R1150RT 2004 questions

[matthew517]

I'm wondering if other r1150rt riders are getting a hum when making left or right turns in 5th and 6th gear. When I'm riding down the road in 5th or 6th and I start to weave or make turns on some of these wonderful va back roads I notice a hum. Since this is my first BMW I wasn’t sure if this is the norm.

Another question is concerning cold morning starts. Since my 6000 service I have noticed a little bit of engine clatter when starting the bike. But when it warms up the clatter goes away. The mornings are also colder than before the 6k service. Again since this is my first BMW R is this the norm?

[riderR1150GSAdv]

The hum you hear is more than likely tire wear, mainly the front tire. Look at the tire and you will see it worn off on one side more than the other. It has IMHO nothing to do with the tranny.
The startup when cold is normal as the oil is thicker and takes time to circulate through the engine. Try 15W50 for the winter time as it is thinner.
My 0.02 cts :coffee

[matthew517]

Thanks for you insight. I had a V-star that I named the gray ghost after the Gray ghost himself Col. Mosby

[LeRoux Strydom]

I agree that the hum is likely tire related. My RT had a fairly worn front tire when I bought the bike (used). When I replaced it with a new one (had some tread!), I could hear a "hum" at certain speeds/lean angles.

The noise you hear at cold start-up is from the cam chain tensioners. They operate on engine oil pressure, and so, rattle a bit until they get full pressure.

[Rich]

My RT has a loud hum on sharp curves to the right, and it does it with new tires. The first time I heard it I thought something was wrong, it was very noticeable. Since then I have just gotten used to it and don't worry about it.

[dano]

I run MOBIL 1 15w/50 engine oil year round.

It doesn't seem to matter what time of the year it is, or how cold or hot it might be, when I start up my '03RT, it clatters like it's nobody's business. :dunno

[kbasa]

It takes a bit for the cam chain tensioners to get pumped up, so you're hearing the cam chains rattling around in the motor.