2007 1200 GS UK power 22k in

[MtM]

Hello,

I am both new to these forums and to BMWs, this is my first one, a 2007 1200 GS in the
UK, just under 22k on the clock. I've had various other bikes, mainly faster bikes in truth,
and this is what makes me post now.

I really like the GS, it's my first twin (I had an mt09 previously a triple) but when I have wound
it on a bit it doesn't have the eyeball spinning power delivery of inline fours I have ridden mainly.
I am sure there is nothing wrong with the bike, but I just thought I would ask if my reaction is
typical, I know it won't go or sound like an inline four, I suppose I thought it might just accelerate
a bit faster, but then it is a big heavy bike too I guess.

Any thoughts appreciated thanks.

 

[littleade]

I can't offer an opinion on your actual bike as I've only got experience of the 1150 and the LC models but from riding my 1200 LCs they were all about low and mid range torque and ran out of puff at the upper end of the rev range so I'd guess it's just a case of you acclimatising to riding a twin. FWIW I have tried IL4'S since getting a boxer and as you say they were mostly about the top end rush which isn't good for your licence.

 

[er-minio]

It won’t.

 

[botus]

it may feel different to the MT09 but it will be quicker (if its running correctly)

on the std fueling it will run hideously lean below 5k rpm - it loses u a bit of go and lots and lots of flexibility - mostly needing to run a gear lower and struggle round town from the terrible fueling. Its fixable and you can run 6th down to 1200 rpm - of course to get out of that required gentle throttle opening, but from 2k do what ever you want in any gear

once sorted there are no steps just decent go everywhere in the rev range, and it should really rip from 5500 rpm and when dim witted or asleep should smash into the rev limiter with front wheel in the air in 1 2 and 3rd (not a lot but clearly off the ground). Once used to it, its easy to find it just tails off before the red line, so change gear and its even quicker

it was never meant to understand ethanol rot in petrol and this loses 6% go (on E10 if its really got 10% rot in there - which they don't usually) - try running BP 97 and a dash of dipetane (from halfords)

of course if been ridden by a girl all its life, it needs loosening up, a decent service etc. and the coil packs die - when no ones looking it should easily get above 120mph and if you give it another 500 yards hit an indicated 135mph sitting bolt upright

the difference in fun and flexibility between the std mess and sorted fueling is like riding a different motorbike - it makes a 20 mile hack through a congested town and then out on to a B road, go from utter hell to good fun - with nothing able to get past you

 

[Barnoe]

I had sports bikes before my GS and have to say when switching to my 1200GS i had the opposite reaction.
Now it has to be said, my days of red lining bikes was already gone years back, i had been using my sports bikes just as a means of going from A to B but i kept buying them because i loved the way they looked and sounded.

I really needed a bike capable of carrying more gear, mainly for camping trips and was prepared to lose power for more flexibility and more of a multitool bike.
I was really surprised when i stuck it in dynamic and give it some beans, that it still had that exhilarating acceleration all bikes have over a car that us bikers love.
4 years on and i still love the bike.
i even used a new XR900 for a few days before Christmas, great bike but didn't feel any more powerful than the GS but again i was commuting on it not racing it.
Not once have i ever though my GS needs more power, i think BMW got the balance right.

Best way to check your bike is to get another GS rider to ride it.
They will know instantly if it not performing as it should.

 

[Steptoe]

Check both main coil sticks are working. They notorious for failing. Check by unplugging lower secondary coil connection, then see if the bike starts and runs on just the main coils,

 

[MtM]

Check both main coil sticks are working. They notorious for failing. Check by unplugging lower secondary coil connection, then see if the bike starts and runs on just the main coils,

Thank you everyone for the advice, much appreciated.

Is there a guide on here about checking the coils etc?

One other thing I have noticed as it is very noticeable about the old GS, there is no clunk at all when you put it in gear, unlike a chain
driven inline 4, is that down to the shaft drive? The gear box imo is excellent, no issues at all with it.

 

[MtM]

it may feel different to the MT09 but it will be quicker (if its running correctly)

on the std fueling it will run hideously lean below 5k rpm - it loses u a bit of go and lots and lots of flexibility - mostly needing to run a gear lower and struggle round town from the terrible fueling. Its fixable and you can run 6th down to 1200 rpm - of course to get out of that required gentle throttle opening, but from 2k do what ever you want in any gear

once sorted there are no steps just decent go everywhere in the rev range, and it should really rip from 5500 rpm and when dim witted or asleep should smash into the rev limiter with front wheel in the air in 1 2 and 3rd (not a lot but clearly off the ground). Once used to it, its easy to find it just tails off before the red line, so change gear and its even quicker

it was never meant to understand ethanol rot in petrol and this loses 6% go (on E10 if its really got 10% rot in there - which they don't usually) - try running BP 97 and a dash of dipetane (from halfords)

of course if been ridden by a girl all its life, it needs loosening up, a decent service etc. and the coil packs die - when no ones looking it should easily get above 120mph and if you give it another 500 yards hit an indicated 135mph sitting bolt upright

the difference in fun and flexibility between the std mess and sorted fueling is like riding a different motorbike - it makes a 20 mile hack through a congested town and then out on to a B road, go from utter hell to good fun - with nothing able to get past you

I have run previous sports bikes in the UK exclusively on Shell VPower unleaded which is 100 I think, or maybe 99 RON octane fuel, and I have noticed a difference with using that over regular unleaded, but in truth didn't think it was worth it for the GS. Is it worth a go? It is certainly more expensive fuel.

In terms of sorting the fueling, I had a previous Fireblade professionally tuned, power commander and dynoed, and that really did make a big
difference to its fuelling, a different bike, tremendous linear power throughout the range, down on bhp a bit but miles more rideable. Are we looking
at the same process to sort the GS fuelling out or am I over thinking it?

 

[Schtum]

Lots of stuff in there. Having had 4 pre LC GS, an LC and also having a fettled MT-09, I feel a bit qualified to answer.

As mentioned, ride it on the torque. Even then I don't think it's going to feel as fast as the MT. If you look at published 1/4 mile E.T. for both bikes,
the MT is c. 1 sec quicker at 11.1 vs the GS 12.4.

If you want to perk it up, fit a full exhaust system and have the fuelling fixed to suit. Also, the pre LC GS were fitted with knock sensors so it is worth running
them on Premium fuel.

The absence of a clunk when engaging 1st gear is down to the performance specification that BMW gave Getrag for the 1200 gearbox. They said that BMW customers expected a level of refinement which included silent engagement of 1st gear at rest. That's ironic when you consider how clunky engaging the gears on the move can be. Getrag achieved this by shortening the spin down time on the gearbox mainshaft when the clutch is disengaged. They did this by fitting sealed bearings which increased the drag. That obviously has implications for the timing of gearchanges on the move. Also, in some gearboxes, at least, they fitted cheap Eastern European bearings which failed. I've had a broken mainshaft from a friend's bike sitting in my garage since the days that generation of GS was current.

HTH

 

[Bem]

Thank you everyone for the advice, much appreciated.

Is there a guide on here about checking the coils etc?

One other thing I have noticed as it is very noticeable about the old GS, there is no clunk at all when you put it in gear, unlike a chain
driven inline 4, is that down to the shaft drive? The gear box imo is excellent, no issues at all with it.

Pleased to hear no clunk, you appear to have a good gearbox (but I defer to Schtum above). As Steptoe says, check the coils.
And with only twenty K on the clock for seventeen years then it has probably been treated with kid gloves. It should use at least 1 litre oil between services (handbook says up to 1L per 1000 miles is ok).
And for absolute performance progress over the years then grab a go on a `23 1250 - then again maybe not as you might feel unhappy with your new steed.

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/r1200gs-tuning-115-rwhp.524893/

This link will give you some perspective on power delivery.

 

[Arsey]

it may feel different to the MT09 but it will be quicker (if its running correctly)

How do you work that out ?
The MT09 is much lighter and puts out 117 bhp ish.
I’m pretty sure a 2007 1200GS only put out about 102 bhp

 

[er-minio]

Exactly.
It won't feel quicker to be honest.

Makes little sense IMHO to compare power delivery between boxer and 4L.

 

[Pukmeister]

Your reaction to a GS is the same as mine:

I came from sportsbikes to the GS range and like many others, its a well trodden path. Whilst I well understand the thrill of pinning a litre sportsbike, the GS isn't about top end so its like comparing apples with oranges.

The beauty of the GS is its all round flexibility, a "jack of all trades, master of none" bike. For everything little thing a GS does well, there is probably another bike out there that does the same thing a little better, but as a package few bikes if any can beat its all-round competence.

A mate had an 1150GSA and used to outride my Sportsbike on winter A and B roads with crap surfaces seemingly almost effortlessly. He just sat there obliviously throwing it into corners without a care soaking up the bumps whilst I nervously slid about on less than perfect road surfaces with undulations/mud/gravel/rock salt wondering how he was doing it. When I bought my own GS it all became clear.

Having traded my previous 1200GSA 'Hexhead' for a 1250GSA the added flexibility and an increase in top end with the shift-cam engine is very noticeable.

 

[stratblue]

I've a similar bike history to you, possibly. Came from a ZX12r via a Hayabusa to a twin cam but always found it a bit of a tractor. Bought a 23 1250 a few months back and it is fabulous, best bike I've ever owned.

 

[Pukmeister]

I've a similar bike history to you, possibly. Came from a ZX12r via a Hayabusa to a twin cam but always found it a bit of a tractor. Bought a 23 1250 a few months back and it is fabulous, best bike I've ever owned.

GS or GSA ??

 

[stratblue]

GS or GSA ??

Both were GSAs

 

[Schtum]

How do you work that out ?
The MT09 is much lighter and puts out 117 bhp ish.
I’m pretty sure a 2007 1200GS only put out about 102 bhp

The V-max of the GS is probably higher than a stock MT-09 as they're all speed restricted. I bought a 2016 last year and had it mapped on the dyno by my local race shop. I think he said it was restricted to 125 mph before he removed it.

 

[MtM]

How do you work that out ?
The MT09 is much lighter and puts out 117 bhp ish.
I’m pretty sure a 2007 1200GS only put out about 102 bhp

I must admit that had me puzzled a bit, the mt09 was a flying machine compared to the GS so it felt, it really put its triple power down well, very muscular bike, and as you much smaller and lighter.

 

[Schtum]

I must admit that had me puzzled a bit, the mt09 was a flying machine compared to the GS so it felt, it really put its triple power down well, very muscular bike, and as you much smaller and lighter.

Which generation of MT-09 did you have? My late 2106 Gen 1 now makes 117 hp and 65 lbs-ft on the dyno after flashing with Woolich Race Tools and 6 hours of dyno time.

 

[MtM]

Which generation of MT-09 did you have? My late 2106 Gen 1 now makes 117 hp and 65 lbs-ft on the dyno after flashing with Woolich Race Tools and 6 hours of dyno time.

I had a 2017 plate bike, I think mine was the first revision that was done, abs, slipper clutch, traction control. Great fun bike, had a complete Black Widow system on it that just deafened you, you really had to wear ear plugs all the time but it sounded like the Charge of the Light Brigade! Similar riding position I thought to the GS but just smaller, but not as easy to ride, the reviews saying they were snatchy were right in truth I thought but I lived with it.

We spend a lot of time in Scotland, will be there this weekend, do you know your link doesn't work?