My first BMW - Help with some things

[btruex373]

Glad to see this forum and it has helped me some already in some questions I've had but maybe you guys can help me with some others.......
I bought a 2001 LT last week from the Greensboro dealership with 51,000 miles on it. Nothing major noted off the bat besides the AM/FM display being cloudy. I've 900 miles on it over the last week.

I reset the computer and note that I am getting 36.6 mpg on average. I have heard from other local owners that it is normally higher than that. Without any previous maintenance history are there any things I can do to improve that number???

Is there a resource for how to remove the body panels for things like an oil change or fluid maintenance? I ride a HD Electraglide at work for 10 hours a day and I'm use to everything being out in the open. This body panel thing is like Chinese Algebra to me.........

I never received a manual with the bike. Does anyone know how to change the preset stations on the FM radio????? :confused:

Everything thing else is gravy at this point. The LT makes me not ever want to ride that stupid Harley at work ever again. I leaned it into my first turn and was in heaven. Thanks for any help that you can give.

[yechave]

Most all you want to know can be found here:
http://www.sayegh.org/bmw.htm

Probably will want the Clymer repair manual too (Ebay or post a wanted on this forum). Was not all the helpful, but it did offer what I needed to set the headlight after the HID install. Would have otherwise been WAY off on where I thought it should have been set. It was also useful for wiring the Autoswitch and a couple other oddities. Some of diagrams in there leave much to be desired such as the headlight bulb springs.....

Would never have attempted the tear down without the dvd's.

We get between 43-47mpg on our 99LT here in NE PA, the bike has 44k miles.

Biggest expenses incurred right off the bat: 2 tires, windshield, brakes via the dealer. I know there are were a few other items.
F&R Ohlin shocks $1400, installed for educational purposes, by me. What a joy that was.

Best 4 upgrades:
HID Low beam ($70 from CQ),
Motolights ($500),
Sheepskin sear cover ($85) from Pat Garrett's off I-78 in Pa.,
and a Laminar Lip from LLC for the windshield!!

Least expensive upgrades were the Autoswitch for the Motolights and a replacement set of rear speakers.

[Wolfgang]

http://www.bmwlt.net/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=K1200LT&Number=21836&page=&view=&sb=&o=

This will help you with the fairings (aka Tupperware) removal

http://www.bmwlt.net/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=K1200LT&Number=154958&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1

And this will make the oil change a breeze.

Wipe the radio display window of with alcohol, usually clears right up.

[Rick-L]

Here's the radio instructions (http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=82376&postcount=4), PM me if you'd like me to email it to you as a .pdf

[tarheel_rider]

You've got some real experts on the LT in the Myrtle Beach area, so they will probably chime in with offers of help. The best way to take the fear out of all the tupperware removal and maintenance items is to have someone along who has done it before. Most of us have had that offered to us and look for the chance to pay it forward to others, so post when you plan to do it and I think you'll find someone to help you through it the first time (after that it really isn't all that difficult). Send me a PM when the time comes and I'll be happy to take a trip to the beach and pass along my incompetence.

[Matt]

When you reset your computer's average milage it takes a while for it to work it's way back up. It is an average. When I recently reset mine to 0 it jumped up to 25.5 right away. In another day it was up to 31 and continued like that for awhile. It seemed to get "stuck" at 38.7 but after about 5 days it continued up to 39.9 and again became "stuck". After about 2 weeks it went to 40.8 then 41.9 and just today it read 42.2.

Before I reset it I was getting readings around 45.5. But figuring my milage manually with each fill up I've had from a low of 42.5 to a high of 55. Be patient, it will climb. (Unless your bike is horribly out of tune or you ride near redline all the time, then all of the preceding drivel is worthless)

[speedy]

Forget the computer, figure your mileage out the old way.
Here in the Mid Atlantic area I've been getting 39 in the winter, 40-42 in the summer & even got 53 when we were in CO last Sept, but then I ride it like I stole it.
Like the others said, get the DVDs ( it always seems like someone's selling one) & you'll figure it out.
I know what you mean about things being out in the open. Just bought a '02 R1150GS & can't believe how FUC#'n easy it is to work on. I'm actually thinking of dumping the LT for something similar that carries 2-up easily.
I've had the "tupperware" off so many times between my old '99 LTC with 143k (RIP) & my "new" '00 LTC I'm thinking of putting it on with velcro.
You WILL become very proficient @ removal & installation.
Enjoy the ride.
Chris
'99 LTC Basalt "Starship Enterprise" RIP
'00 LTC Canyon Red "Big Red"
'02 R1150GS "Beaker"
'06 FJR1300A (Sold)
'99 R1100RT POS (Sold)

[dshealey]

As someone else posted, there are at least a couple LT riders in the Myrtle Beach area.

I lived in Myrtle Beach from '73-'85. Sure has changed now! When I moved there in '73 there was one McDonald's, and it was closed in the winter.

Don't sweat the fairings, after a couple times you can have them off in in pretty short time. You will really appreciat them the first time you clean the bike really good. Takes up to a whole hour if you do a good job. Try that on a Harley!

As mileage goes, 36-38 is pretty normal everyday riding at sea level. Will do better on the highway. The LT gets much better mileage at higher altitude. High 40's are not unusual at higher altitudes. Even at 1,000 feet it does better than near sea level.

First check your mileage the old way, by calculating it from at least a couple tanks and the odometer. The ODO reads a little high, but not as much as an uncorrected speedo, which is normally 8-10% high. The ODO is usually 2-4%. There is a calibration procedure for the BC computer if you find it incorrect. I don't remember where it is posted, maybe in the HOW (Hall Of Wisdom).

[MNTodd]

For the radio display - get some of that 3M 'Plastic Polish' and the 'Plastic Cleaner'. They have a small amount of grit. It will make the plastic look like new.

As for the Tupperware - get the video from Paul Sayegh. It is worth the $$, and will give you the confidence to tackle the tupperware.

[ArthurKnowles]

Since I see no one else has mentioned it, a tune up might help along with a change of oxygen sensor. While they have a replacement milage of 100,000 miles they start to deteriorate much sooner than that. I replaced mine at 18K and have already picked up a 10% improvement (3 ~ 5 mpg) and expect to get a bit more than that. That's using 10% ethanol fuel. Regular fuel will give better results.