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

I have some 5k miles on my bike, definately the best ride I have owned so far....but there is one thing that niggles me...Am I the only one that thinks first gear is a bit too high?

Pulling away from a stop into moving traffic I would like the first gear to get me moving without any hesitation or lag, but in reality, the moment my wheels move the engine lugs and I need to feather the clutch a bit more than I like.

I know the 1200R is not a GS, but a lower first gear would also be useful on some unmade gravel roads I sometimes find myself on .

You're not alone - it is too high for me, too. Combined with the touchy throttle, it makes for messy city work. And smelly

I'd like to see a slighty lower first, so I can use second to deal with the touchy throttle at low speeds. Then again, I'd also like a slightly heavier throttle or smoother low-speed fuelling.

... and I'd like to see everybody commit to greenhouse reduction, the Japanes to stop killing whales to stock freezers, no more old-growth forest logged

.. and can I have my legs retrospectively lengthened a centimetre or two?

I don't know guys, 1st gear seems about right for me. I'm 190lbs and ride with the bags on all the time. I have never stalled this bike taking off and I have always stalled other rides I've had a couple of times. I admit that I don't require jack rabbit starts, but I don't hold anyone up either. The few times I've started on steep hills did not seem to require a real lot of clutch slipping either. As I have said before here, I actually like the sensitive throttle action too. It seems to add to the general tight feeling I get from this bike. Yes, I do love this bike!
Hank

It probably took me about 4,000 miles to really get comfortable with the tall first gear. A friend noticed I was hesitant about it - especially on uphill takeoffs.. and said - just let it do it's thing.. it's not designed to stall.

He was right. I don't give it much gas at all and I do release the clutch smoothly without excessive slipping of it (which I'll admit to doing more than once in the first 4,000 miles) - and the bike just takes off and goes.

It might be worth a parking lot session with the bike - just practice taking off with it.. until you feel comfortable.

I still dislike off-camber uphill left-turn takeoffs - but that's for another reason.. Since I'm short of leg, if the road slopes off to the left (off-camber) - my left leg isn't long enough to hold the bike upright, so the right foot can't be used to hold the rear brake on as I take off (to keep me from rolling backwards..) That's when the practice pays off.. Coordinating the throttle and front brake at the same time is a bit of an art best learned in calm situations. While I don't like these turns - I now don't feel in imminent danger of dumping the bike..

I too felt first gear to be a bit high, but no longer feel that way at 7500 miles.

My change in perception was largely due to getting used to the quick throttle response, but maybe more due to my perception that the engine was lugging.

Having come from a very smooth V4 engine (Honda ST1100), the twin at low RPM's felt very full of vibration. I no longer think it's lugging when it's doing that, since it doesn't hesitate to do its job: propel the machine away from the starting line, even on steep San Francisco hills. I've never heard the engine knock (though I did when I absent-mindedly tried to start off in 3rd gear!), nor have I smelled the clutch burn either.

So I have come to agree with Don's friend: let it do it's thing. It really IS quite good at doing that!

When sitting between lanes at a stoplight, poised to get on the freeway, I do take off briskly and having first gear a bit high is an advantage to really get moving before I have to shift to second gear in order to stay ahead of those very few cage drivers that think I want to race.

I think it has a lot to do with what kind of bike your coming off.
A GS is geared low for off road and the multi cylinder bikes seem to want more throttle coming off a light. When I ride my R-Beemers and Guzzi a lot I get used to the big low end grunt and then when I switch to my Valkyrie I usually end up stalling the monster a few times till I get used to the lack of low end torque.

Too me it is OK, I am more concerned with downshifts slowing into corners. There is so much torque it is easy to upset the bike, if not careful.

How a bout a slipper clutch?