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What did you do to your R18 today?

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Manhattan Matte said:
IMG_5561.jpegIMG_5561.jpegHere you go, Hunts. That was a chilly trip out to the garage. It's a rare 27 degrees F, freezing cold here in central Texas. We're in the middle of severe winter storm across ⅔ of the country.

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I love the non reflector look… much tidier and more black to admire.
 
I took mine for a thrash in the hills. I removed the engine side plates to see if it helped the engine breathe any better and couldn't tell from my butt dyno.

Anyway..... after the changes I made over the last year or so, I feel (butt dyno) that the bike pulls a lot better..... and one of my tests today included 6th gear pulls up a slight incline (so 100% not downhill)..... 30mph (1250rpm'ish) to 60mph..... all good and in about 4 seconds. I can't recall the stock bike pulling from just off idle in 6th.... rock mode and as much throttle that works.

If anyone tries this I'd be interested to hear what gear a stock bike can pull from 1250rpm.

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DIAGREG said:
Very nice looking, I've considered doing the same to any bolt that "stands out"
I've wondered though, just how strong is the bond of the black powder coat? M y fear is chipping said coating when torquing down the hardware.
From the pics you've shown, no issues present!
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Can happen, but only on the mid sized bolts, not the smaller or large (weirdly). A black paint touch up pen is the answer.
You will find that a large chain hardware store will have an array of black bolts (Allen key head is best).
 
Star-Lord said:
Not a fan of the Allen type hardware.. however, I'm a huge fan of the TORX type that's stock on the R18.
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Generally, so am I, but some times the Torx bolts aren’t quite a deep enough to tighten safely. I prefer their look to Allen (who is this guy, Allen, anyway?) bolt heads, but sometimes it’s about practicality…. Says a guy who rides a 350kg 1802cc motorcycle that’s the length of a car and nearly the same width 😳.
 
Went for a chilly 50 mile ride on rural two-lanes and a 75 mph interstate to try out a set of new Metzler Cruistec tires. Other than the surprise of finding out that my spoked wheels required tubes, I'm very happy with the Cruistecs after this short, initial run-in. No oscillation or weird tire noise at highway speeds, a much smoother ride over pot-holed, rutted rural roads, and no feeling that the handlebars would be yanked out of my hands on grooved pavement. The Cruistecs have a more rounded profile and sportier tread pattern that wraps a little further around the tire width which made turn-ins seem easier and predictable. An overall positive experience. :)

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Manhattan Matte said:
J'ai fait une virée de 80 km par temps frais sur des routes de campagne à deux voies et une autoroute à 120 km/h pour tester des pneus Metzeler Cruistec neufs. Mis à part la surprise de constater que mes roues à rayons nécessitaient des chambres à air, je suis très content des Cruistec après ce court rodage. Aucune oscillation ni bruit de roulement étrange à vitesse d'autoroute, un confort de conduite nettement supérieur sur les routes de campagne défoncées et orniérées, et aucune sensation de perte d'adhérence sur les chaussées rainurées. Les Cruistec ont un profil plus arrondi et une bande de roulement plus sportive qui enveloppe davantage la largeur du pneu, ce qui rend les virages plus faciles et plus prévisibles. Une expérience globalement positive. :)

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Moi sur ma TC les cruisetec sont
vraiment top , Mais , j’ai un leger louvoiement a 50 kms a l’avant , ??? , apres plusieurs test et changement du pneus , je prnse que ce pneus avant est trop arrondi pour la TC qui a un avant assez lourd .
 
Hello jpR18T, Yes I remember reading about your experience with the Cruistec tires. I have a lighter weight R18 Pure, so maybe that's what makes the difference. Mine is just an early, initial report on the tires, so I'll be curious to how they wear over time, but for now, they seem a lot better than the stock Bridgestone Battlecruise tires that came on my bike. The Bridgestones squared off after only 6,000 miles, and they made for a hard ride with unpredictable riding characteristics on rough or grooved pavement.
 
Manhattan Matte said:
Went for a chilly 50 mile ride on rural two-lanes and a 75 mph interstate to try out a set of new Metzler Cruistec tires. Other than the surprise of finding out that my spoked wheels required tubes, I'm very happy with the Cruistecs after this short, initial run-in. No oscillation or weird tire noise at highway speeds, a much smoother ride over pot-holed, rutted rural roads, and no feeling that the handlebars would be yanked out of my hands on grooved pavement. The Cruistecs have a more rounded profile and sportier tread pattern that wraps a little further around the tire width which made turn-ins seem easier and predictable. An overall positive experience. :)

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As I look upon your non-orange reflector magnificent machine, I realise that you must have been joking about selling it. Nah, you just couldn’t, surely!?
The only actual mistake is the pillion pegs remaining on whilst you have a single seat and a luggage rack. An oversight maybe, whilst you were making it magnificent?
 
Good eye, Hunts. Not an oversight really, but needed to keep the rear pegs because they serve as "spacers" to fit the rear protection bars. I also have a more comfortable Mustang Day Rider seat setup, and I occasionally put on the pillion seat just to change the look. I rarely carry a passenger anymore, but it's good to keep that option. I'm going to keep the bike up for sale on the forum for now, but it's the wrong season here (winter) to be selling, and the market for used and new bikes is in a slump. I'm a 70 year old motorcycle enthusiast, and the R18 is getting a little too heavy to push around easily. I have a few more cross-country trips left in me, though, so I'm wanting to sell or trade the R18 for a more suitable sport touring bike to keep my 2021 R9T company. I've had several Moto Guzzis over the years, and the new V100 Mandello has caught my eye. Thanks for your posts, and enjoy your good-looking bike! :)

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Going to a motorcycle accessories/customiser shop tomorrow morning to see if they can fabricate some upper fork covers in gloss black.
 
Before I get on this forum with “I fitted this”…. Does anyone know about or have an opinion about fitting the Rapid Bike Smart 2 ??
 
Hello HUNTS, if you join the ninetowners.com forum (an international forum for the BMW R9Ts) you'll find some good information - pros and cons - about Rapid Bike Smart. I was underwhelmed with the Rapid Bike Smart I installed temporarily on my 2021 R9T, but that was just my experience. Also, there's good info on Bren Tuning on this forum. Keep us informed.
 
Noelpolar said:
Good luck!

Fwiw.... HD Breakouts have 49mm forks....

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Went to Rogue Motorcycles (accessories and custom builds) in Western Australia…. Custom gloss black upper fork covers supplied and fitted $350Aud. Will be done in 2 weeks
(of course the black gloss will match and won’t be photoshopped, but this gives you an idea of what it will look like)….
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Manhattan Matte said:
Hello HUNTS, if you join the ninetowners.com forum (an international forum for the BMW R9Ts) you'll find some good information - pros and cons - about Rapid Bike Smart. I was underwhelmed with the Rapid Bike Smart I installed temporarily on my 2021 R9T, but that was just my experience. Also, there's good info on Bren Tuning on this forum. Keep us informed.
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That says ‘Goodbye Rapid Bike Smart’. I just have wait until after my first service to do consider Bren Tuning.
On another note, I installed a longer rear gear change peg and slipped the original rubber on it to make it look more OEM.IMG_5594.jpeg
 
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