3.0 Rear Drive

[BobbyLeBout]

I just picked up my bike yesterday after the 6K service. Two seals replaced, side outlet switched to direct to battery, the 6K service and the rear drive switched from 2.75:1 to 3.0:1.
Wow! I did the gear switch primarily because I often get caught in stop and go traffic. I did not do it for high performance reasons. If you saw me riding you would understand. The bike has taken on a different personality. I with I had done the 6K and the final drive at different times so I could tell which one had a larger affect on the bike. The best result was that I could not find any stop and go traffic that day. I looked for hours but there just wasn’t any. I am sure that will not last long. The gear change exceeded my expectations but I wish it was just purchasing a different size sprocket.

Now I am getting the bike ready for winter;
GS hand guards are ordered
Parabellum Scout Fairing installed
Parabellum windshield cut down
RT windshield bracket being made
For the coldest part of winter;
Hippo Hands will replace GS hand guards.
I love this bike.

[stogiepuffer]

I didn't know we could change ratios like that. Does BMW have the gears or was this a custom one off type of deal? A little more mid range response at the expense of max top speed would suit me fine.

[mogu83]

3.0 gear conversion: http://www.maxbmwmotorsport.com/r1200-r/

Most likely would be cheaper to pick up a 2.91 off a wrecked GS.

[ShinySideUp]

Hmm... I've considered this option too, since I use my R12R all day long on the job in San Francisco traffic on San Francisco's famously steep hills.

BUT, I just used the calculator on the linked page, and in 1st gear at 10 mph with the stock rear end, the RPM's would be 1521. Changing to the 3.0 rear end, the RPM's would be 1659, a gain of 138 RPM's.

This wouldn't SEEM to me to make a huge difference in general slow-speed driveability. I can understand someone spending the $1533 for gaining a racing performance edge, but as you said, that's not you. Nor me.

I believe you when you say, "The gear change exceeded my expectations"... I'm just having a hard time understanding why. Maybe, after you've used the bike in stop & go for a bit, you could elaborate on your experience in exactly HOW the improvement is perceived.

PS: For those who may be interested, at 70 mph in 6th gear with the stock 2.75 rear end, the RPM's are 3764.

Changing to the 3.0 rear end, RPM's jump to 4107, a difference of 343.

For comparison, using the stock rear end, downshifting to 5th gear at 70 mph yields RPM's of 4223, a difference from 6th gear of 459 RPM's.

PPS: For a fun time-lapse video of engine tear-down/rebuild, I found this on their site, in the middle of the page. The valve-adjustment is at 2:50 in the video. Just a bit faster than I do them!

http://www.maxbmwmotorsport.com/power-package/

[BobbyLeBout]

The 3.0 rear is a 9.1% reduction in gearing and the 2.91 is 5.8% reduction.
I would have loved to spend for a larger rear sprocket and a longer chain instead of the cost of the new gears.
My concern was low speed but did worry about RPM's at 70-75 MPH.

2.75 @ 7 mph = 1065 rpm
2.91 @ 6.62 mph = 1066 rpm
3.0 @ 6.42 mph = 1065 rpm
made the next one up
3.25 @ 5.9mph = 1061 rpm

This wouldn't SEEM to me to make a huge difference in general slow-speed drivability.

It did not need a huge difference it needed a minor adjustment. We all are spending money on our bikes for minor adjustments. This one paid off for me and so did lowering the footpegs, the foam handgrips, and the bar riser/backs. The money wasted on a few worthless windshields is lost money.

Hmm... I've considered this option too, since I use my R12R all day long on the job in San Francisco traffic on San Francisco's famously steep hills.

I bet you would be pleased with the results.

The rear was done at the same time as the 6K service so I am sure that both contributed to the new ride.

If I had the luxury of renting a bike with a 2.75 rear for a week and then renting a bike with a 3.0 rear for a week I would have purchased the bike with the lower gearing.
It might have been nice to know there was a choice when buying the bike.
The main difference to me is when you start out from a stop. I stopped thinking about the clutch even when riding two up.
Another discovery was that I found myself more often around 4,000 rpm’s than 3,000 rpm’s. I have no idea why that was happening except that maybe the new rear provided adrenaline for the bike and the rider. No, I did not scrape a peg.
Would I spend that money again? Knowing what I know now, yes.
Would I order my next bike with the lower gearing? If BMW did not move the first gear ratio down a little, yes.
Who knows what will happen in the future, maybe a larger whatever (pulley) with a longer belt?

[celticus]

Very very cool. I was excited when I first saw that BMW offered this rear end. It's way cool that we now have someone to learn from. The most fun I have with my R1200R is in the mountains in 2nd or 3rd gear. My bike is not an every day tool but mainly a toy for touring and brief periods of playing racer boy on the beautiful curvy roads in W. N.C. just as fast as I can.
I wonder what lofting the front end is like with the new rear end as compared to the stock one?. I have an immature friend who is interested.
Does the ABS work with this rear end? There was rumor that it did not and that kind of brought interest on this forum to an end.
The way the bike behaves in first gear from a dead stop is not a big deal for me as I've never noticed that the gearing was high.
I think that if I were made to spend more time at 4K rpm instead of at 3K rpm I would be going faster in the twisties and that would be a good thing.
The more I think about it as I write this is that the ABS question ( if I had the money ) would be all that kept me from getting this 3.0 upgrade.

Mark

[ShinySideUp]

Thanks, Bobby for the elaboration. That helped flesh it out a bit more for me.

Now there's only the financial justification part remaining!

Bill

[BobbyLeBout]

http://www.maxbmwmotorsport.com/r1200-3 ... e-upgrade/

Max's lists an option for Non ABS and no speedo for racing.
The one I have works with ABS.
I now have a spare final drive (2.75) that might go up for sale.

[parkec]

Now this is option might be worth having. Providing I could get my head and wallet around it's cost. But, one day I will run out of farkles to buy....

As a nakid rider who mostly commutes (70%) I really don't have a need to be able to go long distances at 90+, or at the lowest possible RPM; but getting from 0-60 or 4580 in a flash would be nice, real nice.