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So: just bought one and have some Q's

R

robert.bantly

Guest
Bought a 2012 S1000RR - BMW racing paint & the dealer is doing very well on price so far...

All: my other rides are listed in the signature. Why did I buy it? ONE TEST RIDE on a 2010. Ay Carumba what a sweet handling 1000 it is.

My TL being a twin has way more beef from idle up to 6K, but who cares? The RR is Smooth, sweet, and easy easy easy to roll throttle - brake without those annoying rear wheel hiccups the TL does unless your rolloff/brake is absolutely perfecto (has a stock "semi-slipper" clutch). I am expecting stunning trackdays and will likely get a day or 2 of CSS when I'm out there on a job.

So: am 185lb / 6' and was wondering if there are some good 'starter' suspension settings out there. Looking for good starts for sag/preload and starter damping settings. Also, does anyone lower the front end a mm or two, or is stock just as I experienced it, perfect???

I know mine will end up different and am going to have the dealer set the preloads for proper sag and compression with me on it, but wanted some advice FWIW. My son is dying with jealousy :drink
 
Rr

Hi Robert.

I bought mine two weeks ago, and am just loving it. It's easy to ride - fast or slow. And pretty comfy, other than on bumpy roads.

I am going to get my bike tuned by a suspension guy in town next week. My settings won't do you much good as I am 80 lbs heavier than you. I will ask though, if you want.

I think it's really cool when your son has bike envy. My two nephews do as well. :):)
 
Ask Leon Haslam...

WSBK12-Leon-Haslam-570x379.jpg
 
Bumpy Roads

Most of my backroads are lumpy and bumpy here in KY, and thus I have been carefully breaking in the ride, and discovered the following:

1.) It is sprung HARD for local conditions! Am currently running the preload on the forks all of the way out (as delivered), and one turn CCW (360) off of the rear shock. Dropped all 3 compression damping settings to 3 from the stock setting of 4. On the local backroads, I may need to take the damping down even further, rebound included. (And yes, these roads are GS heaven)

2.) No track use yet, but it works great on smooth pavement and I expect it to truly excel in this department.

3.) As usual, throttle control is the most important suspension adjustment - keeping the weight balanced out by being on it correctly helps lots in reducing tooth rattle. It does seem the rear shock is the star performer, agree with the vid. Got the touch of rear preload out last Sunday and had to go on the road, gotta pay for this "hobby" somehow; looking forward to another ride and busting out some break-in miles!

I'll have to play with it lots more before even thinking of a revalve/respring on the front, and/or adjusting front end ride height / fork level in top triple clamp. The ideal situation here would be being able to dial from street - track with an existing setup via adjustment only.

Power delivery and handling under brisk acceleration (at present I can't access much of that) is utterly wonderful as is the overall handling. It also feels the rr is designed to handle with a lot of the weight on the rear and LOTS of acceleration :)

Funny thing is I am within 2 lbs of the manual spec, but I also expect that BMW has set this up to convey a wide variety of rider weights, and likely the 187lbs quoted in the manual is more likely closer to the lower limit.
 
RR Settings

I took my bike into a local tuner to setup the sag. I weigh 280, so my numbers won't work for you folks. He set up the sag to give me 15 mm of movement.

The form and shock settings he suggested, with sag adjusted were 6 - track or smooth road and 5 - normal roads. With the revised sag calibration, 4 becomes quite soft, loose even and OK on bumpy roads. I plan to leave it on 5 for all but track work.

Love the bike!!!
 
Since the UL/UK basketball game is today; am taking rr out for some heckraising. The streets should be empty since everyone in KentuckY is in front of the tube :D
 
Ride Pic

As I was leaving...got those tires polished out a bit more today! Yes, it's a great ride and the rather expensive BMW S1000rr tank bag works great, and according to instructions, the metal piece the bag mounts to can be used as a camera mount. The tank bag is a win, even has a clear gps/smartphone pocket in the top. Some of their stuff is really expensive w/o any advantage, but this works. One piece leathers just have poor stowage solutions.

Need to get shorter bolts to fill where the passenger pegs bolt on, and get rid of that license plate toenail holder on the back - any suggestions as to brand? Would prefer a simple boltup and not the metal and plastic cutting required for my TL.

One the ride, went great, got a little too big for my britches at times but training held. Also rounded a hard right hander, very luckily tucked in at the right edge as a giant red dodge cram piloted by the ghost of N*sshole Earnhardt cut the corner and used app. 7/8 of the road. Blind corner, too. Too bad there wasn't a semi a few miles back of me for him to play chicken with.

Also noticed that this motorcycle goes through some gasoline :bottle !!

P1030319.jpg
 
Pics

Your bike looks great, Robert. Helmet is both patriotic and matches your bike. Cool.

I will post my bike picture shortly - as soon as we get some sun!!!

BTW, Robert, the key to not getting bad gas mileage is to use a higher gear. But we both know that won't happen!! I have only been in 2 or 3 gear in a month. Too much fun. I actually asked my dealer for a 50% refund based on the fact I am only using half of the gears on the machine.

It is truly a joy to ride.
 
Robert, her mpg will improve as she gets loosened up...expect 40+ in mixed riding.
Finding neutral gets easier after a few 1000 miles as well(if you've noticed an issue).
At 220lbs fully geared, I run all the setting up front on 7 and the back on 6. But I rode her dead-stock (5) for 3000 miles before adjusting anything. I suggest you ride her at the 5 setting for a while....get a solid base-line before making changes. At 185, you are exactly what BMW used for the rider weight, putting the ideal setting for street use at 5.
I will be getting her dialed in by a suspension guy @ my next track day, but my "seat of the pants" settings work well for my style/weight....
I bought the tidy tail from Graves Motorsports...cheap, no cutting...easily installed.
Also, find a cheap set of race hooks for the passenger peg bolt issue...I bought the Kyle Racing ones....
And get the LSL Sliders....they are worth their weight in gold! (from personal experience!)
Congrats or the bike, yer gonna love her.:thumb
 
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R&G Tail Tidy

Got one of these; good Q except that I wouldd'a preferred a harness with it; it's only 6 wires. Great except for having to cut them, splice, heatshrink, etc. Too bad the BMW plugs don't disassemble easily...

I'll look at the Sliders; was eyeballing the Schnitzel's but they are pricey!
 
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