Hill Start

[BigRedUn]

I must admit I wasn't that interested in hill start on my new bike, and didn't think I would ever use it. Last weekend however I was away camping, bike fully loaded up, needing to touch a fob against a reader to exit the camp site. I was also on a fair slope with the reader on my right hand side. Ideal opportunity to try out the hill hold feature, or so I thought. Pulled on the lever quite hard and waited for the H to appear on the dash. Nothing. Pulled harder, then as hard as I could and still nothing. Let off the brake and backwards we started to roll.
Before I run crying to the stealers has anyone actually used their hill hold yet? Can anyone tell me how hard they had to pull the lever, and if the bike needs to be on a hill to enable the feature.
TIA

 

[Bmmike08]

I have Hill Start on my R1200RT LC and use it on hills and the flat.

It requires a modest pressure on the front brake lever to apply it and the "H" will appear in the display. To release it either pull the front brake lever again or accelerate off.

I like it and find it very useful.

Regards,
Mike Davies

 

[BigRedUn]

Thanks for the reply Mike; you've confirmed what I might have expected. I will mention the problem when it gets its running in service next week.

 

[matchbox]

Sometimes if it appears not to be working, a slight blip on throttle helps. Have no idea where it gets the 'holding power' from since there is no servo but once found this helped after I had just started engine and rolled backwards out of garage. Find it useful on both up and downhil slopes.

 

[Fullchat]

If its like my car it needs to be on a slope to activate.

 

[Wobbly65]

Have no idea where it gets the 'holding power' from since there is no servo but once found this helped after I had just started engine and rolled backwards out of garage. Find it useful on both up and downhil slopes.

Perhaps having to pull the brake lever to put it on is clue ?

 

[DC]

thought they worked on gradient ? the steeper the hill the more revs to pull away ?

 

[Nutty]

I haven't read the manual, but tried using it over the weekend, and thought it wasn't working, as I was pulling the front brake lever quite hard, but nothing was happening.

Until I worked out that you pull the front brake lever, then release and pull again, which activates the hill hold. It's quite a handy feature to have.

 

[BigRedUn]

I'll have a go at that, thanks for the advice.

 

[Andi_archer]

I had issues with it too but a look on youtube was helpful