[Donkeyshot]

I just bought a 2008 R1200RT, and have had it out on a few short rides. From past experience on other bikes, I am used to downshift directly to first, when stopping at a stop sign for example. It seems that I cannot do that on this bike. If I am approaching the stop in a high gear, I am downshifting to lower gears one at the time, rather that go directly to first.
Is this behavior by "BMW" design, or is something wrong with the shiftier mechanism?
Thank you

 

[jkersh1]

What else have you been riding? Every bike, regardless of make, I have ridden since 1968 have had the same pattern, click up a gear at a time, click down a gear at a time.

 

[noRThwind]

The greater concern would be if the bike did not shift down one gear at a time. Think of what would happen if you accidentally shifted from 6th to 1st at high speed. Might not be a transmission left to talk about, in fact, you might not be here to talk about.

 

[Atomicman]

What else have you been riding? Every bike, regardless of make, I have ridden since 1968 have had the same pattern, click up a gear at a time, click down a gear at a time.

+1, No bike I have ever ridden shifted directly to 1st other than from 2nd or Neutral!

 

[JonA]

Donkeyshot. Do you mean that you cannot block downshift - that is to say hold the clutch in and repeatedly click down through the gears until you reach the one you want?
If you cannot do this there is a problem, but going straight from a high gear to first gear in one click ain't going to happen on any bike that I know of.

 

[Tomoro]

No issues downshifting here although I do wait until I am nearly stopped before putting it into first gear to avoid a loud "thunk".

 

[hopz]

First of all, welcome on board.

Second, please modify your User Control Panel to show where you are living.

Shifts... It's one at a time no matter how you cut it, nor what you call it. This means clutch in/out at each step is the best way to get from higher to first.

The main tip I can give you is to preload the shift lever, just a little for smoother down shifts.

Yes under most conditions they all clunk going into 1st... but you can learn how to smooth this out.

You can and maybe will, learn how to match engine RPM to speed and gear choice...

Good luck

 

[lkchris]

Nah, you don't have to release the clutch for every step when you're moving. The driveshaft is keeping the gears turning in that case. If stopped, to get from 6th to 1st will for sure require some gear spinning using the clutch or rocking the bike. Better to avoid that in the first place. But, as everyone else has noted, there's no direct path, stopped or rolling.

 

[gerhard]

It is poor practice to stop in high gear anyhow, what if you needed to accelerate out of the way of an approaching truck and you are rolling at 10 miles an hour in 6th gear. Best to be in the gear appropriate to your speed, I understand during an emergency stop you may be in a high gear but if that happens often you need to adjust your riding style.

Gerhard

 

[PadG]

It is poor practice to stop in high gear anyhow, what if you needed to accelerate out of the way of an approaching truck and you are rolling at 10 miles an hour in 6th gear. Best to be in the gear appropriate to your speed, I understand during an emergency stop you may be in a high gear but if that happens often you need to adjust your riding style.

Gerhard

+1

 

[Teach]

It is the way the gears are cut in the transmission. MOST modern bikes don't like it when you try to mass shift after coming to a stop. HOWEVER there is a trick if you find yourself stopping quickly and forgetting to downshift along the stop. Just down shift a gear or two until it won't allow you to downshift and let the clutch out just enough to start engaging and continue downshifting.
Long story short is it is normal and not just on BMW's.

 

[Solo6]

While riding, I only downshift to get more power or to match speed to RPM.

There are too many things that can go wrong if you're cycling through the gears while coming to a stoplight, and if you get bumped by the guy who isn't stopping quickly enough, being in top gear prevents the motorcycle from rocketing into the car ahead of you (or the cross traffic, if you're first at the limit line). Yes, newer motors have gear indicators, but the last place you'll find my eyes when I'm coming to a stop will be down in the "cockpit."

I'll kick down through the gears, clutch pulled in, during the last couple of MPH before reaching the stop. If the light changes, it's easy to count the gears down.

 

[Dann323]

While riding, I only downshift to get more power or to match speed to RPM.

There are too many things that can go wrong if you're cycling through the gears while coming to a stoplight, and if you get bumped by the guy who isn't stopping quickly enough, being in top gear prevents the motorcycle from rocketing into the car ahead of you (or the cross traffic, if you're first at the limit line). Yes, newer motors have gear indicators, but the last place you'll find my eyes when I'm coming to a stop will be down in the "cockpit."

I'll kick down through the gears, clutch pulled in, during the last couple of MPH before reaching the stop. If the light changes, it's easy to count the gears down.

+1

 

[tvguy]

It is the way the gears are cut in the transmission. MOST modern bikes don't like it when you try to mass shift after coming to a stop. HOWEVER there is a trick if you find yourself stopping quickly and forgetting to downshift along the stop. Just down shift a gear or two until it won't allow you to downshift and let the clutch out just enough to start engaging and continue downshifting.
Long story short is it is normal and not just on BMW's.

+1

 

[MnDog]

While riding, I only downshift to get more power or to match speed to RPM.

There are too many things that can go wrong if you're cycling through the gears while coming to a stoplight, and if you get bumped by the guy who isn't stopping quickly enough, being in top gear prevents the motorcycle from rocketing into the car ahead of you (or the cross traffic, if you're first at the limit line). Yes, newer motors have gear indicators, but the last place you'll find my eyes when I'm coming to a stop will be down in the "cockpit."

I'll kick down through the gears, clutch pulled in, during the last couple of MPH before reaching the stop. If the light changes, it's easy to count the gears down.

Regarding downshifting, my idea is and always will be to keep my engine in the power band.. in case some idiot is pulling up on my backside too fast. My theory is that then I have a better chance of acceleration for safely moving around the vehicle(s) in front of me to avoid getting rear-ended.

I highly agree with your statement about not looking at the cockpit while decelerating to a stop, but will always give a few quick glances at rear view mirror for possible distracted drivers. Once fully stopped keep an eye on mirror until a couple of vehicle have completely stopped behind me, then will pop from first into neutral to give my clutch a break. :thumb:

In regards to the intial post about downshifting into 1st, I've always found it smoothest to double clutch from neutral, and then its very smooth. And as far as that 1st gear "thunk" goes.. the RT is FAR less pronounced than the Harley's gear box into 1st. LOL

 

[mwnahas]

One post, then connected the next day and hasn't been back?

 

[oldspice]

One post, then connected the next day and hasn't been back?

He's probably out trying to learn how to downshift! :thumb:

 

[beech]

The original poster has not replied. I think this is all a hox and a troll. Very off base question. I suggest that the thread be deleted, and poster monitored.

 

[Solo6]

He's probably out trying to learn how to downshift! :thumb:

Or maybe he's learning how to undump his motor after having NOT learned how to downshift!

 

[ka5ysy]

Maybe a scooter in his future ?

Seriously though, in MSF classes, we specifically teach to land in first gear in case you have to leave the stop in a hurry due to the following vehicle driver texting/doing makeup/reading the paper/looking at the kids.

It also helps to set up a stop position where you have an escape lane to go into. That has saved me several potentially bad rear-end hits on the bike and in my cars.