tappy' noises with (as usual) some bikes being worse than others. It's just a characteristic of the breed and I wouldn't worry about it unless it's really objectionable or seems to grow more severe over time.

I find the RT fairing amplifies or directs a lot of engine noise to the rider (and the fromt tire noise too). My R11S engine made a lot more noise but I didn't hear it while riding. My first few days with the RT I thought the engine sounded like a tractor - knocking and banging away.

 

Now I just ride hell out of it- just home from a quick Friday afterwork / home Sat night 1100km loop throught the interior of BC in 35C-42C weather (95F-107F). Flawless. Even the ESA was great - comfort mode for the cross-road tar strips and sport mode for the Duffy Lake road.

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I find the RT fairing amplifies or directs a lot of engine noise to the rider (and the fromt tire noise too). My R11S engine made a lot more noise but I didn't hear it while riding. My first few days with the RT I thought the engine sounded like a tractor - knocking and banging away.
Good point and very true, a full fairing does seem to really amplify noise. I remember when I installed my first Vetter fairing on my previoulsy quiet UJM... on the first ride I thought the engine was coming apart... grin.gif
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Talked to the head tech at my dealership and got an answer that makes sense to me.

Because the counterbalancer is gear driven and not all motors are going to be produced with the same tolerances, it's possible for some to have more gear lash than others, allowing more or less noise. So it seems to be coming from the cb shaft gear set and not the timing chain set. Makes sense to me, it's just unfortunate that some of us may have to live with it.

When I worked on my Harley Evo motors in the past, it was possible to buy different gear sets for the camshaft in order to set the correct clearances to minimize these noises....to much tolerance and you had knocking, too little and they would whine excessively.

I wonder if BMW will have the same thing available if this "knocking" noise complaint becomes widespread.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I found your site this morning after I googled for the exact problem you mention. My new R1200RT started exhibiting the same problems almost immediately after its first service (last Friday). After two days, and reading the posts here this morning, I decided to take it to my dealer. It sounded to me almost like big end bearing noise for the second or so that it lasted. I also suspected it migh be a loose header pipe on the left side.

 

The mechanic took it for a ride. Turns out the noise was a loose fairing connector on the left side front. The torque reaction at about 2000 rpm under load (take-off in 1st) was making the fairing vibrate something fierce. The fairing had to be removed for the first service, and he (the mechanic) knew it would be this particular retainer, as he had not been too happy with the way it had re-installed when he put the fairing back. He replaced it, and I now have my new bike back again.

 

I never thought to check the fairings, 'cos the noise sounded so mechanical to me.

 

Dave.

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