First 1200 Miles

[DPA]

Hello all,

First time posting on this site...formerly a K-Bike guy (well...had an RT in the mix along the way too...). Anyway, I picked up a 2008 R1200R last Thursday the 17th. I've ridden it about 1200 miles so far and here are a few things I've noticed:

1) Great engine...smooth, torquey.
2) To me...seems to be more 'fun factor' than my K1200GT. The GT is a screamer though...that's for sure...
3) Like the 'no-nonsense' looks.
4) After coming off years of full-fared bikes...I will need to get used to a bit more 'breeze'.
5) Seat...jury is still out on that. My arse was getting a bit sore at the end of 450 miles yesterday.

I do have a few questions to ask the experienced:
1) I have consumed about a 1/2 quart of oil during the 1200 miles. I know, I know...search oil topics...I did and noticed that oil useage is all over the board. I will monitor as the engine 'matures.' Anyway, just wanted to confirm that this is normal.
2) When in 6th gear running the engine around the 4000 rmp mark, there is a noticeable pulsing hum/slight vibration coming from the engine (at least I think it is coming from the engine). The hum frequency is about every second. When I first noticed, I though it was the road surface, but I then heard it many times during the 1200 miles and on different road surfaces.
3) Brake fluid seepage. I had the brake line recall taken care of before I picked-up the bike. I rode the bike for a day and stopped back at the shop the next day to pick up an accessory. I mentioned that the front brakes felt squishy (in the lever). The tech. bled the lines, etc. and the brakes felt great. I then rode the bike for about 250 miles. The next time I rode I noticed fluid seepage around the bleeder nipple at the front brake lever. I wiped it up, tried to tighten the nipple (did not move). The seepage continued for about 100 miles then stopped. I then looked at the rear brake reservoir and saw seepage. The reservoir cap was a tiny bit loose, so I cinched it up. No fluid seepage for 700 or so miles. I looked at the rear reservoir this morning and it looks like a bit of fluid has made its way out. The rear brake pedal does seem to have a bit too much throw in it (squishy). Hmmmm...Thoughts?? I do have my 600 mile service scheduled for next week (dealer does not want 600 service done until 1000-1200 miles are on the bike). Of course, I will have them address the seepage issue. Just thought I would ping all of you to see if you've had the same issue. Brake line recall related or perhaps a 'redo' of the fluid/bleeding is all that needs to be done.
4) Floating front discs: this is simply a curiosity question. My other 3 BMW's did not have floating discs. Why does the R1200R have floating discs? When I first rode the bike and hit bumps I thought..."ummmm...what is all that clanking up front." Anyway...just wondering.

Whew...lots of words here.

Thanks

[Skippy]

Nice to read you are enjoying your bike. You should have the brake fluid seepage looked at asap as it can do lot's of damage to paint and other finishes and it's just unacaptable that it seeps at all and certainly when it's in more then one place. I'm afraid some technician did something wrong in the bleedin proces and that there's a lot of air trapped in your system as well.

Have fun on your bike and I hope the brake issue will be adressed very soon.

[deilenberger]

I do have a few questions to ask the experienced:
1) I have consumed about a 1/2 quart of oil during the 1200 miles. I know, I know...search oil topics...I did and noticed that oil useage is all over the board. I will monitor as the engine 'matures.' Anyway, just wanted to confirm that this is normal.

Normal. On mine it slowed down to about nothing after 3,800 miles and a nice 3 day ride in West Virginia (where there isn't a level straight road to be found..)

2) When in 6th gear running the engine around the 4000 rmp mark, there is a noticeable pulsing hum/slight vibration coming from the engine (at least I think it is coming from the engine). The hum frequency is about every second. When I first noticed, I though it was the road surface, but I then heard it many times during the 1200 miles and on different road surfaces.

Try coasting.. pull in clutch let engine idle. If noise goes away - it's engine/driveline. Without feeling/hearing it hard to say if it's normal. There is a bit of engine vibration around 4k or so..

3) Brake fluid seepage. I had the brake line recall taken care of before I picked-up the bike. I rode the bike for a day and stopped back at the shop the next day to pick up an accessory. I mentioned that the front brakes felt squishy (in the lever). The tech. bled the lines, etc. and the brakes felt great. I then rode the bike for about 250 miles. The next time I rode I noticed fluid seepage around the bleeder nipple at the front brake lever. I wiped it up, tried to tighten the nipple (did not move). The seepage continued for about 100 miles then stopped. I then looked at the rear brake reservoir and saw seepage. The reservoir cap was a tiny bit loose, so I cinched it up. No fluid seepage for 700 or so miles. I looked at the rear reservoir this morning and it looks like a bit of fluid has made its way out. The rear brake pedal does seem to have a bit too much throw in it (squishy). Hmmmm...Thoughts?? I do have my 600 mile service scheduled for next week (dealer does not want 600 service done until 1000-1200 miles are on the bike). Of course, I will have them address the seepage issue. Just thought I would ping all of you to see if you've had the same issue. Brake line recall related or perhaps a 'redo' of the fluid/bleeding is all that needs to be done.

Totally abnormal. Have this looked at now.. don't let them put you off for the 600 mile service. Brakes are a rather important safety item.

4) Floating front discs: this is simply a curiosity question. My other 3 BMW's did not have floating discs. Why does the R1200R have floating discs? When I first rode the bike and hit bumps I thought..."ummmm...what is all that clanking up front." Anyway...just wondering.

Floating brake disks are trendy and salesworthy.. and they do provide a bit better centering of the brake pads on initial application.. but it's basically that they're trendy IMHO.

Whew...lots of words here.

Thanks

Best,

[lewellen]

DPA,

Congrats, this is a great bike.

Re the oil consumption, I have around 3750 miles on my bike (been away a lot, unfortunately) and have added around 0.9 L since the 600-mile service. Half of that went in at around the 1800 mile mark, so 1200 mi. past the service. The other half went in yesterday, so around 2000 miles after the last top-up. It's slowing down.

Re the brakes, what everyone else said. The brakes are arguably the most important part of the bike. Forget the effects on the paint (warranty!) this is your life we're talking about.

Re engine noise, I get a whole symphony from around 3k to 4.5k: various rattles and hums and such that come and go as both the RPM changes and the engine warms up. (Mine's quieter when it's cold, actually...) Crazy thought, try changing the pressure of one of the tires by a couple PSI and see what happens.

As Don says, floating disks are marketable material, I guess ... although if they wanted to go that route they should have gone for perimeter disks or something. :-) In any event, I never noticed any serious clunks when I put on the brakes, so that might be something to look at also. Besides what Dan said, the other thing is that a floating disk can tolerate being a little - just a little - more out of true than a fixed disk.

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[DPA]

Thanks for the info. fellow riders.

I trust my shop will get the brake weeping taken care of...they are a good shop in my opinion (bought 4 BMW's from them over the years with narry an issue in the area of taking care of repairs). The brake system was working great after they bled them last Fri. and there were no signs of weeping then. The brakes still do haul the bugger down to 0 very fast!

Re: the floating discs: the clank sound I hear is the disc 'floating' back and forth on the bolts, so that should be a normal sound. Nothing drastic...just different since my other BMW's did not float the discs. Hmmmm...the 'non-floating' discs on the other bikes never had issues...