R1150RT

Sigh, first things first...

Loved my '97 & '99 RTs so much that I decided to trade for an '02. Lured by the six speed transmission and few other "improvements". Sadly, my beautiful silver example was an early production unit and its brakes were a sporting disaster on twisty/bumpy back roads. Roads that were easily tackled at any pace aboard previous RTs and my '02 GS, all of which have conventional ABS equipped brakes. Roads that I've covered on all sorts of other motorcycles with no brake-related issues whatsoever, for well over two decades.

In an effort to try and address these early production problems, changes were made to the system's guts and quietly implemented in mid-production. There was a factory technical service bulletin describing said changes, but BMW of North America was quick to pounce on anyone who posted it. Seems TSBs had suddenly become top-secret documents, so one has to wonder why consumer resource sites like the NHTSA's and ALLDATA weren't hassled. No matter, the bulletin has long been common knowledge and remains posted at a few websites, so an Internet search will likely reveal the truth for those who seek it today. That's how I learned of it, long ago.

In any case, BMW clearly stated that they would not retrofit early units with the improved system upon owners' requests, but it was of little consequence as the concept remained fundamentally flawed. This left folks like myself with little choice but to sell, and this one's now long gone.

Even today, related Internet forums are still ringing with complaints about BMW's power/linked brakes. From outright equipment malfunctions to the usual bumpy road antics at the hands of experienced riders, it's never ending. To be enlightened, simply use the search function at websites like ADVrider, BMWSportTouring and UKGS'er using keywords like servo, brake and failure or similar.

So thanks BMW. Thanks for being so heavy handed with former enthusiasts like me. Thanks for using consumers as guinea pigs. Thanks for proving that the system was indeed defective by quietly endeavoring to fix things in mid-production, while ignoring those of us who questioned the problems from day one. From the first application of those pathetically hair-triggered brakes, to the opening of that lovely legal letter, it was all so very enlightening.

This page will stay up as a resource for anyone interested, but time has marched on and much improved GPS units and mounts are now the norm, so don't expect things to be current. Regardless, hope you find at least some of the information useful.

Tweaks
(Related links listed lower on the page.)

GPS
On my previous RT, I used Garmin's GPS III Plus mounted on a Martin Fabrication mount. Having long wanted to try out the larger screen of the StreetPilot, I opted for the ColorMap version for the 1150. So the search was on for a suitable mount. Martin Fabrication, Saeng, R.A.M. and a couple of other effective options exist, but I decided upon Gennadi Kim's GPS For Less version for its beautiful design & execution.

The first picture above shows the assembled mount before installation. Included are four stainless steel "Combo Bolts" which replace four of your stock handlebar bolts, as shown in the second & third pictures. The fourth picture shows the four thumbscrews that thread into the Combo Bolts to secure the actual mount to the bike. If one wanted a more tamper-proof installation, it'd be a cinch to substitute some standard bolts for the thumbscrews. Very simple & elegant. (On a related note, looking for handy mounting solutions? The Combo Bolts are also available separately and could be used in many creative ways.)

Here's how the mount looks from various angles once installed...

Plenty of ignition switch clearance and with the Garmin swivel base mount, your StreetPilot is adjustable for angle and snaps in and out in seconds. Speaking of the StreetPilot, here are several views of it all mounted up...

I'm 5'10" and with the seat mounted in its lowest position, the unit sits just beneath the view to the speedo & tach. It does slightly obscure the lower portion of the warning lights, but not enough to be unable to tell if the blinker's on (for example) and a slight lean forward easily brings the lights into full view. The placement really makes sense once a tankbag is mounted. I included Garmin's GPS III Plus in the last picture to provide a size comparison. It served me well for years and remains a great little receiver.

As can be seen in the fourth picture above, I've hard-wired the unit for power using Garmin's fused Power Data Cable (#010-10082-00). Having learned from previous GPS experience, it's nice at times to be able to have things powered up even if the engine's off, so I chose to go directly to the battery. It seems a good idea to run the cable up & over the fuel tank (under the bodywork of course) to avoid engine heat. With the fairing's side panels removed, you'll see that there's plenty of room under or adjacent to the tank's top cover to safely & neatly stash the wiring. I ran mine on the left side of the top panel and the detector's audio feed on the right to help avoid any unwanted noise.

Well that about covers the StreetPilot installation. I'm still getting to know how it differs from the III Plus in operation, but thus far I gotta give it two thumbs up. The screen's size and colors are just fantastic and the available data cartridges allow you to easily include far more detailed maps of specific areas. For example, I used MapSource's MetroGuide USA CD to fill a 32MB card with a ton of extra detail covering almost half of Texas. An amazing amount of added useful information on top of the already excellent base map. Data cards come in various capacities from 8MB to 128 and here's a quick tip: If you plan to download and swap maps from the CDs to data cards often, go ahead and get the USB Card Data Programmer (about $80). It's much faster than using your PC's serial data port and Garmin's interface cable.

Intercom
Gotta have an intercom for two-up sport touring! Having read numerous testimonials, an Autocom Eurocom got the nod and was supplied by my friends over at Honda of Houston.

I wanted the intercom's power to be switched so I tapped into the taillight's circuit. The controller was then mounted under the seat just aft of the fuse box. It has to be positioned as shown in the first picture above in order to fit into a recess in the underside of the front seat and to allow the rear seat to engage its tab. The helmet leads are then easily pulled out from in between the two seats as shown on the right. They plug into jacks which exit on the sides of our helmets and are attached to their shells using cable mounts. Very nice and tidy.

We're able to converse normally at elevated speeds and as an added convenience, the radar detector pipes all alerts directly into the helmet via one of Autocom's filtered leads. I've said it before ... after a couple of decades of riding on the street, the ability to converse with my sweetie is most welcome and riding without it now just wouldn't be the same. (I was once ranting & carrying on about something or other during a ride and a few minutes of blabbing had passed with no response. How strange! Jules then dangles an unplugged lead for me to see. Seems she'd purposely gone off line during my epic speech. %$#@ hooligan! I just love this girl.)

Radio Fluff Removal
I'll never understand is why BMW has chosen to include a bunch of audio equipment on US models. There's the mounting bracket which robs the storage bin of most of its capacity, an eyesore of an antenna stuck up on the otherwise sleek snout, a pair of speaker assemblies and the wiring harness. What about the actual radio you ask? It's not included! No, if you wish to listen to music while riding, you'll also have to buy the seriously expensive factory radio, or experiment with various aftermarket alternatives. Even more entertaining, if you're like me and aren't interested in listening to music while riding, you'll have the honor of knowing all that stuff's up in the fairing - just in case. And lest you forget about it all, there's always that silly antenna to remind ya! Again, I don't get it and neither do countless others who have taken the time to remove the useless equipment. So lets get on with it!

Remove the bodywork, windshield and the upper dash cover beneath it. Then remove the main dash panel's bolts and just leave it loose. In other words, no need to completely remove it.

The image above on the left shows the clutch side speaker assembly, on the right is the throttle side. They are each secured with three Torx bolts. One is under where the mirror mounts, the other two are on the inside edge of the front of each speaker. The wiring simply unplugs and it can take a bit of wiggling to sneak the assemblies out. The third picture above shows the back of the removed antenna. It's removed by turning the mast's base counterclockwise, but if the locknut pictured above turns while doing so, you'll need to get a wrench on it after peeling back it's rubber boot. Then remove the radio mount from the storage bin, its related harness and silicone seal or tape over the wiring's pass-thru hole.

Once done you'll have the pile of audio stuff pictured below...

That's just under 8lbs of equipment. Not a huge amount of weight in the scheme of things, but no need to carry useless ballast. I recommend boxing it all up for storage as reinstallation is a cinch should you ever wish to do so. Speaking of storage, the bin is now usable...

And it'll be even more usable once I install the larger 1100 version, a bolt in swap.

So all that's left is to fill the hole in the fairing and a trip to your hardware store is all it takes. I chose a simple black plastic plug, others have painted theirs to match...

Looks happier eh?

Wondering about BMW's optional Comfort Seat?

The first two pics show the standard seat and the Comfort Seat side by side. You'll notice that the latter is a good bit larger. The last two pics show side views of each mounted on the bike in their lowest positions. My RT came out of the crate with a Comfort Seat and it may very well work as claimed on a long stint, but I've yet to explore that. I do however know that at least on shorter rides, particularly quick ones, the standard lower/narrower version works better for me and I was able to buy one at IBMWR's handy online marketplace (link below). So if yours came with the Comfort and you feel as though it's a bit bulbous & tall, standard versions are relatively easy to find. FYI: a stock seat from an R1100RT will work just fine as well.

One thing I miss on the new RT is the ability to easily adjust the shift lever. I usually like it lower than most and found relief by simply slipping a short piece rubber hose over its tip...

The added girth makes all the difference, so if you used to own a pre-'02 RT and liked having the lever in it's lowest position, this may be worth a try.

Easy battery charger hook up.
Graft a BMW male accessory plug end onto your charger's battery mounted lead. Then just plug it into one of your accessory outlets...

Delivery day...
			Dan & Dave

In the upgrade department there's a better headlight with extra lighting built in, now fully adjustable for elevation from the cockpit and housed in a more aero/nicer looking nose. The engine delivers more power & torque with its added displacement & compression and is backed by a six speed gearbox & hydraulic clutch. This new drivetrain is perhaps the most welcome change. Sure the extra motor is nice, but what the RT needed most was a slicker gearbox and an overdrive 6th. Lighter wheels always help and the rear is a 17 incher, wider and hung on a Paralever that's a tad shorter than before. Heated grips are now standard as are the two accessory outlets under the left side cover. Handling is typical RT, amazingly high cornering limits, rock steady chassis with a bit of added sharpness compared to the 1100. Nice job as usual in this regard.