BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

hi Folks, I've had my 2012 model RT for about a year and now removing the front wheel to fit a new front tire. So far I've gotten to the stage where I use the "Marc Parmes" special tool (22 mm hex) to unscrew the axle. However, the axle is not unscrewing as easily as I expected. I have rem...

Fwiw - my advice would be don't try to keep them in mint condition. Doing that may well involve removing some of the overpaint protection thereby exposing fresh and less well protected paintwork to further damage and each time you really put the elbow grease into it the deterioration rate will prob...

I have factory alloy wheels on my RT. They appear to be a light grey painted finish. I've been cleaning the wheels starting with slightly soapy water which removed dust and grime. Then I used a rag lightly dampened with some turpentine to easily remove tar spots. Then things got more difficult. I st...

My 07 has the same suspension setting as yours. Over large bumps, it can feel like the front is bottoming out but it's not. On the center stand my rear wheel is off the ground by 1.5 inches. I believe David's is the same. Getting a bike on the center stand is all down to the person's strength, weig...

The front shock absorber on my 2012 Camhead has a (white) spring free length of 141 mm. When my 2012 Camhead is on the centre stand, the rear (brand new) tyre is 38 mm (1.5 inch) off the floor. David, Thank you for this feedback. This is very useful to me. When I have the fairings off to do the tap...

David. wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 6:34 am Unlike the GS, the RT front shock absorber doesn't have a pre-load adjustment motor, only damping adjustment at the bottom.

Do you think it's possible somebody has fitted mine with a shorter, or weaker, spring?

The Haynes manual table also confirms that, on an RT, there is no preload adjustment on the front shock absorber, just damping. Thanks David, Could you please give me the page number in the Haynes manual so I can read about that. I read through Page 4-19 and did not come to the same conclusion, but...

As the bike is fitted with ESA, what is the payload (inc. rider) on the bike, what is the suspension preload set at and is it working. The "Comfort", "Normal" & "Sport" settings are damping, which I wouldn't expect to influence he suspension travel. You are correct...

truckie wrote: ↑Sun Apr 02, 2023 11:15 pm Just bought a 2010 R1200RT with 27,000klms on bike, the last BMW I had was a1980 R100RS so its a learning curve for me

You will love this bike. If you service it yourself, there are quite a few special tools you will need. Even removing the front wheel or the spark plugs requires a special tool.

Hi Not sure on the 2012 but on the 16 and the 23 if you have the suspension on dynamic then the damping is very stiff so it may feel like its bottoming out The back wheel on both has been about about 1 inch or so off the ground not measured it particularly but at the moment I have a piece of 22mm b...

Hi Folks, I am fairly new to the forum and have had my 2012 R1200RT for about a month. I've done about 800 miles, and I have a suspicion the bike's suspension may have been lowered. First sign of this was that I have to keep it on the "Sport" setting or the front bottoms out on any substan...

Doctor T wrote: ↑Mon Apr 03, 2023 4:16 pm I got it down to 20 minutes to remove both sides. Once you know where the screws are it's a simple job

What do you suggest is the best tool for this? I was thinking a screwdriver with magnetic tip, so I don't drop screws in awkward places.

I found a couple of very good youtube videos on this after a lot of searching. First you have to remove (a) the seat, (b) the tank bag holder, & (c) the glove box lid. Secondly you remove the panel I have outlined in red in my photo below. Lastly you remove the panels outlined in my photo in gre...

A warm welcome to the site. Please tell us more about yourself Thanks Doc, I am in my sixties, been riding bikes since I was ten. Been riding Harleys recently but thought the BMW seating position might be more comfortable. I have completed studies in mechanical engineering at university and spent m...

hi Folks, With reference to my attached photo, is it possible to remove just the fairing panel I have annotated in the yellow lines? Or do I have to remove other parts first, to access the screws before I can remove this piece?