RE: Convince me to buy another RS... - 3

Zitat von Dave H im Beitrag #27

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Cannot recall ever bothering with gasp at low revs as it upsets my mechanical sympathy compared to a light clutch any way I use it.

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I sold my R1250 RS due to a serious back problem. When that improved a bit I decided to go for a lighter bike and now have a Triumph Tiger Sport 660. Obviously doesn't have the grunt of the RS, but is surprisingly torquey and I have found it to be a very satisfactory replacement for the RS.

No OEM centre stand, but a third party option is being developed.

"What I've heard from good sources is the reason the clutchless shifting doesn't work as well on the R series engines is the enormous torque and the very robust transmissions designed to go high miles."
I read "robust transmission" as heavy driveshaft and pinion gear, as opposed to chain final drive. The Ducati's I've ridden, from SS to Pinagale have buttery smooth quickshifts.

((((I read "robust transmission" as heavy driveshaft and pinion gear, as opposed to chain final drive. The Ducati's I've ridden, from SS to Pinagale have buttery smooth quickshifts)))))

Ah, the driveshaft probably does contribute but that isn't it imo. .... The 1250 RS really has huge torque right off idle and BMW does seem to put big transmissions in the R series bikes although, I don't know what they did with the 1150 right after airheads and on after. This is a similar concept to over the road trucks and there general lack of synchronizers and if you ever had to learn one of those it can be pretty difficult. The shifting has to be precise. I did that for a spell many years ago and people riding along when I get into a stick shift of some sort, will still take notice of how smooth the shifting is and often comment. I also did become very slick with my /5, no clunks, downshifts that sound like an auto downshifting in spite of the huge flywheel inertia ....
So it wouldn't surprise me if the Duke has a light, easy to sinc, transmission more intended to save weight and just hold up enough as most other four cylinder bikes do, It would be interesting to investigate the big twin Dukes, they have always been a fav of mine ..
The only BMW airhead that had trans trouble was the 1974 R900/6 with the 5 speed trans and kickstart .... They had to pull those out of service right away. To make room for both the 5th gear and the kick start (previous bikes were four speeds) they downsized the gearset and it didn't hold up at all. They went to a five speed with no kickstart with the big gears which were now bevel cut and didn't whine .... My /5 whines beautifully with the standard four speed and kickstart ...
This whole thing is amusing a little with what I assume are younger folks doubting whether the opposed twins are hard to shift and have big clumsy transmissions ... It wasn't just BMW but other German brands like Sachs, Zundapp and Maico that made motocrossers and they were known for having difficult to shift transmissions (stomping on your german gearbox ... right out of a Motocross Action Magazine bike review) ....
All that said the auto shift does work fairly well and you never know, I wouldn't put it past them to figure it out to perfection ...

I think it may be a German thing regarding gearboxes and strength with durability. Just check out a lap of Le Mans from inside a Porsche 962 with Derek Bell, he comments on how the gearbox cannot be rushed if you want to use it for the full 24hrs. Yes they are a heavier feel than many Japanese systems maybe except the Yamaha XS1100 models I used to own which were near impossible to change up anywhere near the redline.
The wait for an upshift and drive just showed how much time racing drivers seems to have over mere mortals when still at lap record pace.

Actually Dave that Porsche probably has a light racing trans that is just barely able to make it thru a race. By slowing down the shifting it takes a load off the synchronizers and is more likely to last ... That is a thing in F1 and Le Mans. I think they use constant mesh trans in those cars these days but the h-gate shifting presented problems back in the day .... just watch a few ayrton senna pole lap on boards ... he has to shift into the gear he needs coming out of the corner as he approaches the corner with screaming high down shifts into first ..... but that is a whole another thing and prolly off topic somewhat ...

Zitat von duccrazydave im Beitrag #33

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I read "robust transmission" as heavy driveshaft.

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Keep the one you got,now into the seventh year with mine 30 odd thousand miles(should be more but work gets in the way.
The bikes a keeper,can't think of anything to replace it,nothing on the market stirs my loins enough to warrant a change..... so as for convincing you to change its a big NO from me.

Zitat von Ray B im Beitrag #37

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Zitat von duccrazydave im Beitrag #33

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I read "robust transmission" as heavy driveshaft.

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Agree. The RR is forgiving in where one shifts in the power zone; I've got the RS dialed in so that for the most part, it is as smooth, but it let's me know when I don't get it quite right.

(Also, wanted to note here how much I miss Bravo's banter about transmission through the heavy driveshaft.)

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