Re: Introduction

["Steve Makohin" <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Cees,


> On 8/25/05, Steve Makohin <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> I guess I'm the one who is going to bait this thread: Tell us about your
>> R1100RT. Does it surge? That's a common thread on both lists, but it has
>> been dying off in recent years with the introduction of dual spark 
>> Oilheads.
>>
> If you can explain exactly what you mean with 'surging', I'll tell you
> whether mine does it or not :-).

It occurs typically in lower to mid RPM, at steady throttle or while 
accelerating lightly, and under light load. The engine appears to lose 
power, then will regain power and appear to accelerate slightly with no 
throttle change. You can definitely feel it if it's there. The cycle repeats 
over a period of a few seconds. Mono-plug (per cylinder) Oilheads are 
*susceptible* to this issue. Some riders will experience it. Some will not.



> I picked the bike up today, rode to a place that's specialized in
> mounting Garmins on bikes to get a RAM mount for my GPS V, and back
> with a little detour to show the bike to my gf, all in all a bit over
> 150 miles. The best description I can give of the handling is 'docile'
> - it does what I want, period. It's a very well-behaved bike. Almost
> boring. And I need an exhaust that is not so civilized, I think ;-).

My preference for describing an Oilhead's character is "controlled" and 
"stable". The Telelever front suspension and the Paralever rear end do a 
great job in handling pavement irregularities without unsettling the 
chassis. Some riders interpret this as being excessively isolated, because 
they expect some dive when braking hard (which the Telelever does not do), 
and the expect more feedback as they approach the edge of the perceived 
performance envelope, whereas BMW's suspension just handles the crappy roads 
rather nicely and does not complain.

BMW is a different kind of ride. I ride an R1100S, and I love it for 
real-world street use. I prefer it to "real" sports bikes I have ridden for 
days at a time under performance conditions, including a GSX-R600 and R6. I 
suspect you'll enjoy your RT for a good, long time.

By the way, you sound like a long-time BMW Oilhead veteran with your GPS :-) 
I'm running a Garmin StreetPilot III with 256 MB RAM, a Touratech mount, 
wired into an Autocom Pro intercom. I love it. I would not take a long trip 
or an unfamiliar route without it.

- -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada 

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