First day with my new (to me) R1200ST - *long*

[jaytee]

My new (to me) '05 R1200ST with 900miles on the ticker arrived today adorned in light metallic grey and sidney blue. It took 10 days to pickup, and 8 days to deliver for a total price of $12836. Unfortunately registering the bike in California will cost me $1030 according to the CA DMV website for a total cost of $13866 out the door. Considering that this bike comes with $800 system side cases, it is not the most expensive motorcycle I have purchased, but definitely the most expensive used one (albeit barely used).

 

The bike arrived a little dusty but in excellent condition, looking truly fresh off the showroom floor. My very first impressions were:

 

1. Damn, those system bags are wide!

2. hmmm… very low seating position from what I was expecting…

3. OUCH! Watch the shins on the jugs!

4. That stacked front headlight looks cool in person

 

Then I tried starting the bike, which fired up on the first try after at least 3 weeks of not running. Eek! Can’t remember the last time I rode a Boxer twin – might have been 20 years ago? That idle sounds terrible! Or cool. Or weird. Or just unique, I finally decided. Kinda like a poorly tuned diesel lawnmower with attitude. About every three seconds a weird dieseling sound would shudder from the idling engine. So after revving it up (and nearly putting myself down on the right hand side from the torque-movement of the chassis!) I slipped the clutch and started to move it up into my driveway for the mandatory cleaning. But nothing happened. Apparently 1st gear is a little temperamental. I double clutched, and finally got it into first. With a shudder and a jounce over the rolled curb, I managed to ease her into the washing location.

 

Some detergent, simple green and a couple towels later the new ST was looking good. Too bad I had to wait for 5 hours to ride it since I had my boys home with me. I tried to mount the Luggage Locker ring around the tank filler but it wasn’t quite right. I will call those guys tomorrow. Then I messed around with the system bags a bit. What a slick system! I am thoroughly impressed. Too bad they are wider than the handlebars, making lane splitting non-intuitive. I *really* don’t want to have to worry about wide bags while trying to split our hair-raising freeways in the morning.

 

Finally the wife got home from work and I was able to take the ST out for a spin. So on to riding impressions. First thing I though was “What a nice machine!” The fit and finish are generally superb, although I was missing a couple of plastic hole covers.

 

Observations:

• 
  1. POWER DELIVERY – I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t like the shaft drive feel, but it was truly transparent, delivering power predictably without upsetting the chassis in turns or on drag-race runs onto the freeway. The solid feeling and smooth revving power was sooo nice after the abrupt, brutal power of the SV’s water-cooled twin, and the harsh torque that falls off nearly instantly of the 1700cc air cooled motor in my Warrior. Speaking of the freeway, and indicated 100 is far too easy to get to and I feel like I need to figure out what the speedo error truly is so that I can drive informed. While I could always use more power, I really cant complauin. This is a well balanced machine. Score: 5 of 5
  2. TRANSMISSION - I was quite worried about the 2 ½ yr old tires, so I took it easy getting out the gate and onto the freeway where I finally let her rip. Second gear bounced off the rev limiter advising me that I will have to watch the tach until I get used to exactly where I run out of RPM. The engine pulled strong but the sportiness of the motor was limited by the obviously tall gearing. Although one advantage is that 1st gear is actually usable! I am so used to first just being a get started gear that I was a bit surprised to find myself trawling around a parking lot using 1st instead of 2nd. First gear is clearly a bit finicky to get into but I’m sure I will master it with time. The clutch, however, is a bit different. Every time I pulled in or released the clutch, a slight vibration and an audible ‘thunk’ came from the gear box. Is this due to the dry-clutch design? Didn’t seem bad, just odd. Score 4 of 5
  3. SUSPENSION - The suspension felt a bit mushy all the way around but definitely comfortable. Unusually, I didn’t really feel that I sacrificed control for all the softness in the suspension – I attribute that to the telelever suspension since it is very different from my other bikes. I fear, however, that with my tendency to prefer leaning forward into tight twisties that the front spring will ultimately prove inadequate. Too bad I cannot adjust dampening or anything  Score 3 of 5
  4. SEATING - This seat is LOW. I kept throwing my leg up front, thinking that I was on the cruiser, or missing the pegs, thinking that I should be higher than I was. I haven’t checked where the seat is located, but on my SV I flatfoot the bike nearly vertical (I am 6’0” w/ 34” inseam) whereas on the ST my knees are slightly bent and forward when I am sitting down on the bike. Odd. But I love the riding position! I never liked the “perched” feeling of the top-heavy sport bikes. I much prefer the ‘cockpit’ like feel to the SV. The seat itself, however, is pure torture device. It looks cool, I’ll grant, but sucks dog’s balls for comfort. Oh well. I was pretty much resigned to going up to Corbin or out to Bil MAyers place in a week or two anyhow. Position = 5, Seat = 3 – Score 4 of 5
  5. HANDLING - The steering is responsive, more so than I expected, with the unfortunate side effect of kind of wobbling through tight u-turns, like cloverleaves getting on or off the freeway. It stays down in a turn, holding a clean line, very easily with little after-initiation effort, but wobble a bit if you don’t use a light hand on the bars. I imagine that I will get used to this and enjoy the light feeling responsiveness. Score 4 of 5
  6. BRAKES - The ABS is a bit “grabby” at speeds below 20mph.A tiny input results in near-pitchage and the bike snaps to a halt. Over 20mph, however, It seems perfectly fine. Not quite as soft and ‘modulatable’ (is that a word???) as my Warrior brakes, and not quite as “on/off” aggressive as my SV1000S. The servo noise bugs in the garage, but I could care less once I’m on the road. I was told that NC BMW was going to do the brake banjo-bolt recall before they shipped the bike, but so far no confirmation that actually happened. Maybe that will eliminate the grabbyness at low speeds. Overall I liked the brakes and find myself not concerned at all with the servo brakes despite my fears. Nothing to see here , folks. Score 4 of 5.
  7. WINDSHIELD - The windshield is disappointingly floppy at low speeds. It seems to settle in once the wind speed passes 40mph or so, but before that it flops and vibrates and generally makes one suspect it of imminent demise. It works fine to take pressure off my chest, but in anything over its lowest setting it tends to raise the turbulent zone-2 air from the lip of the screen to my eardrums – no fun. I will probably always leave it in the down position. That being said, it doesn’t bug enough to warrant spending the after-market dough for a different windshield. I’ll live with it. Score 3 of 5
  8. HANDLEBARS - The adjustable handlebars are more useful. I played around with them and currently have them in the middle position. I will take a ride up in the mountains and decide if I will be ok. Usually I prefer a lower position when riding sporty like that. If I think I can handle it, however, the higher position will just flat out be more practical. This is a very cool feature that should be integrated into most bikes sold! Score 5 of 5.

 

Final score: 4 of 5.

 

This is clearly the best fit and finish bike I’ve ever owned. I told my wife I was ecstatic that I hadn’t bought one a few years ago as I would have been disappointed at nearly every other bike I rode. It was quite a thrill to get a big sh!t-eating grin on my face again even though I now have 3 bikes in the garage. What a blast! I cant wait to ride to work tomorrow.

 

Hope you enjoyed my enjoyment of my new bike. Glad to finally come back full circle to where I started nearly 20 years ago on a R90/6 in a parking lot during the summer in Lake Tahoe.

 

JT

[Firefight911]

Alright, now we're cookin' with Wesson oil!!! Don't ask!!!

 

Congrats on getting her home!! Now the fun begins.

 

The idle will smooth with time and miles.

 

The gearbox you describe is very typical and normal so do not fret. As you are pressing down on the shift lever, slightly ease out the clutch lever and she'll plunk into gear right quick.

 

Here are the numbers I used for my stock ST suspension:

 

ONE UP

 

Spring Preload: + 20 clicks from minimum

Damping Screw: -1-3/4 turns from maximum

Tire Pressures: 36 Front, 38 Rear

 

ONE UP W/ LUGGAGE

 

Spring Preload: + 25 clicks from minimum

Damping Screw: -1-1/2 turns from maximum

Tire Pressures: 36 Front, 38 Rear

 

TWO UP

 

Spring Preload: + 30 clicks from minimum

Damping Screw: -1 turn from maximum

Tire Pressures: 38 Front, 40 Rear

 

TWO UP W/ LUGGAGE

 

Spring Preload: + 35 clicks from minimum

Damping Screw: -3/4 turn from maximum

Tire Pressures: 40 Front, 42 Rear

 

This should get you started.

 

Lighter on the bars is paramount on the ST to avoid the cloverleaf issues you speak of.

 

You'll get used to the brakes. Try using the rear brake for your slow speed, parking lot stuff.

 

Same thoughts on my windshield. She stays down always.

 

As always, this thread is worthless without pics!!!

 

I'll help:

 

 

 

[bakerzdosen]

Phil...

 

What are you doin' man??? The guy just got his bike and now you're wanting to set the bar impossibly high for him??? Don't whip out the "I spent too much time in the Marines" clean bike pics just yet...

 

However, back on topic.

 

NOW you see why I only use the side cases for long trips and I rarely take off the top case. They're just too wide for this bike for a daily rider. (IMHO).

 

Another thing: I was just thinking today (on the way to grab stuff for my 18k service before Torrey) about how much smoother the bike feels to me now. Everything is smoother, the transmission shifting (which was helped A LOT when I changed the tranny fluid at my 6k), the engine, and the overall feel of the bike. Now, admittedly, I've heard that boxers get broken in around 20k miles, but some of that's gotta be me too. I'm just better at riding the bike. But I really think that it's not all me. Regardless, I'm still as big of a fan of my bike as I was when I bought it.

 

I also had rather grandiose visions of swapping out the windscreen. Is it possible for the windscreen to get smoother? I only use the top and bottom positions for it, and I only use the upper one for longer rides in freezing (or nearly so) temps. It does help keep you a bit warmer. Regardless, I doubt I'll be changing it any time soon.

 

What kind of tires are the 2.5 year old tires anyway?

 

Regardless, congrats. Glad you like it so far.

[jaytee]

...As always, this thread is worthless without pics!!!

 

Yeah, yeah... of course now you've upstaged me with your oh-so-cool cerami-coat headers and slick looking valve cover guards...

 

I will get pics hopefully tomorrow - but no promises as I would much rather be riding!

 

I currently have the suspension set to factory with 36lbs front and 42lbs rear. I tend to liek a slightly firmer suspension and am not a big fan of mucking with it when I throw the bags on, so I will likely try your one-up-with-luggage setting and leave it there if it suits.

 

Phil, your bike is an inspiration, and I am buying an extra header to go have it ceramic coated as well. That is the best looking, highest impact mod I have seen so far for the ST. I also liek the small guards as they have a nice clean look to them.

 

bakerzdosen,

The side bags are big enoguh for both my laptop and files but they stick out too far to commute with in SoCal with all the lane splitting, IMHO. So I am goign to seriously try and get those city lids from europe if I can find someone to speak french to the site there. If not, I may just try ordering them anyways. I really do not understand why these are not offered in the United States, especially in California where we lane split all the time.

 

Im sure the bike will smooth out with miles. My Warrior was awfully rough for the first 3000-5000 miles then it got quite a bit nicer.

 

The 2.5yr old tires are Dunlop Sportmax D220 ST P ZR rated tires. The front says it is a D220F (I assume for front?). They are rock-hard on the side walls and on the large portion of unsued tread althoguh there are no signs of cracking or deterioration. The tires look brand new despite having 1000 miles on them. Id hate to replace a set of really new looking tires like these but I admit to being a bit worried about how hard they are and how old they are.

 

No fear for clean bike pics - I love 'em! Much like I love Scarlet Johansen. I love to look, but no desire to do what it takes to have her!

 

JT

[sardineone]

That was *long*

Hope your experience with your ST will be as nice as mine to make your gripe list *short*

 

One question since you hadn't mentioned it, do you have your seat in the higher of the two positions available? I'll agree on your assessment on the seat comfort especially for the ST's design purpose. BMW could take some lessons from the latest Moto Guzzi's for seat design.

[HexHead]

You know the seat is adjustable? I keep mine in the high position.

 

Now if you really want to take your bike to then next level, put Ohlins shocks on it. I changd mine out at 1900 miles and it completely transformed the bike. It feels so much more planted than it did with the stockers. Especially the front.

[kopov260]

I almost never use these large side cases. I use the BMW sport soft bag, which is big enough for everything I need. I am not sure if you'll be able to put laptop in it. The suspension upgrade to Ohlins will make huge improvement. I installed Ohlins at 20K and what a difference!!!

The installation of the full Remus exhaust system will take care of the most handlebar vibration and will ad 6 more hp and 5 lbs. of torque...and of course it will ad the necessary sound and drop some unnecessary weight (not a lot of weight though)

 

Enjoy

[SnowDog]

Congrats on the bike.

 

My main nit picks about the ST:

 

1) Stock shocks (non ESA) are valved too soft. I plan to wear mine out then replace.

 

2) Seat comfort. Rick Mayer on order.

 

3) Windshield rattle at idle. I am working on something for this.

 

4) Seating position is a little aggressive for me. Risers will be on order soon.

 

 

Love the bike otherwise.

[notacop]

Simple green on a new machine, Shame on you! Did you use a brillo pad on the wheels and exhaust too?

Heathen, barbarian, infidel.

Somebody explain to this beast the proper care and feeding of an almost new BMW.

Since I got my 2000RTP a couple years ago I only use the finest of fresh rain fall...when it happens to occur. Not very often in So. Cal of late.

[Sliver]

1bmwfan-

I see in your pictures that you've swapped out your rear suspension. What brand did you go with ?

Also, what is that strapped onto your frame, just in front of the rear tire?

btw...congrats on the clean machine

[Firefight911]

1bmwfan-

I see in your pictures that you've swapped out your rear suspension. What brand did you go with ?

Also, what is that strapped onto your frame, just in front of the rear tire?

btw...congrats on the clean machine

 

Wilbers. That strap on piece is part of the suspension. Remote compression (high and low) adjustment and the nitrogen/oil reservoir.

 

Red knob is the remote preload adjustment.

 

One word for this brand suspension - AWESOME!!!!

[R4ND0M_AX3]

Lately i've been riding with the bars in the lowest position. Really don't even notice it anymore.

 

After a while I start lusting for a new bike. I go take the ST out for a couple days and everytime I come back I am completely satisfied with what I have.

[John in VA]

3. SUSPENSION - The suspension felt a bit mushy all the way around but definitely comfortable. Unusually, I didn’t really feel that I sacrificed control for all the softness in the suspension – I attribute that to the telelever suspension since it is very different from my other bikes. I fear, however, that with my tendency to prefer leaning forward into tight twisties that the front spring will ultimately prove inadequate. Too bad I cannot adjust dampening or anything  Score 3 of 5

 

It's not the telelever design. BMW stock shocks suck badly (which is why BMW offers factory Ohlins on the R1200S). Install some decent shocks like Ohlins or Wilbers -- you won't recognized it as the same bike.

[HexHead]

 

1) Stock shocks (non ESA) are valved too soft. I plan to wear mine out then replace.

 

I don't get waiting. If the shocks are not to your liking and you plan to upgrade, why suffer through lousy shocks for 20,30 or 50k miles waiting for them to wear out. Change them and enjoy the bike!

[John in VA]

[i don't get waiting....Change them and enjoy the bike!

 

+1

[Firefight911]

[i don't get waiting....Change them and enjoy the bike!

 

+1

 

Then you'll have something to use for the time that they are out being rebuilt after your 30k miles.

[MChick]

The speedo on my ST is within 1 mph of my GPS, so I don't think speedo error is an issue.

Do you have the riders seat set to the tallest position? The low is way too low for me, the tall is just about right. I put 850 miles on the bike on the third day of ownership, and was pretty comfortable. Hell, 12 hours in a Barcalounger will get my as@ cramped. Much more comfortable than the ZZR, by far.

 

Congrats on the new ride. Enjoy!

[bakerzdosen]

The speedo on my ST is within 1 mph of my GPS, so I don't think speedo error is an issue.

Depends on the ST. My ST is about 8% off GPS (on two sets of tires, I haven't tried the comparison with my current set yet). I wish my speedo was that accurate.

[kopov260]

Speedos in all BMW cars and bikes are overstated for approx. 10%. At least this has been my experience.

[jaytee]

Well, after a couple hundred more miles here are some second impressions:

 

1. WINDSHIELD REVISITED - There is definitely a difference between all the way up and all the way down, although it doesn’t really manifest until I'm at 70mph+. With the shield all the way down I get a fair bit of pressure on my neck and shoulders. If the airflow is clean, it kind of holds me up slightly in a neutral position, taking pressure off my wrists. If I move the shield up, the pressure nearly disappears off my neck and chest, although the sonics get a bit more violent, and more air flows on my hands.

2. NOISE - I find this bike is the worst for wind noise of all my bikes. On the Warrior I am out in the clean air, and the SV, while louder, doesn’t have quite the eardrum-splitting pressures that ST has with the windshield up. It looks like I am going to have to go to earplugs unless I get a different helmet.

3. HIGH SPEED HANDLING - This bike is solid as a rock at indicated speeds in the 100-110mph. Riding with the very fast freeway traffic last night I was shocked to look down and see over 100mph indicated. I have to think there is at least 10% speedo error here. The engine was not straining and clearly the tall 6th gear and tall final drive ratio were designed to operate at fairly high speeds. The bike tracked very well and held its line cleanly at speed.

4. TRANSMISSION REVISITED - Once the gear oil warmed up the transmission is fine getting into first gear. I still notice the very tall gearing (as compared to my other bikes) but I appreciate the lower rpm's and reduced vibrations at the high freeway speeds I typically run. I do notice a bit of a twitch in the chassis if I make a more abrupt gear shift, especially if I up-shift under fairly aggressive acceleration without the clutch.

5. ASSYMETERY (or why my right shin hates this bike!) - So... uh... are the cylinder heads on this bike not symmetrical? I have no idea why I thought they were, but I kept banging the hell out of my right shin when I would put my feet down on the ground. Pain is training me out of it, but when I got home I tried to look carefully at the cylinder heads and the Tupperware and noticed that there are some very subtle differences between the sides. Mainly that he right cylinder head seems about 1 inch further back than the left one.

6. ERGOS - Other than my right shin, this bike fits me very well. It is by far the most intuitive position and comfortable cross between sport and standard that I have ever ridden. Its the first bike that other than the seat I can not imagine what else to do with it ergonomically. The windshield does its job, the pegs are in a good position, the knee locations are perfect, the tank doesn’t rub me wrong, there is a bit of lean, but not too much, the passenger pegs can be used to stretch out a bit - perfect. Man I love this bike!

7. FUEL ECONOMY - Well, I have no idea how all you guys get 50mpg+ out of this bike. My first full tank of gas was 4.3gal for 179 miles for an estimated fuel consumption rate of 41.6 mpg. Admittedly I am driving fast, and maybe with only 1100 miles onthe bike its still a little tight, but still I cant imagine that day in day out I will see better than 41-43mpg tops. That’s fine since I have a much larger tank than on my other bikes, but its really not much better than my warrior at 41mpg, and my suzuki at 39mpg.

 

So far this is the finest machine I have ever ridden. The attention to detail, fit and finish, perfect ergos for a 6'0" guy, solid power, fine handling are all just a joy. I actually find myself taking it to the grocery store for the wife just to have a reason to get in a few more miles after dark. I am thoroughly happy with my purchase so far and can't wait to get it into the mountains before the mountain riding season is lost.

 

JT

[bakerzdosen]

7. FUEL ECONOMY - Well, I have no idea how all you guys get 50mpg+ out of this bike. My first full tank of gas was 4.3gal for 179 miles for an estimated fuel consumption rate of 41.6 mpg. Admittedly I am driving fast, and maybe with only 1100 miles onthe bike its still a little tight, but still I cant imagine that day in day out I will see better than 41-43mpg tops. That’s fine since I have a much larger tank than on my other bikes, but its really not much better than my warrior at 41mpg, and my suzuki at 39mpg.

Well, that's on par with the worst mileage (for one tank) I've seen with mine. That was from Vegas to Cedar City, UT with just horrible head and cross winds the whole time. I imagine that being at altitude (4500 ft) helps with the mileage, but not THAT much. My current tank says 16 miles left (+ probably 30-50 miles after that) and I'm at 247 miles so far for the tank. So that's probably just over 52mpg (we'll see when I fill up). However, most of the tank has been freeway miles. I'd say I average 47 around town in stop and go traffic, so you're not THAT far off. I also run premium (which is what you're supposed to do according to BMW, but there are several people here who disagree with that) so that usually would reduce mileage by 6-9% if you weren't doing that.

 

However, I'm betting that your mileage will get better as time goes on.

[jaytee]

It could also be that I am just "On It" a lot with a new bike

 

My tank light came on on my last tank saying 35 miles to go and I am at 159 miles.

 

I also noticed its really difficult to figure out how to fill this thing all the way up, so lack of consistency could be an issue as well. I tend to want my tank FULL but Im not sure exactly how to do that wit hthe BMW. Center stand? Side stand? keep dribbling till it covers the hole at the bottom?

 

JT

[R4ND0M_AX3]

cylinder head offset - They are asymetrical just like a pair of cylinders in a car would be. The rods either need to sit next to each other or be Harley style and have one rod stradle the other.

 

Mid to high 40's for MPG is were I usually sit.

 

I usually fill up while on the bike. Yes, I know I could die in a terrible fire. I keep the bike verticle and fill until the shut-off (your local pump maynot have this) kicks in. Then I pull back the vapor recovery nozzle and fill until the fuel is just a hair below the hole in the bottom of the metal column.

 

Reserve warning comes on for me at about 170-195 miles.

[bmurphypdx]

My 07 ST would only get low 40s MPG for the first several thousand miles. Now, at 9400 miles, I consistently get 48 mpg with mixed driving, often two-up and fully loaded.

[SnowDog]

[i don't get waiting....Change them and enjoy the bike!

 

+1

 

Then you'll have something to use for the time that they are out being rebuilt after your 30k miles.

 

 

I hear what you all are saying.

 

Comes down to priorities. So many things to do and only so much money to do it with. Though not ideal, the adequate performance of the stock shocks make spending $ on replacing them now less of a priority than other things.

[Ben_Ricci]

I really disliked the ST's stock windscreen. I got buffeted to death. Although it looked tons better than the Cee Baileys currently on my bike.

 

I consistantly get mid-forties mpg (mostly highway riding at 75-95 mph).

 

My speedo is way off. At least 5 mph at lower speeds (60-ish) and almost 10 mph at higher speeds (90-ish). 110 indicated is about 100 according to GPS. It doesn't bother me that much because my car (a VW) is just as inaccurate--I'm used to it.

 

[bakerzdosen]

I either fill up on the center stand (much to Whip's chagrin) or just how Dan described (no fireballs for me yet). I found that I can get significantly more in the tank that way. I just fill to about half-way between the bottom and the top of the "cup" in the tank. The last bit does go slowly as air has to escape. However, if I'm just going to park it after filling it, I don't fill it as full. I end up going anywhere between 220ish and 300ish mile per tank.

[JayW]

The 2.5yr old tires are Dunlop Sportmax D220 ST P ZR rated tires.

 

I suspect they are still safe to use, but expect them wear out quickly. Those are the same tires that came on my RT and I was not impressed. I'd be surprised if you get 5K out of them. Keep the front tire pressure on the high side to minimize cupping. I run 38F/42R.

 

I enjoyed your write-up. I think I'll go ride a bit.

 

Jay

[jaytee]

Well, my next tank of gas was 38.7mpg... I am using 91r+m/2 but I did fill this last time on the center stand. I tried filling up past the hole in the cup, but kept splashing gas up and out from the gas nozzle preasure. Its possible that I filled more gas resulting in lower measured economy.

 

I have noticed that I always seem to near red-line the thing when accelerating hard. Given the tall gearing, I'm trying to get all I can out of a given gear, and the engine keeps pulling to red-line. Makes me wonder if there is any danger of doing long-term damage by using up every gear in this type of engine.

 

Still working on sourcing those city lids with the help of Francois - I'll post up how that turns out.

 

Question: Is there supposed to be something int he two holes on the back mudflap below the license plate? They look... unfinished.

 

Thanks for all the great feedback!

 

JT

[sardineone]

I am using 91r+m/2

 

There it is! You're riding a motor with 12 to 1 compression ratio. The R12 motor has a sophisticated engine management system will allow lower octanes at a reduced power output from my understanding. Run some premium 93 octane and you should join the rest of us getting very respectable mileage figures.

[HexST]

hittin the rev limiter now and then isn't harmful that does take away from your mileage though. the holes in the rear fender are for Europe license plates.

[R4ND0M_AX3]

I am using 91r+m/2

 

There it is! You're riding a motor with 12 to 1 compression ratio. The R12 motor has a sophisticated engine management system will allow lower octanes at a reduced power output from my understanding. Run some premium 93 octane and you should join the rest of us getting very respectable mileage figures.

We don't have 93 here in Cali Most pumps have 87-89-91. Some remote places do have 92 but it's hard to find.

A handful of places cary 100 for the racer in us but it's very expensive.

[bakerzdosen]

Yeah, I was gonna say, it's even worse here at altitude. We get 85-87-89 where some places have 91...

 

I also neglected to mention earlier that I'm running an older version of software for the engine mapping. Apparently it's a bit leaner. One of these days I'll take it into the dealer for an upgrade and I'm sure mileage will drop.

[Firefight911]

I'm averaging in the high 40's. On the way home from Bonneville, I got a high of 56, however, this was droning the slab at impulse power speeds.

 

I am guessing that you are just juicing it and getting the resultant mileage.

 

I really wouldn't worry about it to much right now. Your bike is still young and, as such, still breaking in.

 

I would bet a noticeable difference after your 6k is done.

[jaytee]

Here are the numbers I used for my stock ST suspension:

 

ONE UP

 

Spring Preload: + 20 clicks from minimum

Damping Screw: -1-3/4 turns from maximum

Tire Pressures: 36 Front, 38 Rear

 

ONE UP W/ LUGGAGE

 

Spring Preload: + 25 clicks from minimum

Damping Screw: -1-1/2 turns from maximum

Tire Pressures: 36 Front, 38 Rear

 

 

OK, I started working with these today...

 

First thing I did was set back to factory. I noticed that the preload was set to factory, but the dampening was set 3/8 turn softer than factory.

 

So, looking at your settings, it seems that you are settign the preload significantly higher than factory (whichis ~10 clicks, each click beign a half-turn) but you are setting dampening significantly *below* factory. Not sure the reasoning behind either the factory setup or yours - any info is greatly appreciated!

 

Also, if it matters, I am ~ 185lbs, probably 195 with gear, and I will usually ride with 10-15lbs more stuff (laptop, luggage, files, etc).

 

Im trying 20 clicks and 1 1/4 tonight with tires at 36/40

 

JT

[Firefight911]

Simply put, preload is an objective setting and damping is a subjective setting.

 

Overall, for me, the stock suspension is poor in the feedback department so the best you can hope for is a large ballpark.

 

I like a taught yet compliant suspension that really talks a lot. YMMV and these settings change depending on the tires I am running, the day, and the mood I may be in.

 

For example, I am fiddling a fair bit withe my Wilbers suspension now that I have spooned a set of Pilot Power tires on there. I feel a "numbness" at full lean angles and am looking for more feedback through suspension tweaks.

 

It gets to be a very subjective matter and very personal. The settings I offer are great, again IMO, for anyone to start off with. From there, you need to tweak to personal taste and personal weight, etc.

 

I used these settings based on 205 lb rider without riding gear.

 

Understand that the springs on the stock suspension are designed around a 170 - 180 lb rider. This explains, partially, the higher preload setting.

 

Hope this helps.

[jaytee]

Ok, today was my first longer day with some tmioe in moderate twisties....

 

Wnet west-east Ortega highway, then rode it back, then roade santiago canyon with some side roads into the surrounding hills... While not overly challenging, we were able to get a few good high-speed sweepers in. In addition I swapped bikes with my riding partner who was on a 2004 Ducati ST4. Interesting comparo, and, of course, a few observations...

 

1. Power is comparable, the ergos are comparable, the fit and finish is not. Handling is differnt, with the Ducati feeling more 'typical' and the BMW having some... dunno, je ne sais quois about its handling that was, frankly, preferable. The Ducati had better wind protection, btu the ST was better in crosswinds. Both were fun bikes that felt nice and sounded good.

 

2. Over straight terrain the BMW's front suspension feels good, absorbing the bumps while not feeling too dead, but in the ciorners its a little vague... its ok, dont get me wrong, just not quite as precise as would be ideal.

 

3. The rear susupension was set to 25 clicks preload, 1 1/4 off Hard dampening and was unsatisfactory. It bounced pretty hard (much harder than the front) and didnt settle down quickly. Im guessing I need a little less preload for my weight and a little more dampening. The tires were set 42lbs rear, 36lbs front - no luggage. I am thinkign that should be 40/36 instead.

 

4. I lovethis bike! It lloks cool, handles awelll, sounds good... what's not to like?

 

5. At Hell's Kitchen the bike attracted about 5 lookey-loos. 3 of them were BMW motorcycle owners but had no idea what the bike was, and had never seen it. It was cool having the bike noone really knew about.

 

Anyhow, had fun today, and it looks like I'll be headding to Hollister in a couple weeks.

 

JT