Four weeks in: Observations, comparisons, questions and photos - and a request

[Methos1979]

A solid month in and just a week from my long review. I was going to update that post but since after the first page it deteriorated into three more pages of squabbling I figured I just start a new thread. And therein lies my request: If you feel the need to debate an opinion, start your own thread. Don't do it on mine.


With that out of the way, time to update for those that care or follow!


The bike continues to just THRILL, I guess is the only real word for it. Both the wife and I cannot remember a bike that we have loved nearly every aspect of, from performance to comfort to features. Now that I've figured out how to proper sit on this stallion, I feel like I can ride it all day. No small feat for this guy. I haven't had a bike since my '95 Gold Wing that has not needed a new aftermarket seat but this stock seat set up just works for both of us. Love not having to dump several hundred dollars here and there in an attempt to find a comfortable seat!


I continue to really test out the best possible speeds and revs for shifting using the Gear Pro. Getting there. I get the best results when I pay no attention to the tach or speedo and just go by feel. From 3rd gear on upshifting with the throttle under load with the revs over 3.5k seem to give very smooth and nearly imperceptible shifts. Conversely, downshifting seems to work best with the engine under reverse load (engine breaking) with the revs drop down below 3. Shift down below third gear in either direction is more tricky. Sometimes I get the smooth click, sometimes more clunk and sometimes (on downshifting) a chirp. I'm inclined to just manually shift into 3rd (as many here do) and then go up and down with the Gear Pro from there on.


As for comparisons, the Harley was better at highway speeds in cutting wind. I'm sure that extra 300 pounds was the most helpful but the fairing seemed to be better as well. The RT's fairing seems to push the front of bike down at high speeds with wind. With the Harley it just kind of cut through the wind. The RT seems to be fighting its way through it. I have noticed that the 'squirrely' feel at highway speeds with gusting winds is not as bad as that first time I felt. The only difference between then and now is the swapping out of the windshield so not sure if that has something to do with it. But other than that the RT beats the Harley at everything. Oh wait, the Harley did do one other thing better - self canceling directionals. Really, BMW? I would have thought that would be automatic on a high-end bike in this day and age!


For the first time I played with the Ride Mode button. Drove my wife crazy. I can see where the Rain mode would be helpful in, well, the rain. But since we almost never ride in the rain I don't see using it unless we get caught off guard and find ourselves out in the rain. Between Normal and Dynamic I found I really like Dynamic. I was worried that the throttle might be a little TOO sensitive but it was fine. I do overide the Hard mode though back to Normal as I find I prefer it over Soft and Hard. How about all of you that have this feature? Do you prefer Normal or Dynamic? Do you tend to shift between the two? How about suspension? Do you just go with whatever it defaults to or do you mix it up like me?


We rode all weekend and for much longer times than we normally would have, especially considering the mini-heat wave we've been having with temps in the mid-90's and up, along with awful humidity. We would not have even bothered on the Harley as the heat from the engine would have been a one-two punch that would have killed off any fun. But what often started out as a 'short ride' in the high temps often ended up being much longer rides because the RT throws no heat.


Got few nice photos of a pre-work ride earlier today down around Great Bay. Had fun exploring a bunch of side roads around the Bay that I had never bothered to check out before. Mostly I just saw some really examples of disgusting wealth in the form of huge homes of people that make WAY too much money! The taxes on those homes I'm sure are more than what my wife and I make combined!! Nice problem to have, I guess. But I wouldn't even want a house that big - although I wouldn't mind some of those views!!

[guest2360]

Of course it has self cancelling indicators.  They just don't cancel when you are at a standstill or travelling very slowly. it's standard on all.

[Casbar]

I leave mine in Dynamic all the time. As for self cancelling directionals, if you read your hand book you will find they do caner after ether a certain distance or so many seconds. I believe you can gt the dealer to set this time (not certain). I like the feature better than the Harley system, in Europe where we have things call roundabouts, on the Harley the indicators kept cancelling at the wrong time, so I much prefer the BMW system and get into the habit of cancelling them yourself.

[richardbd]

Between Normal and Dynamic I found I really like Dynamic. I was worried that the throttle might be a little TOO sensitive but it was fine. I do overide the Hard mode though back to Normal as I find I prefer it over Soft and Hard. How about all of you that have this feature? Do you prefer Normal or Dynamic? Do you tend to shift between the two? How about suspension? Do you just go with whatever it defaults to or do you mix it up like me?

Like you, I tend to favour Dynamic but with Normal suspension for "spirited" riding.  I also tend to increase the pre-load one setting beyond the actual load - So I set it for full luggage if the panniers are empty, two people if the panniers are full etc.


I like the sensation of more load on the front - I find it sharpens the handling a little.

[Sprintgull]

Like you, I tend to favour Dynamic but with Normal suspension for "spirited" riding. I also tend to increase the pre-load one setting beyond the actual load - So I set it for full luggage if the panniers are empty, two people if the panniers are full etc.
I like the sensation of more load on the front - I find it sharpens the handling a little.

Yep, I'll go with that.  Rode down to the westcountry and back yesterday and on the bits of road that were not clogged by beach-goers and shed-draggers I found that worked best for me too.  The running in service is being done tomorrow, then I can let a few more horses loose.  But so far, doing exactly what's said above works for me too.

[T6pilot]

My bike defiantly feels better in gusty winds with the werks windshield,plus the added benefit if staying much dryer in the rain
Rain mode has another benefit, twice now got stuck on washed out roads in Death Valley ca. First time bike was in dynamic, and I really thought I was going to dump it. Hit another section a few miles later and was smart enough to select rain mode before entering, all the difference in the world, both sections were 2-3 miles of PEA gravel, funny bike that handled it the best was a gold wing
Highway riding I find NORMAL setting the most comfortable, in the twisties the HARD setting feels best, note all riding has been 1 up.
When I got the bike shift assist and hill hold were just a sales tool
After 5000 miles they both get a big Up
This is also the first BMW I've had were I didn't change stock saddle out
Overall extremely happy with bike

[Methos1979]

I should have clarified on the self-cancelling directionals - I know that the BMW does self cancel... eventually! It just seems to take forever. I got quite used to the Harley which at some point added accelerometers that sense bike lean in combination with directional use and cancels them almost immediately upon the bike coming back up and accelerating. They do a very good job.


I also went out again today and really played around with the Gear Shift Pro. I generally find that shifting from 1 to 2 to 3 can be done fairly smoothly in much lower revs, down around 2k... usually. Not always though. Going in the other direction sometimes I get a nice shift, other times not so much. Again, I almost always do better when I'm just going by feel and not paying attention to the process.


Regardless, one thing is for sure: BMW is onto something with this and my hope is that it only gets better. I'd love to see a time (and I'm sure I will) where shifting will be super-smooth regardless of what gear you're in and we'll only need to use the clutch for standing still! At this rate I'm thinking I'm going to ride the living heck out of this bike for three years and I'm hoping that at that point there will be some cool upgrades and new color schemes and I'll trade up then.

[guest2360]

Forget Proshift for 1st and 2nd both up and down. 99% of us do.  But going down as long as the throttle is closed and you're not at some ridiculous revs it's always smooth.  For me anyway. 

[richardbd]

I'd love to see a time (and I'm sure I will) where shifting will be super-smooth regardless of what gear you're in and we'll only need to use the clutch for standing still!

That time is now - we just need to ride DCT Hondas!

[guest2360]

Did that not first appear in 2012.  Hasn't seemed to take the biking world by storm.

[richardbd]

Did that not first appear in 2012.  Hasn't seemed to take the biking world by storm.

Strange that...

[Methos1979]

Forget Proshift for 1st and 2nd both up and down. 99% of us do.  But going down as long as the throttle is closed and you're not at some ridiculous revs it's always smooth.  For me anyway.

Yes, I have noticed this as well and I think I'll be pretty much doing the same.


Another feature I meant to talk about and get feedback on is the hill holder brake. It works well (holds) but taking off is a bit on the scary side since it seems to really hold until you gas the heck out of it. Not a pleasant feeling at all. I remember some people saying they manually nick it off before taking off but doesn't that generally negate the need and/or use in the first place?


Fortunately, I rarely find myself in situations where I would need to use this feature anyway but on those rare occasions it would be nice to be more comfortable with it and have a better technique so if you've got a good one, chime in.

[guest2360]

The trick is to practice letting it off on the doenhill or level.

[Sprintgull]

.... or stall a couple of times.  I learned that way.  To be honest once you get the knack it does not need all that much more to make it move off fairly smoothly.

[Noel]

I should have clarified on the self-cancelling directionals - I know that the BMW does self cancel... eventually! It just seems to take forever.

I also went out again today and really played around with the Gear Shift Pro. I generally find that shifting from 1 to 2 to 3 can be done fairly smoothly in much lower revs, down around 2k... usually. Not always though. Going in the other direction sometimes I get a nice shift, other times not so much. Again, I almost always do better when I'm just going by feel and not paying attention to the process.

Here's a thought.  You know how people frequently will hit their turn signals immediately before turning and sometimes after they have initiated the turn?  Rather than ask the dealer to reset the time-base interval I simply hit the turn signal now much earlier which gives folks behind you and in front you more of an advanced warning of your impending turn, which isn't a bad idea IMO, especially w/ the smaller turn signal lights we have to work with.  In doing so, it self-cancels earlier after the turn, in fact just about right once you figure out hitting the signal earlier.  Just a thought.


I opted out of Gear Shift Pro.  After test riding a couple of new RT's I discovered the bike in the upper gears, certainly 4-5-6, is rapidly, easily and smoothly shifted w/o the clutch pull if desired w/o Gear Shift Pro.  Interesting to hear from the other comment that people will skip using it Gear Shift Pro from 1st to 2nd--by the time you're in 3rd you have ample range to accelerate hard anyway.  I know Gear Shift Pro offers something different in that there is no need to roll off at least on upshifts and so perhaps you can ultimately shift faster, but nothing in my riding habits demands that ever, and so the upcharge didn't seem worth it for me at the time I ordered a custom-configured '16 RT.