BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

So....my new 2016 came with it. I got the bike in Nov and it still sits in the garage with 3 miles on it.


I asked for a bike with a key and no shift assist but to get the $4,800 off the price I needed to take what they had which was SA and keyless.


I came off a 2015 K1600 GTL.


Can someone explain shift assist to me. I'm a biker - so I get it but do you use it?  When?  All the time?  Do you use it up and down? Is it an easy learn in regard to when it works best and when not?  From my reading it works better/best in very specific situations.


I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about it. How you use or don't use it. Opinions and thoughts. Smooth or rough....anything and everything.


Thanks fellas.

I'll go first. I use it a lot, but generally use the clutch from 1st to 2nd up and down. Its a bit rough if you use it from 1st. Its just a clutch less shift. Going up the box, just keep accelerating and away you go. Going down close the throttle and the engine will blip after each change. Its something that you think you wouldn't use but you do. enjoy

I am still getting used to mine and I do tend to forget to use it sometimes. I only use it from third going up and only down to third.

It was not an option I particularly wanted, but now wouldn't be without it. Very smooth fast changes from 3 upwards and back down to.3  I use clutch for 1 and 2.

Agree with all the above.  You will be told you need to be using lots of revs go chsnge up smoothly.  Rubbish.  As long as the engine is pulling it works.  Going down  no throttle at all.  Don't bother with 1st or 2nd 

It might just be that my bike is new, but I am finding the gear change much heavier/harder when using assist than with the clutch. As a result I find it too tiring and annoying to use around town. It's great on the motorway though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't use it around town, just on the open road. Around town, normally travelling pretty slowly 1st and 2nd.

As others have said, as long as the engine is pulling it works and going down the box with the throttle firmly shut too.  I don't bother using it between 1st and 2nd as I can (normally:-)) do a better job!  Peter

There is a world of difference between my new RT & the '14 reg one.
The '14 was clunky both up & down the box with the quick shift. 1 to 2 always used clutch, 2 to 3 sometimes clutch. From there on, up & down it was quicker but with a noticeable  lurch.
The new RT is a smooth as silk up & down the box, even 1 to 2 works. I first noticed the difference when the '14 bike was in for some work & I was lent a '16 GS. That was a smooth quick shift too!
I use the quick shift all the time, s'pose I'm getting lazy in my old age!  :pee:

An auto RT Mr. BMW?

I've only done a few hundred miles on my 2017 MY.
I always use the clutch between 1st & 2nd and usually between 2nd & 3rd, but clutchless is best above 3rd.
Changing clutchless below 3rd might be ok on the 2017 MY, but I had test rides on an iconic (2106MY) and it was dreadful in the low gears so I haven't tried it on my own bike.
Try it, I think you'll like it !

smileymiley wrote: There is a world of difference between my new RT & the '14 reg one.
The '14 was clunky both up & down the box with the quick shift. 1 to 2 always used clutch, 2 to 3 sometimes clutch. From there on, up & down it was quicker but with a noticeable  lurch.
The new RT is a smooth as silk up & down the box, even 1 to 2 works. I first noticed the difference when the '14 bike was in for some work & I was lent a '16 GS. That was a smooth quick shift too!
I use the quick shift all the time, s'pose I'm getting lazy in my old age!  :pee:

An auto RT Mr. BMW?

Interesting, my 14 model year bike is not clunky on the pro shift up or down. Don't use it for 1st or 2nd. Had a loaner GS a few weeks back and found no difference with that gear shift than my own. The 16 RT loaner I had 6 months ago also wasn't any different. You guys with a 17 must be in heaven, must try one. Bike is in for service in Feb will ask for a RT loaner to try then.

I have a 2017RT and found the quick shift to be a bit of a challenge,  though I am getting used to it.  Would not consider 1-2-1 at all ever.  As someone who rarely used the clutch for up shifts, remembering not to relax the throttle slightly during the shift takes some getting used to. Up shifts on a steady throttle work well as long as you don't snatch the change,  down shits with no throttle I have found easier to master.  Its a helpful tool, I don't think I would use it much in traffic but on the open road then OK  but as I used to change up without clutch anyway .....

Use it if you like  but don't feel you have too.  The bike works just as well with the clutch.  Just get out and enjoy

14 bike.  Smoooth between all gears except 1-2-1.  If it's rough on the upshift it's getting too much throttle but not enough revs.

DBLXX wrote: Can someone explain shift assist to me. I'm a biker - so I get it but do you use it?  When?  All the time?  Do you use it up and down? Is it an easy learn in regard to when it works best and when not?  From my reading it works better/best in very specific situations.

I got it - in addition to not having much of a choice - for a pretty specific application, and for that it has been perfect and totally worth it:  the 3-2 down shift, while braking.  Most of my riding is throwing the RT around the back roads of TN, NC and VA as hard as I can, so those are the relevant gears.  I guess if you lived in a parallel universe where the turns were all scaled up in radius, this would apply to any particular downshift, because it's always smooth going down (throttle completely closed).  Going into a lot of turns, I don't need to brake, and I can rev match just fine.  But I totally suck at rev matching while braking.  With the shift assist, one tap on the lever and everything is perfect.  A lot of people seem to dislike it when going down to 1st, but mine works fine in that application as well (don't do that a lot; just detailing the capabilities).


Since I don't drag race, I find no need for it on upshifts.  Mine never seems that smooth, and I'm sufficiently fast, and it's sufficiently effortless.  Whatever technique, or learning curve, there might be on the upshifts just didn't seem worth it to me to pursue.


When I tour, or I'm on an open (i.e., relatively straight) road, I need cruise control, not shift assist.

My 2016 only has around 300 miles on it.  I didn't think SA would be necessary.  But it came with my bike.  I've come to like it a lot.  I still occasionally use my clutch (old habits).  Once I found the sweet spot for revs and shifting, it is nice and smooth.  I do shift from 1 to 2 and back down.