[05Train]

I'm planning on doing it one night this week. I've watched the video, I've read up on it, but everything I've found is for a GS. I understand the bike has to be at operating temperature, so I'm guessing I need to come back from a ride, quickly strip off the tupperware, park the stepper motors with the GS-911, then do the sync? I'm assuming that it'd be unsafe to ride the bike sans tupperware, but my concern is that the bike will cool too much while I'm stripping it.

Any tips?

 

[hopz]

05...

Hope you don't mind me calling you by your first name...

GS/RT/R all the same.

That is one way to do it but once you have the tupperware off... do the valves then just ride it naked--- you really don't even have to have the seat. The powerlet plug might flop around a little but no big deal.

Or, many of us just do the valves (which are done cold). Then put a fan in front of the bike and crank her up. I watch the RID while I'm futzing around getting ready for the synch.

When it the temperature comes off the bottom mark and starts going upward... you can do the synch... no problem. By the time you are finished it will not be hot... just regular. I have my regular shop fan which is on a pedestal base with about a 4 foot stand blowing right into the front of the bike.

Tip: Never leave your bike running if you leave the garage. I sold my R1100R bike to a guy who left it running... to take a phone call. It ran fine till it froze up. New motor time.

 

[New2rt]

You don't have to ride it, strip it, start it, hold it above idle for a little bit (doesn't take long) then sync.
If you're using a GS911 to lock the steppers it won't allow it until it is at the proper temp.

I use a fan placed in front of the engine to keep the temp within reason, it gets up to temp quick when you are holding the RPM's at 1800 to check the balance.

If you're doing it in the evening you will see the front pipes glowing red. If you smoke you won't need a lighter.

The boxer engine will get hot quick above idle without movement.

 

[05Train]

Awesome. Thanks guys.

 

[GRB60]

It doesn't take long enough to worry about. I think mine was running less than 5 minutes while I did the sync.

 

[Daaron]

I currently do not have the tool to do throttle body sync. Is there any damage that it can cause if i do not do it on my 6K service?

 

[JayJay]

I currently do not have the tool to do throttle body sync. Is there any damage that it can cause if i do not do it on my 6K service?

Daaron - As long as you haven't done anything along the way to really throw off the factory sync (like disconnecting/reconnecting/adjusting throttle cables) then it's more of a driveability issue than it is a safety or damage issue. Having a good solid sync really improves the smoothness and responsiveness, so you should do it sometime. You're likely to see an improvement now early in your bike's life as the initial settling in and stretching should be settling down. My ride quality was an almost day/night difference the first time I synced. I haven't had to change anything the last several service times.

JayJay

 

[hopz]

I agree with what Jay-Jay said...


And add-in... you can make the tool for a TBS with very little cost, and it will actually be better than the electronic models. Here is a you tube of one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nKaGEMLZjs

Google is your friend on this subject. Search: "home made throttle body synch manometer"

What Jay-Jay was saying was that during those first 6k miles there are various mechanical things that are getting comfy in their positions. Perhaps one of the 4 valves will settle-in slightly different than the others... (just an example). People often think of this as the valve stems stretching just that tiny bit. Thus the early valve adjustments are often more "productive" of a smooth ride than the later ones. Extra care in getting all 4 valves perfectly on-specification and you will notice great improvement.

In addition the throttle bodies should always be balanced after a valve adjustment. You want the air/fuel mix to be the same on both the left and right hand cylinders... if you change the valves even just a little bit they need to have the air/fuel vacuum to be re-set.

Many times the technician who is in a hurry doing your routing 600 mile first service will not actually do a physical TBS, but may rely on some electronic hocus-pocus. This, alone, is worth doing it correctly yourself.

Building a plastic tube manometer ought to take about 20 minutes, including the first beer. You can make it fancy and take an hour or so, and still spend about $10.

Here is a link specfically for the R1200's...
http://www.motorcycleinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.obxaszqugbllbuna&pageId=264844

 

[JayJay]

As usual, Hopz, not just a gem of information but a whole bloody jewelry store.

I had the dealership do the 600 mile and 6000 mile services and found their idea of adjustment (valves, TBS) was "Gut enuf". Well, that wasn't enough for me so I did it myself and got a much better result. There's real value in being fastidious.

JayJay

 

[TWheels]

I agree with what Jay-Jay said...


And add-in... you can make the tool for a TBS with very little cost, and it will actually be better than the electronic models. Here is a you tube of one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nKaGEMLZjs

Google is your friend on this subject. Search: "home made throttle body synch manometer"

What Jay-Jay was saying was that during those first 6k miles there are various mechanical things that are getting comfy in their positions. Perhaps one of the 4 valves will settle-in slightly different than the others... (just an example). People often think of this as the valve stems stretching just that tiny bit. Thus the early valve adjustments are often more "productive" of a smooth ride than the later ones. Extra care in getting all 4 valves perfectly on-specification and you will notice great improvement.

In addition the throttle bodies should always be balanced after a valve adjustment. You want the air/fuel mix to be the same on both the left and right hand cylinders... if you change the valves even just a little bit they need to have the air/fuel vacuum to be re-set.

Many times the technician who is in a hurry doing your routing 600 mile first service will not actually do a physical TBS, but may rely on some electronic hocus-pocus. This, alone, is worth doing it correctly yourself.

Building a plastic tube manometer ought to take about 20 minutes, including the first beer. You can make it fancy and take an hour or so, and still spend about $10.

Here is a link specfically for the R1200's...
http://www.motorcycleinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.obxaszqugbllbuna&pageId=264844

I think I will give it a try. Does anyone know if a particular fluid yields more accurate results ?

 

[hopz]

they say that ATF... Automatic transmission fluid has an amenable viscosity and you can see it...

 

[TWheels]

they say that ATF... Automatic transmission fluid has an amenable viscosity and you can see it...

Thanks... I'll try it.

 

[TWheels]

I completed the Throttle Body Sync today. The bike was running a little rough after adjusting the valve clearance so I invested the $10 for 20ft of plastic tubing and a liter of ATF. I fastened the tubing loop to a scrap piece of plywood and filled it so there was about 18" on either side of the bottom of the loop. (Leaving a couple of feet empty on either side). The hard part was getting the ATF into the tubing and getting rid of the bubbles. Today I connected the tubes to the vacuum ports and ran the engine to 4000 rpm and found significant indicated imbalance. It only took a couple of minutes to complete the adjustment using only the right cable adjuster. I also tried other engine speeds and made the necessary adjustments for the best overall result. The manometer is very sensitive. Moving the adjustment a couple of degrees made a large change to the display. It's truly amazing how much better the bike runs now.

 

[flienlow]

I just tried this with 2 cycle oil. Didnt work worth a shit. No matter what I did, there was no rhyme or reason to the balance. It would draw higher on one side, and then I would adjust the high side down. then the side I adjusted down would go back high. It was unbalanced at high rpm and at low rpm.What did I do wrong?

 

[New2rt]

Put one end of the tube in the bottle of ATF and suck the fluid in, no bubbles.
Careful though, most is animal fat base but still not good to drink.

just sayin

 

[TWheels]

I just tried this with 2 cycle oil. Didnt work worth a shit. No matter what I did, there was no rhyme or reason to the balance. It would draw higher on one side, and then I would adjust the high side down. then the side I adjusted down would go back high. It was unbalanced at high rpm and at low rpm.What did I do wrong?

Don't know why it didn't work. I didn't have any problems at all. Perhaps there is a leak ???? I have read that some do use the 2 cycle oil successfully.

 

[TWheels]

Put one end of the tube in the bottle of ATF and suck the fluid in, no bubbles.
Careful though, most is animal fat base but still not good to drink.

just sayin

I did that and then realized I had too much liquid in the tube. The "fun" started when I tried to empty some out. Still it was well worth the effort.

 

[hopz]

No matter what I did, there was no rhyme or reason to the balance.

Hard to tell from this distance but it sounds like some vacuum leak some where.

Start the bike and let her warm up.

BY-the-way... this is why I like to have the fan running... I un-do the lock nut on the right hand side throttle cable (never, ever... mess with anything on the left side)


Observe the balance or imbalance on the meter or the tubes... at idle

Come just off idle... the master Guru of all things BMW is Paul Glaves. I do not think he is on this forum but is on the BMW MOA sites. He writes the technical column for the MOA magazine. He advised to do the balance check just-off idle because it is at low throttle setting where the vacuum differential is greatest. At high RPM both sides are pretty much wide-open thus harder to tell the imbalance.

With the bike running adjust the adjuster nut/sleeve until there is equality on the the left and right.

Hold the 10mm wrench in the same place and do not move it... then slip 10mm number two under it and lock it down.

The test it again. With some luck it will still be in balance. If not, some have said you can use a needle nose pliers to turn the throttle cable housing a little... I personally do not do this. I just hit and miss till I get it right.. It may take me two times, it may take 10... I just do it till it is right.

If not, repeat till it is....

Note: I used to think I was doing it right by balancing it at the 4k rpm because that is where I like to ride. Get it smooth etc. It seemed OK but I did it the Paul Glaves way and thing that overall it is far better.

YAMMV... good luck

 

[JayJay]

I un-do the lock nut on the right hand side throttle cable (never, ever... mess with anything on the left side)

Hopz - I know this is common wisdom, but is there anything magical about the right side vs. the left side? I can understand choosing one side or the other to adjust so that you don't end up chasing all the slack out, but as near as I can tell the two sides' cables function identically.

I got started adjusting the left side because the light is better on the left side in my shop, and always made sure to keep slack. But like in all things in life, I can be persuaded that I had a bad idea.

Thanks as always.

JayJay

 

[05Train]

Hopz - I know this is common wisdom, but is there anything magical about the right side vs. the left side? I can understand choosing one side or the other to adjust so that you don't end up chasing all the slack out, but as near as I can tell the two sides' cables function identically.

I got started adjusting the left side because the light is better on the left side in my shop, and always made sure to keep slack. But like in all things in life, I can be persuaded that I had a bad idea.

Thanks as always.

JayJay

Moreover, on the JVB maintenance disc, it says nothing about not touching the left side. In fact, in his pictorial, it specifically says to adjust both sides to insure 1mm of slack.