Drove from Murcia to Alameda, via Granada..... then travelled south to Mijas Golf (Near Malaga). We then travelled back home.
Total Miles 534 ... averaged 47 mpg.... which I think is amazing considerng I ragged it most of the way..... between 80 and 90, 90% of the time. It used no discernable oil.... which I think proves the point made by many on this forum., that giving it a blast is good for it.
I still have that awful roughness... just about 5000 rpm in top (90mph) so I found myself just sitting under 90 most of the way as the bike purrs at this point. So again, as discussed by many here.... this seems to be the norm. Will this ever go away as people mention....??? the bike has done 11.5K miles and as it was a BMW press bike, I would have thought it would have been given a good seeing to.
One thing I did notice... the System 5 Helmet is bloody noisy much noiser than the old system 4.... I will definitely have to wear plugs next time. I thought this strange as it got a very good rating on db levels.
Bloody good couple of days though:P
Cheers all
Stuart
.......~ ~
....-(@ @)-
ooO-(__)-Ooo
Ride due west to the sunset, turn left at the Rocky Mountains. (Jeremiah Johnson)
R1100S 2003. The Fast Colour. G650 Xchallenge 2008. F650CS Black 2003 SWMBO
snavetrauts wrote:I still have that awful roughness... just about 5000 rpm in top (90mph) so I found myself just sitting under 90 most of the way as the bike purrs at this point. So again, as discussed by many here.... this seems to be the norm. Will this ever go away as people mention....??? the bike has done 11.5K miles and as it was a BMW press bike, I would have thought it would have been given a good seeing to.
the standard cure all is:
1) balance those throttle bodies
2) adjust those valves
Are you still running a cat on your bike Stuart? junking that might help too.
Once you fit your Boxertrix stickers and wear your Boxertrix polo shirt, it should run much better too Try experimenting with the number of buttons you do up on the neck. Mine runs best with all undone
Cheers,
Paul
You really need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.
Stuart - buy a set of earplugs, they are incredible. I've never used these things in the past but in March I took the bike on an extensive trip down south and around Corwall. Just prior to the trip I purchased a set of earplugs for 25p they make a heck of a difference. I've got a Schuberth helmet which is one of the quietest on the market but still lets in noise via wind blast etc and this is really subdued with the earplugs in. They make for relaxing riding especially on a long run and I use them all the time now. On full bore all I hear is a satisfying background drone sound from the Remus system.
db ratings on helmets have always amazed me....in that anyone pays attention to them. The noise experienced by the wearer has as much to do with the bike they're riding (screen/fairing, riding position) and rider shape (height relative to screen, build, clothing and particularly amount of space between helmet and lining) as it does to do with the design of the helmet itself.
Noise testing with a dummy head is pretty meaningless. One person's quiet helmet is another person's torture. Shoei lids are supposed to be quiet but my head's a different shape and doesn't fit the helmet properly, so an Arai (supposedly a lot noiser) is quieter for me. This is a bit of a bu**er really, since no retailer will let you try a helmet on a bike before you buy it, not even if it's a £500 Arai
What also amazes me is that there are still people riding long distances at high speeds without ear plugs.
EVERYONE, WEAR EARPLUGS!
Sorry to shout, but anyone out there still riding without earplugs is probably quite being deaf by now....
I just came back up from another trip down South this week at similar pace. Reserve light at 165 miles, services and fill up at 172 miles. 15 litres giving an average 51.8mpg.
Anyway I actually found more vibes around 4.5K which were less noticeable nearer 5K rpm (is that a plausible excuse for the speed?).
Also I was going to comment on the earplugs today. I have some custom made (yes, for me) plugs but I still get ringing ears for the remainder of the day. I use Arai, which seems reasonably quiet but with plenty of vents they are going to catch the breeze a bit. Nothing else fitted as well. My plugs are like a hard nylon. For those with similar custom plugs - including those with monitors - are they hard, soft or with a softer outer? I'm not so sure mine are really fit for purpose.
Me-109 wrote: For those with similar custom plugs - including those with monitors - are they hard, soft or with a softer outer? I'm not so sure mine are really fit for purpose.
We had some musician-friendly earplugs made up (spl's where I work can reach 118db and average in the high 90's) so I thought, seeing as they had already taken individual moulds, I'd get a set made up for biking. They're made from a semi-soft substance and fit/remove easily. All I'll say is that whilst admittedly not cheap they are absolutely superb - and the company is excellent to deal with.
ME-109 - Check out the compressible ones for 25p a shot. You just squeeze them before inserting and they expand in the ear so one would imagine they would be a better fit than a hard plastic.
By the way, do you live near Leatherhead Golf Club ? I spent my entire mispent youth on that course.
scotty wrote:ME-109 - Check out the compressible ones for 25p a shot. You just squeeze them before inserting and they expand in the ear so one would imagine they would be a better fit than a hard plastic.
I'll second that - I've tried loads of different plugs (off the shelf - not custom ones) and the compressible foam ones are the best for me. Can't remember the make (Maxlite, or something similar?) but I bought the last lot from Hein Gericke in a bag of 50 pairs, they're green and sort of T-shaped. Roll them between thumb and forefinger, insert plug in ear, and they expand to fit the space. They're comfortable for all-day use unlike some of the unshaped (cylindrical) ones which gave me painful ears after a couple of hours, and give excellent high-frequency protection. My only reservation is that they're a bit too effective for use in town - I feel a bit isolated from what's going on around me as I can't hear other vehicles so well.
I picked mine up at the NEC Bike Show - www.customearprotection.co.uk. I had tried mouldable plugs but found they made me feel quite isolated from what was going on around. So I went for vented plugs which cut down the noise but let enough sound through to still keep you in touch. They're comfortable and I don't get the ringing in the ears that I used to (maybe I've gone deaf already).
Moldex, which come in little platic containers of four.
Cheaper at Hein Gerick than Metropolis. However, I noticed recently that Metropolis's recently re-stocked (they ran out) batch are softer (newer?) than my local HG.
These also came top in a recent Bike magazine survey...
