Question about 2014 R1200RT

[Hoghead]

Took delivery of new 2014 R1200RT last Friday and now have around 450 miles. During a ride Thursday there was a white triangle with lines under it just to the right of the gear indicator appeared and I cannot find what it is by reading the owners manual. The icon I'm talking about comes on in every gear around 2500-3000 RPM and stays on but when I let off the throttle in any gear it goes off but comes back on when accelerating. It does this in every gear except 6th. It will also go off when shifting gears but comes back on around the 2.5 to 3K rpm. I don't think the bike done this the first few miles. Can anyone help me with this?.....BTW this bike is awesome!!!!

[TEWKS]

It's a shift indicator. It can be turned off in the menu if you'd prefer not to see it.

 

Pat

[Hoghead]

It's a shift indicator. It can be turned off in the menu if you'd prefer not to see it.

 

Pat

 

So is it telling me to shift at 2500-3000?....That don't seem right....Too low RPM...

[Teddy]

It's a shift indicator. It can be turned off in the menu if you'd prefer not to see it.

 

Pat

 

So is it telling me to shift at 2500-3000?....That don't seem right....Too low RPM...

 

My guess is it measures load on the engine as well, low load change up?

I test drove a VW car, when driven sedately it was always wanting me to choose a higher gear, however stick the boot in and it was never telling me to change gear.

I think that is your answer..

 

Teddy

[Alfred02]

LOL

I asked the same question last week.

From what we can tell, it seems to be more for "economic riding", i.e fuel saving.

It must have been a late software update, after they had already put the owner manuals into production.

If that is the case, then they have "true" full pixel control on the SFT screens, which is great for us, as it gives infinite ability for them to add additional User selectable information via software updates.

[Hoghead]

It's a shift indicator. It can be turned off in the menu if you'd prefer not to see it.

 

Pat

 

So is it telling me to shift at 2500-3000?....That don't seem right....Too low RPM...

 

My guess is it measures load on the engine as well, low load change up?

I test drove a VW car, when driven sedately it was always wanting me to choose a higher gear, however stick the boot in and it was never telling me to change gear.

I think that is your answer..

 

Teddy

 

I have revved it up to 4500 in third,fourth,and fifth and the icon doesn't go out till I shift.....but always comes on around 2500-3000......according to the salesman that sold me the bike it runs better at 3500 so I'm wondering why it is telling me to shift at 2500.....

[TEWKS]

Try shifting without the clutch as soon as the indicator comes on. Seems smooth but yeah, exciting, no.

 

 

Pat

[OzarkR1200RT]

Shift indicator but annoying at best

[John in VA]

I'm sure it's for fuel economy. I remember the "upshift indicator light" on the dash of my old VW Jetta from the '80s.

[Guest Kakugo]

My mother's Mini had exactly the same thing. It even told which gear should be used at a given speed. Let's just say even my mother, who's an old lady and not a speed freak, found the indications a little surprising and very very sedate.

Dealer confirmed it's there for fuel economy and disabled it for her.

[anvo]

You shift as if you were driving a diesel if you follow the indicator. I turned it off. Useless.

[Hoghead]

I finally found the place to turn it off. Not used to going through menu's as Harley don't know what that is. I think it is for economy but it is too low for any power.Thanks to everyone that responded

[garr2]

A year and a half after this thread was started by Hoghead I found myself asking the same question about my 2015 LC. And here's my answer!

Thanks for asking and thanks for replying.

Useless technology, but great forum.

 

Ian

[lkchris]

You shift as if you were driving a diesel if you follow the indicator. I turned it off. Useless.

 

This is exactly the point.

 

A gasoline engine runs most efficiently the more the throttle is open, i.e. not restricting air intake. Shifting at lower rpm gets the throttle open more as you attempt to accelerate in the next gear.

 

One of the major reasons diesels are more economical than gasoline engines is that they have no throttle and hence the engine works less to intake air.

 

BMW motorcycles will likely soon catch up with BMW cars--the gasoline cars don't have throttles but rather have variable intake valve lift.

 

First appearance of the "upshift light" as I recall it was in the 1980s on VWs.

[Bob H.]

A while back on this forum we were discussing the problems of noise ,clunking , grinding while shifting into the first three gears I believe the shift indicator was put in to try and alleviate this problem because we found out if you shift in the first three gears at low rpm the transmission shifted easier without the noise . Others suggested ( even some dealers )only using 3.5 quarts of oil instead of the recommended 4 quarts to take care of the problem ,it didn't work for me . I personally believe it is a clutch problem that hasn't been fixed by BMW but it's something I can live with and after 27,000 miles in ten months of riding it's the only complaint I have about my 14RT .

[gordiet]

I have a 15 and I use 4 quarts o oil when changed and it shifts very smooth. Certainly no grinding! My third 1200 RT and this is the best by far. Also better then my K1600GTL.

 

GT

[Bob H.]

You have a 15 I have a 14 perhaps the problem was solved before your model hit the showroom floor . My 14 shifted smooth for about the first 2000 miles then it developed a noise in the clutch area and that's when the shifting problem started the weird thing is it doesn't do it all the time , some times it's smooth as glass other times it isn't so smooth which I believe points back to a problem with the clutch on my particular year and model .

[PadG]

I have a 15 and I use 4 quarts o oil when changed and it shifts very smooth. Certainly no grinding! My third 1200 RT and this is the best by far. Also better then my K1600GTL.

 

GT

Yep! 4 qts (US) is exactly the right amount of oil to use. Brings the level to 3/4 up the sight glass. Put in 4 liters instead, it will take the level up to the very top of the sight glass, and you won't be able to avoid clunky shifts!

[realshelby]

I have a 15 and I use 4 quarts o oil when changed and it shifts very smooth. Certainly no grinding! My third 1200 RT and this is the best by far. Also better then my K1600GTL.

 

GT

Yep! 4 qts (US) is exactly the right amount of oil to use. Brings the level to 3/4 up the sight glass. Put in 4 liters instead, it will take the level up to the very top of the sight glass, and you won't be able to avoid clunky shifts!

 

Add me to the list of those who say oil level has zero effect on shifting on my RT. I have done the 4 qt fill. Last one was more, almost to the top of the sight glass ( more than I meant to put in...). But it shifts exactly like it did with less oil. Others may find different results, but I don't see any difference.