BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Have recently re-located to the great high desert of So.Cal. Lots of neat areas with graded dirt roads. What are the "off road" capabilities of our bikes. Are they really GS's with smaller wheels? Has anyone prepped their bike for the occassional dirt road event. I'd hate to be excluded from utilizing what's in my back yard! Tire recommendations etc. much appreciated !!!!

Actually other than a little more grunt down below, the spoked wheels and knobby tires (dual purpose) a longer suspension travel and slightly taller seating position bot the GS and the R are alike.

Tha being said, you can very well take tha R on most dirt road adventures as ong as you adjust for the diferent tires. We have done it often times and enjoyed it as well.......

Dunlop are making dual purpose 17 inch front and rear tyres for the Buell Ullysses that are the same size as those needed for the Rockster. So are Pirelli (Scorpions). Might help with your plans.

Here are the model numbers/sizes/pricesin USD from the Buell website:
Buell® Tires


G0150.1AKS DUNLOP® TIRES
D616F 120/70ZR17 Blackwall Tire - Front $129.95
G0350.1AKT DUNLOP® TIRES
D616 180/55ZR17 Blackwall Tire - Rear $163.95
G0150.1AJ PIRELLI® TIRES
SCORPION SYNC. 120/70ZR17 Blackwall Tire - Front $134.95
G0350.1AJ PIRELLI® TIRES
SCORPION SYNC. 180/55R17 Blackwall Tire - Rear $174.95

Look for some posts by chitown in "great rides". He has done some fair amount of off road excursions on his new R1200R.
You may want to PM him on some of the capabilities.

You can get much better prices on those Buell tires by shopping around..ebay etc.

Gravel and some dirt is certainly manageable on the R. The 2 limiting factors I found were suspension travel and tire options. Other than that - and unless you're heading for certified off-road territory, there's no reason you can't continue when the pavement ends. I also believe rider capability/experience is an important factor.

I took an off-road course and it helped me to understand bike behaviour on dirt. Most theories apply to any 2-wheeled vehicle.

Some of the roads I've travelled on are shown on my site.

Enjoy!

Hello !!!

I had the same situation: I like very much dirt roads, but dislike the GS.

I have done some gravel roads without a problem.

Even when it seems the free distance from the motor to the gravel is the main problem, it is not.

For me the main issue are handlebar position and footrest position:

- I have turned the handlebars slightly towards the front of the bike for a
more "racing" position, but on gravel roads it bents too much the body to
the front

- The standard footrest have a tilt towards the front (ie. they are not
flat), so again, the position of the body and the lets it is not the most
suitable for dirt roads.

Getting used to this to issues and you can go almost anywere you
could risk to go with a car.

Another thing !!! Remember the weigh of the bike


Good luck and keep posting with your adventures


javier

I have used a set of the Pirelli Scorpion Sync Tires on my R1150R for 8,000 + miles on both pavement and graded dirt/gravel roads. The tires will work on the dirt/gravel if done with respect for the type they are 90% road 10% dirt. I had the tires on the bike when I completed the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Vermont Mountain Top Challenge, which required riding various types of roads to the top of many mountains in New England.

http://www.vtbmwmov.org/PDF/MountainTops.pdf

As far as adapting the bike you could consider using the Wunderlich handlebar risers

http://www.bmwsantacruz.com/Merchant2/m ... ct_Count=1

as they would allow you to adjust the handle bar position for the different types of riding you may do. And for the footpegs you could consider Pivot Pegz

http://www.pivotpegz.net/fitment.html

as they have fitments for the R1150GS which should work on the R and put the pegs in a better position for off-road riding. Or you might consider Suburban Machinery GS footpegs

http://www.suburban-machinery.com/R1200GS.html

Overall the R would work ok for light off pavement rides.

I travel a fair amount of gravel on my RR and the singlemost improvement was the fastway pegs.http://www.gunsmoke.com/motorcycling/r1 ... index.html
I have no problem standing on them in any condition, and your feet will never slip off. Also a pair of barbacks help in all respects keeping your weight neutral.

Joe Bar calls the RR -- " the thinking mans GS!"

Hey guys,

This is a great thread. I was thinking about doing the same thing to my 2002 R1150R being that I don't have the funds to go to a dual sport machine. I was looking a the Pirelli MT 60 tires. According to Pirelli, they are 60% street and 40% off road. They make a tire that will fit my front 120/70 17 but the problem is the rear. They make a 160/60 17 and the stock rim is a 170/60 17. It will take a 4.25 to 5.00" width rim according to Pirelli so I will need to know those numbers to see if it would fly. If anyone can hook me up with that info I would be happy.

I also like the Pirelli MT90 A/T tires but they have nothing that matches my stock rim sizes. Once again, great topic and keep that info coming.

The R's rear is 5". I (and others) have successfully mounted 160/60 profile tires.

Mike,

Thanks for the reply. In your humble opinion, what would I be losing in going from the 70 to the 60. What tire did you put on your bike in going from the 70 to the 60? You can shoot me a PM if you like offline to discuss. Thanks again for the feedback.

Firstly, let's get one thing straight! I have NO humble opinions!!!

I put a ContiForce SM 160/60R17 on a 2002 Roadster that gets many city street miles and few true road miles. No noticeable difference in ride but I am told turn in should be smoother and a touch quicker.

A (former) member put a Distanzia on his 2002 Roadster for mixed gravel, dirt, highway and was very pleased. No issues reported at all.

So overall, you'd be losing nothing and gaining a degree of control for mixed road use.

Thanks Mike. I really like the look and what the two Pirelli tires that I referenced can do. I am also pretty sure I am going to go with a set of the pivot pegz on my 1150R using the ones from the 1150GS. I would love to hear from anyone that tried the two Pirelli tires that I mentioned.