Oilheads are the BMW's 4 valve/cylinder, oil cooled, horizontally opposed twin. The term "oilhead" comes from the fact that engine oil is circulated through the heads to cool them. If you have one (R1100R, R1100RS, R1100S, or R1100RT) and you've noticed some "anomilies", this page may address some of your specific concerns that normally are reported in the first 1,000 miles or so. This is by no means "the" comprehensive source for problems.
Many newbie reported question are resolved by the 600 mile dealer checkup. This cost me $200 in February of 2000 ($34 for parts and 3.1 hours labor at $49/hour, plus tax in SE PA). There is a much more detailed list of specific remedies at the R1100 Tech Article page
While driving, my bike feels like it is running out of gas, although
I know that there is plenty of gas.
Whatsssup with this transmission? It sounds and feels "clunky"
My bike frequently stalls, why is this?
My bike vibrates, will it smooth out and when?
My bike does not start on the first try.
How long should I let it idle after starting before putting it in gear
and riding away?
What is a good shop manual?
Why does this bike have a choke? I though it was fuel injected.
What's all the buzzing and stuff at startup? What's all the clank-clank
rattle at 4mph?
Why do my ABS lights sometimes flash alternately and stay on?
Engine Oil, filters, and filter wrenches.
Why are the exhaust pipes turning blue?
Does anyone else find this seat uncomfortable?
What's up this ROZ/MOZ sticker on the gas tank? What gas should I use?
My tail light burned out. Can I get one at a local parts place?
I purchased BMW plastic Valve Cover protectors and I can't install them, why?
How to easily carry $$
How do I keep the front on my engine clean?
What you are experiencing is commonly referred to a "Surging". There are 2 versions of Monotronic Fuel Injection on the R11xx's, Monotronic 2.2) and Monotronic 2.4. Both are reported to exhibit surging. There are many "fixes", but the simplest and most cost effective ways are to synchronize the Throttle Bodies and carefully adjust the valves. Some other methods are to change to Autolite spark plugs or do a 0=0 (this may void your warranty).
In 2003, San Jose BMW started offering a dual-plugging service. Many have reported that this completely eliminates surging and you get a slight increase in gas mileage. You need to pull the heads and send them to SJBMW, who sends you back a machined set of heads (not likely your original ones) with electrics and instructions. While not a terribly complex job (~4-8 hours to remove the heads), it is time consuming and your bike will be down for a while.
I was toying with the idea of the dual-plugging, but I decided to take the 'easy' route and install a Techlusion 259 ( http://www.techlusion.us/). The installation was very simple and setup was a snap. I believe it has eliminated the surging. I can't really tell unless I ride a non-surger. The bike is noticeably smoother and throttle response is much better. Since the bike is now nice, I find myself riding in lower gears at higher RPM's. It did put a dent in my gas mileage.
Some people have even mentioned doing a canasterectomy to help with surging. The canister has nothing to do with surging, but if the canister gets raw fuel in it, it can become clogged. Also, there are reports of charcoal getting pulled into the fuel tank and clogging the filter. Bad thing. See the R1100
Tech Article page for more info.
This is a byproduct of the transmission design. You can try all
sorts of remedies, but the following has worked well for me and doesn't
cost anything. Someone posted to the list, but I do not recall who. Many
thanks to whomever it was!
Before pulling in the clutch to up-shift, apply a little upward force
on the shift lever, then shift as normal. The gear should slide in with
little force or noise.
Some of the new bikes exhibit this. It gradually gets better and
after the 600 mile servicing, all but disappears. By 1,000 miles, it is
normally gone
On R1100R's, there seems to be a pronounced vibration around 4,500
RPM. It will likely diminish greatly after the 600-mile servicing. It should
continue to diminish as more miles are put on the bike. Other models may
have different vibrations, but the same remedy applies.
This has been reported on some bikes. I personally have not experienced
this nor have I heard of any remedies.
BMW is very specific in the Owners Manual. Start the bike and ride
off. Don't leave it idle for long periods even on very cold days
The BMW factory manual is generally thought to be overpriced. Clymer
and Haynes both make excellent manuals. The Haynes is a bit cheaper.
It's not really a choke, rather a throttle "boost" or a fast-idle
control.
Since this is a fuel-injected bike, it has a fuel pump. It makes
a noticeable whining noise when you turn the ignition on. There is another
noise generated when you begin forward motion. I assume this is from the
ABS, since the ABS light go out as soon as I hear the noise (assuming you
have ABS).
My experience with this was that my bike is ready for a new battery, also
the dealer said on the older RTs (mine's 96) you needed to give the bike a
few seconds after turning the key to "on" before hitting the starter button.
Engine Oil, filters, and filter wrenches.
If you want to get flamed, just post any question about oil or filters to the listserver. The general philosophy is to use high quality, non-synthetic oil for the first 6,000 miles or so. I am not even going to recommend a brand.
On the topic of oil filters, I do have a strong opinion. Some people rave that they purchased after-market oil filters at a great price. Let's look at economies. Say the after-market filter is $10 less than the BMW filter (I know this is a ridiculous figure, but it further illustrates my point). Also, let's say that you change your oil every other month. By purchasing the after-market filters, you save $60 per year. Personally, I'd rather buy the BMW filter knowing that if I have a problem with it, I have some sort of leg to stand on with BMW.
On wrenches, there are many aftermarket wrenches that are supposed to
fit. Spinrite "B" is very close, but it did not fit my filter. It was $5,
the BMW wrench is $15. I'm not going to fret over $10 and I purchased the
BMW wrench.
Two reasons that I know of:
For riding long distances, the stock seat leaves much to be desired.
There are after-market seats that improve upon this greatly. This is by
no means an endorsement of the respective products. Sargent also make a seat.
Also from Richard Harmon (richard.harmon@ssf.net) Most of you know that BMW sells a higher "comfort" seat for
the R1150R, but did you know that they also sell a thicker (by about 1 inch)
"comfort" passenger's seat? It is part no. 1 71 60 7 652 072 and sells for
$150.00. The seat is more comfortable to sit on, provides the passenger
with more legroom and is level with the BMW rack, so a large package lashed
to the seat will also sit on the rack without having to bend in the middle.
What's up this ROZ/MOZ octane sticker on the gas tank? What gas should I use?
In the US, we average these 2 numbers to come up with the number on the pump. For example, on my bike,
the ROZ is 95 and the MOZ is 85. (95+85)/2 = 90. You should use 90 Octane. 89 is very common throughout
the US and should work just fine. Any higher is just putting $$$ out the exhaust pipe. In older bikes,
this may not work. As the engine ages, carbon deposits accumulate in the combustion chamber and cause the
compression ratio to increase, which results in pinging. If this is your case, run higher octane, which should
eliminate the pinging.
Yup! Sylvania 7528 will work just fine.
The plastic valve cover supplied by BMW are very difficult to install. Play with them and eventually you will get them installed. You may need to leave out a washer or two, but they do fit (not on 2001 R1100RL's which have the chrome valve covers OR the dual-plug models).
The metal flap that covers the keyhole on the gas cap can be used as a handy money-clip for holding paper money (folded twice), for bridge and road tolls. I use it when crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on my naked R-bike with its exposed gas cap and even moving at 70 mph, with a 30 mph crosswind, I have yet to loose my toll money. When I get to the booth, I just grab the money from under the flap and roll out, instead of digging for my wallet while balancing my bike on the greasy pavement, as auto drivers get anxious and start inching forward behind me.
For those of you looking for something to protect the front engine cases, the clear plastic Aeroflow Engine Bib for the 1150GS fits the R1150R perfectly. It sells for $44.95, through your dealer and should do a great job of keeping dirt, gorp and the ever-lovable tar off of the silver engine case.
Last updated 11-Dec-03
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