[Chilly]

Greetings fellow BMWette's - my K1200LT was a dream ride but after a stroke I had to downsize and went with a 2012 R1200RT - great bike I LOVE it and the power and all but it has had a slight "wobble" in the front end from day one - at 350 miles I took it back to the dealer had them ride it and they said "that's normal" at 3000K it took it back again as there was a cupping pattern on the front Bridgestone and still a slight wobble (the kind when you go around a corner at 60 or so there is a slight tendency for the front bars to go left and right every so slightly) dealer rides it again and looks at the tires "that's normal" ..... I check with my preferred local BMW guy and he say's "tires" a new set of Michelin P3's (which I now have about 250 mi on) and as I "scruff" them in I'm a bit worried that I still have the "wobble" issue -- I don't want to find at 3K I have ruined another $500. worth of tread I'm hoping the problem is fixed and I can get some "canyon" running in today to check -- in reading several posts on tire wear and such it seems that this may be a BMW problem that just comes with the RT?

I hate to start another thread on tire wear but have any of you guys with a 2010-2012 RT experienced a similar [problem - am I going nuts or do I just have to "get used to it" to quote the original dealer -- come on now you'd think a $23K bike would ride like an arrow and have none of types of issues - don't tell me I should have bought a Goldwing.....

thoughts? certainly 3000 miles on a front tire is a tad bit light?

 

[amarider]

What tire pressures are you running?

 

[gerhard]

My Honda ST1100 the front tire cupped, my FJ600 had the problem and I haven't had the RT long enough to tell. Various mechanics and dealers have given me various answers from it is the result of my riding style to that the ST1100 carried too much weight up front for the tire size.

Gerhard

 

[beech]

The bikes don't wobble. There is something wrong. It may not be the front, the back fork also has something to say about stability, also all the mechanical stuff up front. Find another dealer first. When you find it please follow up here.

 

[HeliMark]

Have a 2012 here also. With almost 5,000 miles the tires (that came with it) are cupping more then I like, but even with that, no wobble. You need to find a different dealer or someone at the one you are at that understands these bikes do not wobble.

-Mark

 

[Alaskan]

I think your bike has an issue. My two suggestions are: check with another dealer, and find another RT (friend, someone from this board or a rental) that you can ride to compare to yours. If you ride another RT you will know right away if it feels the same as yours or different.

Alaskan

 

[Alaskan]

Also, my bike in an 07. The original Dunlops cupped pretty bad on the front of mine. I have had P3's on now for about 2K miles and see no wear on either tire....and I corner it pretty hard.

Alaskan

 

[Chilly]

Thanks for the informative replies -- your right I need a new dealer one that actually cares...headed out to do some "twistys" now will report back --

TP - 36 front - 42 rear (but sounds like I should push that some??)

always one-up (after getting caught in a snow storm the wifey says "I ain't never getting on that ^%$# thing again....oh well...sorry dear)

Has anyone ever tried "nitrogen" in lieu of standard air for their tires?
does wonders on my 4 wheeled vehicles - just wondering?

 

[amarider]

Try 40psi in the front it should help with the front cupping and see how it feels.

Also if you have ESA try a firmer set up.

 

[Alaskan]

You will find many opinions on tire pressure. I think yours are too far apart from each other. I run 36 front and 38.5 rear. I have run 40 and 42, but feel all the cracks in the road with that pressure. Find what works for you, but I wouldn't go lower than 36...and I would keep them 2 or 3 psi apart at the most. But...just my opinion and what works for my riding style.

Alaskan

 

[JayJay]

I ride 36/40 unloaded and 36/42 loaded (single with baggage). Even with pronounced front tire cupping that results from my not changing tires often enough I've never noticed any wobble. I agree with Beech - you need another dealer that's interested in solving your problem or perceived problem, not one that's interested in shoving you out the door.

While you search for a new dealer and try out your new tires, you might try dropping your rear tire pressure as Alaskan suggests, too much rear tire pressure would tend to make the back end "hop" and make the front seem unstable.

FWIW, I find that if I leave the ESA on "Comfort" when in the twisties it does feel a bit less stable. Not wobble, just less predictable. Changing to "Sport" cures that issue. Then it becomes a matter of my limitations as a rider, not the bike's.

Just put new PR3s on last weekend, haven't even ridden them yet to get the nibs off - I put the wheels on and pushed it into the garage (the growing list of honey-do's took precedence). Coming from two sets of PR2s and a set of OEM Bridgestone. Mileage with the B's was terrible (<10K miles), much better from the Michelins (15K).

Air is 78% nitrogen, I've never understood the push to use nitrogen in tires.

JayJay

 

[gerhard]

Air is 78% nitrogen, I've never understood the push to use nitrogen in tires.

JayJay

I have never spent $$ to have them filled with nitrogen. The tire place I took my car to said that the tires run cooler and that it slows corrosion of the rim. To me it sounded like marketing talk to get another couple of points on the margin, but then maybe I am just a middle aged sceptic.

Gerhard

 

[TWheels]

I ride 36/40 unloaded and 36/42 loaded (single with baggage 2010 RT) and yes there was some cupping of the front tire but never a wobble. The bike does feel a little "loose" in corners when ESA on comfort but not at all in sport. I just changed both tires to PR3's and really like them. The bike feels much more secure on hard cornering than with the Bridgstones. Please let us know when you find the problem.

 

[Atomicman]

My BMW shop and numerous sources on the web say 38/42. My '09 is solid as a rock and and no unusual tire wear at 8500 Miles. (Original Michelin Pilot Road)

 

[TWheels]

My BMW shop and numerous sources on the web say 38/42. My '09 is solid as a rock and and no unusual tire wear at 8500 Miles. (Original Michelin Pilot Road)

Not sure how much it effects tire wear or handling but the motorad online rider manual for RTs states front tire 2.2 bar (31 psi ) one-up; 2.5 bar (36 psi) two up and/or with luggage and for rear 2.5 bar (36 psi) one up; and 2.9 bar (42 psi) two up and/or luggage. My bike is also rock solid on the road. Does the tire pressure depend on how you ride and on what kind of road ?

 

[Risky]

My BMW shop and numerous sources on the web say 38/42. My '09 is solid as a rock and and no unusual tire wear at 8500 Miles. (Original Michelin Pilot Road)

I run 38 front and 40 rear. Now a new set of Pirelli"s I have never had any cupping on front tire. As far as Nitrogen in the tires... If you are running 500 to 1000 miles at a time, the only advantage is (yes less heat) We simply do not ride enough to heat up a tire to worry about it. I have over two million miles as I drive for a living and the (Nitrogen) is nothing but a $$$ grab! I agree with the others... Ride a loner or a friends with the same bike and compare...

 

[deanwoolsey]

Take a look at your RPMs when you feel the wobble. You may be lugging the engine.

 

[twkBMW]

I have never spent $$ to have them filled with nitrogen. The tire place I took my car to said that the tires run cooler and that it slows corrosion of the rim. To me it sounded like marketing talk to get another couple of points on the margin, but then maybe I am just a middle aged sceptic.

Gerhard

You shoudl be skeptic.

Heat is not a bad thing in itself. Tire pressure is used to get your tires to operate in the correct temp range. They are supposed to warm up. Lowering pressure raises the temperature, raising pressure lowers temp.

That is how racers set their pressure. We not so sophisticated folks just set our tires cold to an assumed pressure and go out and ride.

The only place that I have used pressure to tune for just grip (and not heat) is on my dirtbike. If the ground is really loose, we lower the pressure to 8 psi to allow the tire to flatten out more. When the surface is harder we use 15 psi. Obviously with these very low pressures (and tubes) it is a completely different situation.

 

[Chilly]

Sorry for the delay - work ya know -- the Michelin's seem to have solved the problem along with some of your suggestions - problem here has been the damn wind - so I can't completely say it's fixed but sure feels better with P3's on there -- I moved the pressures closer together and that helped along with the ASC settings (Comfort to Sport) much better corner control and tracking -- as much as this pains me to say this I think it may have been the Bridgestone tires - but again you would then (maybe not with some of the comments here that one should get more than 3K of a front tire without cupping).

A big thanks to the group - I certainly feel safer now - I will post if any wear issues come up and also I'm going to try the Nitrogen air replacement and will post accordingly - along that line any thoughts on the "dyna-beads" and/or a new one called "Ride-on" (tire balancer and sealer) -- thoughts - thanks!

Bill

 

[Alaskan]

I love the PR3s!! Other have posted of higher road noise, but I do not think mine are noisy. I am very impressed with their hold characteristics in the corners and on wet surfaces. They definitely gave me a higher confidence in the corners!!

Hopefully your issues are resolved!!

Alaskan