Newbie questions

[jfarrelly]

Hi everyone.
This is my first post.  Just bought a 2007 R1200RTP with 57K miles. Former cop bike. I have owned it a week now and put a few hundred miles on it, mostly in light traffic, no superhighways. I’m not a kid anymore, and I am just starting to get comfortable on it, but I’m still a ways from being as smooth as I’d like to be (or used to be). But that’s because I haven’t ridden any motorcycle in over 40 years. So, it’s like starting all over again.  In college I owned a small Honda, then a Suzuki, then for a brief time, I rode a Triumph Bonneville 650 (bored out to 750).  The Beemer is a handful for me but I love it so far. Going really SLOW with it – driving like a wimp until I get my smoothness and confidence back.
The bike came without an owner’s manual and the police version is different from the standard two-seat 2008 RT model for which I found a pdf file rider’s manual on the Internet. The two versions have almost everything in common (none of the optional goodies) but they are different enough that I have some questions. Figured I’d ask the experts. So please don’t mock/laugh at the simplicity of this newbie’s questions:
1)      There is only one seat on the police version. How do I open and get at the stuff under the seat? Where is the release? The 2008 manual says to use the key in back, but on my bike, that pops the lock on the TOP STORAGE BOX behind the seat, and doesn’t release/open the seat.
2)      How do I check the oil?
3)      Help me avoid some embarrassment. I must be doing something wrong with the turn signals while riding because I am somehow activating the hazard flashers instead of a left or right turn signal. Twice now, car drivers have rolled down their windows at a red light to tell me that my rear hazard flashers were blinking instead of a left turn indication. I can’t confirm that visually while riding in the day time. When I looked down at the annunciator panel, all I saw was a flashing left turn signal indication, not both indicators (that I would expect to see if hazard was activated).  The left turn panel indicator went out after I manually cancelled it after the turn. Is there some trick to this I don’t know about? The 2008 manual said something odd about the hazard lamps coming back on once you release the turn signal button? Can anyone clarify this for me?  :-[
4)      Here’s another one I’d like some confirmation on. I have surmised from riding it that when I downshift through the gears, the transmission bypasses neutral and the last downshift goes direct from 2nd to first with a good solid audible “thunk.“  That’s good. I like the feel and sound confirmation that I am not sitting in neutral at a red light and get that embarrassing high rev useless whine I used to get on my old rice burner sometimes when I tried to leave a stop light in neutral instead of first. (darn Suzukis!) Happily, it seems this bike won’t go into neutral unless it’s completely stopped.  And if I am stopped and pull it up into neutral at a light (which I might want to do at a really LONG light and if I need to take my left hand off the clutch for something), this bike won’t drop down into 1st unless I push with my feet a bit and get the bike rolling (1 mph). Is this a BMW feature or just a quirk of my particular bike? 
5)&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; I am sharing this one, even though I figured it out myself, but it might give you seasoned Beemer riders a chuckle. It was a hot day and my bike had been parked in the sun.&nbsp; I only had a slow speed and short ride home (< a mile) so I didn’t bother with my gloves. At a light, I started to notice the handgrip was hot as hell. I figured it was because it had been sitting in the sun, but it was really HOT. I finally realized I must have somehow clicked on the handgrip heater button. Duh!&nbsp; Neither my Suzuki or my Bonny had such “amenities,” so who knew? Found the answer in the 2008 rider’s manual. But that rocker switch was centered, so it shouldn’t have been “on”, right? I rocked it up into “low heat” then back down, centered, and the grip cooled. So, all I can think was I must have moved it just enough to turn it on even though the rocker switch looked centered.
I’m sure I’ll have more questions, but thanks in advance for any advice and answers on these.
Joe

[guest2360]

I apologise for your first response.&nbsp;
Some of your questions are easy to answer.&nbsp; To check your oil make sure the bike is warm, at least&nbsp; a 10 minute run. Put it on its centre stand on level ground.&nbsp; Look at the sight glass on the side of the engine block under the cylinder.&nbsp; The handbook will show you where the level should be.&nbsp; You fill,it through the black filler plug which is in the top,of the left cylinder block.&nbsp; DO NOT OVERFILL.
The bike will go,into neutral when it's still moving but it needs a gentle touch, no more than a tap with your toe.&nbsp; They all clunck into first.
I would check the indicators out with the bike running and parked up.&nbsp; Hazards should only work when you press both left and right paddles at the same time.&nbsp; If they are coming on when you just press one the switch is defective.&nbsp; Can't help you with the seat lock except to say on a non police bike the seat lock is just above the registration plate below the rear light.

[Sullivj]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.&nbsp; Glad you're enjoying your new bike.


I can help with number 2). There should be a sight glass on the lower left hand side of the engine.&nbsp; Make sure the bike is level, and check the oil level there.


For number 4),you should be able to get it into 1st or neutral without moving the bike too much.&nbsp; Perhaps your clutch needs some adjustment.


I'm sure someone with familiarity of the slightly older RT will be able to help with your other questions.

[Sullivj]

You beat me to it RTMan. I reported the first reply. Glad to see it has been deleted.

[Lynxfixer]

Welcome j, trust me there's no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people who think they know everything. As to number 4, I have a 2008 and sometimes it can be temperamental when selecting 1st from neutral. With mine, I just have to let the clutch out, pull it in and try again. Ride safe!!

[Frank123]

Hi J. what you read from me will not answer any of your 5 questions! However, I was 'that' close to buying 'your bike' and likewise it's been 40 years since I last had a bike at college. I am now the proud owner of a 'standard' 2009 RT (with high mileage) and my one bit of advice to you is to go get some lessons from a professional motorbike instructor. As you probably know by now the front brake system on the RT is not the same as the front brake on any of the other bikes you owned. In fact when riding slow it's all about looking where you want to go, feathering the clutch, gentle on the accelerator and back brake and don't touch the front brake until you are stopped. This forum is worth it weight in gold for any questions you have. If you have read this far and have time on your hands check out the poem by Percy French "The Four Farrellys". Regards.

[guest2360]

Don't quite understand the comment about the front brake.&nbsp; The only difference from most bikes but not all is that the lever also works the back brake but not the other way round. It's the front suspension which is unique.

[Levisp]

Regards going into first gear when stationary. Your bike has a dry clutch so it should just slip into first from neutral with a nice quiet click as opposed to the LC bikes with a wet clutch that crashes into first. When I had a dry clutch GS a few years ago, I found that sometimes when stationary in neutral it would refuse to go into first gear. If this happens I found that if you apply a little down pressure on the gear lever and slowly let out the clutch, at bit point it would snick into first gear and then pull the clutch back in until your ready to go. So basically weight the gear lever, release clutch slowly and when gear is selected pull clutch back in. Hope this makes sense.

[gazcoo]

With ref to the difficulty getting it into first gear.&nbsp; I read an interesting article on-line which explained why the BMW Getrag gearbox acts this way.&nbsp; To cut a long story short it is due to the addition of 'o' rings on the shafts which causes the gearbox to stop spinning very quickly.&nbsp; In order to overcome the problem, ensure that you very quickly select first gear when the clutch is pulled in, ie within about .3 seconds.


See excerpt from article below.


[size=3px]WHEN FIRST GEAR WON'T ENGAGE....[/size]
[size=3px]The light turns green, you pull in the clutch and step on the shift lever of our brand-new Boxer. It doesn't snick into first, it makes no "clack"...On the dash the big neutral "0" still shows on the digital gear indicator and first gear just won't go in. The "hard cases" just keep standing on the pedal and let the clutch out slowly; the more delicate riders go back to neutral, let the clutch back out and start the process over.[/size]
[size=3px]How do you suppose the BMW automobile developers would react if they were told that the new top-of-the-line 7-series BMW sedans would only go into first gear only 50% of the time? Of course, they would say, "Guys, get your tails right back to the drawing boards!".[/size]
[size=3px]So why did things turn out as they did with the new BMW Boxer? A condition of the contract with Getrag was "No noise when first gear is engaged!" Thus Getrag allowed a "roll-down" time with the clutch pulled in of .8 seconds at operating temperature (note: the time necessary for the free-spinning gears to idle down to a standstill - trans.). After the introduction of the anti-rattle update, the roll-down time was reduced by the increased internal friction of the o-rings to only .4 seconds. Thus the transmission gears spin down to a standstill very quickly. If the opposing gears have not stopped in just the right position, it is very difficult for the shift dogs to find engagement in their intended slots. Result: the gear will not engage.[/size]
[size=3px]This BMW characteristic is made yet more noticeable by the use of a perfectly disengaging dry clutch. Unlike Japanese motorcycles using a multi-plate oil bath clutch (which always "drags" a little when disengaged - trans.), the BMW uses an automotive dry clutch (made by Sachs), which disengages totally, without any clutch drag at all. Thus the BMW clutch provides optimal declutching.[/size]
[size=3px]The Japanese transmission, even with the clutch pulled in, is still under continuous rotation from the dragging clutch plates. The result: first gear engages effortlessly. The disadvantage: epecially when it is cold and the oil is thick, first gear engagement is often accompanied by a terrible grinding noise in many motorcycles. And that is exactly what BMW wanted to avoid.[/size]

[guest2360]

This is all good stuff but how does he get the seat off.

[simbo]

This is all good stuff but how does he get the seat off.

From what I've read? you open the radio box with the key and remove the 4 torx screws holding it down,&nbsp; Remove the radio box, then there's clips under the seat that need pulling apart to release the riders seat.

[guest2360]

From what I've read? you open the radio box with the key and remove the 4 torx screws holding it down,&nbsp; Remove the radio box, then there's clips under the seat that need pulling apart to release the riders seat.

Now he would never have figured that out.

[jfarrelly]

First, thank you for responding. After that first reply, now removed, I am glad to know there are some really nice and helpful folks on this listserve. I am pleased to join a fraternity of sorts. Bikers in general seem to be very supportive of one another, and riders who share a type seem even more closely bonded. It’s only been 8 days of riding and already four cyclists, two of whom owned BMWs, came over to admire the bike and strike up a friendly conversation with me. It seems that biker comradery hasn’t changed all that much in the past 40 years.
Your suggestions about getting in/out of neutral & first gear were spot on. I tried it at some red lights today and I find I can either (1) move the bike forward slightly or (2) release and pull the clutch lever again and it drops nicely into 1st.&nbsp; Thank you.&nbsp;
Re: getting some lessons, I may do just that. Can’t hurt and can only help. My college offers a cyclist riding class and a new course will be starting up soon, so I may sign up if it fits my schedule. The slow handling, S-turns, tight circles, u-turns, figure 8s, etc. are challenging but yes, it seems the only way to control the choppy power surges in first gear is to slip the clutch and very gingerly apply just enough power to keep from slowing to a full stop. The bike feels really stable at cruise speeds but still feels top heavy to me below 5mph. The more I ride, the better it gets. I know you suggested using the rear brake, but If I see loose gravel, I abandon the foot brake, get both feet off the pegs and down. At such low speed, front brake only isn’t gonna launch me over the handlebars. But any hints, best-practices, and suggestions you guys have are VERY welcome.&nbsp;
Note: I watched the video on the homepage of this website re: the cop slow-speed maneuvering competition. Wow. It was jaw-dropping to see the balance and agility. I don’t think I’ll ever achieve anything close to that perfection. Hell, sometimes I have trouble WALKING that well. J
Is the “radio box” the storage bin behind the seat?

[pwbike]

Is the “radio box” the storage bin behind the seat?

Yes.

[Levisp]

Glad the trick for N-1 worked for you. I think you will find this is generally a very helpful forum. I know at times I'm tempted to reply to a question with RTFM but I resist. Had a training Captain many years ago who if you asked him a question would reply "Its in the manual lad" Yes I know I would reply but I can't bloody find it. Still never gave you the answer until you found it. Then if you didn't understand it would go to great lengths to help you. Guess it made me read the manuals. Anyway I digress. Enjoy the bike.