BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Mine is the fully loaded 2016 model and I love it, I had the quick shift (up ONLY) on my K1300s 09 and freaking loved it. I like the up and down option on my R1200RT and have no issues what so ever with it, you always have the clutch option too if you like...

DBLXX wrote: This might explain it more clearly.


The gear shift pro is both software and hardware. Essentially it is computer controlled but must make changes within the gearbox and clutch to work.  [/font][/size]On the up shift pressure on the gear pedal disengages the clutch and momentarily closes power to allow a gear change. [/font][/size]

The problem is the handbook is a translation from German to English done by Germans.  What we read into it might not and is most likely not how it first read . Not quite sure there is a German word that would translate into preload.

Looks like we'll have to agree to disagree. We're reading the same things and understanding different things.
Every gearlever on every bike has free movement and this means that on a conventional gearbox taking up the slack and "pre-loading" does nothing of itself, but means that when the throttle is momentarily eased a quick upchange will be achieved without having to use the clutch. Many riders have been doing this for years.
Trying to do the same on a bike with shift assistant pro will immediately result in an upchange, i.e. it is not possible to pre-load the gearlever. I've done both, so I think I know the difference, but if anyone cares to disagree that's fine.
Still no word from the OP ..... ;D

these words are no where to be found in my R1200RT user manual
You MUST preload the shift
What the heck is overtravel (per user manual) I assume that means to push the lever down or lift it up all the way when changing gears.

I shift the bike as I feel like doing so with no pre loading or any thinking about it what so ever, I just shift it up or down using the RPM and speed to determine which way I shift.  I don't think you can hurt the bike if you use the shift assist at the right RPM and speed

Am I wrong?

It seems to me that the original poster has been mixing up Gearrshift pro and Honda's DCT gearboxes, hence the question about using the clutch at a standstill. Like many others here I have a lot of experience with boxers and the pre-loading seems to work well on all of them. What people need to understand is that by whatever method, the gearbox loading needs to be released momentarily in order for the shift to go through smoothly. As proof of this put the bike on the centre stand and change gear by hand, you may need to move the rear wheel slightly to release any load. Now, once it's in gear, rotate the wheel until firm resistance is felt and hold that position, (Probably better with assistance),now try to change gear. You should find a lot more resistance. When using the clutch, preloading the lever, i.e. just taking up the slack prepares the mechanism to make the change, thus shortening the time taken for the actual change. Get this right and the change will be like a hot knife through butter, get it wrong and the gearbox will make it's displeasure known! I have found that the same technique seems to help with gearshift pro and with some experimentation have found the following. As with others I find it best used in the top half of the gearbox, up and down. What I have also found is that on the way up as the change is being made, just the merest hint of slackening the pressure on the throttle momentarily helps with the smoothness of the change. Equally, on the way downchange the merest hint of pressure on the throttle, like gently taking up the slack on a cable WITHOUT opening the throttle at all and at a lower road speed than usual gives a smooth change. Get it wrong and again the gearbox will tell you! All that said I use the clutch for probably 95% plus of changes and I get a higher ratio of smooth to poor changes. The time saving with gearshift pro is really worthless on the road. What I still have problems with is the clunk on engaging first at a standstill!

I can't say I have ever had a problem with the quick shifter on my 2017MY bike, and that's without preloading it. I also can't believe that the bike needs time to 'get ready' for changing gear. Given that the whole process is measured in milliseconds, and given that software response is going to be virtually instantaneous, I can't see why it would be necessary. Of course that's just my opinion - I have no more idea what actually goes on inside the gearbox than most of the rest of you.

I thought that Proshift was there so you didn't need to do all the difficult bits to do clutchless changes like get the revs right, preload etc.  Maybe BMW built it to make life more difficult.  That what it's starting to sound like here. And if it's only bring used 5% of the time it's a total waste of money.

RTman10 wrote: I thought that Proshift was there so you didn't need to do all the difficult bits to do clutchless changes like get the revs right, preload etc.  Maybe BMW built it to make life more difficult.  That what it's starting to sound like here. And if it's only bring used 5% of the time it's a total waste of money.

I must be lucky, I use it a lot and find no issues shifting up or down. Its a lot easier than doing the equivalent on a bike without, but hey ho.

No you're not.  People can't believe it's as easy as open throttle, change up, close throttle, change down.  Period.


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Casbar wrote:
I must be lucky, I use it a lot and find no issues shifting up or down. Its a lot easier than doing the equivalent on a bike without, but hey ho.

My '16 MY17 bike is very smooth both up & down the box, 2 - 6. Complete contrast to the '14. Which was still quite clunky & really only useful 3rd - 6th. It's only clutch for me starting off & dropping into 1st.

As another argument in favor of the necessity of pre-loading, I have noted in the past that if the revs go too low (usually when shifting from 3rd to 2nd) and I don't pre-load the bike will shift without the Shift Pro help. It's a loud clunk with NO throttle blip. However, if I pre-load for a half second then even if the revs are very low the throttle will blip and the downshift occurs smoothly.


I have not tried to deliberately upshift or downshift without a pre-load and I will agree that the manual's wording is somewhat vague. My impression (interpretation) when reading was that a short pre-load signaled to the bike to electrically sync the tranny and then apply the firm quick 'snick' into the new gear.


I will note that I have the greatest success (read: smoothness) when I do this completely based on feel and not an anticipated quantification of the 'proper' revolutions. Yes, my suggestions in my original post are those revs based on an average of just where said shifting occurs the best but, again, this is by feel.


Pretty much like with every bike I've ever owned. Once you get used to the bike's idiosyncrasies and you just go by feel, the riding experience gets infinitely better. At least that's the way it's always been for me. YMMV.

I don't know what 'pre-loading' means.  If the lever is pulled up to its fullest extent and then held there until the change is complete (opposite for going down of course) then all is well.  The key to a smooth upchange seems to be picking the revs just right.  4000-5000 seems best on mine.

Good grief Pre Loading is making my head hurt thinking about it, it must take people for ever to shift gears that pre load first, the bike knows you are going to shift as soon as you start to shift up or down by that little tiny itty bitty sensor space on the gear shift lever, its like a slack space and connected to a wire... Am I right or wrong ???  :-\