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| Searching Tom's BMW R850R FAQ returned 6 pages. |
 
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Question: Hi: I'm searching the internet for help with my 1996 R850R. I'm having a lot of trouble getting it into neutral, which of course means I can't start it. I've been to two BMW dealerships, and they can't find anything wrong. However, I've heard that this is common for this bike. I just can't find a cure. Do you have any advice? Many thanks, Kate |
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Answer: Good question. Just give the shift lever a light upward tap. With just a little practice you can get it almost every time. There really isn't a detent for neutral as on other bikes. Release the clutch lever slowly because the light does not necessarily indicate neutral. I also park my bike in neutral (except on hills) and put it up on the centerstand. As far as I know the R850R will start in gear if you pull the clutch lever (as will all motorcycles). Of course, that means pulling the clutch and pushing the choke at the same time if the bike is cold :-) The other two things about the R850R (and probably most R bike) transmissions are: 1) When stopped, to get into 1st from neutral, start with the clutch lever out (engaged). Gently depress the shifter until you meet resistance, then smoothly pull the clutch and depress the shift lever almost at the same time. There will be a slight clunk as the trans drops into 1st. The R bikes have a dry clutch, and it stops spinning so quickly that unless you use this method it can be hard to get into 1st gear. Wet clutch bikes always have some pressure from the oil, and are easier to get into 1st, but also have a pretty potent clunk when dropping into 1st. 2) Down shifting to 2nd and 1st as you come up to a stop will results in a loud clunk in both gears. This is a problem with the transmission design and other well designed bikes do not have this problem. R bike owners seem to cope by downshifting at lower speeds. In other words, downshift below 10 mph, just before you put your foot down. Although this is a pretty irritating "feature", apparently it doesn't harm the transmission. My dealer had the same response about the neutral. "It works for me." And they are a nice, well regarded dealer. I guess only people who spend a lot of time on somewhat older R bikes are even aware of the problem. R bike transmissions have been upgraded several times. matching terms: 4 |
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Question: Hi Tom, I just came across your webpage on a Google-journey on pictures of different BMW R850R's and saw this muffler, you were using. Can you remember the make and model of this? I am looking for a low muffler to be able to use a bigger luggage-case on the left. Feel free to take a look at my website www.kabierschke.net (German only ;)). Thanks a lot for a few words in reply. Have a great day! Frank |
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Answer: Frank, It's great to hear from another R850R owner. That's a good question about the muffler. I really like having two full size cases. It looks like the BMW part number is 18 32-1 341 270 Another number on the muffler is Zeuna 225 6397 001 Even with the low exhaust system, the left case gets kind of warm. The left case has a rectangle of fiberglass insulation on the bottom, which I assume helps prevent heat damage to the bottom of the case. I haven't had any trouble with the left case. As another BMW owner notes "don't put chocolate in the left case." The muffler says it meets 80 Db noise requirements for bike 59K1085. Elsewhere on the muffler are these numbers: 4020001 DE 9346 The price of the muffler (which includes the integrated catalytic converter) is around $1000 USD. I've seen aftermarket catalytic convert eliminators and slip-on mufflers advertised for around $500 USD. These may be legal in the US (since I don't think that as of 2005 US motorcyles are required to have a catalytic converter). I can't tell from the ads how quiet (or loud) the aftermarket mufflers are. matching terms: 4 |
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Question: Hi Tom, I just came across your webpage on a Google-journey on pictures of different BMW R850R's and saw this muffler, you were using. Can you remember the make and model of this? I am looking for a low muffler to be able to use a bigger luggage-case on the left. Feel free to take a look at my website www.kabierschke.net (German only ;)). Thanks a lot for a few words in reply. Have a great day! Frank |
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Answer: Frank, It's great to hear from another R850R owner. That's a good question about the muffler. I really like having two full size cases. It looks like the BMW part number is 18 32-1 341 270 Another number on the muffler is Zeuna 225 6397 001 The muffler says it meets 80 Db noise requirements for bike 59K1085. Elsewhere on the muffler are these numbers: 4020001 DE 9346 The price of the muffler (which includes the integrated catalytic converter) is around $1000 USD. I've seen aftermarket matching terms: 3 |
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| Question: What motorcycle can I get if I'm not very tall, or I just want something with a low seat height? | ||
Answer: Geraldine (another VLX owner) writes: "As for "vertically challenged" riders, the Yamaha 650 custom and 650 Classic (V-Stars) have low seats, the Custom (I believe) being a bit lower than the Classic. The Classic is 50 pounds heavier and looks "beefier". I personally don't care for the tank-mounted speedos on them, but I like the idea of the shaft-drive. I'm 5' 7", 140 pounds and the VLX fit me perfectly, and my feet were flat on the ground with my knees bent." My additional comments: Short riders aren't limited to cruiser style bikes. The BMW F650 and Honda CBR600 have factory lowering kits available. The Honda CBR is probably not an ideal beginner bike. There may be lower seat options or a lowering kit for the Suzuki SV650. Remember that seat height isn't the whole picture. Weight is important when you pull up at a stop, or are trying to park the bike. Your standard cruiser is heavier than the F650 or SV650. Another factor is the test ride. You can sign up for demo rides at many of the larger summer motorcycle shows. The only dealers I know of that allow test rides are BMW dealers. matching terms: 1 |
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| Question: I'm going to trailer my bike for the first time. My trailer has a chock (stop) for the front wheel, and I bought some nice ratchet straps. However, my friends are giving me somewhat different advice from the diagram on the strap package. Any thoughts? | ||
Answer: I've trailered a few times, and I always used at least 4 straps. I'm not an expert, but I can share my experiences. First off, while 4 straps is probably fine, I'd use at least 6. Next, I like to pull over every so often and check the strap tension (and the trailer tires and even the hubs to make sure the trailer wheel bearings are ok, and the hitch, etc.) Clearly you want two in front and two rear pulling out towards the side to keep the bike upright. My next requirement is that one set of straps keeps the bike from rolling forward, and one set keeps it from rolling back. It you have a wheel chock or stop in front, you can probably make the straps pull forward. I have a little utility trailer without a chock, so I have to make sure the bike can't roll. I try to get the front straps around the bars hear the top triple-tree clamp since that is both central and solid. I usually add one extra strap on each side, just as a backup, so I have at least 6 straps. Once everything is ready to go I rock the bike in all directions to make sure it can't shift, and that if it moves a little, the straps won't come unhooked. Ratchet straps are good. I've had cam-lock straps come loose and I never use them on the bike. By the way, I also had a long end of a strap go under the trailer tire. I was lucky, and I was watching for just that kind of problem in the rear view mirror, so I caught it quick. It frayed the end of the strap. I pulled over and tied up the strap. matching terms: 1 |
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| Question: I just bought a BMW R oilhead motorcycle that has been sitting for two years. What should I do to get it back on the road? | ||
Answer: Any vehicle needs service after sitting. Change all the fluids, and check the tires. That includes fuel, crankcase oil, transmission oil, final drive oil, and the brake fluid (front and rear). It will almost certainly need a new battery. My bike had apparently been stored outside before I bought it. I found out the hard way that 2 cups of water had condensed inside the fuel tank. Also, my bike went a long time without brake fluid change, and as a result the front master cylinder was clogged. That has been known to lead to the brake locking up! The front brake stopped me just fine, but the fluid couldn't return to the master cylinder, so the calipers were not properly releasing. The BMW dealer says that Chevron Techron fuel treatment is repackaged as BMW fuel treatment, so I just buy Techron at the local parts place and treat my fuel a couple of times per year. My bike is a 1995, and by 2004 when I bought the bike, the fuel vapor canister was rusted solid, so we just removed it. If you are in California you might need to replace that canister. Also my muffler rusted out just inside the tip. Check that carefully. The exterior is stainless steel, but the interior is plain old steel. A new muffler is nearly $1000. I have switched over to a K&N oil filter. The quality is high (as far as I can tell), but the big factor is that K&N puts a nut on the filter so the filter can be removed with a normal 17mm socket wrench. BMW filters require a special cup-type filter wrench (non-standard), although some of the finger type wrenches can be made to work. After sitting for two years, the throttle position sensors are due for adjustment. I'd suggest synchronizing them. The 0.4V adjustment on the left position sensor may be fine. Oh, one more thing: my steering damper leaked at around 20,000 miles. Not all BMW bikes have a steering damper. Look for a drop of oil on the damper, or a little puddle on the floor below it. The damper is below the Telelever lower support. BMW says the damper is not rebuildable and a new one is $250. I have not replaced mine yet, and handling seems fine. If I replace it I will try to get an aftermarket rebuildable damper, but that seems unlikely. matching terms: 1 |
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