2008 Bmw R1200

[Jacqualine Henington]

Ive currently got an '96 R1100 and an ST1300. I am thinking about moving to a GS style bike. Last month I rented a 2010 R1200GS and enjoyed that bike a lot. The handling, performance and ride are exceptional, but...

There are a couple of characteristics of the engine that I was a little disapointed in. One is the walking speed engine performance in stop and creep traffic. I found that I could not idle along in first gear in traffic. The bike tends to buck and jerk. My friend with an older R1200RT complains of the same problem. You have slip the clutch in and out and keep the revs up a bit to avoid what my friend calls, the 'bucking bronco' effect.

The second problem that I noticed is that you get a solid clank out of the clutch or drive mechanism when you are on/off the clutch at idle/walking speed. This is also quite annoying and again, my friend with R1200RT says his does the same.

The third problem was a pronounced vibration at about 4500 RPM or 75-80 MPH. My perception is that my R1100 is actually a bit smoother and I was expecting this to be the other way around. I mentioned the vibration to the fellow I rented from (small company) he was a little insulted, saying that the TB sync is done every 8000 miles and that the bike is tuned as good as it can be. I don't have any cause to doubt him, because his bikes were impecable and he was very knowledgeable about BMWs.

3) Here's where I noticed the biggest difference; the 1200 is MUCH smoother than the 1100. A tb sync is not the only thing that can produce bad vibrations; it may have been injectors out of balance (one side clogged, the other not), bad valve clearances, or bad tires.

Funny what you say about the R1200GS. 3 months ago I demoed a 2011 R1200GSA for a day. I rode my 96 R1100rt to the dealer and had them do a computer scan just to check for codes since it is NTM. I loved the GSA in many ways and would love one someday, BUT, that said I had many of the same issues with the new 1200 motor.

But the mid RPM buzz was terrible. I could not believe how much more smooth my 1100 motor is thru the mid rpm. I am not sure if it is the different exhaust note or something with the volumn of the muffler or if it is IN the motor, but i was very displeased with that buzz or vibration it had.

In my opinion, every BMW i have ridden has had way too tall of a first gear, so the surging clunky feel at low speeds is common. I wish my Rt had a 6 speed trans...not for a longer top gear, but for a lower 1st gear and slightly tighter gaps to the same top gear.

I really loved the motor at speed. The responsiveness and power were there, right where you want them, in the twisties. The guy I rode with was surprised that he had some trouble keeping up on his RT and I was riding two-up. The GS just handles beautifully and rides great.

The slow-speed stuff is significant if you are actually want to take the bike off road a bit and pick your way across some challenging terrain. I agree that my impression was also that first gear seemed too tall.

I have an '07 RT Hexhead and a '10 GS Camhead. You are right about the Camhead vibes at/above 4500. The Camhead is much more vibey than the Hexhead at higher RPM's. I'm not real happy with it either, kinda wondering if I shudda gotten that '09 GS they had such a great incentive on....

I meant to mention in my last post that you may wanna demo ride a GSA as a comparison. I am not sure about the 2010/2011 models, but I know on earlier GS/GSA models the GSA models had a lower final drive ratio than the GS model. That will help a bit with the slow speed trail rideability.

I don't find the vibration bad on the R1200RT engine. I have the 2010 model (camhead). The boxer engine has high amplitude, low frequency type of vibration. IMO that is much better than a buzzy engine vibration.

Don't get me wrong - the BMW R1200 engines do not compare to something like the Honda ST1300 V4 engines. Where I notice more vibration on my RT is at speeds of 90MPH or more when I compare it to the ST1300. But I seldom ride at those speeds.

I should have added in my prior post that the boxer engined bikes do have a vibration when you push the engine. This can happen when you are accelerating, heading into a major headwind, climbing, etc.

I also wonder if the tires on your bike were balanced. I had a new tire mounted by a local motorcycle dealer (not BMW) and my bike ran bad at highway speeds. I thought it was normal since I had just gotten the bike but when my mechanic noticed the tire was mounted backwards he remounted the tire. He also told me that it was not balanced. After that the bike rode smooth up to about 85mph.

On the R1200GSA I rode it was NOT tires for sure. When you pulled the clutch at speeds and let the rpms drop it stopped even if you were still coasting fast. It was pure engine buzz, and my 1100RT does not have that.

You know what would be helpful - variable valve timing. My concours has that, and holy crap it has low end torque. It will idle in second in gear without lugging the engine, and go up a hill in first. The only motorcycle I've ever owned that I haven't stalled, even once.

When I got my first hexhead boxer (r1200st) I, too, noticed what seemed to be excessive vibration starting right at 4500rpm. Not as bad as Harley vtwin vibration at the end of it's rev range, but noticeably harsher than earlier in the boxer's range. I was told by some old hands to ride it like I stole it and as the engine broke in over the next 12,000 miles it would smooth out considerably. I did and it did. I do not believe this was just me getting used to it.

As to slow speed performance, the engine and drive train are not comfortable with continuous loading and unloading typical of slow speed moving. There is a certain drive line lash (the clunk) that gets a bit rough if the engine doesn't have some resistance (either from a hill or the clutch). The overall power delivery more than makes up for the somewhat temperamental idling characteristics, IMHO.

But in comparison to an inline or V4 there will be lower frequency but more pronounced vibration, especially on a newer or not broke in engine. For most of the crazy boxer fans this lower-pitched mechanical rumble is part of the boxer mystique. For the uninitiated it might just be annoying. I know that I personally find the higher frequency 'buzziness' of the 4's to numb my hands and the highpitched whine irritating. YMMV.

But it doesn't sound like the oddness in the drivetrain and engine is anything that odd to me. Certainly nothing that some high speed flogging wouldn't correct in a short few thousand miles anyhow. These are industrial strength tractor engines and have some of that feel.

This is exactly what I notice on my '10 also, but its a stronger vibe than my 07. If cruising on level ground at "neutral throttle", my '10 GS is just as smooth as my 07 RT. But pushing it as stated above causes the extra vibes to really kick in. Maybe its because the Camhead's torque is spread more evenly over the entire RPM range instead of waiting for 6K to give that big torque "hit" like my 07 does...

Can't speak to vibration levels between hex vs. camheads, but all of these motors smooth out considerably as they run in. Your R1100 is as good as it is going to get......New ones improve, for at least the first 15/25k.

While the basic flat boxer twin is an inherently primary balanced engine it does have some basic issues. The pistons (completely) stop the start together twice per revolution. The larger the pistons the more moving mass that needs to stop and start each time. The mass stopping and starting is bad enough but to make it even worse the mass is not directly opposed it is staggered as the connecting rods need to be on separate crank journals as they move in & out opposed .

In fact I have done some work in that area on my current 09 hexhead RT by changing the tuning mass on the outer bar ends and going to a 3 bolt somewhat isolated handlebar attachment similar to the camhead. It definitely helps the bar grip buzz but I still have some in the foot pegs and seat.

The problem is in riders like me (and seemingly for you). I work with this stuff for a living (automobiles and light trucks) so am very tuned into engine and chassis disturbance, even a little bothers me to no end and once I tune in it is right there every time. That is why I put some effort into calming my bar grips a bit (also takes the blur out of my bar mounted mirrors).

Thanks, D.R. for your detailed response. All of the above pretty much confirm that the vibration that I experienced is inherent in the design. By the way, the rental bike that I was riding had about 22k miles on it.

Vibration is subjective and comparitive. On the same trip, I was riding a friend's F800ST. The bike seems smoother than the 1200GS, but after an hour's run on the Interstate, I noticed tingling and numbness in my clutch hand when we stopped, that I had not noticed while riding. The other factor is that I had some weight on my hands on the ST vs a more upright riding position on the GS.

I did not get to ride my friend's 1200RT on the recent trip, but we were stuck in stop-and-creep traffic together, and I am spoiled by the ST1300's ability to literally idle in first gear at walking speeds without lurching. Of course, the trade-off is weight - that bike weighs 700 lbs. The search for the 'perfect' bike continues...

Actually on my 2010 GSA I can let the clutch out in first gear, not apply throttle and she will idle along at walking speed with no further input from throttle.I have the enduro transmission. My bike now has 11,000 miles on it and I continue to marvel at how smooth the shifting is across the board.

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