R 1200 C a shaking bitch?

[mbrST1100]

S'cuze my ignorance, those rigs are rare as horse-crap over here...

Today one of those things pulled alongside while I was standing at a red light, and it was shaking in idle... seriously, that flat-2 wigged the whole bike like a lambs-tail...

Aren't there any counter balance shafts dealing with that?
Is this on purpose? I never saw a GS vacillate like that...

[cammy_moir]

Martin - was it this one

r1200c (480x391).jpg (38.16 KiB) Viewed 10049 times

[mbrST1100]

LOL!

Nah, one of those critters:




Once in my life I did try a cruiser (only because that EX GF back then urged me so much... so I wanted to proof that those things aren't anywhere near an ST...)
So I went and rented a Honda Shadow VT1100... awful rig... to boldly coast along at max 80kph/50mph where no fast turns have been before...

The vibrant, shaking engine and the CLUNKY gearbox of that VT must have been purposely designed that way, in order to imitate some Hardly Worthitson resemblance, as this is absolutely not common Honda quality and standard... I tried hard, but weren't able to get a single silent gear-change out of it...
I also fell for the misconception "its an 1100, I can easily pass a slow moving car..."... yeah-right... one of the scariest moments in my life... 90kph//56mph to 120kph/75mph in an eternity...

So with that experience in mind I think that also the R1200C shakes per marketing/design, maybe even to prevent build-up of sludge in the oil pan or such...

Pieter, is yours doing that too?

Is that the secret you can lure chicks into a ride with you?

[Pieter Huizinga]

It seems to be a well known trait of the boxer engine. Mine doesn't really "shake" when stationary, but if you open the throttle you do feel the bike lean sideways. This apparently is perfectly normal, and readily explainable by someone who knows about these things (I don't, I'm an end user).

As for your other observations, obviously a naked bike is nowhere an ST-type bike. A cruiser is no sports machine. I don't even have a screen on it. The bike will go up to 180 km/h (and not in an eternity but rather agile) and I did that a couple of times, but it is not very comfortable sitting in the frontal wind at those speeds. Also the ST will w/o problem go much faster than 180 I think.
On average, when on the motorway, I typically cruise at 120-130 km/h. It's legal, and comfortable. I've done over 1200 km/day on the autoroute du soleil in France a number of times (I was in a hurry) that way, without noticeable physical consequences.

That said, my idea of a biker's vacation is to avoid motorways. With all respect to those of you who "go for a drive of 400 miles and back", that's not my idea of relaxation.

[mbrST1100]

It seems to be a well known trait of the boxer engine. Mine doesn't really "shake" when stationary, but if you open the throttle you do feel the bike lean sideways.

That "torque lean" is quite normal on them flat-2/boxer engines, takes some practice to get used to it though, working the throttle while leaned or manoeuvring through narrow spaces (i.e. filtering) is not a good idea...

The power plants of the ST series (as well longitudinal engines) compensates by rotating modules in opposing directions; engine turning this, clutch and mains-shaft the other direction, prop-shaft rotates counter-, the alternator turning clockwise, etc...
By this there is only a barely, faint noticeable momentum when whacking the throttle...

So the particular R1200C was kinda defective, handlebars were oscillating like +/-5cm while standing in idle...

As for your other observations, obviously a naked bike is nowhere an ST-type bike. A cruiser is no sports machine. I don't even have a screen on it. The bike will go up to 180 km/h (and not in an eternity but rather agile) and I did that a couple of times, but it is not very comfortable sitting in the frontal wind at those speeds. Also the ST will w/o problem go much faster than 180 I think.

The ST1100 could do 230~240... a 1300 probably 260...
Cruisers are a completely different breed and target group...
On that VT1100 I was approaching at ~120 in 4th, had to wait for free sight ahead, shifted to 3rd and opened the throttle... and that V-2 just ran out of breath at ~4000rpm... me still staring at the drivers door of the car I tried to pass there...
Do the same with the 1100 V-4 of the ST and that thing unleashes, like an afterburner kicking in... would have gunned by that car with 150~160...

That said, my idea of a biker's vacation is to avoid motorways. With all respect to those of you who "go for a drive of 400 miles and back", that's not my idea of relaxation.

M/ways are also not my cup of tea... despite that on the ST one can do >160kph/100mph for hours and days... its just too boring...
Thus I use them only for fast liaison stages, getting out the city, quickly passing dense traffic industrial/populated areas or crossing though dull flatlands ASAP...
I don't even like major federal roads, boring, straight, too much traffic... I'm more into B, C and D-routes in the outbacks... varying landscapes and falling from one turn right into the next (which is why I've no use for a cruise control, not even an throttle-lock (one rest since >10 years in the shelf...))
The voyage is the destination and that... and there I still can do enjoyable 4~600km/250~370miles a day on the ST...