OWNING 2010 RT.

[Ian McDermid]

 

 

I came to this post before buying a 2010 rt. It helped me decide with all the great info here.Thank you. I will give you my thoughts on ownership for the 15 months 11kms. I purchased the bike with 47kms on it. Every option but radio.After reading horror stories of fd failures and unhappy customers. I was a bit gun shy. I went ahead anyways because the bike had everyting i wanted. Cruise,wind protection,heated seats and comforable for two up.

 

After 11kms i have had 0 problems same with previous owner. Upon purchase i changed fd oil trans oil motor oil. Ajusted valves and new plugs.The bike is very easy to work on.Removing tupper wear is a bit of a pain. I drilled a half inch pipe tap hole in plastic cover where trans fluid is added. Then installed a black plastic cap to cover hole.Now the only time i need to remove the tupper ware is to replace the air filter. Complete fluid changes in less than an hour.Now riding.....The motor is great very little vibration lots of torque. You can pull away in secound with very little complaint.Fuel mapping is good a little surge at times but mostly good. Brakes are fantastic with great feel and control.Clutch has great feel too.

 

I have never stalled the bike. You do get a clunk clunk if you fast hammer clutch lever in and out.No need for that though. The esa suspension is a wonderful option. I have never felt the bike wallow even loaded with two up. Ajust the esa for your situation all is good.Running a curvy road is fun. Not multistrada fun but you can hussle her down the road. Push on the bar and she turns and feels light for its gurth. Role the throttle on out of a corner shift up brake for the next corner love it. The electric wind screen makes riding in different tempatures a breeze. To much wind bring it up and your in the pocket. To hot drop her down for air. To cold turn on the heat. Lots of options to be comfortable on a long ride.I did 600 miles one day.A little soar but i am 62.

 

The cruise is great gives your wrist a break. Seat is comfortable for me 6ft 185lbs.Now the one fly in the ointment....The one two shift and the two one shift.In city traffic its a pain. When its cold smooth as butter. After 10 miles clunk de clunk.When you rev match 2 to 1 its good.In city traffic thats not always possible. I have tried different oils and shifting methods with minimal success. Upper gears are fine.Hearing stories of 2014 still clunking. Not impressed.So there you have it.I would reccomend the bike. If your doing alot of city riding shifting could be an issue.Out on the hwy for a long ride its a real pleasure. Reliability is still an issue but so far.....

 

Not for me.

 

 

I CAME TO THIS POST BEFORE BUYING A 2010 RT.IT HELPED ME DECIDE WITH ALL THE GREAT INFO HERE.THANK YOU.I WILL GIVE YOU MY THOUGHTS ON OWNERSHIP FOR THE 15 MONTHS 11KMS.I PURCHASED THE BIKE WITH 47KMS ON IT.EVERY OPTION BUT RADIO.AFTER READING HORROR STORIES OF FD FAILURES AND UNHAPPY CUSTOMERS. I WAS A BIT GUN SHY.I WENT AHEAD ANYWAYS BECAUSE THE BIKE HAD EVERYTING I WANTED.CRUISE,WIND PROTECTION,HEATED SEATS AND COMFORABLE FOR TWO UP.AFTER 11KMS I HAVE HAD 0 PROBLEMS SAME WITH PREVIOUS OWNER.UPON PURCHASE I CHANGED FD OIL TRANS OIL MOTOR OIL.AJUSTED VALVES AND NEW PLUGS.THE BIKE IS VERY EASY TO WORK ON.REMOVING TUPPER WEAR IS A BIT OF A PAIN.I DRILLED A HALF INCH PIPE TAP HOLE IN PLASTIC COVER WHERE TRANS FLUID IS ADDED. THEN INSTALLED A BLACK PLASTIC CAP TO COVER HOLE.NOW THE ONLY TIME I NEED TO REMOVE THE TUPPER WARE IS TO REPLACE THE AIR FILTER.COMPLETE FLUID CHANGES IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.NOW RIDING.....THE MOTOR IS GREAT VERY LITTLE VIBRATION LOTS OF TORQUE.YOU CAN PULL AWAY IN SECOUND WITH VERY LITTLE COMPLAINT.FUEL MAPPING IS GOOD A LITTLE SURGE AT TIMES BUT MOSTLY GOOD.BRAKES ARE FANTASTIC WITH GREAT FEEL AND CONTROL.CLUTCH HAS GREAT FEEL TOO.

I HAVE NEVER STALLED THE BIKE.YOU DO GET A CLUNK CLUNK IF YOU FAST HAMMER CLUTCH LEVER IN AND OUT.NO NEED FOR THAT THOUGH.THE ESA SUSPENSION IS A WONDERFUL OPTION.I HAVE NEVER FELT THE BIKE WALLOW EVEN LOADED WITH TWO UP.AJUST THE ESA FOR YOUR SITUATION ALL IS GOOD.RUNNING A CURVY ROAD IS FUN. NOT MULTISTRADA FUN BUT YOU CAN HUSSLE HER DOWN THE ROAD.PUSH ON THE BAR AND SHE TURNS AND FEELS LIGHT FOR ITS GURTH.ROLE THE THROTTLE ON OUT OF A CORNER SHIFT UP BRAKE FOR THE NEXT CORNER LOVE IT.THE ELECTRIC WIND SCREEN MAKES RIDING IN DIFFERENT TEMPATURES A BREEZE.TO MUCH WIND BRING IT UP AND YOUR IN THE POCKET. TO HOT DROP HER DOWN FOR AIR.TO COLD TURN ON THE HEAT.LOTS OF OPTIONS TO BE COMFORTABLE ON A LONG RIDE.I DID 600 MILES ONE DAY.A LITTLE SOAR BUT I AM 62.THE CRUISE IS GREAT GIVES YOUR WRIST A BREAK.SEAT IS COMFORTABLE FOR ME 6FT 185LBS.NOW THE ONE FLY IN THE OINTMENT....THE ONE TWO SHIFT AND THE TWO ONE SHIFT.IN CITY TRAFFIC ITS A PAIN.WHEN ITS COLD SMOOTH AS BUTTER. AFTER 10 MILES CLUNK DE CLUNK.WHEN YOU REV MATCH 2 TO 1 ITS GOOD.IN CITY TRAFFIC THATS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE.I HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT OILS AND SHIFTING METHODS WITH MINIMAL SUCCESS.UPPER GEARS ARE FINE.HEARING STORIES OF 2014 STILL CLUNKING. NOT IMPRESSED.SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.I WOULD RECCOMEND THE BIKE.IF YOUR DOING ALOT OF CITY RIDING SHIFTING COULD BE AN ISSUE.OUT ON THE HWY FOR A LONG RIDE ITS A REAL PLEASURE.RELIABILITY IS STILL AN ISSUE BUT SO FAR..... NOT FOR ME.IAN

 

Hi Ian,

 

I hope you don't mind, but your post contained interesting information but was almost unreadable in all caps. I converted it and added some paragraph breaks to make it easier to read.

 

Here is a link to the conversion website: Link

 

Ed

BMWST Moderator[/color]

[cris nitro]

Wow, that is difficult to read.

[Ian McDermid]

Thank you.

[Ian McDermid]

Sorry. I did not mean to send it that way.I was writing it down in point form. I apologise.

[lkraus]

Thanks, Ed. I generally just skip the all-caps posts - too hard to sort out.

 

Ian, I find that most of the clunks go away if I reduce/eliminate the time between pulling the clutch and moving the gear lever. At slow speeds in traffic there is a tendency to shift slowly, too. I think the gears slow quickly once the clutch is pulled, so they slam together instead of merging smoothly. If I apply light pressure on the gear lever just before pulling the clutch the gears change before they slow down. The shift is usually so smooth I need to check the dash indicator to be sure I completed the shift.

[Ian McDermid]

Thanks Larry.

I have been working on that. Sometimes it works sometimes not. I get that super smooth shift once and a while. Then wonder? What did I do. I will keep working on it. Also. I have put 7000 miles on the bike. Thanks. IAN

[greiffster]

Ian,

 

Thanks for the review and perspective. Let us know if you get the clunky shifting worked out.

 

I've never stalled mine either...

 

[cris nitro]

No problem, I could tell you were not "yelling" but it hurt my head to read. I like the idea of drilling and capping a hole for the trans fill bolt. I am going to look into it.

Good luck with your bike.

[Ian McDermid]

Yes a stupid way to write. I agree. Your Lab in the picture. Same as mine. Lived till 15.5 years. Had to put her down a month ago. Still hurting. Amazing dogs. She was called the best dog in the world by everyone who new her. Family dog. Hunting dog. Loyal dog. She did all in Spades.

RT is shifting much better using Larry's method. Pull shifter all the way to the top also. Thanks IAN

[blackyam]

The one two shift and the two one shift.In city traffic its a pain. When its cold smooth as butter. After 10 miles clunk de clunk. Upper gears are fine.

 

That's my experience, too (on my 2010 R12RT). I've always thought it to be odd, since I expect the bike to run more smoothly after warming up instead of before. I'm working on preloading the shifter (both up and down), and that seems to help some, but not perfectly always (probably because I don't do it perfectly always).

 

---John.

[Ian McDermid]

Yes. It seems to be the nature of the beast. There are some threads about thicker transmission oil. I will try that too. I went for a long ride to purposely work on smoother shifting. Downshifts rev match. Like driving pre syncro sports cars. When you can't in city traffic. I drop it into neutral from 2nd double clutch role to a stop. Snick into first. No clunk. Up shift. One to Two is the toughest. I pre load and make a quick shift around 4k rpm. Larry's method and pull shifter up firmly as far as it will go. Ninety percent of the time it works. I'm lucky the rest of the gears are smooth.IAN

[6speedTi]

It's the nature of the beast. Use what is recommended in the owners manual. Many have tried to do make every change just short of redesigning the mechanics of the bike.

[Richard Prince]

The 2013 I own had that problem recently after a service. The techs fill the clutch fluid (mineral) from the bottom. I checked the manual and it said the fill line is marked on the side of the reservoir. Mine was filled to the top. It may have prevented the clutch slave from returning fluid. I drained an appropriate amount for a fill line as indicated in the manual. The problem of 1-n-2 and 2-n-1 seems to have disappeared.

[Ian McDermid]

Thanks for every ones input into the one two shifting issue. I can happily report that the problem is 99 % solved. This is what I have done to alleviate the problem. I changed transmission fluid to red line shockproof. I adjusted the shift lever to a low setting. This allows the shifter lever to be easily preloaded under my boot. With a firm positive pull up as far as shifter will go. I shift and hear nothing. Shifting at 4000 rpm seems to be the magic spot.( first to second)Down shifts I rev match. No problem. If you can't rev match do to a quick stop. Drop from 2nd to neutral coast to a stop then double clutch into to first. No clunk. I also removed some clutch fluid to max line. It was overfilled. Hope this helps anyone having the same issues. Thanks to all. I now completely enjoy riding the 1200 rt.IAN