Minutiae

[BMWryder9]

I passed one of those roadside speed radar devices that showed my speed was 52mph. My speedo showed 58mph. Is it possible my speedo is 6mph off?

I removed the windshield from my classic. I prefer to ride without it unless the weather looks bad. There are two large “craters” on top of the fork tubes. Is there anything to top off these depressions? They annoy me.

I find myself watching the tach to get a feel for shifting gears. Unfortunately, the reflection of the handlebars washes out the tach display. Yes, I have the brightness set to 5. If I push the speedo forward the reflection goes away. Does this bother anyone else? Is there a way to tilt the speedo a little forward without making a shim?

Thanks for your input.

 

[BobW]

Yes/No/Maybe

Yes

Most likely


For years strict requirements in Germany/Europe stated that if operators were speeding and the vehicle speedometer accuracy contributed to that situation the OEM was thrown under the bus. BMW always seemed to have approximately a 5+ MPH cushion or perhaps it was a %, but either way it was common knowledge and one could ride as indicated knowing they had a little wiggle room or adjust as they felt the need to. The last few years on several R, S and F models they seemed to be within 2-3 MPH of indicated speed and my last RT I traded on the R18 was almost spot on by speedometer, gps and roadside radar. All that said, I notice the R18 speedometer is back to the optimistic side of the reading and while I have not spent a great deal of time confirming by how much, it appears to be a % as those roadside radar units show me very close when in town and a gap growing when 45-65 zones have had one in place. Do keep in mind while the antenna doesn't have to be perfectly aligned to traffic if those trailers are set up with too much of an angle left or right of "center" you will see a lower reading on the display. It may only be 1-2 MPH, but worth keeping in mind and double-triple checking before "taking it to the bank".

For about 5 bucks USD, BMW will provide two spiffy little black plastic plugs that pop in there and they are what comes with the FE as it is equipped with the same forks, but no windshield.

You may try a search if no one reaches out. I recall reading one of the members manipulating the position of the display with all the necessary photos to help walk one through the process.

 

[BMWryder9]

Thanks for the detailed answer. It looks like I'll be taking a portable GPS on my next ride to verify the speedo.

I checked the parts microfiche for some pop in plugs and came up empty. The "crater" on my bike is V shaped and there doesn't appear to be any attachment point. I'd love to find the part number of the pop in plugs.

I did find a couple posts where a user put a couple spacers under the speedo bracket to change the angle. I thought I might put some black tape on the handlebars where they reflect. The tape idea doesn't appeal to me but it's a quick and dirty fix.

 

[BobW]

The plug(s) part # 31 42 9 446 911

Can't help on the crater.

Perhaps trim a piece of the protective film BMW and many other places offer for these TV screen display screens all the OEMs are going to. It may tame the reflection a bit and they're cheap enough to toss if not helpful. I'm sure I've had a similar glare situation on the R18, but I don't look down much that I have "programed" my senses to her shift points, etc., but older gps screens were often more sensitive and of course the glare seemed to be present when it was where I really wanted to double check an important turn. Anyway, hope it ends up being a minor annoyance that's easily addressed.

Cheers

 

[Roadliner]

Tose plugs won't work with the Classic fork tops

Yes/No/Maybe

Yes

Most likely


For years strict requirements in Germany/Europe stated that if operators were speeding and the vehicle speedometer accuracy contributed to that situation the OEM was thrown under the bus. BMW always seemed to have approximately a 5+ MPH cushion or perhaps it was a %, but either way it was common knowledge and one could ride as indicated knowing they had a little wiggle room or adjust as they felt the need to. The last few years on several R, S and F models they seemed to be within 2-3 MPH of indicated speed and my last RT I traded on the R18 was almost spot on by speedometer, gps and roadside radar. All that said, I notice the R18 speedometer is back to the optimistic side of the reading and while I have not spent a great deal of time confirming by how much, it appears to be a % as those roadside radar units show me very close when in town and a gap growing when 45-65 zones have had one in place. Do keep in mind while the antenna doesn't have to be perfectly aligned to traffic if those trailers are set up with too much of an angle left or right of "center" you will see a lower reading on the display. It may only be 1-2 MPH, but worth keeping in mind and double-triple checking before "taking it to the bank".

For about 5 bucks USD, BMW will provide two spiffy little black plastic plugs that pop in there and they are what comes with the FE as it is equipped with the same forks, but no windshield.

You may try a search if no one reaches out. I recall reading one of the members manipulating the position of the display with all the necessary photos to help walk one through the process.

 

[BobW]

Tose plugs won't work with the Classic fork tops

Thanks, I ordered them awhile ago and never had occasion to use them. I popped the windshield off and it’s obvious they won’t consummate the marriage.

I’m going to order a couple extra rubber inserts and then trim the tabs on the plug to see if I can make them work. For the few dollars involved this will be my cheapest attempt at modifying anything on a BMW so i’ll jump into the deep end of the pool with it

 

[BMWryder9]

The best I can tell from the BMW parts drawing is you need part number 31 42 9 899 220. It's called a cap and they are $80.00 each.

 

[BobW]

The best I can tell from the BMW parts drawing is you need part number 31 42 9 899 220. It's called a cap and they are $80.00 each.

Thanks, it may be, but I believe that is the chrome cap #15 on the parts diagram. The bolt fits in the recess of the chrome cap and then #17 on the diagram is the plastic cover I listed above that hides the bolt head. BUT the chrome cap you listed must be slightly different on the FE and the Classic as the plastic cover isn't compatible with or without the rubber sleeve used with the windshield mount. MAX BMW parts only lists the R18 so I can't check if the chrome cap you listed is the same for both FE and Classic, but I can't imagine why they would be given everything is the same in the front end. I'll have my shop look it up on their computer and see what if anything we may have missed the first try and I will also trim the tabs back on the ones I have to see if that may allow them to take root.

 

[BeerMe]

Thanks, it may be, but I believe that is the chrome cap #15 on the parts diagram. The bolt fits in the recess of the chrome cap and then #17 on the diagram is the plastic cover I listed above that hides the bolt head. BUT the chrome cap you listed must be slightly different on the FE and the Classic as the plastic cover isn't compatible with or without the rubber sleeve used with the windshield mount. MAX BMW parts only lists the R18 so I can't check if the chrome cap you listed is the same for both FE and Classic, but I can't imagine why they would be given everything is the same in the front end. I'll have my shop look it up on their computer and see what if anything we may have missed the first try and I will also trim the tabs back on the ones I have to see if that may allow them to take root.

Well done Sir! Please continue the quest and let us know the outcome. Like you I much prefer the classic sans windscreen and would like to plug the holes so looking forward to see how you solve our problem!