New BMW rider - question RE: transmission

[Ron58]

Just purchased a nice red R1200GS. This is my first BMW. Have nearly 30 years with H-D. Gads have I been missing a lot of fun!!!! I purchased this bike on eBay from a real good fellow in Kansas. It had bags, bars, ABS, hot grips, and a few other goodies and only 2000 miles. Was clean as new.

Question: I am not used to the dry, hydlraulic clutch. Shifting down to first is alarmingly noisy. Second not much better. It is not as bad shifting up but difficult to make a really nice smooth shift. It's pretty noisy - but then I'm used to trying to hear what's going on over a Harley exhaust. So now I can hear every little thing - I can even hear myself think!

Seriously - the transmission / drive train, seems to have (for lack of a better term) considerable slop. While on the center stand I can move the rear wheel almost a 1/4 turn while in 1st gear. Should I take it to a dealer? Or is it just a BMW thing? Did stop by a dealer to ask about it but they just said don't worry until something breaks the noise and "slop" are normal. For a second I though I was back in the H-D dealership with advice like that.

Ron

[W. Mazelin]

Ron:

 

Welcome to the board. Glad to see that you want to be a motorcycle rider and not just a motorcycle owner How are you downshifting? Are you bangin' thru the whole gearbox while stil doin 60 MPH, or are you using using the gearbox one gear at a time and engine braking while you are slowing? Or am I way off base, and this noise is when you go from neutral to first? It might also be that all the stuff has not broken in yet, it could take several thousand miles for that.

[Aluminum_Butt]

Welcome to the board - it's a wonderful place.

 

Some of what you describe is "they all do that" characteristics. Shifting is louder on R bikes. In fact, someone here has/had a tag line that says "Loud Shifts Save Lives". Being an HD convert, you should be able to appreciate the humor in that.

 

As far as smooth shifting goes, try preloading the shifter. Basically put your foot under it and start to apply pressure before you shift up. As soon as you pull the clutch, it will slip into the next gear. Let the clutch back out quickly. Keep your revs up a little more than you probably tried to do on the HD's.

 

Quarter turn on the center stand in first gear? None of the three BMW's I've had do that. I'm sure some of our wrench-types will chime in soon, but it doesn't sound right to me.

[Ron58]

I try to take it easy on stuff - remember I rode them thar Harlee's all those years and do my own wrenching.

So I don't try downshifting to 2nd and 1st but for slowing for lights - nice and easy.

When going through the gears it seems like it loves to be revved prety tight (for what I'm used to - 4000 rpm or so) and then the shifts are nice and clean.

I'm also as careful as I can be not to force it into 1st from neutral.

Perhaps I have some unlearning to do.

Ron

[Ron58]

OK - I have been told a Bazillion times not to overstate things and I went and done it anyway.

The wheel does NOT turn a quarter turn. It only goes about 3" so my guess would be that's not bad at all and I just need to learn how to shift a Beemer.

RE: Loud Pipes Save Lives. The only experience I have had that's close to that is with deer. But it back fires almost as often as it runs them off. Frequently you just know they here those cool sounding pipes and they simply must jump out to see the Harley go buy and BAM you hit one!

Ron

[ClearwaterBMW]

Ron

thrilled that you've joined us. this forum has been around a long time and has tons of wonderful, helpful members. used to ride a harley... have had bmw's for 12 years or so.

durrently have a K1200LT and an R1200GS (like you)

the things you describe are normal. harleys, or course, have never been the smoothest of bikes either.

funny thing: a lot of folks around here have ridden these r-clad bikes 200,000 plus miles..... no kidding

 

welcome

you're doing great. glad you found this terrific forum

greg

[Ron58]

Hey Greg -

Thanks for the warm welcome! I have only had this bike for a few weeks now. There is no doubt in my mind I will have more questions - - - like:

How reliable are the fuel guages? So far mine has told me I was out of fuel when I had over 4 gallons left and last week I was on 215 miles - still not on reserve - and it took 4.7 gallons to fill it. Glad I was not trusting too much on it.

Is there a fix for this or is it just another Beemer thing?

At least my Road King was consintantly bad!

Anyone else have this fuel guage problem?

[W. Mazelin]

The trannys are a bit noisy on the bikes, my '02 GS has 48k miles on it now and it shifts much better than it did when new. I assume (and brother, I know how much trouble that can bring) yours will shift quieter, and smoother as the odometer turns ever upward.

[Ken/OC]

Just purchased a nice red R1200GS.

 

To add to what others have said -- I have an 1150, a different engine and tranny but believe there are some things in common. These bikes are a bit "agricultural" at first but smooth out with time. Quite a bit of time. My bike is still improving its engine and tranny after 40K miles. A reason to keep it and not go to a later model!

[ClearwaterBMW]

ron

that fuel gauge may not be right

for the record (and there has been a lot written here)

the GS1200 fuel gauge

always this way

 

the 1st half of the gauge is ONE BAR.....

usually lasts about 100-115 miles

then.... it goes down to 1/2

then it slowly, bar-by-bar goes down to almost empty over the next 75 miles....

then it starts counting down the last gallon of gas

usually about 40 or so miles

and.....

most have said... that when they get used to the weirdness, it is EXTREMELY ACCURATE

 

check your's again

 

greg

[Emoto]

Welcome!

 

Downshifting smoothly requires fairly close matching of engine speed to the lower gear. When you clutch in, blip the throttle a teeny bit before you down shift. If I can find a decent wrtie-up on smooth shifting somewhere, I'll post a link to it.

 

There was a service bulletin on the fuel gauge that your local dealer should be able to check for you. From the sound of it, yours hasn't been done yet. I'd have that looked into.

[Ken H.]

Well there at least two red 12GS in KS now! Welcome!

 

Echoing some of what the others have said, quick and fast, but not forced is part of the key to smooth shifts on the BMW trannys. The pre-load thing is needed much less on the new 1200 series than the older 11xx. But a slight up pressure as you just "fan" the clutch for a micro-second will make the up-shift silky smooth. BTW 4000 RPM is not wound tight for a BMW. Don't be afraid to get it up into the 6000, 7000 range. That is where these engines start to really come alive.

 

ISFA down shifting, quick shifts are again part of the key. But one of the things to remember is not to wait too late to go down into first. These trannys spin down quickly and with every thing stopped, or slowing down, the rather widely spaced dogs are harder to get engaged smoothly. As you are coming to a stop pull the clutch and work down through the gears rather quickly. Not at 60 mind you, but not as you are putting your feet down to stop either.

 

It takes time and practice to get good with the BMW dry clutch and tranny, especially after coming off another bike, but 5000 miles from now you will be smooth as silk.

 

BTW, the rotation drive line play you are describing in the rear wheel is normal.

 

Cheers!

[Ron58]

As long as the wierdness is consistant I can deal with that.

But when you get to the point where you expect differing results from doing the same thing - - - - .

I will keep checking. I guess it's still best just to get to know your bike - how you ride - and what how far you can actually go on a tank of fuel. Most of us did it that way when fuel indicators on motorcycle consided of opening the filler cap and looking inside.

Hey - thanks for the feed back this list has already been most helpful. I hope in the time ahead I will be able to make some good contributions.

Ron