[davidtn]

(Noticed this on an ADV forum thread. It's the first I've read of it and frankly am surprised as I've read nothing but kudos on this bike. Anyone else familiar with this issue?)

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24039370#post24039370

"mikem9
Wanderer

Joined: Oct 2007
Location: North Georgia
Oddometer: 1,185
Test Ride Problem with New 2014 BMW R1200RT
Today, a buddy asked me to accompany him to test ride the new 2014 BMW R1200RT. Another buddy also joined us. The dealer let us take the bike for several hours and ride in the mountains. All three of us switched back and forth between a 2014 1200GS that my buddy owns, the other guys 1998 R1150RT, and the dealers 2014 R1200RT.

We took an interstate for approximately 40 miles and then got off and rode on twisty roads and sweeper roads. The new R1200RT is a great bike overall, but we all noticed one significant problem. It seemed to lack stability in the wind at interstate speeds and kind of wobble. It felt at times as if we were riding on a grooved road with wavy grooves. The bike felt "skiddish". Not planted. Kind of like being thrown around in bad buffeting except it felt like the problem was at the point where the rubber meets the road. It was significant enough at times to be disconcerting. We checked the tire pressure and messed around with different suspension settings. Someone at the shop suggested it could just be because it was a windy day. But, we weren't having the problem with the other bikes. The shop said that others had demo'd the bike and they had never heard that complaint. We all 3 definitely felt it today.

Has anyone ever experienced this on the new R1200RT? Or do you have ideas about what it might be? New tire out of round? Computer settings for suspension or traction control messing up? We tested swing arm bearings and wheel bearings and that didn't seem to be it. My buddy did put his GPS unit from his GS on the RT. The RT said there was an error with the ASC system. The dealer said that shouldn't cause this kind of stability problem and is probably just a GPS set up error because of going from a GS to an RT.

Any ideas?
mikem9 screwed with this post 04-25-2014 at 09:38 AM"

 

[Motodan]

Use to sale and owned quite a number of them. My experience is, '14 just the same as '13, '12 and all the rest of RT's since 2005. Only time I had any noticeable wind vibes is when close behind semi at Interstate speed.

 

[ArchimedesRT]

Thread title says 2012, but the bike referred to in the post says 2014.

Regarding the question, I would be willing to bet that the bike they rode had PR4s on it. I have a 2014 with PR4s on it and it does wander/wobble on grooved pavement. Great everywhere else, but I notice some wobble on rain grooves. Not a lot but some, and it has nothing to do with the aerodynamics of the bike itself; it's solely due to the tires.

The fact that he references the pavement makes me think that the bike had PR4s. If it was doing that on smooth pavement, there was something wrong with that particular bike.

 

[PA1195]

Same thread, different Forum, more info:

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php?topic=90346.0#.U2u-q15xts4

 

[Ponch]

My RT gets pushed around a bit in heavy winds (I got pushed into the next lane once), especially with the topcase on. A couple things though. I am tall in the saddle and wide as is the Calsci XL. My 1600 nomad was more stable in heavy winds than the RT. About the only thing is was better at than the RT.

 

[dadicool59]

I rode a mates 2014 on a tour a couple of weeks back.
I passed the owner who was on my bike at 170kph and it was rock solid.
I did notice that the new bikes have steering dampers fitted.

 

[Alfred02]

I have PR4's on mine. As a matter of fact I had my dealer replace the original tires with PR4's as part of the purchase deal.
I have zero instability problems, no matter what the surface.
Maybe I am just not "sensitive" enough to notice...LOL
Now behind a large semi trailer you will get some buffering depending how close you are. You have to expect that with a big fairing like the one on the RT.
But even with every sports bike I have ridden, buffering from big trucks/buses/semis has been there.

 

[BeembeamHD]

Thread title says 2012, but the bike referred to in the post says 2014.

Regarding the question, I would be willing to bet that the bike they rode had PR4s on it. I have a 2014 with PR4s on it and it does wander/wobble on grooved pavement. Great everywhere else, but I notice some wobble on rain grooves. Not a lot but some, and it has nothing to do with the aerodynamics of the bike itself; it's solely due to the tires.

The fact that he references the pavement makes me think that the bike had PR4s. If it was doing that on smooth pavement, there was something wrong with that particular bike.

Hi, I had a terrible problem with a set of those on my (then) k1200s. It would wobble all over the HWY kinda like when you’re getting a flat or losing air, but when just city riding at low speeds I really didn’t feel it. That sure was a waste of money. Live and learn. As far as my 2012 RT, well, I have no such issues unless getting behind an 18 wheeler. Now, I’ve ridden in some insane cross winds, well, what can I say? Once I was traveling with a very heavy cross wind trying like heck to get back home before Katrina hit on an 1150 GS and man, It was like I was ridding into a turn going straight all the way down the interstate on I-110 heading west. I know people were probably laughing at me. I was being almost blown off the hwy, took all I had to stay on the asphalt. lol