The best BMW service experience to date...

[plasmatron]

well, with 10,000km fast approaching I was about to ride 250km from the city where I live, up to Taipei to get a service at a dealer that actually knows something about BMW bikes, when I called the head of the BMW importers here in Taiwan to ask if I really had to go all that way for the service... He said "hang on I'll be there in 15mins, I will oversee the 10k service personally..." :lol: service with a smile...

Actually he was coming to our city to hold a BMW technical training course and while in Taichung City slap the local dealers (Go-Chen BMW) out of their lazy, incompetant habits... So I took the bike in explained the various complaints I had with Guo-Zhen's technical knowledge and attitude all of which he carefully noted and then we set to work...

the boss himself hooked the bike up to the GT1, read the faults, correcting and cancelling them as we went... Then time for the real fun... all fluids, filters and consumables were checked, topped up, reduced or replaced as necessary... All tolerances and clearances checked and measured... Then off came the rocker covers and the rocker arms were first adjusted to remove all free play... then valve clearances were set and adjusted...

step 2 involved setting up the exhuast and air intake... the exhaust is a Remus Revolution Titanium can and since it increases outflow and reduces back pressure, he brought out another of his "custom" BMW parts, the "mother of all air intakes" for me to try... This along with a high flow K&N air filter were installed and it was on to tuning...

to tweak the best out of the now fine tuned specimin of a GS the GT1 came back out and all the latest software/firmware updates were successfully uploaded to my bikes onboard system (despite the local dealer having previously told me it was impossible)... then using his slightly modified version of Germany's technique, the the throttle bodies were synchronised to perfection under simulated riding load... allowing the engine to make optimum use of the modified air intake system and exhaust...

and the result:...

the smoothest, free revving, utterly composed feeling engine I have ever felt on a GS and smooth liquid power with grunt that extends from about 3k rpm all the way to about 6-7k... truly feels like a different engine, smooth eager and light... also the low rpm jumpyness and clumsy fueling is all but gone... The modified air filter is obviously not suitable for use in the wet or offroad, but the stock one can now be modified into an offroad "snorkel" version I suppose in case we do anymore "aquatic adventures"....

so after about a year of complaining about consistently piss poor service and technical knowledge from my BMW dealer, eventually the local BMW boss came and did the service himself and did a damn fine job of it too...


The stock air intake installed...

Stock air filter vs. K&N...

The modified air intake...

Modified air intake installed...

The Remus can...

 

[TheJoker]

Result! Thanks for the pics, interesting air-intake mod!

 

[Mouse]

Are you planning on getting the bike dynod to check the mixture? It could be running rather weak with those mods ...

Then again, lots of people on here seem to have various aftermarket systems and we've not had any holed pistons yet

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

I'm glad that at last you have received some decent service from BMW out there and that you now have such as sweet running bike

With regard to the modified air intake did he explain the reasoning behind it.

My numpty impression of it would be that it looks like it should be able to suck in more air (good) but that the air velocity will be lower due to the wider opening (= less air, bad) and that the air will now be warm air due to thee opening being over the engine (= less air 'cos it's less dense, bad).

I'm not trying to start one of those nerdy/anal BMW type discussions, honest, just interested if he gave any reasons for modifying it in such a way

Andres

 

[Pukmeister]

Nice one 'tron, glad you are finally a happy cutomer after all the bullshit the dealer was feeding you earlier about impossible updates etc. With the updates I bet she now runs a lot better than when new.

I like the size of that custom intake but will it lose a bit of the forced induction when riding due to its design?

My riding buddy has the Wunderlich big bore 'sport' carbon intake on his 1150GSA and reckons it really improves things so hopefully Wunderlich etc will start making one for the 1200 before long.

 

[plasmatron]

thanks for the positive feedback... I'm extremely glad to have gotten a result after all the nosense I've been fed over the last year from my local dealer...

As far as the effectiveness of the air intake goes, well I had almost the same set of questions that I posed to the BMW manager chap... since he was a trained mech in a previous career and has been to every BMW dealer technical seminar Germany has held in the last 10 years I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt in these situations and what he said was that it effectively results in a pseudo ram air effect, he reckons putting more air into the box... good point about it being warm air from over the engine cooling fins mind you Otto...

as for running too lean, I was concerned about that as well, but he was sure that between the lamda sensors, the TB sensors and the cunning electronics on the 12 that the bike would be at least trying to compensate for the increased airflow, and fairly effectively at that he claimed... I was worried about it getting too lean / holed pistons etc. he said he was so confident the bike would perform without problems that regardless of these modifications should anything go awry, he guarantees the warranty and he's the guy who signs off on the claims...

Anyway, later today I'm going to hit my favorite section of A-roads and twisties here with the stock air intake in my backpack, switch out the stock and modified intakes half way and see what difference can be felt if any... hardly scientific, but...

 

[Mouse]

I think ideal test would be - how high can you you power wheelie in 3rd gear, with standard intake and then with the modified one

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

:

Anyway, later today I'm going to hit my favorite section of A-roads and twisties here with the stock air intake in my backpack, switch out the stock and modified intakes half way and see what difference can be felt if any... hardly scientific, but...

Enjoy the ride

Will look forward to the results as, if it does improve things, it's an easy mod to do.

Andres

 

[plasmatron]

well as promised I set off for the ultra scientific (read: not at all) test ride to determine if there's any difference between the two air intake manifolds and the results are in...

after stopping to switch the air intakes half way (although the K&N air filter and Remus can were used throughout), I back tracked down the same road home (which is a mix of sweepers and tight twisties up and over a mountain, obviously with quite a big change in altitude) as I pulled away with the stock intake re-installed it felt like there'd be no difference, but as soon as the trademark 12GS "swoosh" of speed/power kicked in the difference became noticeable... the bike revs more easily and especially at the business end of the rev range where the corresponding swoosh of speed contributes to the ram air effect, the stock intake felt subdued in comparison to the modified one... I suppose that once the second set of sparks kicks in at higher rpm and the engine is really shifting air the easy availability of more air is an improvement whilst at lower revs and one set of sparks it's already shifting as much air as it needs so the difference is less defined...

with the stock intake the power is still there, but it feels like the engine is more subdued, less immediate in getting to it, whereas with the modified intake it feels eager, rushing up the rev range smoothly and freely without the "elastic band" delay (technical term ) between throttle input and the engine reaction... especially noticeable when winding it on hard from 4k rpm upwards where it feels like a more linear and immediate throttle to back wheel link...

so IMHO the comparison seems to indicate that there is an improvement more in terms of delivery than anything else... It's obviously not giving you an extra 10bhp, but it seems to allow the engine to give you the best it can on demand, in a much more effortless manner than the stock system... still your bike, but better...

It's an easy mod to do, even if the BMW OE intake is rather insanely overpriced at +/- £60.00, but Wunderlich's effort at an increased flow intake will cost you £135.00 and from the look of it doesn't offer much for it's hefty price tag...

Wunderlich's £135.00 high flow intake

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Thanks Plasmatron.

I'm surprised (pleasantly) that it's made such a difference. I suspect it'll work best when you've also got a free breathing back end - no sniggering at the back! - as in less restrictive pipe.

Think I'l give it a go.

Cheers
Andres

 

[Mouse]

Minor correction - the twin spark system actually operates at low revs, and as the revs rise, the second spark becomes so retarded that it is irrelevant.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Thanks Plasmatron.

I'm surprised (pleasantly) that it's made such a difference. I suspect it'll work best when you've also got a free breathing back end - no sniggering at the back! - as in less restrictive pipe.

Think I'l give it a go.

Cheers
Andres

just been looking at the piccies to see how to cut my intake down and re-read the above post - god, I do type some bollox sometimes, you have got a pipe haven't you, sorry Plasmatron

Andres

 

[ECM]

Hi all

Any more results over this mod yet available? I am quite interested in it, since it seems to be something even I can do.

Apart from that neat roaster covering it ..

 

[ECM]

Is this thread going towards a dead end street?

I was hoping op some results on the air intake mod

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Is this thread going towards a dead end street?

I was hoping op some results on the air intake mod

The day has come, my bike is now out of warranty, so tomorrow I will mostly be fitting a K&N filter, Wunderlich EFI controller and cutting down my 'snorkel' (I already have a full BOS system).

I'm excited, very excited - it's like Christmas - think I'll go to bed early tonight just to make tomorrow come sooner

I'll report back with my findings

Andres