enjoying my r1250rs, , like i have mentioned before i have two things i dont like on the bike , the wind noise from the stock screen and the one that really spoils the ride for me is the occasional rattling / vibration sound that comes up from in front of the handlebar area , it is hard to describe the actual sound or were it comes from, the boxer engine sounds really nice when ticking over or when it is going at higher revs, but this occasional rattle sound really spoils it for me , i have seen other people mention it , but has anyone actually found out the source and a fix for this , thought it could maybe be a rattle from the fairing or the steering damper at low revs , anyone know thanks . the bmw dealer i bought it from said the bike was absolutely fine when they tried it .
engine rattle at low revs
- Thread starter keithzx
- Start date
Check any after market attachments. My hugger at certain revs would vibrate sending a rattling noise in the cockpit. I removed the hugger, noise disappeared. I have ear plugs and an after market screen. Try the Puig touring screen, loads on eBay. It worked for me. Less wind noise/buffeting. Problem solved.
Turn the radio up
i do have my music on but i still know it is there , it sometimes comes on at around 2000 to 45000 revs i do have a front pyramid fenda extdener fitted but the noise was there before i fitted it , just wondering now the front mudguards on these bikes is not the strongest and does flex wondering if it is coming from there
The screen on mine used to rattle like crazy when stopped at the lights. I didn't notice it most of the time because of earplugs. Eventually solved by trading it in for a 1250R!
My LH mirror glass is slightly loose and rattles at times. It's been like it for at least 30k miles 
thanks for that i had a look around the fairing and think it could rattle when i tap it cheers
GelandeStress
Registered user
Does your rattle sound anything like mine did?
Just bumping this thread to say that my new-to-me 1250 has a rattle when under load (eg going up hills) at around 2500-3000rpm. It's like something is loose, but it completely disappears at higher revs and even at under 3k when not under load or labouring.
The thing is I swear it wasn't doing it a week ago and now it is.
The thing is I swear it wasn't doing it a week ago and now it is.
Has it got the upgraded camchain tensioner?
Old type is 17mm head. New one is 19mm head.
Old type is 17mm head. New one is 19mm head.
Nope it has the old 17mm one and it also has the left cylinder ticking, but this is a different sound. I'll probably replace the tensioner but this sound seems more related to the particular vibration in the low rev\labouring situation.
had my bike over a year now no issues at all the bike has been great , the rattleish noise i can occasionally hear at low revs to me seems to be coming up through the fairing i am sure ist just some vibes from the plastics , the bike sounds great when wound on , going in for its second service in the next few weeks should come back with a clean bill of health again, recovered form my knee replacement and up to now i seem ok with the bike . although i need my other one doing next
I think you're right, what I'm hearing sounds more like something loose than a bad engine noise. As you say once wound on it disappears and the bike sounds great, I absolutely love it. But I am a stickler for odd noises so will keep trying to find it.
My 1250RS had covered 34,000 miles before I got fed up with excessive rattling, and fitted the revised LH tensioner.
Around £80 from Motorworks and it has made an amazing difference.
Around £80 from Motorworks and it has made an amazing difference.
Interestingly watched some BaronVonGrumble vids from a couple of years ago his GSA made exactly the same rattle as what I'm describing in exactly the same situations, so I now do think it is probably the tensioner. My bike is still under approved used warranty but to save the faff I might just buy it myself and replace.
Yeah road surface makes no difference, it's low revs under load on all surfaces. It's 100% not road noise.
I got BMW to change the tensioner for me at a surprisingly reasonable £120 all-in including pick-up and delivery of the bike from my house, which let me keep my warranty (it wasn't covered as they consider it a refinement rather than solving a fault) but haven't ridden it yet and I won't until spring.
But after fitting the new tensioner the ticking at idle from the left cylinder is now gone, so I am hopeful this will also resolve the low rev rattle which comes from the same side. It never massively bothered me, but nice to be able to fix it.
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