Can you turn off the hill start control?

[owl]

I hate the hill start control with a passion.

Is there any way of turning it off permanently or disabling it in some way?

I've looked at the various pages in the manual and can't see a way to do it.

I have a 2019 1250 LE

[Fourbears]

On my 2016 it only comes on with a firm pull of the front brake. It can be released manually by pulling the lever again so you can start how you want. I can’t believe that BMW made it mandatory to come on when you stop although manufacturers do weird things! Here’s a link to the manual where on page 86 it explains. https://manuals.bmw-motorrad.com/manual ... 720_01.pdf

[Capt Sisko]

From Page 90 of my manual, but don't forget you can't access settings on the move.

[owl]

Forgive my ignorance, but this is my first BMW.

HSC and HSC Pro the same thing? When I read the manual I had the impression that they were two different systems and I had the former.

That page also mentions 'Riding Modes Pro' and I haven't the faintest idea what that is or whether my bike has it.

[Capt Sisko]

Don't quote me on this but I think the difference between Std HSC and HSC Pro is that Pro engages automatically on a slope whereas as Std has to be set manually by squeezing the brake lever. If you're finding HSC is a pain because it's coming on automatically then you've got Pro.

You might also be worthwhile to enter you VIN number into a VIN decoder.
https://mdecoder.com/
This wil show the spec you bike was built to along with any extras specified at the time of ordering.

[owl]

Thanks for that. It works perfectly as per the manual, i.e. it comes on when I pull the brake lever hard. That probably means I have the standard one, although I will check.it's just that I hate it, and in some circumstances I find it a bit dangerous.

Example: Last week in Scotland I had to stop at a junction on a really steep hill. I was set up to turn right, but then found I actually needed to turn left. The road was narrow and I had the front brake on hard because of the hill. I wanted to roll back a few feet whilst also holding it on the brake but because of the HSC this was impossible. It was not possible to release the HSC and yet keep the front brake on sufficiently for my purposes. In the end I had to rev the nuts off the bike, release the clutch slightly, try to move forward slightly in the direction I wanted, but then brake hard again to hold it.

On a bike weighing about a third of a tonne it was all I could do to not topple over. If there was no HSC it would have been a doddle.

What I want is to be able to either turn it off or disable it in some way. I think its a horrible feature which takes control away from me, thinking it knows best when in actual fact it makes life harder.

[Steve398]

You may find it better to use your back brake under those conditions, the weight of the bike is primarily on the rear on a hill and use of the back brake will not interfere with your throttle/clutch balance, nor activate the ‘hill start’ mode.

I found the Hill Start a bit awkward when I first got the bike but mastered the technique after a bit of practice. At traffic lights or a temporary hold up I’ll use it when necessary, but then release it with a quick hard squeeze on the lever when amber shows or I see some vehicles ahead start to move off in anticipation for my turn.
Trying to just ‘drive through’ the hold to release it whist balancing the throttle/clutch made for some interesting bunny hops on take off, which is what it sounds like you’re experiencing.

[owl]

I will go into the menu this morning and see if mine has the version that can be turned off. If not, I'm guessing that disabling it won't be as simple as I was hoping, like pulling a fuse or something.

It's useful to know that I can at least hold the bike on the rear brake and that will not actuate this pestilential system. It's the only thing about this bike that I really dislike.

[Stu]

Once you figure out the characteristics of it it's fairly simple to use

I hated at first and really couldn't get on with it

In your situation above a simple hard pull on the front brake would have released the hill hold and put the power back in your hands.

[owl]

Happy Days

Just ventured into the garage and into the menu settings, and found I had the HSC Pro, so I could turn it off.

Thanks for your help, chaps - really appreciate it

I also appreciate that I could, with practise, manage to learn to control this function, but I really don't see any advantage in struggling to learn to do something that I can do quite adequately myself, and with more finesse than the bike can on my behalf.

[DaveCly]

Funny how we all differ, I love the HSC, especially for taking photos while touring, and saves us having to get off the bike, on steep inclines and descents.
I do think it’s easier to operate on my 1200 than the 1250 I ride on the Blood Bikes though.

[owl]

Maybe I should have persevered with learning how to cope with it, but I'm really happy to have it turned off now.

[TheWeeDonkey]

I was sceptical of the HSC at first especially living in the flatest area of the UK but it's actually proved useful at times. On the 1250 I find that if I just ease on the power it disconnects smoothly whereas trying to get a brisker start causes a jerk. I used it a lot in the Pennines recently, I was impressed with the system.