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Telelever ?
- Thread starter EUGENE
- Start date
kbasa
Well-known member
They've had telelever since 1994. Lately, it's just on GSs and RTs, if I understand correctly. My 2019 1250GS has it and is why I bought that bike vs. an RS.
blender
Just another rider
My 2010 R1200R had the telelever. My 2023 R1250GS has the telelever. Why do you think BMW stopped using it?
cajunrider
Member
A lot of people don't like the telelever... especially those that like sport bikes. The telelever tends to have a vague feel to it, hiding a lot of the "road feel" of a conventional fork.
In the end, it turns into a love it or hate it situation. Apparently BMW has decided that more people hate it than love it so it's going away on machines that are set up for performance instead of comfort.
Personally, I'm in the love it camp... especially the lack of dive under hard braking.
In the end, it turns into a love it or hate it situation. Apparently BMW has decided that more people hate it than love it so it's going away on machines that are set up for performance instead of comfort.
Personally, I'm in the love it camp... especially the lack of dive under hard braking.
I'm also on the love side. Never been a fan of a lot of plastic on a motorcycle. I do want some wind protection. Therefore, I use handlebar shields. These often cause high speed handling problems on bikes with conventional forks. My 2004 R1150R with telelever feels like on rails at any speed.
r
Companies that attempt to occupy the “premium” segment of any business must differentiate their products somehow. I suspect BMW introduced and continues to offer the telelever primarily for that reason.
In the 80’s and early 90’s, anti-dive front suspension was a common feature on many motorcycles, and BMW’s telelever is very effective in that regard. I’m not sure but believe most other companies have abandoned their various anti dive solutions on modern bikes, and at any rate haven’t seen that feature advertised lately.
To me, the telelever imparts a feeling not unlike that of somewhat low front tire pressure, or maybe loose spokes. I think it’s because the telelever has less torsional stiffness compared to other front suspension designs. BMW claims the duolever on some of their other offerings has greater torsional strength for better road surface feedback, and the flex plate upper triple clamp on the new 1300 GS might be another way of improving that parameter on the telelever.
In the 80’s and early 90’s, anti-dive front suspension was a common feature on many motorcycles, and BMW’s telelever is very effective in that regard. I’m not sure but believe most other companies have abandoned their various anti dive solutions on modern bikes, and at any rate haven’t seen that feature advertised lately.
To me, the telelever imparts a feeling not unlike that of somewhat low front tire pressure, or maybe loose spokes. I think it’s because the telelever has less torsional stiffness compared to other front suspension designs. BMW claims the duolever on some of their other offerings has greater torsional strength for better road surface feedback, and the flex plate upper triple clamp on the new 1300 GS might be another way of improving that parameter on the telelever.
I've had Telelever, Duolever and now conventional USD forks. The USD forks simply work better.
But OldCamper makes a valid point regarding premium motorcycles.
One's opinion may differ than mine.
kbasa
Well-known member
Waitaminnit. We have the same last name. I'm 65 and have met only one other person with our last name that I wasn't directly related to.
Nice to meet you!
Sorry for the diversion. Carry on. Telelever is awesome.
52184
GTRider
USD forks work so well for a number of reasons (unsprung weight reduction, etc) but certainly one of this reasons is that USDs from the get-go had larger diameter downtubes that cured a lot of flex found in earlier, more willowy forks. That’s a good thing, tho Erv Kanemoto and others discovered back in the 70s/80s that it was possible to make a chassis and fork so stiff that they induced their own handling issues. The Telelever is also stiffer than most of the forks that preceded it, which may be what some interpret as a loss of “feel”. But my observation is that the OEM shock on most of the Telelever bikes was a bigger factor, and that these bikes really transform with the change to a quality aftermarket shock.
The Duolever on my K1300GT is, IMHO, the only fork BMW has produced that is worse than those of the 81-84 Airheads (R80G/S excepted). Even a top-notch aftermarket shock hasn’t fixed the harshness and poor feedback from that front end.
But, as you so clearly pointed out, one’s opinion may differ from mine.
Best,
DeVern
MCMXCIVRS
More toys than space
The Duolever on my K1300GT is, IMHO, the only fork BMW has produced that is worse than those of the 81-84 Airheads (R80G/S excepted). Even a top-notch aftermarket shock hasn’t fixed the harshness and poor feedback from that front end.
But, as you so clearly pointed out, one’s opinion may differ from mine.
I had a K1200GT with the same Duolever front set up. I will say it did exactly what they claimed it would do which was to isolate suspension and braking action from the steering. The problem was it did it so well it left the rider with no feedback from the front tire which left me feeling like it was very vague when cornering. This was actually worse because it ended up feeling loose and uncertain. I could corner far more confidently on my old R1100RS with the first Telelever and my new RT with the latest variation of Telelever.
rbourey
#58375
Right. It never went away, but as the anti-dive technology can help some riders at low speed or in the dirt (RT-P, GS), the sport bikes and sport tourer continue to use traditional forks to allow better performance at speed - feedback - as noted above - and the physics that makes it easier to lean into a turn as the front end kneels down with heavy breaking....
RPGR90s
Member
So what is so different about the R1300 GS front end from the past models?
Do you really not know that a R1150R and the new GS both have a Telelever system?
So what is so different about the R1300 GS front end from the past models?
The telelever lower ball joint moves in an arc as the front suspension compresses, so the top suspension tube mount has to allow for slight angular movement.
The new 1300 GS apparently (and someone please correct me if I am wrong) has a “flex plate” at that junction, which might stiffen that connection a bit and improve feedback. This is entirely speculation on my part, BTW. I have not ridden or even seen the new bike yet.
Yes I know my 2004 R1150R had telelevel. I do pay attendance to the R----R models. Not to much to other models.
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