I received the W-525 Wheel Dock for my R18 Classic and set it up this weekend. The unit is very high quality.The Wheel Dock fit is fairly tight but it seems to work well. I can hear the wheel squeaking slightly as it is inserted in the dock but the dock doesn’t move (as long as the bike is straight into the dock) and it doesn’t seem like I have to push excessively to insert it. The side-to-side movement is minimal once it is in place and locked in. I installed a FOBO 2 tire pressure monitor system and I checked that the tire pressure was within 1 lb of the recommended front and back tire pressure as specified by BMW so the front tire was not overinflated.
The one disadvantage of the tight fit is that the bike needs to be very straight to be placed properly in the dock because there is no additional space on each side. It’s fairly easy to be slightly “off” from the center line on one side when inserting the tire which results in a very minor slight lean for the bike but I don’t think it’s an issue. I’ve had the unit slide on the floor sometimes if I’m trying to straighten the wheel but that was seldom. I didn’t see any signs on the sidewalls of the front tire that it was scraping on the sides of the Wheel Dock.
I asked the manufacturer if the tight fit was a concern? I had considered using some tire dressing to see if a little lubrication would help. They thought the tight fit would be fine and tighter was better than the front tire being too loose. They also recommended the following:
“1) Spray some silicone on the inside rails of the chock and it will reduce any friction there might be. Bike should slide right in with no problem.
2) If the chock is sliding on the floor, put a thin rubber mat (something like a rubber shower mat will work) under the chock and it will keep it from sliding.”
I’ll try those two suggestions. I’m very happy with the Wheel Dock. It seems very sturdy, easy to use and it holds my bike up great between the two cars in my garage. I’ve attached pictures including pictures with my indoor cover over the bike when it’s docked which also fit great.
I think I might paint the long floor lever with some neon paint to make sure I don’t trip over it if the bike isn’t docked. The other thing is since the bike is up straight I can’t activate the built in handlebar lock on the R18 so I’ll get a disc lock. So far I highly recommend the Wheel Dock. It seems to be well worth it.
Tom
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