new R1200R feels a bit sluggish.... the heat?

[K1600_gtl]

So I don't know if it's just me getting used to the bike, or if there is something else going on, but my bike just doesn't feel as springy as it did when I brought it home in June... of course back then here in OR we had temps in the 60's still and now it's in the 90's.. Today it was just about too hot to ride, but I was out and I felt the bike just didn't have that same get up and go... it made the same amount of noise, but didn't launch as well...

is this just a classic case of density altitude effect on the engine? or am I just getting use to the power maybe?

on a side note, I read on another forum (R1200Rforum) that the dealer is offering a re-map of the ECU on these newer engines... can this be true or is this guy maybe getting an after market programing done at his dealer?

 

[dwestly]

Wife now has 3k+ miles on her 2012 R1200R and no issues. We have a lot of heat here, and very humid as well, but of course not altitude issues. Keep us posted!

 

[hexkopf]

Well from a scientific aspect (i am not a scientist) cold air is more dense than warm air, contains more oxygen and gives an internal combustion engine more power. This is why performance cars have cold air intakes and turbo intercoolers.

I notice a definite difference in the morning on my R12R, like today when it was 68 versus when I am driving home and it is in the 90's. I am not saying this is the reason, but if your bike is only a few months old, it is not likely a mechanical issue IMHO.

 

[K1600_gtl]

Wife now has 3k+ miles on her 2012 R1200R and no issues. We have a lot of heat here, and very humid as well, but of course not altitude issues. Keep us posted!

I probably shouldn't have used the (Aviation term) Density Altitude which refers to both height and temp and it's effect on oxygen content for engine performance... ALL engiens are affected by this.

I wonder how much the temp has changed from when your wife first bought the bike until now? I know from my time spent in Florida there are two temps... Hot and VERY Hot... Humidity is ALWAYS on. Here in Portland, when I got the bike it was cool, if not cold in the mornings, and not it's very HOT...

 

[pauls1150]

All of the above possibilities, plus:

Maybe it wasn't set up "perfectly" at the factory or at the dealer? Might need its first tuneup, and a fault codes check, a little early...

 

[K1600_gtl]

All of the above possibilities, plus:

Maybe it wasn't set up "perfectly" at the factory or at the dealer? Might need its first tuneup, and a fault codes check, a little early...

hmm... at 1500 miles? that would be odd.. And it DID feel faster at first (to my mind).

I just did a 600 mile service and there was no codes or any problems detected.

(BTW, huge BOC fan here.... I can tell you a few interesting stories about that another time)...

 

[pauls1150]

'Twould be odd; perhaps crap in the gas (add some Sea Foam and/or Techron), low pressure at the fuel pump, or the valves are set too tightly... I've always been a very strong proponent of "set 'em a little loose."

Feel free to PM me w/ any BOC stuff! (Note that there was an interesting discussion about this - see http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=47015&highlight=Oyster)

 

[K1600_gtl]

went and rode the demo bike at the dealer.... felt just as "slugish" ... I guess my honey moon with the new bike is over! The spirit of the Honda Shadow Sprit has left and I'm fully adjusted to the R1200 boxer power!

false alarm folks, back to your regularly schedule programing.

 

[05Train]

The heat hurts. The air's less dense, and there's a heat-based timing correction table in the ECM.

I added an IICE Air last week, which seems to help. It fools the ECM into thinking the intake air is 20* cooler in order to richen the mixture. Seems to make the bike a bit more punchy.

 

[tinytrains]

If it is really hot, the knock sensors may retard the timing a bit to prevent detonation. This will reduce power a bit. That combined with hot intake air could produce a slight drop in power.

 

[ind1mrg]

Does a 2004 GSA have a knock sensor?

 

[tinytrains]

Does a 2004 GSA have a knock sensor?

Don't know about a 2004 GSA. The aforementioned R1200R does.

 

[jforgo]

Doesn't the ethanol get really unhappy in the heat?

 

[K1600_gtl]

Doesn't the ethanol get really unhappy in the heat?

yeah, all the gas stations near me including my favorite Chevron are 10% ethanol... is that pretty much what most of you are dealing with or are some states still 100% gasoline?

 

[GKman]

There are only two throttle positions a rider can knowingly replicate, fully closed and fully open. Given two motorcycles in a side by side test, one running up to snuff, one "sluggish". Test gets progressively more demanding of performance. Rider on the slower bike can maintain equal performance simply by twisting in more throttle until he's running at WOT (wide open throttle). What is it that you are doing on a 110 HP motorcycle where you notice a difference?

 

[K1600_gtl]

There are only two throttle positions a rider can knowingly replicate, fully closed and fully open. Given two motorcycles in a side by side test, one running up to snuff, one "sluggish". Test gets progressively more demanding of performance. Rider on the slower bike can maintain equal performance simply by twisting in more throttle until he's running at WOT (wide open throttle). What is it that you are doing on a 110 HP motorcycle where you notice a difference?

For me it was the feel of acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear and between 1-5k RPM.

 

[lmo1131]

Rider on the slower bike can maintain equal performance simply by twisting in more throttle until he's running at WOT (wide open throttle).

Is that like WFO?