From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Mon Jun 30 01:39:26 1997 Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 22:18:40 -0700 (PDT) To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com From: roozbehNoSpam@NoSpamwco.com (Roozbeh Chubak) Subject: BMW: K1200RS -- Second Impressions (long) Reply-To: roozbehNoSpam@NoSpamwco.com (Roozbeh Chubak) It has now been three days since I picked up my K1200RS, and I have put about 700 miles on it. (On Tuesday morning it is scheduled for its 600 mile service.) A couple of hours after picking up the bike on Thursday, I shared with you my first impressions. Now that I am better acquainted with the action/reaction of the bike, here are my second impressions (in no particular order): Riding Position and other Ergonomics: ------------------------------------- I had been quite concerned about the radical riding position of this bike compared to the airheads, the oildheads and another K bike I have owned. Now that my body is more used to the riding position, the long reach to the handlebars is no longer much of a proble. Nor is the strain on my neck due to my head having to be in a look up position as it relates to my torso. But unfortunately the footpeg situation is still a problem for my knees. Even when I frequently stand on the pegs as I am riding to straighten out my knees, riding many miles on the bike still take its toll on them. I think 300-400 miles is the maximum I can do a day on this bike because of the knee problem. As reported by others, the seat is surprisingly comfortable and is not at all an issue in all-day riding. Regardless of which of the two screen positions you use, there is always some buffeting. I can't understand the switch to GS type mirrors. On the K1100RSs the mirrors are nicely incorporated into the fairing on the back side of the turnsignals. On the K1200RS they stick out like an afterthough. What gives. The Transmission ---------------- The transmission on this bike is a piece of beauty. It is so smooth that I would go so far as to say it is equal to -- and in some cases better than -- tansmissions on premium Japanese bikes I have ridden. The Clutch ---------- The K1200RS has a hydraulic clutch. To be honest, I could not tell any difference between that and the mechanical clutch of the other BMWs. Others may notice a difference, but I am taken so much by the ease of shift in the new transmission that I scarsely gave any thought to the clutch except for checking the slack in the clutch lever travel (out of habit) to make sure I don't toast the clutch. The Engine ---------- Another work of art. Before riding the bike, I had been asking myself how could I have any use for the 6th gear in a bike with 130 HP and still stay under 100. Now I know the answer. This bike has so much power that you can ride it in any gear at 2000 RPM and still have enough to spare when you open the throttle without needing to downshift. You can ride in 5th gear (without lugging the engine) on roads that on other bikes you could only do in 3rd gear. I was unable to discover any hesitation on application of power at any engine speed in any gear. Works just like the rheostat on an electric motor. The results are instantaneous with noe groans of protest from the engine. (BTW, I did not experience any abnormal amount of heat on the left side of the fairing as reported by another owner. Even when the engine got hot enough the the fan had to kick in, my body could not detect the heat of the engine.) Handling -------- I can only compare the K1200RS to my other bike, the R100GS (which has been called as the fastest bike on the planet between points A and B by the British mag "Bike"! The main reason: it simply ignores bumps that upset the most sophisticated sportbike suspensions.) I do a lot of my riding on tight curvey roads and when I got my K1200RS I knew I should not expect it to perform as well as my GS on these roads. Well, not so fast: IF the road is nothing but switchbacks, the GS will kick my K1200RS's ass. On the sweeps, it is no comparison: The RS is gone. But on a balanced combination of tightness of curves, the little that the RS loses on very tight turns, it easily gains on other kind of turns. I am not yet in a position to know definitely which of the two is superioir in this regard. I went riding with a bunch of spotbikes today. We took Rt 25 south of Hollister and then back up on Carmel Valley Road. Wonderful motorcycle rods. There were 6 other bikes including two Suzuki TL1000Ss, a Honda GOOF2, and a Ninja ZX11. My K1200RS just laughed at the other bikes and lost them. Not just lost them, but lost them very easily. On tight turns, medium turns and sweepers. Did not even have to breath hard doing it. What a bike! :-) Ground Clearance ----------------- The footpegs are short enough that they don't scrape the road, but if you lean far enough you will take some of the side of your riding boots. And if you are leaning way over when you hit a big bump, the suspension handles it beautifully, but your side stand and/or centerstand will drop down enough to scrape and generate sparks. The Brakes ---------- The brakes are good, but not outstanding. Of course there is quite a bit of mass they have to stop, so it is understandable that they don't slow you down quite as quickly as a much lighter sportbike. Curiously, if you happen to need to apply your brakes when you are leaning in a curve -- I know you are not supposed to do that, but sometimes it is necessary -- the bike straightens up. Well, you ask, what is the big deal? Other bikes do that too. But my GS doesn't. Even if I brake hard as I am turning, it retains its angle of lean. It does it with all four brands of tires I have had on it, regardless of the depth of tread. I had thought it had to do with the Telelever, but the K1200RS with its Telelever straigtens up just like non-Telelever suspensions. Does anybody know why the R1100GS does not staighten up if brakes are applied when it is leaned over, but the K1200RS does? I sure wish the K1200RS also behaved like the R1100GS in this regard. Bottom Line ----------- I am in love with the K1200RS. Each day I have ridden it, I have understood it better and I have appreciate its capabilities more. It is a superb, highly refined machine that can do anything. It might even be able to ride on water without sinking -- but I'll let someone else put that to the test. :-) Regards, Roozbeh _______________________________________________________________________ Roozbeh Chubak AMA #552002 BOOF #1 BMWOA #38643 Village Idiot Idiologue Berkeley, CA BMWRA #21280 '98 K1200RS: "Blue By You" DoD #6666 '96 R1100GS: "Beau Geste" ======================================================================= From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Sat Jul 5 10:49:59 1997 From: "thebleys" To: "steven j. puig" , Cc: Subject: BMW: Re: K1200 Rattle at Idle Date: Sat, 5 Jul 1997 10:30:11 -0400 X-Priority: 3 Reply-To: "thebleys" Have a friend that just took delivery of a K12 and he started the bike so I could try and identify a similar noise. Talking to the dealer the next day I was told that the bike needed a revised engine management chip. He related that the current version of the chip increases the idle speed and that will alleviate the sound. Rick Bley, AHRMA # 90E/907, roadracer, MX and Trials rider. 1972 CZ 125, 1974 CZ 400, 1964 CZ 125 Trials. BMWMOA/RA, IBMWR, AMA. 1974 BMW R90S, 1980 Ducati Darmah SS (for sale $4,950.) Hickory (western North Carolina) and... looking for a TZ delta box roller or complete bike. ---------- > From: Steven J. Puig > To: tmooreNoSpam@NoSpamsegflt.hlo.dec.com > Cc: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com > Subject: BMW: K1200 Rattle at Idle > Date: Saturday, July 05, 1997 9:27 AM > > > > Tim Moore wrote: > > > I have this strange rattling that sounds like something loose > > in the faring when idling. Anybody else? Cant tell if its the > >motor or something loose. > > I noticed the same exact noise at idle when testing a K1200 about 4 months > ago. We couldn't figure out what it was either. > > Steven Puig > Santo Domingo > Dominican Republic > 1990 K75S > 1996 XTZ 750 > 1997 TL1000S From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Sat Jul 5 18:52:03 1997 Date: Sat, 5 Jul 1997 15:22:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Warren Harhay To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Subject: BMW: K1200RS First trip Reply-To: Warren Harhay Earlier this week I reported on my first impressions during the primary 600 miles of breakin of my Maxi Taxi a checkered yellow K1200RS. July 4th presented the first opportunity to take a little jaunt of 400 miles round trip to further "bond" with this machine. My destination was Zion National Park in Southern Utah. Winds were non-existant and temperatures peaked at 100 upon arrival in the Park and 110 on the return to Boulder City through Las Vegas. The leg roasting problem reported earlier happily did not reappear. The suggested limitation of 4k on the engine was no longer a issue and I pushed the speeds upto the century mark on the return leg. Before leaving on the trip I fitted the windscreen with a SAENG winglet to provide a little more frontal protection. On my trip north to Zion I again snaked my way through the Lake Mead National Recreation area to Overton then joined Interstate 15 through Arizona to Utah. The Interstate portion was much more uncomfortable than the park road. Of course the parkway was two lane and twisty butt at speeds of 85 mph the wind buffeting on the Interstate was severe and uncomfortable. In the raised position the windscreen offered adequate protection for my head, butt the buffeting on my shoulders leads me to wonder how all these mc magazine writers can supposedly ride this thing long distances at 100+mph speeds with any degree of acceptable comfort. I know that this is a sports bike butt come on, the buffeting level is unacceptably high. And I think the inability of this windscreen to stay in the upright position is a safety related defect. Even without the added winglet, a mild bump consistently collapses the screen to the lower position. Imagine yourself on a dark stormy evening rounding a corner at an aggressive pace. It is raining but you are coping with the conditions, when you pick your line and execute the corner and that unknown, unseen bump (why are they always at the apex?) which the telelever/paralever acknowledges without unsettling the bike but still jaring the machine a bit. Plop goes the windscreen splashing a sheet of water accross your faceshield temporarily blurring your vision at the most inopportune time. Two positions mean two positions BMW engineers. Not one stable position and one optional position only for perfect roads. This is unacceptable. This is annoying. I hope that perhaps I am the victim of an errant windscreen mechanism. >From reports of others though it appears that this is not the case. When one of these automatic bump downward "plops" occured on my ride, I atttempted to find an easier method of reraising the screen. I put my left fist above the dash pod twisting it to exerted pressure to force back the screen to the upper position. Instead the instrument pod began to seperate from the fairing. Whoops! Although this proceedure was not mentioned in the skeletal postage stamp sized manual I can offer insight to anyone else that this technique is not recommended at speeds of 90mph. This is not the way I want to get my adrenaline rush from a motorcycle. Parabellum and Aeroflow, you guys have a winner here. As I put more miles on the bike the riding position seems less radical than at first but still way too far forward. You other guys with this bike, do any of you have it adjusted anyway but all the way back? Does anyone have the pegs at the upper position? What good are these adjustments if the range of adjustment is useless. Somehow having to pony up for another 120+ bucks to move the bars up and back seems out of place for a machine of this caliber. For we are advised with much ballyhoo in the big slick brochure (which is way bigger than the manual!) that this is a bike filled brimming with features and options for adjustability. Ahem. Mileage has been consistent at 42 mpg with now over 1000 miles on the clock. I really like the newer style of odomoter reset button. Just press and back to OOOO. The twisty knob on the R1100 sometimes didn't always find a perfect reset. No problems with the engine or transmission. A few false neutrals and false readings butt shifting is much, much smoother that the R1100 tranny. The tranny is now at par with the one in my ST1100. The engine seems to run cooler now, although I too have noticed a rattling sound that seems to resonate at 2500 rpm from under the right side of the tupperware. This bike does not stay at 2500 miles for long and only is a mild annoyance. Another infrequent occurance, slow speeds are much more manageable that the R11 series. Slowspeed Driveability of this bike is great through 15mph 25mph heavily patrolled areas such as school zones. BMW, instead of your wonderful and appreciated offer of a gratis tank bag, fit a set of bar backs and give me a wind screen that stays up. Just make this bike do what the brochure says it will do for ergonomics and adjustablity. I hope I haven't been too negative. I do like this bike. In fact, today at the dealer I bought another yellow checkered K1200RS, my second. It was $44.00 and will sit on my desk. Warren -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Warren Harhay, System Administrator Access Nevada http://www.accessnv.com "A Dam Site better ISP" Internet host of www.hooverdam.com STOC #174 HSTA #6854 AMA #500320 BMWMOA BMWRA#21750 BOOF#101 IBA SS1000/BBG Amateur Radio: K8NPI ARRL/OO From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Sun Jul 6 21:35:27 1997 Date: Sun, 6 Jul 1997 18:04:32 -0700 (PDT) From: Warren Harhay To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Subject: BMW: K1200 Windscreen fix. Reply-To: Warren Harhay I have previously detailed my less than orgasmic reaction to my new K12's windscreen wind protection and upright position stability. I have found a fix. In the best American tradition of Rube Goldberg engineering combined with an attitude of "I don't care what it looks like, I want to ride the damn thing", I have found a temporary fix to the windscreen problem(s). I had earlier purchased a SAENG winglet set for my Honda ST1100 stock windscreen. I experienced excessive turbulance and noise. Most ST owners opt for a replacement Rifle or Clearview screen, butt these options which I tried were actually too good resulting in much too hot still air cocoon for riding in the desert southwest. The single SAENG winglet gave just enough relief to be happy compromise. To complete part A of my fix, I decided to try this same option on the K12. First with just the single 11" winglet and earlier today with the two 5" side winglets purchased but never used on the ST. They work! The two side winglets relieve just enough wind blast to make extended high speeds runs a bit more comfortable than the Bataan death march. Now for the downside. First they aren't free, second the extra load/weight of these winglets aggrevate the collapse of the windscreen from the high to low position while traversing a pebble greater than 1/4" in diameter or by running over a tar strip or painted lane marker. (well not quite, but if BMW can use hyperbole in its' wonderful,big (bigger than the manual), slick and colorful collection of out of focus K12 photos that comprise the brochure, why can't I?). I wouldn't exactly call the SAENG system attractive either. Kinda like repainting the Mona Lisa to show some teeth in that smile. Ah, butt since the windscreen still collapses we must once again return to Harhay Labs where part B to this fix was solved by using a special secret polymer elastomer compound molded into a custom spherical shape in almost Pantone matched Marakesh yellow no less. This custom aftermarket windscreen retention system will be available for $39.95. NO CODs. Cash only. The retention device is then inserted beneath the front lip of the windscreen and the top cowl of the fairing. This retention system is easily removed and can be stored in the anxiously anticipated BMW "thank you for waiting so long for your motorcycle while we have your deposit" tank bag. For those whose funds have been depleted in the act of procurring said windscreen and attached motorcycle, a less elegant and very unsophisticated solution may be obtained in the toy department of your local discount store. (No money left to shop at Macy's). They are Nerf tennis balls. Be sure to buy two. My motorcycle now has balls. It is amazing how clearing up these small yet aggravating problems contributes to my further enjoyment of this motorcycle. It was similar to riding in a Rolls Royce while seated upon a tack. You just KNEW you should be enjoying the ride but what IS THAT sticking in my ass? Of course, these are my own quick fixes. Adopt them at your own peril. I am sure they will void your warranty, Increase depletion of the ozone layer, increase global warming, shrink the rain forest and cause lactose intolerance. Until someone comes up with a more polished solution (BMW?), they allow me to do what I bought this bike for, to go ride! I am now turning my attention to the bar position problem. My only fear is that I may get the perfect fit, feel and function but have a 17k rat bike to show for it. As always, YMMV Cheers, Warren -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Warren Harhay, System Administrator Access Nevada http://www.accessnv.com "A Dam Site better ISP" Internet host of www.hooverdam.com STOC #174 HSTA #6854 AMA #500320 BMWMOA BMWRA#21750 BOOF#101 IBA SS1000/BBG Amateur Radio: K8NPI ARRL/OO From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Sun Jul 6 23:50:42 1997 From: "Bert Pharis" To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Date: Sun, 6 Jul 1997 23:29:32 +0000 Subject: BMW: K1200 Impressions Reply-To: "Bert Pharis" I've read with interest the comments of riders far more experienced and discriminating than I about the K12000RS. After three days and 750 miles with my new checkerboard yellow machine I thought I might add something to the discussion. First the riding position. At 6'5", 240 lbs, 35" inseam, and 36" sleeve length, I have found the K1200RS to be surprisingly accommodating. I have a long history of figuring out ways to ride or drive the vehicles I like; and I put enough miles on this bike over the past three days to be certain I've found another tight fit that will work for me. This bike can be enjoyed by taller riders. Wrist and forearm strain were the worst part initially. Better the second day, and not a problem over 350 miles of back roads Sunday. Knee and leg position much better than I expected. You simply can't believe the power, or the smoothness with which it is delivered. Impressive even when limited to 4000 rpm for break-in. Simply awesome wound above that! I agree with the negative comments about the windscreen. Mine won't stay up either. Although at my height I don't expect much in this department, significant improvement could be made. The stock seat is really good. Shouldn't see many aftermarket seats. Mileage, last tank, 41.6 mpg. Hit a killer pothole my first night. Pulled over expecting the worst. No damage. But I've never bent a three spoke either :-) I have encountered one problem that I've not yet seen reported. About five miles from the dealer (13miles on the odometer) the ABS warning lights began flashing. Tried turning the bike off and recycling. No luck. Called the dealer. Mechanic left right after my bike was delivered. They're taking a long weekend. At 5PM Thursday I'm told there's nothing they can do until Tuesday. They do say it's OK to ride the bike, and I set out to get break-in miles on the bike before my Tuesday appointment. Now comes the good part. They won't be able to check the ABS fault Tuesday. I know this because I visited two other dealers Saturday who told me NONE of the dealers has the diagnostic tools for the K1200RS yet. Both would have been happy to check and reset my bike, but couldn't. Both complained about BMW releasing the bikes before they had the tools to service them. Just out of curiosity, should the diagnostic equipment be used during the 600 mile service? If so, how was this service performed on all the bikes now well past 600 miles? Enough for now. I REALLY like this bike! Regards, Bert Pharis, Canfield, Ohio 98 K1200RS 91 K1 (For Sale) 96 R1100RT Porsche SCCA GT2 914-6 From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Wed Jul 9 23:05:41 1997 Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1997 18:59:53 -0700 (PDT) To: "james b. hair" , bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com From: roozbehNoSpam@NoSpamwco.com (Roozbeh Chubak) Subject: BMW: So How do you like your K1200RS? Reply-To: roozbehNoSpam@NoSpamwco.com (Roozbeh Chubak) At 1:14 AM 7/10/97, James B. Hair wrote: >I've been scanning every digest looking for more info on the new K12 and >really appreciate what has been posted BUT Mr. Roozbeh has been smoking >those west coasters and not sharing with us deprived sorts out here in the >midwest. So PLEEEEZE Mr. Roozbeh tell us more. jim hair , Rogersville MO. Dear Jim: I believe those of us who have been lucky enough to own/ride the K1200RS have given more bandwidth to the ergonomics (than it deserves) and much less bandwidth to its performance (than it desrves). The engine / transmission is about as perfect as anything can get. It makes it a joy to experience the power of the bike. You are riding along in 5th or 6th gear at legal speeds, and then all of a sudden you need to pick up speed for whatever the reason. All you do is twist the throttle -- no downshifting is necessary -- and there is instantaneous power. The bike accelerates immediately with no protest, no engine sound that you can hear. All you can do is smile at the result. I can't believe I am saying this, but campared to the K1200RS, my R1100GS feels porkish when you apply power. The K1200RS is not an easy bike to ride for the novice. Actually it *is* an easy bike to ride, but it is not an easy bike to ride well. That kind of power and weight combination can get the inexperienced rider into trouble. (I have not ridden mine in the rain yet, but I suspect I'll need to exercise caution when opening the throttle on wet surfaces.) And yes, unless you are riding against a very competent rider on some other bike, the K1200RS will smoke them all. On the straights, on the sweeps, on the twisties and on most switchbacks. I plan to keep mine. :-) Regards, Roozbeh _______________________________________________________________________ Roozbeh Chubak AMA #552002 BOOF #1 BMWOA #38643 Village Idiot Idiologue Berkeley, CA BMWRA #21280 '98 K1200RS: "Blue By You" DoD #6666 '96 R1100GS: "Beau Geste" ======================================================================= From jhair02NoSpam@NoSpammail.orion.org Sun Jul 13 13:16:49 1997 Date: Sun, 13 Jul 1997 12:16:40 -0500 (CDT) From: "James B. Hair" To: Thomas Hundt Subject: Re: BMW: Pleeeze Mr.Roozbeh Hi Tom: thanks for the info - I will look at the file and drop you a note. BTW I just got back from our rally and we had a guy there with a K12 and he had machined a lower foot peg setup- it moved the pegs down 1.5 inches and forward 3 inches. It was so well done that it looked like a factory job. I sat on the bike and with my 34 inch inseam it felt very comfortable. His name is Greg Pitts and his phone number is 601-372-9536 he said he would consider making them for other folks. later, jim From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Tue Jul 15 03:38:43 1997 Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 23:46:26 -0700 From: Sam Lepore To: internet bmw riders Subject: Re: BMW: Cruise Control-"Dangerous Items" Reply-To: Sam Lepore Mac Saphir wrote: > > Mac replies: You guys are missing the point. Lack of throttle locks, > cruise control, headphone jacks, etc. as stock items are not matters of > technology or the lack of it but of liability, and our "suit happy" > society. BMW won't give us this stuff because they are afraid of > lawsuits resulting from accidents due to such "dangerous items".*** > Mac*** Mac and all ... During a seminar at the MOA National Rally in Fredericksburg Texas, a representative of BMW NA said he is aware of an electronic cruise control being designed for the as-yet-unannounced K12LT. He further said that IF such a bike is ever produced, the cruise control could possibly (hint hint) be retrofitted to the K12RS (which may already have the necessary connection points). Since BMW does not announce models before they announce them (huh?) none of this should be construed as an announcement. But that person was speaking very Frankly, if you know what I mean. _________________________ Sam Lepore, San Francisco From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Fri Jul 18 06:27:16 1997 Date: 18 Jul 97 06:11:33 EDT From: Bob DeHaney <100013.413NoSpam@NoSpamCompuServe.COM> To: ibmwmc Subject: BMW: BMW Updates from Das Motorrad Reply-To: Bob DeHaney <100013.413NoSpam@NoSpamCompuServe.COM> The K1200 is now in long distance testing (50-100000 kms). After 10000 kms, the fork seals have been replaced 4 (four) times. BMW is recalling to replace the fork tubes. It appears that Marzzochi is not as conscientious about tolerances as Showa. The ignition boxes are being replaced as they also have altitude problems (BMW is sending couriers around to do this). Cooling fans are also being completely replaced as there have been instances of the blades rubbing and the fans then freeze up. BTW, I saw a K75 where the fan went, he had to have a complete new low end, the crank bearings went west very rapidly. ABS brakeing stopping distance comparisons from 100km/h: BMW K1200: Both brakes: 40.3m (deaccel. 9.57 m/s) Front only: 45.6m (deaccel. 8.46 m/s) Rear only: 87.5m (deaccel. 4.41 m/s Honda ST1100: Both brakes: 41.2m (deaccel. 9.37 m/s) Front only: 43.9m (deaccel. 8.79 m/s) Rear only: 42.3m (deaccel. 9.12 m/s) Suzuki Bandit: Both Brakes: 40.3m (deaccel. 9.58 m/s) Front only: 46.1m (deaccel. 8.37 m/s) Rear only: 100.2m !!! (deaccel. 3.85 m/s) If you consider that the Honda is a much heavier bike than the BMW, it looks like the Honda ABS plus TCS concept is a much more effective brakeing system. This data also confirms that you better use both brakes for max stopping power. Something for the oilhead R-Bikes, the proud owner of the 100000th is Carmela Anna Graziani in Palermo, Italy(an R850 R). They've also sold 30000 R1100GS's. Bob in Munich '94 K1100RS From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Fri Jul 18 15:30:58 1997 From: gummikuhNoSpam@NoSpamix.netcom.com Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 12:49:01 -0500 (CDT) To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Subject: BMW: K1200RS cooling fans Reply-To: gummikuhNoSpam@NoSpamix.netcom.com Dear fellow K1200RS owners, Just thought that I would advise you that I have had my cooling fans replaced. One of the fans in question had a broken vane, the other one was replaced as a precaution. This operation was done at BMW NA headquarters in NJ. The fans had been updated to the second generation fans that were part of the early recall action (pre-delivery) on the U.S. models. This is the thrid or fourth instance known to BMW of the updated fans seizing, or otherwise becoming inoperative. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge, if the temp is going up and doesn't seem to stop, check to see if your horn still works. If the horn doesn't work, then the fuse is blown, possible because of fan failure. Stephan '98 K1200RS - Blue Lightning (subject to change - the name that is) From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Sun Jul 20 18:01:44 1997 Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 14:18:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Warren Harhay To: Bill Elder Cc: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Subject: Re: BMW: K1200RS Footpegs Reply-To: Warren Harhay I have had the rear footpegs machined to fit on the front. The effect is lowering the pegs about 1.5". The strain on my knees is history. I don't think the lower position will make much difference on cornering as the centerstand hits ground first anyway. The machinist also drilled and tapped the rear pegs to accomodate the "hero blobs" removed from the front pegs. The brake and transmission shifter were not readjusted but probably some folks would find this necessary. I didn't. Total cost $20.00. YMMV Warren -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Warren Harhay, System Administrator Access Nevada http://www.accessnv.com "A Dam Site better ISP" Internet host of www.hooverdam.com STOC #174 HSTA #6854 AMA #500320 BMWMOA BMWRA#21750 BOOF#101 IBA SS1000/BBG Amateur Radio: K8NPI ARRL/OO On Sat, 19 Jul 1997, Bill Elder wrote: > > Some of us new K12 owners find the footpeg position uncomfortably high > for long runs. This seems to be the case primarily with taller riders, > your humble servant being 6'5" with 34" inseam. I have heard of several > owners lowering the pegs an inch or so. And Freeman Cycles in MA, > manufacturers of barbacks for this RS as well as the R-RS is working on > a kit which reportedly lowers the pegs 30mm. > > Anyone have any experience with changing the position they'd share with > us? Those of us with hurtin knees would appreciate the help. > > Ride on, > > Bill Elder, K1200RSL > From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Sun Jul 20 18:03:41 1997 Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 16:53:36 -0500 (CDT) From: "James B. Hair" To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Subject: BMW: K12 footpegs (Bill Elder) Reply-To: "James B. Hair" I posted last week about a K12 that had modified foot peg mounts. A gentlemen from Mississippi named Greg Pitts came to the Missouri State Rally on a new K12. He had machined new mounts that looked as if they came with the bike. He said they lowered the foot pegs 1.5 inches and moved them forward 3 inches. I sat on the bike and I am 6'3" with a 34 in. inseam. The foot pegs were very comfortable. Greg said he would be willing to make them for other interested folks. His phone # is 601-372-9536. I have no interest in this except to share information. jim hair. Rogersville Mo. From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Mon Jul 21 21:02:42 1997 From: RSCOXNoSpam@NoSpamaol.com Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 20:45:51 -0400 (EDT) To: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu, bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Subject: Re: BMW: K12s R All 98s + May Seep Oil From Front Reply-To: RSCOXNoSpam@NoSpamaol.com Dr Curve writes: > IF YOUR K12 HAS NOT STARTED SEEPING OIL FROM THE FRONT COVER > (FRONT OF ENGINE) IT WILL. >FACTORY CORRECTION IN BEING DONE AS WE SPEAK. >WATCH FOR OIL SLOWLY SEEPING. >THERE IS A QUICK FIX TILL BMW SENDS THERE OWN. >Get back to me if your have observed this problem, that will cover the >bottom pan and eventually drip out the back in front of the rear tire. >Check yours now. Best, OK Jim, I give.,,,whats the deficiency and how is it fixed? My dealer adviced me of a oil line rerouting last week and they fixed it saturday (great service at Morton's). They separated two oil lines coming out of the bottom of the block (from a "Y" connection) and routed one of them to keep from rubbing against the lower fairing. Factory service bulletin BTW. One person suggested I notch back the inside of the lower fairing a bit so it doesn't rub. The real answer is steel braided lines. Is this what you are referring to?? Cheers Campground Bob Cox ______________ 98 K1200RSL, 91 907IE, AMA, BMWBMW, VCOM, RA, MOA From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Tue Jul 22 10:59:27 1997 Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 10:19:05 -0400 (EDT) To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com From: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) Subject: BMW: K12 Seep NoSpam@NoSpam Drip Fix Cc: gummikuhNoSpam@NoSpamix.netcom.com Reply-To: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) >---------- > >Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 20:45:51 -0400 (EDT) >From: RSCOXNoSpam@NoSpamaol.com >Subject: Re: BMW: K12s R All 98s + May Seep Oil From Front > > Dr Curve writes: > > > IF YOUR K12 HAS NOT STARTED SEEPING OIL FROM THE FRONT COVER > > (FRONT OF ENGINE) IT WILL. > > >FACTORY CORRECTION IN BEING DONE AS WE SPEAK. > > >WATCH FOR OIL SLOWLY SEEPING. > > >THERE IS A QUICK FIX TILL BMW SENDS THERE OWN. > > >Get back to me if your have observed this problem, that will cover the > >bottom pan and eventually drip out the back in front of the rear tire. > > >Check yours now. Best, > > OK Jim, I give.,,,whats the deficiency and how is it fixed? My dealer >adviced me of a oil line rerouting last week and they fixed it saturday >(great service at Morton's). They separated two oil lines coming out of the >bottom of the block (from a "Y" connection) and routed one of them to keep >from rubbing against the lower fairing. Factory service bulletin BTW. One >person suggested I notch back the inside of the lower fairing a bit so it >doesn't rub. The real answer is steel braided lines. Is this what you are >referring to?? > > Cheers > Campground Bob Cox >______________ > 98 K1200RSL, 91 907IE, AMA, BMWBMW, VCOM, RA, MOA Dear Bob and other K12 owners, In a fit of designer brain fade, BMW decided to put steel press-in (tap-it-in) crimped sheet metal freeze plugs in the bottom of the front timing cover. They have a simular arangement (but below oil level) in the transmission but trans oil is thicker and does not get as hot. Press steel into alumnium is not such a good idea anyway because the soft aluminum begains to give over time. Seeps lead to leaks. BMW had thought that the coat of black paint would be put on after the plug was fit. It was not, put paint in not such a good seal anyway. I know of seven K12s that have had this leak occur and most dealers and owners assume that the valve or timing gasket is the problem. Its not. BMW will (has) make (made) a line production change and in the meantime just clean the area inside where the freeze plug is and the plug itself very carefully and then fill the hole with sealant of your choice. I used black Permatex Silicone sealer. Epoxy would work. If I ever have the cover off I will tap the hole and fit a allen head threaded plug like BMW should have done in the first place. The oil leaked down and covered the bottom of the engine, the pan, the bottom of the front fender, and driped out the back of the cover on at least three bikes but merely seeped out at a slow drip rate on the other four. Best, PS is anyone having leaking rear shocks at under 10000 miles? Jim(Dr.Curve)Roche jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu high performance old twins http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jroche/index.html From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Sat Jul 26 19:14:16 1997 Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 19:05:33 -0400 (EDT) To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com From: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) Subject: BMW: K12RS Serious Recall Coming + 111HP! Reply-To: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) I sent this two days ago but it must not have gone thru. So here it is again. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Net Brothers and fellow K12 owners, BMW proves that they put rider safety above all else and will put a recall of ALL K12s into effect very soon. A very rare problem but one that could be very serious. The interior adjustment machined bolt on both the clutch and the brake lever is adjusted at the factory and locktighted into place. Opps! Someone forgot to clean the grease off the threads before locktighting them. They can move and in rare case after a sustained cruse (with related vibration) one would find themselfs with no clutch or front brake. Bravo to BMW for having the guts and fore-to-with to correct this problem before it becomes one. Best, ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PS. Latest Dino Test on the new K12 is giving 111 rear wheel HP at 159MPH!! This MPH is very close to the 161 I caculated in my Tech article earlier thi year in ON magazine. The 111 HP did not include a pressurized airbox so perhaps 115 is possible with actual running conditions. Jim(Dr.Curve)Roche jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu high performance old twins http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jroche/index.html From ibmwrNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Fri Aug 8 03:41:19 1997 Date: Thu, 7 Aug 97 21:21:49 UT From: "LARRY WILBERS" To: bmwmcNoSpam@NoSpamworld.std.com Subject: BMW: K12RS safety recall alert! Reply-To: "LARRY WILBERS" X-No-Archive: yes The dealership notified me today that the hand levers for the clutch and front brake need some additional adjustment. Seems that the levers get loose--don't know if they actually fall off. Takes about ten minutes to get the problem fixed. Larry Columbus, Ohio From Wmt477NoSpam@NoSpamaol.com Date: Fri, 5 Sep 1997 21:35:03 -0400 (EDT) Subject: BMW: K1200 Recall and Stroll down Rt.11 to Fontana "Recall campaign...Brake and Clutch Levers" 1998 K1200 Boils down to certain adjusting screws became contaminated with grease at assembly, rendering their Loctite ineffective. "The potential defect involves the clutch and front break levers of your motorcycle. It is possible that the adjusting screw for the pressure point of either lever may not be sufficiently tight, due to grease contamination of the threads...". The recall goes on to state that the screws could loosen and fall out over time. The recall urges owners to contact their dealer for a free fix. The fix is described as taking up to three hours! The recall is on BMWNA letterhead with the watermark, and arrived in my mail from NJ today Sept 5,1997 but carries an open date of "August 1997". Signed by Frank Stevens and Pat Raymond. Any questions contact BMWNA at 800-831-1117 (option #5) William M. Tayloe, Middleburg,Virginia (on Rt.50, 25 minutes east of Winchester) From jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 17:50:50 -0400 (EDT) Subject: BMW: Dark K12 Sky But The Sun Will Shine Again > >Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 10:12:42 -0800 >From: roozbehNoSpam@NoSpamwco.com (Roozbeh Chubak) >Subject: Re: BMW: Its a Sad Day for BMW > >>Michael Furchert: >>>Sorry folks, but I think the K1200RS is a sad one for BMW, I was In >>>old Sydney town today, and a K12 came past. I thought it was just >>>another Rice Rocket, till I noticed the little roundel on the side of the >>>fairing. I have been around BMs for ......... A long time, the day that >>>I can look at a BM coming towards me and not notice that it is a >>>Beemer, well I think its truelly sad. The visual indvidualism is >>>part of the mystique. > > >It is a sad day for BMW, but not because of the way the K1200RS looks: > >I had a very nice chat with Jim (Dr. Curve) Roche over breakfast one day at >the plae we were staying at in Fontana. Jim told me the engine of the >K1200RS owned by Mottorad (sp) magazine had self-destructed, presumably due >to the extremely high piston travel speed. If confirmed, this is the kind >of publicity BMW does not need now. > > > >Regards, >Roozbeh Dear Rooz and other brothers, I said the bike had begain to self destruct -- but it may have not been the engine. I am concerned, as are some others, of the new K12's piston speed (distance travled) of 4430 feet per minute at 9000 RPM's. That is serious piston speed and unheard of by any other bike maker. This piston speed results from a under square engine design with a 75 mm stroke and a 70.5mm bore. This does, however result in more torque down low than anything I encountered at Fontana including the very well prepared Ducatis of the two "Top Guns" I spent much of the time Saturday trying to catch. While the problems of the test bike that Mottorad has been testing will cast some dark clouds for a moment -- the sun will shine clear on this new Flagship of the BMW line. The absolutely best handling, quickest out of the corner, fastest up top, confidence inspireing, shortest stopping, and lowest leaning BMW every made. I'm just glad I had witnesses with me to see it perform --- no one would believe me otherwise -- unless they own one. My "Deals Gap" run of 10min 53 sec is usually unheard of on a bike that weights that much -- but the Ducati boys were there to see it happen and they could not believe it either. The bike was very stable even while leaned over to the point that the footpegs were folding and I was praying thru my toenails. Lets wait and see what caused the problems with the Magazine bike. We all had such a good time. A "Riders" heaven. Best, Jim(Dr.Curve)Roche jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu high performance old twins http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jroche/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 18:03:08 -0400 (EDT) From: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) Subject: BMW: K12 FPM Piston Speed Is Highest U Can Buy Andy Nicholson reminds us correctly that: Sure, you run an engine hard at redline, and it's going to blow up. But the K12 does not have an "extremely high piston travel speed", in fact it's only marginally faster than other engines in its class. And while the above is true -- so is the fact that no motorcycle has ever been offered for sale to the public with a higher FPM figure than the K12's 4430 at 9000 RPM's. This qualifies it as a "extremely high piston travel speed" engine and only certain drone aircraft engines have a higher FPM. Best, Jim(Dr.Curve)Roche jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu high performance old twins http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jroche/index.html Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 21:33:43 -0400 (EDT) From: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) Subject: BMW: K12 Interference Fit Drain Plug > >Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 16:53:02 -0400 >From: Mark Flynn >Subject: BMW: K12RS Info > >Has anyone figured out much about servicing the K12? Now that I have >compiled a gob of info about servicing my R11RS, I'm now starting on a >K12. Any folks who want to trade info or accumulate our ignorance, >please email me. Dear Mark, the most important service information one should know about the K12 right away is this: The drain plug of the transmission is a interference fit with no crush washer or flat seal. If you remove it while it is cold damage can result to the thread section of the transmission case. You must not drain a K12 trans unless the plug and surrounding case is heated first. BMW now has a bullitin out on this --------- a bit late for many dealers and owners. The drain plug is a special deep cup type with a magnet sticking well up into the oil area. Wash it in gasoline to reveal the steel particles which will be there and then remove all of them with the help of another magnet and rag. I am getting "serious" hard pull out of deep corners with this machine. Best, Jim(Dr.Curve)Roche jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu high performance old twins http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jroche/index.html Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 04:22:21 -0400 (EDT) From: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) Subject: BMW: K12 Gurgle And Squeak > >Date: Mon, 6 Oct 1997 22:01:17 +0000 >From: "Bert Pharis" >Subject: BMW: K TECH, K1200RS Noises at idle > >While my K1200 never sounded great at idle, I'm noticing sounds that >seem to be getting worse over time. The sounds fall into two >categories. The first is a kind of gurgling sound, and the second is >a high pitched whine. Both occur only when the bike is hot, and only >at idle. Just a little throttle causes the sounds to disappear. I'd >like to know if this is a shared experience with other K12 owners. > >The bike overheated after the first of several fan failures, and I'm >concerned that there may be residual damage. > >TIA for any responses. > > > >Bert Pharis, Canfield, Ohio >98 K1200RS >96 R1100RT >Porsche SCCA GT2 914-6 Dear Bert, thanks for pointing out my mis-take of a fellow K12ers clutch slippage and be equally carefull with the following. Check the water level and refill with distilled water only. Pay close attention to the O ring sealed junction at the bottom of the right radiator (from drivers seat) as this area is prone to leak and misfit if the bike has ever gotten really hot. Interior leakage around this thermostate area will make a weird gurgling sound that may be what you describe. BMW warrenty will cover this as the problem is one of incompatable materials that distort when overheated and cause the interior O ring to seal less. The fairing squeaks real good and sounds like crickets in heat. Note how close the fairing may be to the oil lines on the lower left side. Adjust the situation by loosening all the fairing screws you can get to just slightly, (*don't remove them as this is not necessary*) after all is loose crank engine and move the faring around some by pats and taps in several areas of your choice. Let the unit take a new set and find its most comfortable position. Retighten and this should do it. Its possible however that............................ Best, Jim(Dr.Curve)Roche jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu high performance old twins http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jroche/index.html Date: Thu, 09 Oct 1997 19:35:55 -0400 From: Tim Moore Subject: Re: BMW: K12 Wide Wheel (5.5 Inch) Jim Roche writes: >If there is a way we can move the swing arm, or the rear drive just 9mm >over to the right then everything might be OK but till then I can't >recommend these wheels to anyone except the hardened "profiler only type" >because they look great, big, and tough. The problem is they wiggle in a >straight line and lower the bike so much that things scrape easier. Thanks for saving me $500 :) Im thinking about doing D205s when these Z4s wear out. So far Ive heard nothing about the various merits of Metz vs Bridgstone vs Dunlop tires that are rated for this bike. The Z4s work fine but at $400 a set Im looking around and so far nobody is saying this is the best tire for the K12. ************************************** Tim Moore Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 11:56:37 -0400 From: Mark Flynn Subject: BMW: K12 Fuel Overfilling Stephan A Hottenrott wrote: Another thing that is driving me nuts is that the bike dies after refueling. I suppose that I overfilled the K12 at one time and have since had this happen. Is the charcoal cannister filled and needs emptying and or removal? any ideas on how this should/could be done? I have had the same experience. It seems like the canister can get clogged I have seen another K12 at a gas station act up. That one & mine both started spewing gas out the overflow. Both ran rough as hell, I think mine had loaded up one cylinder for a few miles. I had to keep the rpms up to keep it running. Over a few miles, it sucked the canister dry - my guess. I'm waiting on the info for a canisterectomy, which is what I did w/my R11RS. The system seems identical, so that should work. Also, since this is a seemingly model-wide problem, BMW has issued a service bulletin. I hope to find out what it is & report to the list next week. It does call for replacing the canister if it has been soaked. - -- Mark Flynn Winchester, VA K12 Beautiful Blue Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 12:44:54 -0400 (EDT) From: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) Subject: BMW: K12 Canster Off (fuel overflow) > >Date: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 06:23:42 -0500 (CDT) >From: gummikuhNoSpam@NoSpamix.netcom.com >Subject: BMW: K12 Fuel Overfilling - canisterectomy > >- ------Begin forward message------------------------- > > >Mark Flynn said the following: > > >Snip >> >>I'm waiting on the info for a canisterectomy, which is what I did w/my >>R11RS. The system seems identical, so that should work. Also, since >>this is a seemingly model-wide problem, BMW has issued a service >>bulletin. I hope to find out what it is & report to the list next >>week. It does call for replacing the canister if it has been soaked. >> >>-- > >Well since you asked for it.... > >Please note that I have no idea about what I am doing. Standard >disclaimers apply. > >1) remove the seat and the left fairing panel >2) snip the zip-tie that holds the canister to the rear fender >3) locate the solenoid on the left side of the M/C > it has a thinner tube coming off the fuel rail coming in one > side and a thicker one running back to the canister >4) undo the thin tube from the fuel rail and cap ASAP > I used a shortened piece of hose with an extra body work bolt > screwed into it >5) undo the fatter hose from the solenoid - this one runs to the > canister and will be discarded or save for a future project >6) undo the solenoid and save for a future project >7) pull the canister from its location and note that there are > three hoses going into the unit - two on the right side and > one at the bottom left undo all >8) the fat hose that goes into the bottom left can be pulled out > AFTER the hose has been disconnencted from the battery hose routed > to the ground (they are zip-tied)- save or discard as you prefer >9) the other fat hose can be pulled out from under the tank - this > either from the solenoid location or the canister location >10)use a piece of brass tubing to connect the slimmer hose that you > disconnected from the cannister to a similar one from your previous > R11 canisterectomy and route to the ground - make sure that the > hose is well clear of the 1200 degree catalytic converter !!! > I zip tied it to the battery overflow hose and it seems to stay far > enough away. > >Voila. Put all the pieces together again and you are canister less. > >Cannot attest to how it performs since I did the job and was called >back to house duties by my 10 day old daughter... > >Good Luck. If you have any questions or suggestions please do not >hesitate to add your 2 cents worth. > > >Stephan A Hottenrott >98 K1200RSL - Blue - no cannister > Dear Stephan, Jim(Dr.Curve)Roche jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu high performance old twins http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jroche/index.html Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997 16:52:30 -0700 (MST) From: gtmorkNoSpam@NoSpamprimenet.com (gtmork) Subject: BMW: K12RS Solutions and Questions I just completed my 600 mi. check and am very pleased with my K1200RS. The best bike I have ever owned, well designed and focused. PROBLEMS: BAR BACKS: I dealer install bar backs from Freeman. On full left turn (to lock) the kill switch hits the windscreen and shuts the engine off. SOLUTION: Grind down top of switch - It works. LOWER FOOT PEGS: After installing, my left heel touched the top of sidestand lever. SOLUTION: Remove rubber cap and cut off 1/2" so heel clears. Looks stock, lever too high anyway. QUESTIONS: 1) Has anyone come up with a good mount sustem for a radar detector? I saw all the suction cup attempts at Fontana, but produce too much vibration a high speed. How about power from the bike? 2) I want to install Halogen fork lights and switch them with the switch system sold in Europe, that on European bikes is part of the right handlebar housing. My dealer said this switch system is not imported into US. Can anyone tell me how to order from a dealer in Europe, or an import other than NA? 3) Has anyone figured out how to replace the muffler cover? Has Staintune (or any other mfg) come up with an aftermarket replacment muffler? Any ideas to improve the sound? 4) I want to replace my horn with a Fiamm. Is the K12 equiped with a Two terminal or a one terminal horn? Do I need to adapt a bracket? Suggested replacement horn part number. GT Mork 1998 K1200RS 1996 R1100RT (612) 347-9352 Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 21:15:44 -0400 (EDT) From: jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu (jim roche) Subject: BMW: UK Press Spreads K12 Blow Up BS > >Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 19:53:44 +0100 >From: Nick Horley >Subject: [Fwd: Re: BMW: K12RS Blow-ups] > >X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 >Message-ID: <344BA6B4.28NoSpam@NoSpamvirgin.net> >Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 19:45:08 +0100 >From: Nick Horley >X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.02E-VN006 (Win95; I) >MIME-Version: 1.0 >To: Tom Coradeschi >Subject: Re: BMW: K12RS Blow-ups >References: <9710171445.aa29727NoSpam@NoSpamfsm-1.pica.army.mil> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >Tom Coradeschi wrote: >> >> Nick Horley: >> >Anyone had their engine blow yet? The K12 hasn't sold much in the UK >> >yet, but I've already heard of four blown engines - big end probs I >> >think. >> >> Have you "heard" of 4 engines blowing up or do you have confirmed data that >> 4 engines have blown? If the former is the case, I'd love to hear more. If >> the latter is true, thanks for nothing (like this list needs more >>conjecture). >> >> tom "bookawitz" coradeschi <+> tcoraNoSpam@NoSpamskylands.ibmwr.org >> BMW's Miracle Ride was October 12th! >> > >Fair question Tom. The guy who told me is in a position to know, but BMW >would rather he kept it to himself. He doesn't know the cause of the >blow-ups yet, but I'll try to get more info. > >------------------------------ Dear Nick, give it up. The person (private owner) who changed the "mottorad" magazine test bike did not tighten the oil filter properly and it came loose causing loss of pressure at a time when the bike was really running. Any bike will fail with bad service. BMW will not replace the bike because the engine did not fail -- the service did. The UK press is always eager to jump on BMW because they (the UK) simply can not build a bike that is as fault-free as a BMW. Triumph sales are dropping like flys at a "Black Flag" demostration and the bikes break frames, handle poorly, have no resale value, and are really just Kawasakis in drag. The notion that a K12 with oil in it and pressure in the system will just "fail" and lose it's "big end" is absolute bull shit and there are ZERO examples of this happening so for in the K12's life. The UK market can do as it pleases and buy what it wants. They lean more toward squid type bikes because the roads are not very long or good. Over here we need a little more. Our roads are smooth, very long, and go on forever. The K12 rules the open American road as of now and it'll be a cold day in hell before England produces something to displace it. The 1998 K12RSL is easily the finest and safest motorcycle that money can buy and one that will simply leave any Triumph in the distant dust when real road conditions are the proving ground. Best, Jim(Dr.Curve)Roche jrocheNoSpam@NoSpammailer.fsu.edu high performance old twins http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~jroche/index.html Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 20:35:40 -0500 From: Tim Moore Subject: Re: BMW: Re: Throttlemeister on K12 > Only if you're too lazy to do the job right, which means R&R-ing the > grips, wires and all, which means the tank's gotta come off so you can > unplug the wires where they meet the wiring harns. Wrong. The single plug for both wires meets the harness right below the instrument cluster well in front of the tank. I did unplug it, then I cut both wires 4 inches forward of the the connector . I would have put some type of new dual connector on but I cant find (yet) a connector small enough to go through the tiny hole the bars. I was trying to get it back together so I could ride the next day. I plan on re-doing soon as I figure out exactly what Im going to do. > If you use a triangular file to file a notch into the end of the bar, the little > steel pins on those "gizmos" can drop into the notch, which prevents the > gizmo from turning as you tighten them up , which prevent the wires from > being cut. Sounds like a good idea, as long as I cut the bar in exactly the right place. > >There was the usual blood sacrifice offered to the Gods whenever I tackle > > a project...burned my finger on the soldering iron... > Why am I not surprised? Lightly injected humor...no need to be an asshole about it. Thanks ************************************** Tim Moore Digital Semiconductor, Hudson Mass. Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 13:31:08 +0000 From: Nick Horley Subject: BMW: K12 Blow-Ups - some good news The blown K12 which my friend has actually seen only had about 1.5 litres of oil in it. (Should have around 4 I think). He reckons it deserves credit for not blowing earlier. The owners are a little embarrassed! From WILBERSCOLNoSpam@NoSpamclassic.msn.com Wed Oct 29 16:27:28 1997 Date: Wed, 29 Oct 97 21:21:55 UT From: "LARRY WILBERS" To: thundtNoSpam@NoSpamslack.net Subject: RE: [add-ons] K12 Tank Bag Electrification Kit (WTF?!) Tom, Not on the ibmwr site yet but I'm working on it. Its that long list of stuff I've sent you in the past. See below. Larry in Columbus ================================================= Here are a few tips gathered from fellow K12RS riders over the past several months. New tips are added to the top of the list. If you have other tips or wish not to receive future K12RS tips, please e-mail me. Larry Columbus, Ohio We now have 19 K12RS owners on the list (10/20/97). Corbin seat for the K12RS. Cost is over $ 400. Comes with either red or yellow accents. One position only, low setting. Seat edge extends down to where the side faring bulges out. Vinyl or leather. A detachable pillion back rest is available. Engines blowing-up? Only one officially documented and due to low oil. Seems the person changing the oil did not tighten the oil filter completely which resulted in an oil leak. How to put the side stand down. I do this while facing forward with both hands on the handle bars. The right foot is used. I feel that this is a more stabile way than what is recommended in the owner's manual. Moving the bike around the garage. For optimal control, try sitting on the bike to back it up and walking next to it on the left side with both hands on the bars to move it forward. The former is especially helpful if you are backing the bike up on a slight down hill slope. You may also feel more planted and secure in putting the kick stand down while standing in the moving forward position. Use your inside (right), foot to bring the kick stand down and forward. Caution: In the fall, beware of leaves blown into the garage--these can be very slippery. Disappointed with the stock head light? One rider uses a 100w H3 bulb with improved results. Seat height setting--high or low?. After a 3,400 mile tour, Fall, 1997, I have gone back to the low seat setting for day to day riding and touring. Several factors lead to this. One was wind noise, as there was significant flutter in the high position. The other was comfort. Although I found the low setting uncomfortable for long rides when I first got the bike, and have ridden in the high position for about 2 months, 2,000 miles into a trip I lowered the seat in an effort to reduce wind noise. To my surprise, the lower position was now much more comfortable than the higher one and my longest mileage days were at the end of the trip in the lower position. I can still use a half squid position (see below), with chest both on and off the tank. My next experiment will be with high seat and high peg settings for full-out sport riding. I noticed on my Deals Gap ride that my toes would hit the pavement in curves when in the standard position on the pegs. The solution has been to move them back so the balls of the feet are on the pegs. This is great except when you want to shift or use the rear brake (the latter is usually not a consideration in the twisties). The high peg position should eliminate this. More to follow. Top of the line 8 panel bicycle shorts with flat stitching such as Descente (about $80), have been shown by "major studies" to support the gluts and quads and result in significantly less fatigue of these muscle groups. This translates into increased riding comfort. Bicycle tights can also be used under leathers and provide more comfort due to easier movement between the leathers and pants. Flat rear tire! Low rear tire pressure will show up as sluggish handling with small angle turns and the front end diving more quickly into large angle turns (see low speed drop below). I have done expressway speeds with only 15 psi in the back (not on purpose). This results in beading of the rubber and a distinct smell (burning rubber). Also, at night, oncoming drivers will flash their lights at you since the low rear tire moves the headlight angle up. The tire was plugged at a local tire shop but continued to leak slowly. A new tire is the only answer. Unfortunate, because at 8 k miles there was plenty of tread left (Dunlop D205). New Dunlops were purchased from the Columbus BMW dealership for $ 105 and 125, front and back respectively, not counting tax. A flat back tire can lower the bike enough to allow it to fall to the right if you are on uneven pavement. For overnight parking, I now put the bike on the center stand. Low speed drop. Minimal damage was sustained to the right lower side panel with a low speed drop to that side. Some scuffing but no cracks or deep gouges. The right hard saddle bag popped off with the fall. Also the right front turn signal housing popped off. Both the bag and the housing went back on without any problems. Cost of replacement of lower panel, new, is $ 805 from Competition Accessories. Cost of just repainting is estimated at $ 350 from a BMW MC dealership (not the Columbus one). Cost from the Italian Body Shop (a local auto body shop), was $ 179. The red requires a clear coat over the base coat. BASF paint was used (its the original brand), and was mixed by a nearby BASF paint wholesaler. Cost of repainting the entire bike in a custom color is about $ 1,800 at Holt BMW in Athens, Ohio (a dealership that specializes in painting and does outstanding work). The paints that change color with different lighting cost more. Clutch slipping? A loose actuator screw may be the problem. One rider reports that the first service bulletin describes how to fix this. Tighten the screw and use Locktite for a secure fit. This is covered under warranty and the dealer will fix this free of charge. Does your bike make a high pitched whining noise? One rider reports the faring may squeak if it rubs against the oil lines on the left lower side. The sound is described as "crickets in heat." A proposed fix is to loosen the faring and readjust it by applying pressure in various areas and then retighten. Does your bike make gurgling sounds when idling? One rider reports that this is related to interior leakage around the thermostat. Leakage is said to be related to O ring sealed junction materials that are incompatible at high temperatures. Check the coolant level. This is a warranty issue if you develop the problem. Does your bike sound like a box of rocks at idle? Normal. A modified RT top case has been mounted to the luggage rack by one rider. Some reported burnt left bags. I don't have a good handle on this problem, but the left bag should clear the muffler by at least 1/2 inch. One observer reported that bags with more heat tape seem not to have this problem. I don't know the difference between less and more at this time. There is some concern that putting too much weight in the left bag causes it to bend downward, something I have not observed on my bike. Reportedly a home made support rod extending between both bags can keep the left bag away from the muffler. Clearance between the left saddlebag and muffler should be at least 1/2 inch. One rider reports no initial clearance requiring some modifications. This may account for some of the melted bags reported earlier. He took the top bracket off the bike and gently bent it so that it pulled the muffler toward the bike and then glued a small rubber shim into the front slot on the bag bracket so that it pushed the front of the bag back towards the bike and pulled the back bottom away from the muffler. Final result was a 1/2 inch gap between muffler and bag. Customizing has included painting the entire exhaust canister black, application of checker board decals to a red bike, painting the wind screen to match the body color, and covering the rear swing arm pivot holes. The BMW tank bag electrification kit mounts on the back of the bag, facing the rider. There are two outlets and a light. Great for radar, electrical clothing, etc. Cost advertised by Competition Accessories is about $ 150. A BMW auxiliary running light plate is available. This goes behind the license plate and adds two red, round, running lights, each about 2" in diameter. The plate is black and unobtrusive. RCU designs sells a new tamper resistant oil fill cap that is black with the Roundel in the center. A special key is needed to remove it. Check with the BMW dealership in Salt Lake City. Worst review article on the K12RS? The winner (loser), is Motorcyclist Magazine. They complained about poor ergonomics. I did a 3,400 mile trip in October and found the bike to be very comfortable. The last day was 12 hours of riding from Atlanta to Columbus, Ohio and included back roads from south of Lexington up to Columbus. Shifting. To get the cleanest shifts, try putting slight pressure on the shift lever when you anticipate the need to change gears. When ready, give the clutch lever a quick squeeze while twisting the throttle sharply and snicking into the next gear. The clutch lever and throttle movements should be snap-like. After-market front/Telelever shocks. Some owners are wondering about replacing the stock shock. No news on this yet. Hopefully this notion was not started by the OTL review article. Riding positions. The K12RS configuration allows for several riding positions. 1) Standard (sport-touring). Feet on the front pegs with arch of foot resting on peg, arms slightly bent, upper body leaning slightly forward. Advantages are shift lever and brake pedal are easily activated without having to move the feet. Wind over the screen helps hold up upper body weight, especially at higher speeds, and takes weight off of arms. The back and neck should be kept straight. Bend at the waist. 2) Crouch. Lower chest-upper abdomen are down on the tank and carry most of the weight of the upper body. Elbows are bent down and can rest on thighs or knees, carrying remainder of upper body weight. Balls of feet are on the pegs. Main advantage of foot position is feet do not touch pavement before hero knobs do. Weight forward on the bike makes it more responsive. For Deals Gap, I used the balls of the feet on the pegs and laying down on the tank to move weight forward, but did not rest elbows on knees. This results in the bike being very responsive and allows for both counter steering and lower body steering, the combination of which this bike really likes. 3) Half squid. As in 2 but arches of feet are on the pillion pegs and elbows are not on knees. Upper body weight is on the tank and butt. Advantage is that it looks cool and still allows feet to be brought quickly to the front pegs. Also completely takes weight off of arms and hands, gets you out of cold air, and puts legs in a much different position than the standard. The latter is helpful on those long rides when the legs start to feel like they need to change position. This position should only be used on highways where shifting is not needed, such as long stretches on the super slab. 4) Full squid. Same as 3 but with front of ankles on pillion pegs. Not as comfortable as 3 and lacks ability to quickly move the feet up to the front pegs for shifting. Also feels awkward. 5) Standing on the pegs. Butt off the seat and legs straight. Allows legs to be stretched. Steering is mainly by weighting the pegs, as counter steering is not an option. Shifting and rear brake use are generally not possible. Also used by some riders when riding over lose gravel. Said to tame down the front end oscillation that happens with gravel. 6) Hanging off. See Keith Code's books. I've just started doing this on the K12RS and its a blast. 7) Any combination of the above to fit your riding style and comfort. Try these positions for dusk and dawn riding. Laying on the tank in the crouch and the half squid positions result in a head position that is more conducive to looking at the pavement ahead of you where critters might be lurking. Looking to the side is still possible but takes a little more effort and doesn't happen subconsciously. Flicking the bike. Having done Deal's Gap, it is apparent that this bike has incredible handling. As compare to many sport bikes, though, fast changes in direction call for peg input. Quick turns are best performed by weighting the inside peg along with counter steering to set up the turn and then switching to the outside peg to stabilize the line. I usually weight the outside peg in response to throttle input. Read Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist series to better understand this and get the most out of your bike. Keith does not advocate weighting the inside peg but on narrower sport bikes this has less effect than on the K12RS. Some of the other track schools do advocate using the inside peg to set up the turn (lower body steering), however. Ear plugs. I use the Hearos brand. These take care of most but not all wind noise. Best comfort and noise reduction requires the plugs to just barely press against the ear drums. To accomplish this, I initially insert the plugs deeply and after several minutes, back them out slightly. It takes some practice and patience to get them just right. Noise reduction is good but you can still hear emergency vehicles. Before inserting the plugs, roll them between your forefinger and thumb and then stretch them length-wise. This allows for easiest insertion and less need for adjustment. Remember to both roll and stretch. Aftermarket mirrors. A fellow with an British accent, riding at Deal's Gap over Labor Day weekend, had added mirrors to the original mirror positions. These are the two wings that have the intergrated front turn signals. The mirrors were standard glass and had been cut to fully cover the black plastic. Problem is that the current angle results in a good view of treetop activity but not what's happening next to you on the road. I tried rectangular convex mirrors with the same result. Two inch convex mirrors were also not of much help. Applying decals and extra mirrors. Do this over vinyl tape for easy removal should you change your mind. The vinyl tape can be easily removed with little residue. Bun-Ez gel seat cushions have be used by one owner riding 2 up. Positive review. You can get the Buns-Ez cushions from Stan McCreedy in Ainsworth, Iowa. A large one for the front and a smaller one for the rear saddle area, both cut to fit the K1200RS stock seat. Odds and ends problems include Motronic going out, leaking hydraulic clutch, ABS computer needing replacement, leaking engine seal, leaking fork seal. Vibration is nil at speed except for a little bit of buzz at 75 (in sixth). Mayer after market seats are available. Comfort is reported as good. No word on cost yet. BMW hard bags literature recommends top speed of 80 mph when attached. Triple digit speeds have been reported, however, on windless days with no problems. The rationale for the 80 mph limit is not clear from the literature but should probably be followed. Wind noise reported as very minimal when at 120 plus. These reports are supposedly from the Autobahn.;-) Some talk has started on the BMW list about creating a K12RS list. Tire wear. The Metzlers appear to be wearing better. No detectable cupping at 3500 miles on one bike. The Dunlops may show some front cupping as early as 1500 miles. Very minimal. I currently have 4700 miles on the Dunlops and overall tread wear seems minimal. Some riders who have been on both tire makes indicate that the Dunlops are stickier. Tire handling. The Dunlops did well at Deals Gap. The back tire is now scrubbed in to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Over gravel in turns, the back end gets loose first. Same with sand on pavement. The back end feels slippery in these conditions with the Dunlops. You get enough feedback to let up on the throttle a little and get things back under control. Handling on gravel roads. The front end tends to oscillate. The tighter you grab the bars the worse this will get. One rider suggests putting more weight on the pegs while putting less on the bars. Hyper-lights have been added by several owners. How to get oil into that vertically mounted cap. The filler spout would be great if only it were disposable. I use a sport-water-bottle purchased at a convenience store (your choice of water brand). Let the bottle dry out and then put in your favorite oil. When needed, squirt in the appropriate amount. Best to buy the water bottle type that has a second cap. In addition, I put mine in a zip lock bag before putting it in the luggage. The squirt cap seems not to leak though. Also mark the bottle as poison. The after market stuff is already appearing. You can now get handlebar risers and peg lowering plates to further adjust your riding position. Check with your dealer or one of the mail order places. One rider reports fit problems with the Freeman peg lowering plates. Another of the K12RS riders reports that the Freeman bar backs work well (he's 6' 5''). He's also done a 1.5 inch drop of the pegs with home made plates and gear shift lever modifications. Oil consumption is being reported as nil after the 600 mile break-in period (experience of 3 owners), and some have reported no consumption at all. Mine continues to use a small amount at 8000 plus miles. Did the foam padding come off your tank. This padding is located where the seat abuts in the low position. Several fixes have been suggested. Just leave it off (try using vegetable oil to remove the remaining adhesive). Get replacement foam by using insulation strip material from your local general store. Or put a thin strip of vinyl tape in the indentation to protect from scratching. I've done the latter to protect the plastic when the seat is in the high position. Having trouble keeping your windshield in the high position over rough pavement. Some riders are stuffing a Snurf ball underneath, between the two humps that house the speedometer and tachometer. How to get the tar and other crud off of the aluminum muffler cover. Try using WD40. For tough spots/stains cover with a piece of saturated paper towel and let it soak for a while (muffler should be cool). Although the aluminum cover is supposedly replaceable, one owner reports that how to get it off remains a mystery even to trained BMW mechanics. Fan problems. Apparently only some bikes are cursed with most owners reporting no problems. One fellow is awaiting installment of a third set. Watch he temp gauge in hot traffic. Second generation fans have a blue paint dot. Third generation have a blue and a white dot. Third generation fans are being installed in numerical order by VIN number or if the second generation fan has given up. The demo at the local dealership keeps blowing the fuse for the fan. Paint on aft end of muffler. Mine has mostly flaked off leaving exposed stainless steel. This is polished and looks fine. Gas mileage. Varies as expected with riding style. I'm getting 45 mpg with mixed riding. The fuel gauge needle stays in the paint until well past 100 miles while touring at constant speeds and the estimated touring range is 250 miles. Another rider reports about 42 mph but admits to not being throttle shy. Tripod mounted lasers can pick up your speed at 1/4 mile distances. The bike belt is a nylon belt with 4 rings on it. It has a plastic buckles on each that snap into holders bolted near the rear foot pegs. It goes across the rear portion of the seat. Easy to install and remove. You can then use the rings to tie stuff down (that is, pass your loop from the tail rack through the rings to secure your bag on the rear seat). Fuel Plus is an electronic gadget that can calculate your current mileage on the fly, miles and fuel remaining in tank, miles to go to reach your destination, etc. The display part with buttons replaces the digital clock in the newer K and R bikes. Consider the Eclipse rumble pack for back seat storage. Riding in the heat? It takes 2 weeks of physical activity in the heat to become acclimatized. Know the signs a symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Stay hydrated. More on Hyper Lights. These cost about $53.00 with shipping. The enclosed instructions are good. It is about a 1/2 to 1 hour job. Actually just involves taking the license bracket and the rear light housing off, drilling two holes to run the wire, and switching two wires onto the adapters The license bracket has to be moved down to accommodate the single Hyper Light. It is very noticeable and stated to be well worth the money. Bar back installation. This requires cutting the cables loose in front of the handlebars, they are bundled together. The cables are just long enough to extend the new distance. Remember to retighten the bar backs after a short time to compensate for the teeth becoming fully seated. One owner with bar backs had problems with the windscreen hitting the kill switch. He solved the problem by grinding down the switch a little. Why use high octane gas? This prevents knocking and engine deposits. Wheels off for new tires? Why not detail them? However, cover the axle hole on the front wheel to prevent water and other substances from getting on your bearings. I detailed mine yesterday. First wash was with Honda Brite. Second was with alloy wheel cleaner (used my wife's Volvo stuff). Next step was cleaning and waxing with Honda spray cleaner and wax. Final step was cleaning any possible wax off of the rotors with Honda contact cleaner. While you're at it, clean the loose brake dust out of the brake calipers. My new D205's cost $ 105 and $ 125 for the front and back respectively. Mounting and balancing were $ 25/wheel. The above prices are from the Columbus BMW dealership. The tire prices are a total of $ 30 cheaper than mail order when you figure in both shipping and tax (I usually order from an in-state mail order company). Does your left heel touch the top of the side stand lever? This becomes more of a problem if the Freeman peg lowering plates are installed. One owner removed the rubber cap and cut off 1/2 inch. Right front side panel painting cost is $ 179 at the Italian Body Shop in Columbus, Ohio. The KRS is painted with a base paint and then a clear coat (new for 98). The European color code for the Marrakech Red is 733 (found on the rear fender under the seat). The original paint is BASF (also used on BMW cars). The above body shop also uses BASF. This shop did an outstanding job with perfect texture and color matching. Fan failures. One rider reports that the first and second generation fans are of the oil bath types and that this is the cause of the failures (fuse blows). The third generation is of another type and will hopefully last. Pull off the road when stopping, all the way off. On a recent trip, the other rider had a habit of pulling off on the berm. One sloped berm too many and his ST1100 was on its side. If you have to stop on the berm, for example on the super slab for emergency stops, point the bike at an angle to the road, nose first. This will help prevent the above and also gives oncoming cars a better view of the bike. Another side effect of the former habit was a back tire puncture in the crud that accumulates on the berm. See related items below. The cost of the 6,000 mile maintenance is about $ 100. Most fan failures involve both fans and occur because of a blown fuse. A single report of the blades coming off! Plugging a flat tire. The package insert (located in the small plastic green box in your tool kit), indicates a top speed of 37 mph and maximum distance of 250 miles on a plugged tire using their kit. I did slightly faster and further than that with a plug on the back put in by an auto tire shop. However, a slow leak developed which required more air every 2 hours thereafter. Back at home, the air pressure went to zero after 5 days. How to protect the paint when you take the front wheel off. Taking the front wheel off requires removal of both brake calipers. The manual says to protect the rims with tape. Another solution is to put a zip lock bag between the rim and the brake caliper during removal. The brake can then be put in the bag and the bag partly closed. This prevents the brake from scraping the fork paint also. Don't squeeze that brake lever or push the brake pedal. That is if you have removed the brakes. A way to prevent disaster is to put a piece of cardboard in-between the brake pads during removal. Then, even if someone tries to activate a brake, you are protected. The Dunlops seem to be capable of 8k plus miles for most riders. Conservative riders may see greater than 10k. Mixed reactions now coming in about the bar backs and peg lowering plates. Some riders are pleased whereas others have gone back to stock. May depend on size of the rider with taller riders more likely to need these adjustments. One rider complained that the Freeman peg lowering plate don't allow complete retraction of the side stand which then tends to bounce around. He also felt that they move the feet out about 1/2 inch which results in more exposure to the elements. Another owner states that the peg feelers drag when leaned over and the lowering the pegs may hamper sport handling. The stock horn has been replaced by one rider. He put on a single Fiamm horn from Pep Boys ( $13.00). Its rated at a whopping 130 decibels and considered much better than stock. It goes right where the stock one is. It requires removal of the factory plug with replacement by regular tabs. More favorable comments about Hyper-lights: work great, very noticeable, easy to install, and look slick. Drilling required. Good reports coming in about the BMW tank bag. Easy on and off and at highway speeds it provides a good place to rest your upper body. No word yet about effect on wind noise or flutter. One rider satisfied with the RCU designs oil filler cap. It's very nice , and well made. Non removable muffler cover. BMW NA indicates the cover is not removable. One rider has a Bill Mayer modified seat. Cost was $ 195 in vinyl. $ 150 more for leather. There have been some reports of "slippage of the torque compensator spring and its ramped engagement faces." This is located on the input shaft of the transmission. No documentation at this time. Several people have reported power loss under load but very brief and stumble-like, more like an engine coughing. This is reportedly what ramp slip feels like, stumble a few times -- then catch. Replacement of transmissions under warranty has been reported. Engine dying after refueling? Speculated by one owner to be related to overfilling of the gas tank with resultant filling of the charcoal canister. Also speculation about removal and emptying of the canister to solve the problem. A canistration has been done by one rider and the procedure reported on the list. Does removal of the canister invalidate the warranty? Convex mirrors for the wings. Convex mirrors can be applied to the turn signal wings. I would go with at least 3 inch diameter mirrors and place them in the mid top region. The reason for the latter is that when you lay on the tank, mirrors on the bottom outside edges are hidden by the hydraulics on the handle bars. Attachment can be reversible. Take the covering material/paper off of the adhesive pad on the mirror. Place slippery side up on a flat surface. Then cover with black vinyl tape (several strips will be needed). Lift the tape up and then place on wax paper. Cut the tape off around the covering material/paper (the wax paper will probably drop off). Then attach to the adhesive pad on the back of the mirror (the pad goes against the non-adhesive side of the vinyl tape). Peel off the covering material and apply to the turn signal wing. The vinyl tape will allow removal of the mirror without leaving behind parts of the adhesive pad. A 5.5 inch rear wheel is apparently available as an option. No reports yet on looks or handling changes. May affect handling and tire wear depending on whether the tire remains at the necessary off-set. Gas tank leaks. One owner reports going through 2 gas tanks prior to 600 miles. Exercise to ride the KRS. If you are not use to the sport riding position, there are a number of exercises you can do to increase flexibility, strength, and endurance. Duck-walking, squats, jumping-jacks, push-ups, and pull-ups are some that can be done without weights. To continue that touchy-feely relationship with the bike during the non riding season, try doing squats on the bike (no weights please). This will build leg strength and promote flexibility. Don't bounce off the seat. Rather, lower yourself to within an inch or two, pause, then stand on the pegs. Stretching exercises. Riding the KRS is a sport. Stretch before you get on. It will increase your riding endurance and pleasure. Standard runner's stretches work well for me. An apparent clutch problem was caused by a leaking brake-line getting fluid where it shouldn't have. Only happened intermittently. The leak was fixed and everything works great now. "Run'n'lights" and "Priority Plus" lights have been installed by some owners. Some disappointment with the former.