New Lady rider with questions

[new2mer1200c]

Hello
Female here
Just purchased first bike. Learning to ride.
2002 BMW R1200C

A couple questions.

Is there someplace that I can purchase new round BMW emblems that go on the gas tank?

The clutch doesn't engage until its 90 percent through its travel....is this normal? No slippage. Just doesnt bite until clutch is almost fully released.

The 2 red ABS lights blink in sequence one then the other continuously when bike is started and running. What's the problem? What can I do to fix it?

Where can I get a set of engine guards for this model that do not cost 500 dollars?

Any advice for a lady learning to ride?

Thank you in advance

Susan
South Carolina

 

[dennisdarrow]

Welcome Susan.……...NOT having your model of bike I will not comment about the particulars to that; but the clutch sounds fine. It should have 2 to 5 mm of play at the end of the lever movement. Dont worry about it. If it isn't slipping then get used to that with your finger movement there at the end of the lever. Actually try moving your fingers out in the air. Make a "C" with your left hand. It's as if you are holding your bar with your fingers on the clutch lever. Now move just the last knuckle on your index, middle, and ring finger in and out 90 degrees. That is the movement that your hand makes and the amount that the clutch lever should move. The engage/disengage of the clutch itself should be in the middle of that 90 degree movement...…………………

NOW...….Get on some back roads/ U hiways and RIDE that wonderful machine you have...…..God bless.....Dennis

 

[lee]

Welcome to the site Susan.
You can buy the BMW Roundells from a dealer or ebay.

It's normal for the ABS light to flash after you start the bike. They should shut off after you start riding.

 

[Inst]

It might have something to do with the R1200C's dry clutch. Unlike some of the motorcycles you may have ridden in your MSF course, the R1200C has a dry clutch, meaning riding with the clutch partially engaged will damage the clutch due to lack of lubrication.

 

[shortythorne]

Hello
Female here
Just purchased first bike. Learning to ride.
2002 BMW R1200C

A couple questions.








Any advice for a lady learning to ride?

Thank you in advance

Susan
South Carolina

Susan,

Welcome! I can't give you any advice concerning your particular model, but I would highly recommend (if you haven't already) taking a MSF riding course first & most importantly.

 

[6322]

Hello Susan and welcome. Regarding your ABS lights flashing, if they're flashing on and off together and go off when you start moving, that's normal. If they are flashing alternating and continue to flash after you start moving, that's not. It indicates a fault with your ABS system. It could be a low battery or the system needs maintenance. A dealer can reset the ABS or diagnose the problem. As part of annual maintenance it's good to chane your brake fluid along with other fluids, and keep your battery charged with a floating charger (not the same as a trickle charger).

Advice to a new rider, have you taken a beginning riders course? Not sure what's available in your area but that's a good place to start. A simple thing is ride your own ride. Travel at your pace, as fast as you're comfortable and stop when you need a break. Also riding gear, there's a saying All the Gear All the Time (ATGATT). I'm not a total fan of this but I try to follow it as much as conditions allow. Helmet, boots, gloves, and jacket, and usually riding pants. Different gear for hot, cold and wet weather. Get a good helmet. Don't go cheap. Spend it, your head's worth it.

Regarding cylinder guards, you just have to do a search for accessories for your specific bike, model and year. You may find used or have to buy new. Five hundred seems like a lot but I haven't purchased any lately.

Anyway, good luck have a great summer and ride easy,
gp

 

[pauls1150]

Welcome, Susan,

Dennis' description is pretty good; I don't know if the "C" typically hooks up near the end of the lever travel, but on my oilheads, hookup has usually occurred at about 75-80% of the way out.

Is there a little wheel on top of the clutch lever, just outboard of the pivot point? That is the only available adjustment for the clutch, and its effect is pretty small but it may help. (Older cable-actuated clutches had an adjustment at both ends of the cable, oh well...)
Also, check the level of hydraulic fluid in the clutch master cylinder (look thru the little window with the handlebars straight ahead). It should be right in the middle of the window; it's ok to top it off if it's low (read the top cover on the master cylinder to see what type of fluid it requires, and do NOT deviate from this), but if it actually looks "too high", that's a sign that the clutch is worn (opposite of what one may intuitively believe and not true for many other vehicles).

Let us know if the ABS lights don't turn themselves off after rolling several feet (20-ish?) - there is a table of codes of Der Blinkin Lights that help troubleshooting.
As Gary inferred, the most common problem is a low battery - the ABS system pulls a lot of current and the bike's charging system is marginal; a quality trickle charger is a good investment (and use it when the bike is parked). If the battery is old enough that it won't hold a charge, be advised that even a "Brand New" battery should be "trickled" at least overnight before being put into service (after installation is ok if you have hookups on the bike) - you don't know how long it was sitting on the dealer's shelf or how they charged it.

The "basic" Motorcycle Safety Foundation course is a reasonable place to start, but their goal is not "teaching you how to ride"; search the web for your local chapter of Women On Wheels; look around for friends or neighbors who ride (and won't mind "newbie" questions). You may encounter a disadvantage if having your significant other or any relative teach you how to ride: they will be emotionally invested and cannot remain objective.
https://www.womenonwheels.org/?chapters_posts_type=north-carolina-chapters
http://www.womenridersnow.com/pages/National_and_Regional_Riding_Clubs.aspx

Don't look at the controls; learn the muscle memory to know where they are. Some say "look where you want to go"; I say Point With Your Chin - this helps keep your head up and your eyes on the bigger picture.

Paul S

 

[happy wanderer]

Hi Susan and welcome to the MOA forum. Others have covered your questions fairly well but I wanted to let you know there is a supplier whose primary business is fork braces but he also sells some extremely nice Roundels at a very reasonable price. I purchased a few for my R100RS last year and they are really nice.

These are not the cheap alumunum and adhesive backed roundels you can find at any dealer. They are cloisonné enamel hand made roundels much like the ones BMW used to put on /2 bikes back in the day. The supplier goes by the name "Toaster Tan" but his name is Stephen I believe. You can check out the roundels on his site near the bottom of this page:
http://toastertan.com/38-5mm-fork-tubes/

 

[new2mer1200c]

Wow!! Thanks for all the replies and advice. I really appreciate it. One more question I forgot. Where can I get the paint code for the bike? Is it part of the VIN number?
Or is there a certain place on the bike where I can find the paint code.
Thank you.

I am really enjoying this site so far

 

[20774]

Susan -

Welcome! Is the bike a Montauk? I'm not that familiar with the limited run of the R1200C. But go to here:

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select?product=M&archive=0

and choose your bike/year. Actually, you could try entering the last 7 digits of your VIN at the top. Then go to the Body Parts section and look around at the info provided for the painted parts. Good chance you can find it there.

Also, in the past, BMW put a sticker on top of the rear fender that was visible when the seat was removed. Usually the paint codes are there.

 

[sterob]

Wow!! Thanks for all the replies and advice. I really appreciate it. One more question I forgot. Where can I get the paint code for the bike? Is it part of the VIN number?
Or is there a certain place on the bike where I can find the paint code.
Thank you.

I am really enjoying this site so far

I'm pretty sure there will be a little sticker on top of the rear guard with the paint code on it. 3 digits.

 

[m_stock10506]

Susan - if you go to any BMW parts fiche (either Realoem or the parts catalog on any dealer web site) and look in the Vehicle Trim (section 51, painted parts) section for your model/year bike, you will see each of the colors that were offered for that model bike. If you select the color name that applies for your bike, the listing of the individual parts will also include the paint. This will have the paint code for that color and it will have the color code which is the code for the combination of paint and decals and pin stripes - if it has stripes.

For example: 51_3926 - PAINTED PARTS 759 PEACH
51 91 7 651 328 PEARLCOLOR PAINT PEACH - 250ML 388

Peach paint code is 388 for the paint.
Color code is 759. If you have a sticker on the rear fender, it would say 759.

No paints are available from BMW anymore (all marked NA), but at least the data is there. You should be able to use the paint code to order it elsewhere.

 

[kthflieger]

.....and Susan don't forget - if you come to the rally in Des Moines, you can find all the accessories you ever wanted under one roof and go home with your platinum card smokin! Not to mention there will be some great rider training offered with MOAF support.
Ride Safe

 

[new2mer1200c]

I really want to thank everyone for responding. This forum/board really has a nice feel to it. Thank you. I am just learning to ride. Dropped the bike the very first time.....but since then have been doing pretty good. Still learning that dang clutch. The travel is a long way until it finally wants to engage at about 90 percent of total travel. But I am working on it. I am starting to enjoy it a little more. I cant take time off work right now...but in Sept I will be taking a Motorcycle safety class or some sort of instructional class. I see that Harley Davidson has one. I dont see any others in my area (Georgetown SC) Is there something specific I should be looking for or a class that you all feel would be better then the Harley Davidson instructional class? I will be practicing on my BMW until then, so hopefully I will have a good start on the basics and the mechanics by then.

Again, thank you all for being so ready to help and being friendly.

 

[new2mer1200c]

 

[new2mer1200c]

 

[mikegalbicka]

Nice looking ride. My sister just started riding and I got her a copy of this book which she is enjoying. Perhaps you would find it helpful.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1620082098/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[PGlaves]

I'm so glad you see the value in getting training to be a safe rider.

How about a scholarship? https://www.bmwmoa.org/page/paulb

Voni
sMiling

The purpose of the Paul B. Scholarship is to award grants to individuals in the motorcycle riding community to assist them in pursuing rider education and training opportunities. The Foundation will award grants of up to $250 for MOA members, or up to $100 for non-members (neither amount to exceed the actual cost of the training), towards the cost of participation in an approved training course. A committee comprised of 3 Foundation Board members will review all requests submitted and exercise broad discretion in approving training proposals.

Individuals interested in receiving a scholarship should complete the submission form below or download the pdf version and submit via email to paulb@bmwmoaf.org. Requests must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the registration deadline for the training course selected and should contain a description of the training including the training provider, cost, location, and dates of the training. In no case will grants be approved for scholarship requests submitted after a training or rider education program has been completed. You can expect to be contacted by the Foundation within 10 days of submitting your scholarship request. Grants are limited to individuals and one grant per applicant annually.

 

[pauls1150]

Great bike, and now you don't have to worry about getting it "initiated"!

Did you get the ABS lights sorted out?

 

[new2mer1200c]

No have not gotten the ABS lights sorted out yet.....They continually flash....one then the other all the time. Once I have been riding for a bit.....they will both stay on together brightly lit. But then after 10 min or so they will go back to flashing one then the other. I am hoping its the battery because that seems to be the easiest to fix.....yes I know its under the tank. If its not that I guess I might have to take it to the dealer or somewhere they know BMWs well and pay handsome price to have it sorted out. What do you folks think about the Shorai Lithium batteries...you know the ones that weigh only 2 lbs or so. Yes I know they cost 200 bucks...but weight is important to me as a new rider. Plus these batteries have more juice then the stock ones. My bike has moto lights down on the forks with 50w LEDs. I know they dont use a lot of power....but could that be whats running my battery down? If it is at all the battery?