Suspension Question

[OceanBreeze]

Once dialed in, the suspension in the FE is totally acceptable. I'm guessing that whatever you rode wasn't set up properly, or even set up at all. Maybe give it another go and set it yourself?
If you must have the dynamic suspension, heck, it'd be pretty cool to deconstruct a TC by ridding it of the fairing and such. I'd say that it wouldn't be too difficult to sell what you remove, but not sure about the market in Mumbai.

Hi TodkaVonic. That is an intriguing thought . TC deconstruct. Had not thought of that. What I did think of was why they cannot offer the Dynamic suspension as a factory fit option on the FE ? It can't be that hard. I think the TC if I recall does have some different setup in the chassis but I thought it was primarily just the rake. Not sure if the rear geometry is also different. I really love the clean lines of the FE so much man . Mumbai market for the bits would probably be zero at this point. the R18 has not penetrated (probably because of this rear suspension issue)

 

[OceanBreeze]

There’s a chart on the preload in a different thread. Have the dealer move the preload adjuster all the way counter clockwise. Then 8 to 12 full turns clockwise. Then ride, The Tall Seat or Day Rider makes a huge difference in conjunction with the preload.

Thanks Earl. I will not give up shall still try permutations on the Test ride bike when they can spare it for a day I used the chart. An admin on the forum kindly drew attention to this issue. My first test ride was on the "shipping" settings and I was battered. Second ride after I saw that post was with some adjustment - but the day was short and I had to return the bike to them so could not go beyond 5 or 6 setting. Want to try the other settings too

 

[OceanBreeze]

The stability is amazing…I started out at 4. I haven’t been 170 since 9th grade.

No doubt a class bike all the way round

 

[OceanBreeze]

I put a progressive rear shock on my FE.

It rides much better.

Oooo ! This is something I would like to really know a lot more about. It may just be the solution ... along with a better seat .

 

[cdsilver1]

The R18 FE is the most uncomfortable stock BMW on the market. My 1940 R12 is so much more comfortable to ride and the R18 sits in the garage. Both the issues with the rock hard seat and the poor road compliance makes for a spine tingling ride over an imperfections on the road. And yes, I have played with the preload and it does help but not to a great extent. The bike is spectacular but they really missed the mark on the comfort.
You can try and change the mono shock and see if that helps as well as the seat but you may opt for another bike that is more comfortable in the stock configuration.

 

[evomind]

I agree.
For a premium brand like BMW to release a bike that is the worst riding bigger cruiser on the market was a huge miss.
I get that with the low slung rear end its tough, but they have some of the best engineers in the business.
I know some have gone with an aftermarket rear shock but the front suspension sucks too.
Otherwise a great bike.

 

[Noelpolar]

Fwiw.... I rate my 2021 BMW R nine t scrambler suspension as WORSE than my R18FE original suspension.... so there is that. Though the R18 does drop well behind if the seating position is included..... lucky it is a looker.... though I do think I'm close to having solved my R18 issues.

I think the german roads must just be way to good.....

 

[Rufus]

Sorry guys but I just don’t agree. My R18 is bone stock and I have no issue whatsoever with how it rides, yes the suspension travel is limited so I make common sense adjustments like avoiding potholes (but would anyway). I dialed mine in (6 turns clockwise from memory) and left it at that and had no need to meddle since. At least the bike rides very flat and is very composed, I’d describe it as firm/plush, I’d take that trade over riding a soggy mess any day of the week. The riding position is very roomy aswell, not scrunched up. Love it.

 

[evomind]

Sorry guys but I just don’t agree. My R18 is bone stock and I have no issue whatsoever with how it rides, yes the suspension travel is limited so I make common sense adjustments like avoiding potholes (but would anyway). I dialed mine in (6 turns clockwise from memory) and left it at that and had no need to meddle since. At least the bike rides very flat and is very composed, I’d describe it as firm/plush, I’d take that trade over riding a soggy mess any day of the week. The riding position is very roomy aswell, not scrunched up. Love it.

A good suspension is comfortable without being a "soggy mess."
It all depends on how good the suspension is.
My Ohlins suspension on my Diavel is as good as there is without going to an active system.
Ive ridden/owned many big cruisers and I can honestly say the R18 is the worst. Contrast that to my Indian Springfield which was the best for ride comfort and that wasnt a "soggy mess." (bigger bike, I know)

If you like it then great but there's no 2 ways about it...BMW cheaped out on the suspension which tarnishes an otherwise great bike.
A more premium adjustable front and rear suspension would have made this bike killer.
Not sure if it would have saved it as it seems BMW is having trouble giving these away.
IDK.

 

[Noelpolar]

Sorry guys but I just don’t agree. .....

It sort off depends on what you are agreeing or disagreeing to.

Are you disagreeing to some people putting forward a view that the suspension is not up to a standard that suits them?

One needs to consider the diversity of both riders and their enviroment on what is a world wide forum. Some here might need a bike to meet their needs with 200kg of humans on it.... others... like me weigh 75kg.... some may cruise on near perfect highways..... others a bit of spirited hills riding on poorish quality "B" roads..... anyway.... the forks are 1980's tech.... the rear much the same... and sprung/damped for a 200kg payload... setting rear preload is such a basic thing.... I shake my head at so many of todays riders that just have no basic idea... on so many things motorcycle related (not referring to you on this). Of course... most things internet are just the authors opinion.... facts, as such, are very elusive these days.

Anyway... I'm happy you're happy.... nice to not have to spend more $$$.

 

[Rufus]

A good suspension is comfortable without being a "soggy mess."
It all depends on how good the suspension is.
My Ohlins suspension on my Diavel is as good as there is without going to an active system.
Ive ridden/owned many big cruisers and I can honestly say the R18 is the worst. Contrast that to my Indian Springfield which was the best for ride comfort and that wasnt a "soggy mess." (bigger bike, I know)

If you like it then great but there's no 2 ways about it...BMW cheaped out on the suspension which tarnishes an otherwise great bike.
A more premium adjustable front and rear suspension would have made this bike killer.
Not sure if it would have saved it as it seems BMW is having trouble giving these away.
IDK.

When comments as critical as yours are out there for potential owners to read is it any wonder they are hard to sell? Inadvertently you create a self fulfilling prophecy. I’ve owned many bikes myself, sports bikes, cruisers, roadsters, tourers, some had Ohlins suspension, even DCT, some are better than others in what they can do but honestly, I have not owned a ‘bad’ bike. I enjoyed some more than others but that’s why I tried them out. Their dynamic abilities were way beyond whats required for everyday riding and speed limits.

Your Diavel is a completely different type of bike, it’s very expensive, has very high performance as a selling point and can be ridden hard, very hard (if you want to). The R18 is far more ‘trad’ heavy cruiser in a black and chromed Art Deco suit. Just park them side by side.

A while ago I even had a couple of early Suzuki’s, a 1977 GS750 and then a 1980 GS750L. The brakes were wooden in feel and not strong, they weren’t that impressive to ride dynamically but did I moan about it to anyone? No. It was what it was, of its time. I enjoyed my time on them. I even had a Gen6 Goldwing in 2020 and joined the forums. Guess what, moaning about 1) the seat and 2) the suspension. You couldn’t make it up. Some people are just never satisfied.

If you don’t like it that’s your opinion and it is valid, but so is mine. No complaints. Love it exactly as it is.

 

[Rufus]

It sort off depends on what you are agreeing or disagreeing to.

Are you disagreeing to some people putting forward a view that the suspension is not up to a standard that suits them?

One needs to consider the diversity of both riders and their enviroment on what is a world wide forum. Some here might need a bike to meet their needs with 200kg of humans on it.... others... like me weigh 75kg.... some may cruise on near perfect highways..... others a bit of spirited hills riding on poorish quality "B" roads..... anyway.... the forks are 1980's tech.... the rear much the same... and sprung/damped for a 200kg payload... setting rear preload is such a basic thing.... I shake my head at so many of todays riders that just have no basic idea... on so many things motorcycle related (not referring to you on this). Of course... most things internet are just the authors opinion.... facts, as such, are very elusive these days.

Anyway... I'm happy you're happy.... nice to not have to spend more $$$.

Are you disagreeing to some people putting forward a view that the suspension is not up to a standard that suits them?
Ans: No

However, some of these negative statements are made like they are facts, the suspension is crap, fait accompli.

BMW has access to the very best engineers, basically the best of everything with decades of boxer experience and multi million R&D budgets to put out this bike (to a world wide market) at a price point they hope it will sell. It has to cater for a whole range of riders exactly as you’ve detailed above, it’s a compromise isn’t it? Would I want to pay say another £2000 on top of MSRP for Ohlins on my R18? Nope. Doesn’t need it IMO to ride around at 60mph.

If owners want to go down the aftermarket route and personalise their R18 to better suit them that’s great, I have no problem and it’s none of my business anyway but if you really don’t like it then 1) why did you buy it in the first place? 2) What about due diligence before committing? This bike has been reviewed to death. This bike is form over function.

Example. Women (and some men nowadays ) wear a high heel because they look elegant, the height elongates the calf, makes them feel more attractive and let’s be honest they do, but they’re not worn for comfort. Want comfort buy a Hush Puppy.

 

[Noelpolar]

Forums are filled with personal views that come across "one dimensionally" online when people post stuff... off course most of us are just posting our experience.... not well researched/quantified fact bases.

Anyway... in a suspension thread I do really appreciate some detail so I can work out if there are any take outs that might be of use to me.. so things like payload, riding eviroment, type of riding etc..... it would not surprise me if most new R18 owners did not even understand the difference in rear suspension between the pure/classic and other models.... all quite frustrating when beginning the R18 journey.

 

[evomind]

When comments as critical as yours are out there for potential owners to read is it any wonder they are hard to sell? Inadvertently you create a self fulfilling prophecy. I’ve owned many bikes myself, sports bikes, cruisers, roadsters, tourers, some had Ohlins suspension, even DCT, some are better than others in what they can do but honestly, I have not owned a ‘bad’ bike. I enjoyed some more than others but that’s why I tried them out. Their dynamic abilities were way beyond whats required for everyday riding and speed limits.

Your Diavel is a completely different type of bike, it’s very expensive, has very high performance as a selling point and can be ridden hard, very hard (if you want to). The R18 is far more ‘trad’ heavy cruiser in a black and chromed Art Deco suit. Just park them side by side.

A while ago I even had a couple of early Suzuki’s, a 1977 GS750 and then a 1980 GS750L. The brakes were wooden in feel and not strong, they weren’t that impressive to ride dynamically but did I moan about it to anyone? No. It was what it was, of its time. I enjoyed my time on them. I even had a Gen6 Goldwing in 2020 and joined the forums. Guess what, moaning about 1) the seat and 2) the suspension. You couldn’t make it up. Some people are just never satisfied.

If you don’t like it that’s your opinion and it is valid, but so is mine. No complaints. Love it exactly as it is.

Nobody here said the R18 is a "bad bike."
I put forth the fact that the suspension is less than premium, and doesnt befit a beautiful well made bike.
My opinion that it is one of the worst bigger cruisers that I have ridden in the last several years. My opinion.

The reason for the Diavel reference was to show that a decent riding bike doesnt have to equate to a "soggy mess" of a ride.

Not sure why you would bring up 40+ year old bikes and say you didnt complain about the brakes.
The R18 isnt a 40 year old bike.
As far as "self fulfilling prophecy," I made my observations AFTER riding the bike and came to conclusions AFTER riding. There was no "prophecy" at all.
I make observations based on first hand experience and I honestly relate them.
Im sorry you dont agree but this is a Forum.

If you think the suspension is great, or good enough or whatever, as I said before.....
That's great for you.
I am sincerely glad you are happy with it.

Me, it doesnt ruin the bike as I still bought it but it certainly leaves something to be desired.
I think most folks would agree with me, not that it matters really.

Enjoy your bike.

 

[m76r]

I had the same feeling getting out of the dealer. Got home and saw that dealer had the minimum turns on the adjustment (6). I went from 6 to 9 and there was a BIG difference. I went to the manual and put together a formula for the approximate number of turns (clockwise after you turned all the way counter-clockwise) you need based on your weight. Posted on my page. https://www.r18forums.com/members/m76r.2700/#profile-post-142

 

[Noelpolar]

I had the same feeling getting out of the dealer. Got home and saw that dealer had the minimum turns on the adjustment (6). I went from 6 to 9 and there was a BIG difference. I went to the manual and put together a formula for the approximate number of turns (clockwise after you turned all the way counter-clockwise) you need based on your weight. Posted on my page. https://www.r18forums.com/members/m76r.2700/#profile-post-142

This is an old thread.... but I think the few recent people posting are on top of the need to set preload to get the best out of the stock rear shock.... the original poster (OP) is long gone.

 

[Rufus]

Nobody here said the R18 is a "bad bike."
I put forth the fact that the suspension is less than premium, and doesnt befit a beautiful well made bike.
My opinion that it is one of the worst bigger cruisers that I have ridden in the last several years. My opinion.

The reason for the Diavel reference was to show that a decent riding bike doesnt have to equate to a "soggy mess" of a ride.

Not sure why you would bring up 40+ year old bikes and say you didnt complain about the brakes.
The R18 isnt a 40 year old bike.
As far as "self fulfilling prophecy," I made my observations AFTER riding the bike and came to conclusions AFTER riding. There was no "prophecy" at all.
I make observations based on first hand experience and I honestly relate them.
Im sorry you dont agree but this is a Forum.

If you think the suspension is great, or good enough or whatever, as I said before.....
That's great for you.
I am sincerely glad you are happy with it.

Me, it doesnt ruin the bike as I still bought it but it certainly leaves something to be desired.
I think most folks would agree with me, not that it matters really.

Enjoy your bike.

Ok, last on this then we can get on with our lives. So it’s not a bad bike but when you write things like ’its the worst riding bigger cruiser on the market’ and ‘seems BMW is having trouble giving these away’ after a pretty negative piece on (IYO) sub par suspension is it any wonder it may well put people off (i.e. potential buyers). I’m not joining the pile on.

With reference to the old bikes, I enjoyed them while I had them for what they were then moved them on. Didn’t moan on forums about deficiencies (compared to other bikes). Apples and oranges.

So if you rode the bike, came to the conclusion you didn’t like the suspension, it’s really that bad, why did you buy it? That’s a rhetorical question btw.

Theres a YouTuber called ‘Usernamekate’ who’s just posted a new video on the R18. She ‘gets’ this bike.

I too wish you well. End.

 

[David R]

I put a progressive shock on the rear. It was better. I put the old spring on the new shock and WALLA! I got a great ride.

David

 

[evomind]

Ok, last on this then we can get on with our lives. So it’s not a bad bike but when you write things like ’its the worst riding bigger cruiser on the market’ and ‘seems BMW is having trouble giving these away’ after a pretty negative piece on (IYO) sub par suspension is it any wonder it may well put people off (i.e. potential buyers). I’m not joining the pile on.

With reference to the old bikes, I enjoyed them while I had them for what they were then moved them on. Didn’t moan on forums about deficiencies (compared to other bikes). Apples and oranges.

So if you rode the bike, came to the conclusion you didn’t like the suspension, it’s really that bad, why did you buy it? That’s a rhetorical question btw.

Theres a YouTuber called ‘Usernamekate’ who’s just posted a new video on the R18. She ‘gets’ this bike.

I too wish you well. End.

At least quote me correctly....
I didnt say "its the worst riding bigger cruiser on the market.."
I said "its the worst riding bigger cruiser on the market THAT I HAVE RIDDEN."
Leaving out the last part changes the context a bit, does it not?
I deem your reporting FAKE NEWS!!
lol
As far as my quote on BMW not being able to give these away, have you checked what they're selling for these days?
Not my opinion, fact.
Rest easy my friend....
I bought a 100 year edition and paid MSRP.
Don't imply that "I dont get the bike," as you have no idea what I have or owned or get or dont get.
Again, very assumptive on your part.
No one is moaning but you.
News flash.....I have a right to make observations and comment on them as I see them.
Sorry I am not a "fan boy" and last I checked I dont work for the marketing dept of BMW.
Not my job to ignore what I might call a weak point and just simply gush all over it so as not to "put people off."
Why dont you chase down every other post about the less than stellar suspension?
Hey, its a great bike but it isnt perfect.
I haven't yet found that one.

 

[evomind]

I put a progressive shock on the rear. It was better. I put the old spring on the new shock and WALLA! I got a great ride.

David

Nice.
And what does it tell you when a guy can mess around in his garage and come up with something better than what was delivered from the factory?