R1100/1150 Rt

[aerostar]

Good Morning Everyone,

I currently have a '76 R60/6 that I want to return to stock condition. I have owned Harley, Kawasaki, Suzuki, two Gold Wings, a K75 and the above mentioned Beemer. Now that we have decided to return the R60 to stock, we need another machine that we can take on our serious rides.

I test drove a '99 R1100RT a year or so ago and enjoyed every mile. However, the surging bothered me. I remembered reading about it but never gave it any thought until I came off the open highway.

My question is whether I should consider an 1100RT or an 1150RT. I understand, from our dealer, that the 1150 was cured of the surging problem when the 2004 model came out with the dual spark plugs. For those of you who have either model, what kind of experiences have you had with your machine when it comes to the surging? I would rather purchase a used model but don't want to invest even THAT amount of money if the surging is going to be a constant annoyance.

[AntonLargiader]

I wouldn't let that stop me from getting an older RT. Really careful tuning will nearly or totally eliminate surging. There is some abruptness in the throttle transitions that simply reflects the way the bike normally works, but actual surging can be dealt with.

That said, not all dealers seem willing to take the time to do the super-careful tuning needed, and some of them won't mess with any of the blue-painted bits, but others will, and there are plenty of online resources and club tech days and so on to help you out.

And if you want a bit more improvement, there's always the Techlusion R259 (http://www.battley.com/miscpage_002.asp). People are generally satisfied with them; seems to make the engine run smoother and stronger.

[Mr. Frank]

I have the dual plugged R1150RT now with 22K miles. It has never surged, and the engine pulls well from 3K rpm up. It also gets great mileage. I'm told that the dual plugged model also runs more smoothly.

[BradfordBenn]

Until I crossed about 2,500 feet (~800 meters) my 02R1150RT going out to Spokane I never had surging. Once I came down from altitude the surging was gone. Part of it though is that my shop used to take really good care of my ride. I would leave the bike there for a week so that they were no rushed.

With proper care and tuning, you should not have a problem with surging. Also the better gas supposedly makes a difference.