Black gearbox?

TedBear

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I have read a few recommendations for the r1150gs "black gearbox" edition.
Is this a real thing or just a mythical creature.
Now there's one for sale down here. (Australia)

Does anyone know the 'exact' differences between the normal 1150gs and the 'black gearbox' ones?
Cheers,
Frank.
 
Paint colour

Is there a mythical black gearbox?

In uk - the default paint colour on the 1150 GS and GS Adv was black for the engine and gearbox, from 2003 onwards

Gear ratios were unchanged - high 6th overdrive for the GS

Lower 6th and optional lower 1st on the Adv

All had black gearboxes from 2003

However I have one 2005 Adv with a silver engine (special factory order) which has standard lower 6th and optional lower 1st, plus I have another 2004/5 Adv with a black gearbox and same ratios

All white Adv SE's had a silver gearbox and had lower 6th

So someone maybe having you on, with a mythical black gearbox - just paint colour maybe
 
Paint colour

Is there a mythical black gearbox?

In uk - the default paint colour on the 1150 GS and GS Adv was black for the engine and gearbox, from 2003 onwards

Gear ratios were unchanged - high 6th overdrive for the GS

Lower 6th and optional lower 1st on the Adv

All had black gearboxes from 2003

However I have one 2005 Adv with a silver engine (special factory order) which has standard lower 6th and optional lower 1st, plus I have another 2004/5 Adv with a black gearbox and same ratios

All white Adv SE's had a silver gearbox and had lower 6th

So someone maybe having you on, with a mythical black gearbox - just paint colour maybe

Thanks for the reply JonnyBoxer :thumb

I know there's a few funnies out there like, "The blue and white ones go faster!, Buy one of those."

But looking at the Ad again, it seems it's just an adventure with the standard tank.

Here's a snippet from the ad:

'This is the “SE” model which has adventure screen, adventure foot pegs, black engine, black adventure gearbox with true 6speed not overdrive & black telelever. This makes the bike different from the rest and freshens up the look!'

Cheers,
Frank
 
I was told that all standard (non-adventure) GSs in S.Africa came with silver gearboxes right up to 2005, with black not even being an option.

There was also a 'sport' model that had a black box with the standard 1st and lower 6th IIRC. Not sure if specs were similar in OZ, but if so could that be the mythical creature of which you speak?

edit: just saw your last post, so mystery solved it seems :thumb2
 
I was told that all standard (non-adventure) GSs in S.Africa came with silver gearboxes right up to 2005, with black not even being an option.

There was also a 'sport' model that had a black box with the standard 1st and lower 6th IIRC. Not sure if specs were similar in OZ, but if so could that be the mythical creature of which you speak?

edit: just saw your last post, so mystery solved it seems :thumb2

Yes I think it is but I hadn't heard of a SE before.
This just makes my search more confusing....
 
'This is the “SE” model which has adventure screen, adventure foot pegs, black engine, black adventure gearbox with true 6speed not overdrive & black telelever. This makes the bike different from the rest and freshens up the look!'

That’s not an SE. This is:

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Yes I think it is but I hadn't heard of a SE before.
This just makes my search more confusing....

To ad an extra layer of confusion tho... :D

As JB mentioned the SE should have a silver engine/gbox/telelever. Also not sure I've ever seen one with a standard tank, though it may have been an option/ added later...

Have you got a link to the ad/pics of bike?
 
Thanks for the reply JonnyBoxer :thumb

I know there's a few funnies out there like, "The blue and white ones go faster!, Buy one of those."

But looking at the Ad again, it seems it's just an adventure with the standard tank.

Here's a snippet from the ad:

'This is the “SE” model which has adventure screen, adventure foot pegs, black engine, black adventure gearbox with true 6speed not overdrive & black telelever. This makes the bike different from the rest and freshens up the look!'

Cheers,
Frank

The only SE, was an Adv in 2005 and it's White

However in 2003 there was a 1150 GS Sport with a black engine (but in UK all GS had black engines) and standard 1st and low 6th (like an Adv) so that is what you have found
 
To ad an extra layer of confusion tho... :D

As JB mentioned the SE should have a silver engine/gbox/telelever. Also not sure I've ever seen one with a standard tank, though it may have been an option/ added later...

Have you got a link to the ad/pics of bike?

Silver engines or black engines were always a factory option..............it's just that BMW UK defaulted to black engines on all 1150 GS and Adv in about 2003

I bought (and still have) in 2005, a new silver 1150 GS Adv and factory ordered it with a silver engine, instead of black and it was just a matter of changing a build code option on the dealer order

Nowt quirky and a no cost option - just like BMW UK now orders 1250's in a 'default' TE spec, if you want a basic bike it's a factory order and takes 6-12 weeks
 

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I bought (and still have) in 2005, a new silver 1150 GS Adv and factory ordered it with a silver engine, instead of black and it was just a matter of changing a build code option on the dealer order

Nowt quirky and a no cost option - just like BMW UK now orders 1250's in a 'default' TE spec, if you want a basic bike it's a factory order and takes 6-12 weeks

Very clean that looks too :thumb2
 
Dealers spec'd bikes at order time

A trend formed for black engine / driveline, so that was what the dealers ordered for their year! Then subsequent customer orders were as the customer wanted

Same as that abysmal Integral ABS the reason it was so prevalent IT was a feature that was cheaper at order time So many dealers did !

I know this as I watched my boss put in his Order for his allocation of 12 bikes for Belfast in 2003

Except Special edition bikes you could only order them as they were released (except whether ABS or NON ABS and add heated grips Luggage ) The Roxsters, BCR, R1150GSA SE, R850R Classic
 
Nothing mythical.

black adventure gearbox with true 6speed not overdrive

The overdrive/not overdrive was usually an option chosen by the customer (as well as engine colour).
It was when I ordered my R1150R back in 2003. Should have been the same on GSs.

Most probably the SE model came with pre-set optionals or non optionals. I had a Boxercup Replika and was pretty much the same non configurable options. Makes sense being a special/custom model.
SE always had a silver engine.
 


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