Quick Question

Hi All,

I have a new 1200gs that I bought last December, but have just been able to start riding this past weekend (I was out of town for a while). The bike is great and I love riding it, but I did have a little issue.

After riding for an hour or so, the bike seemed to shift a bit on the hard, and noisy side...more so than when I first started riding. Also, when I slowed down to idling speeds, riding through parking lots and stuff, the bike seemed to be very jerky and super sensitive to throttle inputs. It gave me the impression that maybe a brake was dragging, or that the clutch was grabbing a bit. It was quite frustrating. I stopped for a little while, got back on the bike and it seemed pretty smooth again (as it was when i started) and I rode home for the night. I gave it a quick look when i got home, but nothing more than that. I have mostly been thinking about it.

I have been riding for a few years, albeit on a inline four honda, so I expected the mechanics of the GS to be a little different. Is this a normal break-in situation or does it seem a little extreame? I think I'm going to check the gearbox fluid level when i get home first, but after that I'm not sure and will probably call the dealer.

Any idea's or tips?

Thanks all

Mike

I just traded in my 2004 VFR for a 2007 1200GS (I had honda hurricane before the VFR)... I noticed the same thing about the bike being generally much "rougher" both at slow speeds and during shifting. Maybe its just a characteristic of the bike? I'll keep an eye on this thread to see what others say.

Ah, new guys. Welcome aboard!

As far as the "jerkiness" goes, remember that you have two 600cc pistons moving back and forth. If you roll off the throttle sharply, you'll get plenty of engine braking. With a decent amount of torque available, you'll feel the same on acceleration. Riding a big boxer motor is a bit like flying a helicopter - small increments will net you a much smoother ride. If you follow a skilled rider on a boxer, you'll note that you rarely see a brake light. You can readily control the bike by just rolling on and off the throttle.

As far as gearboxes go, boxer motors like to be revved. I think the torque peak on the R1200 is up around 5 or 6K, so don't be afraid to wind it up. They shift much better up there. You may also be experiencing a fairly tight, new gearbox as well.

With a boxer, like any big twin, smoothness is all in your right hand.

Ya, I know it's a new bike and barely broken in; plus coming off of my inline four makes a big difference. The jerkiness is when putting around at very slow speeds in traffic (less than 15). I'm sure a lot of it is that it's new and I have to get used to it, I just wasn't crazy about the smooth to jerky change.

As for reving it, I'm glad to see that I can give it the gas. With my honda (red line at 9000) I liked to change gears around the 5k mark. I found myself riding the gs that way and backing off, noty knowing if it was needed for this bike. Engine braking at speed is great on this, and as you pointed out, I pretty much only needed the brake to come to a stop, not while cruising along.

michaelrm69 said:

Also, when I slowed down to idling speeds, riding through parking lots and stuff, the bike seemed to be very jerky and super sensitive to throttle inputs.

Click to expand...

Your bike is "surging." They all do that!

*ducks*

Seriously, once the bike is broken in and tuned up (have you had the 600 mile service done yet?) it will be a completely different ride. Agree with poster who said that boxers like to rev. Keep it above 3.5k rpm, and you'll discover a different bike under there.

Thanks for the info...I'm glad to hear that this isn't out of the ordinary.