Wife's new CS, shifting???

[jstrube]

OK, new to the CS, she took it out & came back with a litany of complaints. Mainly about the shifter, but also about the turn signals.
On the shifter, we ended up measuring all of the bikes. The CS has an angle downward of 19 degrees, my Suzuki, which she liked, 16 degrees, my RT, 6 degrees...

Can I adjust this thing up a bit? She is having problems getting her boot under it. Me, I adapted, but I have many more miles under my belt & don't think about it...

The signals, well, her hands are smaller than mine & if she has her hand rotated to clutch, can't quite reach the signal, hey, at least I didn't have to teach her 3 button... I think the previous owner rotated the controls back a bit, as he was an old moto-crosser & liked them that way.

Any problems with me rotating them forward a bit? My German hands are OK on them, but she has smaller hands... (like my grandfather always said, "Son, never marry a woman with big hands...")

Also heard about it being clunkier than the Suzuki. Seems like it is standard though, clunking into first...

I told her we needed to get more miles on her & that I would work to adjusting some stuff as best I can. SHe does like it though, just nervous as a new rider.

 

[PAULBACH]

It is a superior machine and the belt drive is an innovation before its time. I owned one of these machines and loved it.

About clunky shifting. The solution is preloading the shifting pedal. Apply gentle pressure to the pedal before shift. There should be sufficient pressure to take all the play out of the pedal but not enough to force a shift without clutch.

The pedal can be bent to accommodate a different angle. I'm not sure HOW to do it but have seen an adjustment like this made on several bikes.

Bottom line - CS is a superb ride. The electrical system is not robust so get a battery tender and plug it in after each ride.

 

[akbeemer]

Since you are not being overwhelmed with advice I'll give it a shot. First, the best source of info on the BMW 650 thumpers is a site called the Chain Gang (f650.com) These bikes have a strong following and just about every question you can think of is answered on the site or can be answered by the people who frequent the site. Although your bike is a belt drive it has much in common with the chain driven models; and, there is a sub-forum over there called the Black Belt Gang (http://f650.com/phpbb3/viewforum.php?f=14&sid=22dab83a0984b7374789b9d2edc2a8f3) that specifically addresses the CS.

My wife has a F650GS and I adjusted the shifter on it. There is a spline extending from the transmission that the shift lever slides on and is then held in place by a clamp and nut. The nut must be loosened to remove the shifter and then you can rotate it to suit your desires. The nut can be a pain to get to, but use a flexible 1/4 inch socket extension and you'll be okay. Not sure if the CS has the same arrangement.

Good luck.... f650.com is the source.

 

[jstrube]

Thanks guys,

I've seen F650.com & there is a lot of info there, but it is kind of odd to read for me. It is not as organized as the tech here. Seems like it is added together by many hands, no one way to read it. The more I get into it, the more I learn, but need to join & download the manual.

I think I'm going to try to rotate that shifter. The brake lever, I need to take off & try to bend back straight, wither that or pay $95 for a new one.