BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Hello,new to forum.2016 R1200RT,3500 miles,premium package.For 2500 miles I get a pinging??Knock??Preignition??sound from 1000-4000 RPM.1st and 2nd gear mostly,but reproducable any time below 4000rpm.If roll on is slow no ping.Normal roll on[for me]sounds like a rattle can till 4000.Slip clutch[like dirt bike]to 4000 no ping.Top tier gas.tried different stations.BMW gas treatment.At the dealer 3 times[tech told me to turn up the radio]blaming California gas quality.Now ESA warning light is on.turn the R12Rt into a rough rider.Root cause?Anyone else have this experience?Pinging? Thx

Take it back to the dealer.  Demand a replacement vehicle from BMW untilall the problems are fixed.  And they don't ping.  Would suggest you must be a very tolerant type to put up with it for 2500 miles.

There's quite a bit on the net about a 'pinking' sound on acceleration.  I've tried 95 and 97 ron fuel and its still there, but from the frequency of comments, the sound (and I'm only talking about the pinking sound rather than anything else that might be more serious) is common.  Interestingly enough, in the mid naughties BMW used to recommend higher octane fuel as I remember, but it was a different engine to the current 1200.

RTman10 wrote: And they don't ping.

I think you'll find it's quite common, mine does as does my colleagues at work and others online say theirs do so there must be something going on with them.

On my 7th RT. Never had one that pings or knocks'. Obviously not common in Derbyshire.

10,000 miles on my 2014 now and I've never noticed this...

Nobby wrote: Interestingly enough, in the mid naughties BMW used to recommend higher octane fuel as I remember, but it was a different engine to the current 1200.

Even later as BMW recommended 98RON for the 2010 RT which was my last RT 

Recommended fuel grade
Premium plus unleaded
98 ROZ/RON
91 AKI
------------------------------
Premium unleaded (fuel
grade, usable with slight
power- and consumption-
related restrictions)
95 ROZ/RON
89 AKI

Pinging I thought was caused by too weak a mixture. I'm sure this is a result of emission regulations. I wonder if bikes sold in California are mapped differently. Would be interesting to dyno the bike and see whats happening.

Levisp wrote: Pinging I thought was caused by too weak a mixture. I'm sure this is a result of emission regulations. I wonder if bikes sold in California are mapped differently. Would be interesting to dyno the bike and see whats happening.

Maybe the use the Volkswagen chip in California 

Havnfun61 where in California are you located? We have a great dealer in long beach who should be able to sort out your problems quickly and under warrenty. Questions? Brand and grade of gas your using, fueling up I always try to use chevron premium, recommended by many
ESA fault should not be caused by engine pinging
If your anywhere near Orange County I have a GS911 tool, we could run a scan
Keep us posted on outcome
Jim

Could it be because the bike is operated at too-low of engine RPM all the time in taller gears; as a result, the engine carbon deposits form and that leads to fuel pre-ignition caused by the deposited carbon? So, my question would be how is the RT rider riding low-RPM or 3.5K- or above RPM as typical street riding?

Thanks everyone.Using Chevron 91.Tried shell 91 also.I keep it above 4K rpm while riding but going from stop up thru 2nd and into 3rd have to go thru the low rpm range unless I slip the clutch.It appears that a few others here are having the same ping so that makes me feel a little better.I thought about using a dyno and perhaps putting a power commander on it to try to remove the low rpm lean fuel mixture but only if that was the cause.The dealer in my area says its common but wanted a bit of a survey.We shall see

Hi, slightly off topic response as I'm not sure if this noise is normal....... I have not heard any pinging or knocking on my 2016 LC but I believe you are labouring the engine if you open the throttle below 4000. Maybe I have not heard the pinging because my engine hardly spends any length of time below 4000, only sometime I keep it around 3000 when at constant 30 mph in town but never accelerate hard from less than 4000. The sweet range of the boxer is 4000 for cruising and 5000-7000 when you are having fun in the twisties. I have tried to accelerate from 2500/3000 a couple of times as I was in the wrong gear and the engine rattles and vibrates horrendously so I make sure that does not happen any more. All the guys I spoke to in the BMW dealerships told me to keep the boxer engine in that range for best performance and longevity.

havnfun61 wrote: I keep it above 4K rpm while riding but going from stop up thru 2nd and into 3rd have to go thru the low rpm range unless I slip the clutch.

Try shifting later......If the engine drops back to less than 4000 then you are shifting too early.


Also, I assume you have the quick shift if you have the premium package; when you accelerate hard try to use it also between 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd, the gear change is a bit harsh but it does not damage the engine or gearbox, just make sure you pull up the lever decisively, not gently or halfway.

If you have Grearshift Pro the dash will tell you when to change up.  And it's a lot less than at 4000rpm in all gears.