R1200RT Handling Question

[tigertom1965]

As many of you know I picked up a 2009 R1200RT this past April.

I was a little concerned about the squirreliness (Effects brought on by trucker wake) of my new R1200RT since my test ride in 08 had no problems at all even in a 20-25 mph cross wind.

I had originally thought it had to do with the differences in the Michelin Pilot Road on the test bike and the Metzeler Roadtec Z6 tires on my 09.

I dropped the tire pressure to test and that helped some but I was also told by my BMW mechanic that the rims are too soft and run the tires at 40 frt-40 rear.

Yesterday I was blown all over the road with the maybe 10 mph winds and a fast moving 18 wheeler just about blew me into another lane yesterday.   Despite me not having a dealth grip or locked forearms. I was doing about 70 at the time.  I also have noticed that trucker wake seems to blow me right and left when I am behind a truck, similar to my brothers 2006 Kawi 650r with the fork tubes too low in the triple tree.

What can I do to fix this problem on my R1200RT? Do any of you also have this problem?

Let me give you a heads up, this is worse than on my 2006 Concours with its stock Dunlops. At least with that bike I didn't have to worry about my rims as well and could run my pressures lower.

It feels like a chopper. Like the front end is up and the rear is down. I have adjusted my ESA to one person, one with luggage, and two up. I have also tried the comfort, normal, and sport modes. If I run one person (One helmet) with comfort and I get on the gas my bike squats in the rear but I am 230 with my gear on. I also only had my briefcase in one side and my rain pants, my clear shield, and my jacket liners in my other. It is not like I am overloading my bike. I do not even have a topcase. It does lessen when I run without my sidecases but what good is that? I can't see how this would be stable on the Autobahn at any speeds.

I have tested my tire pressures regularly but I am wondering if there is a way to adjust the front preload for my weight outside of the ESA system?

I need to figure this out soon as I am planning a trip for the first weekend in August.

By the way. I did send Velocity Cycles an email asking the service department what they would do in my overheat situation and they never got back to me. Here I thought they were a great bike place to deal with. Instead they are just like all the other crappy dealers I seem to get stuck with.

Should I bring this in to the dealer? I am planning on looking it over tonight to make sure my tires are mounted in the correct direction but I was wondering if someone could post pictures of the Roadtec Z6 tires mounted correctly.

Anyone else in the Pocono, PA area that could look at my bike any weekend in July and June 27th weekend? I will be out of town this weekend.

Thanks

[tigertom1965]

The service department got back to me finally. I am to bring it in for a test ride as soon as I can get it there.

Since I am leaving Friday for a week of vacation the earliest I can bring it in is Saturday the 27th. Since I am bringing my mom up to NH I won't be taking my bike anyway. So I will have it there when they open that Saturday the 27th.

I wonder if they will find anything wrong??

[Mr Sunshine]

Nothing is wrong.  Lower your windshield and ride further behind the trucks.

[awlittle]

I would think with your weight that you should run with one rider plus luggage at all times and maybe two up suspension setting if you have luggage. 2 cents.

[tigertom1965]

Nothing is wrong.  Lower your windshield and ride further behind the trucks.

Mr Sunshine,

You are telling me that the R1200RT, that is meant to run at Autobahn speeds all day long, would be blown all over the road everytime you passed an 18 wheeler, a truck, or a suv?? You are telling me that a 2009 BMW R1200RT is worse handling in trucker wake than a 2006 Concours which was almost the same as the 1986 Concours? And that most of the motorcycle mags and reviews of this bike would rate this bike as the best touring bike for several years running? Even though it is very difficult to maintain your lane when riding at highway speeds? Come on man!!! If that is so than I should sue them for lieing about the handling aspect of this bike in all of the reviews I have read.

Maybe a Pilot Road (Not a PR2) will stabilize the handling on this thing. From what I read the Pilot Road is a sport touring tire and the PR2 is a sport tire. I wonder if anyone has a slightly used set I could try? I wonder if anyone in this area would like to switch bikes on a short highway ride so I can compare the handling and see if it truly is me or my bike??

[denydog]

I haven't ridden your RT so I really don't know, but if the bike handles fine under all conditions except for when affected by the wind from passing trucks, then I'd tend to think the problem was the wind from passing trucks and that it's not a problem with your bike per se.  Maybe the RT's handling is more sensitive or responsive than what you're used to riding?  If the your RT had an actual handling problem, then I think it would manifest itself, at least partially, under other circumstances as well.

But like I said, I haven't ridden your bike.  

...and the PR2 is a sport tire.

FYI, the Pilot Road 2's are sport-touring tires, due to having two to three times longer tread life, and  less grip than sport class tires (like Michelin's Pilot Power), plus the fact that Michelin classifies the Pilot Road 2 as sport-touring tires on their website

BTW- The Pilot Road 2's are fantastic tires.  I just went past 9,000 miles on my set and there is still too much tread left to justify replacing them.  The grip and handling are first rate also.

[tigertom1965]

That is a completely new website for the motorcycle tires. Their old website had the PR2 listed as sport tires and the PR listed as sport touring.

[atadaskew]

The R12RT I rode was rock solid on the freeway in windy conditions.  I'd have yours checked out.

[DangerMoney]

I had originally thought it had to do with the differences in the Michelin Pilot Road on the test bike and the Metzeler Roadtec Z6 tires on my 09.

I dropped the tire pressure to test and that helped some but I was also told by my BMW mechanic that the rims are too soft and run the tires at 40 frt-40 rear.

My own real-world experience tells me your mechanic is giving you the business. I've got a K1200RS and a R1200GS with two sets of rims (cast and off-road spokes) and I run all my tires at 40F and 42R. I don't have any problems with "soft rims".

You may have gotten a bad set of tires or one bad tire. I've run Bridgestone BT-020s on my K-bike for years with zero handling problems. I decided to try Metzeler Z6s just before a long road trip. The bike twitched/danced around at speeds over 50 MPH. I rode several hundred miles on them and it never got any better. As soon as I could, I replaced the rear Z6 with a BT-020 and all the twitching/dancing went away. In speaking with others about it, I've concluded there was something wrong with the Z6 I had.

Metzeler had a bad batch of Tourances back around '05. The problem was well-known in the R1200GS community and was so commonplace people just said "Tourance Wobble" and all knew what was being talked about.

I spent three weeks riding across western Canada on a R1200RT and the bike handled great.

I'd suggest replacing with rear tire with another brand and see what happens or swap rear wheels with another R1200RT just for a test.

[awlittle]

Don't trust that Dangermonkey guy!   How are you man?  PM me so we can set up a ride.  June weather has been great!  I'd PM you but I'm lazy.

[cuoco1200gt]

tiger does the bike track normal in  a straight line  without wind blast?is there wobble or head shake without the  truck wind blast ? I had a 06 rt it seemed to get blown a little in wind blast but after much saddle time I became more in tune to the feedback of the bike , mr sunshine was dead on with lowering the windshield if the bike rides ok outside of high winds it is going to be very hard to diagnose a problem good luck i am sure you will love the rt it is a great bike !!!!!

[FizDog74]

I hated my RT on the highway, especially with the bags mounted. Mine would dance around all over the place behind big trucks.

I always figured it was due to the short wheelbase, broad fairing and shield, and wide saddle bags. I never felt there was anything mechanically wrong with it.

I fixed the problem with a GT.  

[zzrwood]

I hated my RT on the highway, especially with the bags mounted. Mine would dance around all over the place behind big trucks.

I always figured it was due to the short wheelbase, broad fairing and shield, and wide saddle bags. I never felt there was anything mechanically wrong with it.

I fixed the problem with a GT.  

Totally agree - I did 20,000km on a sabbatical in Europe in '07 on mine and it used to get blown around badly on the Autobahn by trucks and strong sidewinds. Glad to sell it when I got back from that trip.

I tried to fix it with a GT but couldn't get on with the K motor - way too highly strung for me - ended up getting an R1200ST which I am totally in love with (and yes, I know that love is blind...)

Cheers
Robert
Brisbane, Australia

[marty2]

I have the Z6s on my 06 RT and and 1150R and feel very comfortable with them since I've done track days with them. Prior to the Z6s I had the PRs which were good to 5k and then would get squirrely.

I hated my RT on the highway, especially with the bags mounted. Mine would dance around all over the place behind big trucks.

+1  Usually ride with a topcase or tail bag unless I need the room.

Had an 06 GT with the BT 021s could not get along with the bike or the tires, traded it for the RT.
Every MC I've owned has been buffeted by cross winds and wind turbulence to some degree. Just the nature of the beast. Relax and don't dwell on it.

I've driven 18 wheelers off and on for 40 years and my best advice to you is not to follow closely and get around them as quickly as possible not only because of the turbulence but because:
You don't know what they are carrying and if anything is leaking out the back or from underneath. Those spots on your windshield  aren't always rain drops.
Damage done by an exploding tire. you don't want to be anywhere close.
 Rocks and other debris thats lodged on the under carriage and comes loose when they hit a bump.
 I've dodged tires that have come of while traveling down the road, more than once.
 They don't handle like cars or MCs
Although most Drivers are professional there will be a percentage I would not want to be near.

My .02

Marty

[Mr Sunshine]

Mr Sunshine,

You are telling me that the R1200RT, that is meant to run at Autobahn speeds all day long, would be blown all over the road everytime you passed an 18 wheeler, a truck, or a suv?? You are telling me that a 2009 BMW R1200RT is worse handling in trucker wake than a 2006 Concours which was almost the same as the 1986 Concours? And that most of the motorcycle mags and reviews of this bike would rate this bike as the best touring bike for several years running? Even though it is very difficult to maintain your lane when riding at highway speeds? Come on man!!! If that is so than I should sue them for lieing about the handling aspect of this bike in all of the reviews I have read.

Maybe a Pilot Road (Not a PR2) will stabilize the handling on this thing. From what I read the Pilot Road is a sport touring tire and the PR2 is a sport tire. I wonder if anyone has a slightly used set I could try? I wonder if anyone in this area would like to switch bikes on a short highway ride so I can compare the handling and see if it truly is me or my bike??

If you want to sue then i'm not going to talk to you as you are a problem.  But you have to remember you havce a HUGE frontal and side area on the bike....what do you expect?

[Bain Dramage]

Your experience seems unusual for this bike.

I ride mine about 80 miles each day (commute), that includes about 64 miles on Interstate 5 in Northern California.  I pass many big-rigs and have ridden in cross winds up to 35 MPH, but I have not experienced what you describe.

I have also travelled I-5 from Sacramento, CA to Olympia, WA and back without difficulty.  I always ride with side bags and a small (BMW) top case installed.

My first thought was wondering if you have an oversize windshield installed, and in the fully extended position.  This might account for some of your experience.

When you pass trucks (or are passed by them) do you stay to the far side of your lane (opposite the truck)?  I have passed large trucks closely enough that I could reach out and touch them (not recommended) and notice a LOT more turbulence than if I cross over the lane and stay as far away from them as possible.

If you are tracking straight down the freeway – no wind – can you take both hands off the bars and ride in a straight line?  If not, you may have some other issue.

What you describe does not sound like an issue with tires to me.

I hope you find a resolution soon.

PS – one of my prior bikes was a 1300cc V-Twin with a HUGE fork-mounted windshield that acted like a parachute when I passed trucks.  It really sucked.  My R 1200 RT handles like an absolute dream in comparison.

[Scoop]

Perhaps it is all relative.  I will be interested to see what you find out at the shop.  I just bought an 07 R12RT (with only 571 miles on it).  One of the reasons I bought it was because my VStrom was a bit much in a crosswind or behind a truck.  In fact, on a straight stretch of slab, I could start to feel turbulence from trucks 3/4 of a mile away (I used mile markers to confirm this)!  I was really really hoping that the RT would be better.  

[twist]

It's a big and relatively light airfoil.  What do you expect to happen when it gets hit by wind from the side?  Concours may be less-affected simply because it's heavier.  Expect the wind blast and correct for it - I never had any problem correcting for it.

[twist]

my VStrom was a bit much in a crosswind or behind a truck.  In fact, on a straight stretch of slab, I could start to feel turbulence from trucks 3/4 of a mile away (I used mile markers to confirm this)!  I was really really hoping that the RT would be better.

Do you have handguards on the VStrom?  That makes it worse, since the wind pushes on the handguards that are at the ends of a wide handlebar.  My GS did that too.  The RT is a bit better than the GS in that respect, but the bike itself is a much bigger airfoil.

[Scoop]

Yes, the VStrom has handguards and many other large parts sticking up in the windstream.  In a good crosswind, it can be a bugger.  I was quite tired of fighting the wind in our last trip, across South Dakota and into Wyoming.  Any bike is going to be affected by wind, but I have found the Strom to be the most active.  My other bikes were a lot easier to handle in comparison.  I have had the RT on the highway here during a test ride and made sure to get behind a few trucks.  Weren't doing Interstate speeds, but I found the RT to be quite stable.  Hoping that remains the case.