BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Has anyone used the Twinmax Synchronizer to set the throttle bodies? It looks like a very interesting tool and simple to use. Is it worth the money? Is it accurate? My bike is coming due for the 6000 mile service and I am thinking about doing it myself. I would much rather pay the money to buy the tools to do the job than pay someone to do it for me. Any information would be great.

Roger L

I do have one, and have used it several years to adjust my R. It is a nice tool, but I have noticed, that it becomes inaccurate when the battery voltage drops a little. The illumination light is still bright enough, but the reading is allready shifted to one side. But generally, I´d by another one if something happened to the one I allready have.

rgds,
Hanno

Roger - two things:

1 - I have never had to balance my throttle-bodies. Once the valves are set correctly, balance is dead-nutz on. The R12R is much improved over the R11 series bikes in this. It doesn't seem to drift out of balance. In checking some other bikes where I helped someone out with a valve adjustment I observed the same thing.

2 - There is a better tool then the Twinmax (which I own) coming out shortly. I can't reveal any details on it yet, but the tool will pretty much replicate what the dealer's computer does for TB balance. I'll be writing the instructions for it's use once I have one in my hands, and can then perhaps reveal more. Dunno the price point on it, but I believe it will be competitive.

For your 6,000 mile service - I'd simply adjust the valves and leave the balance alone (I wrote the MOA Hexhead TB DIY on doing a Hexhead. I did a "balance" just for the DIY, but the settings all were back where I started when I was done.)

Assume you are talking about this one - hardly a secret

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=692535

I was doing some searching on the TwinMax and someone posted that a better option would be to mount (2) vacuume gauges to a board and just look at the gauges. THis idea sounds very simple and easy to make. I would like to know how many inches of mercury vacuume the R1200R pulls. Do I need a 0-30 in-Hg gauge or can I use one with a smaller scale.

Edit:
From doing some looking for gauges the 0-30 in-Hg gauges are the only gauges available.

Thanks
Roger L

Roger - that might work if the gauges read the same for the same input (checked by connecting both to the same vacuum source at the same time).. and if you got BIG ones. BMW used to use mechanical vacuum gauges for TB/carb sync - but they were about 6" in diameter, so you could actually see the needle and easily compare them. I used to have a set of 4 vacuum gauges setup for Japanese bikes (sold for the purpose from JCWhitney, the paragon of catalog sales..) Can't say I ever found them super effective.

The Twinmax is a differential manometer (google it..) so it balances by seeking equal vacuum on both sides of the device. The good part about the Twinmax is the sensitivity adjustment, you can continue zero'ing in on a perfect balance with it by increasing the sensitivity. The bad part IMHO - it tends to drift a bit with time, and the zero-out control is WAY too twitchy to use - they should have a 10-turn potentiometer for that control, but they don't.

Best,

Here's a brief video I posted a while ago on the twinmax. I haven't had to make any adjustments yet and I've done my last 2 services.

http://youtu.be/zdzQUUhp2l4

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=701625

To revive this thread - the twinmax alternitive appears to be ready to ship next month & it looks like theya re taking pre-orders

I have the Twinmax and it works as advertised. After adjusting the valves the Twinmax made the motor very smooth.

boxermoose wrote:http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=701625

To revive this thread - the twinmax alternitive appears to be ready to ship next month & it looks like theya re taking pre-orders

That isn't the alternative I was referring to.. and I should have one in hand before the end of the week (I'm helping write the manual,) and will check and see if I can say anything about it.

I checked with Stephan at HexCode - and he said I can mention that they will be releasing an alternative to other balancing tools. It will use an electronic sensor connected to your PC (or Netbook, and knowing them - probably to a cell phone) with software that provides for recording the balance, displaying it in a graphic manner, and semi-automated balance at different engine speeds.

I should be getting a beta version in a day or two. If I have time before I leave for CA in the Porsche (I tried to get SWMBO to fly and I'd ride - that didn't go over well).. I'll give a quick idea of what it can do. Looks like another neat tool from the people who brought you the GS-911. Pricing isn't set yet - but it will be "competitive".

For those looking for a simpler alternative to the Twinmax check out the Carbtune. It is a simple vacuum gauge that uses stainless steel collumns instead of the mercury of older "carb sticks". They make a 2 collumn unit for twins and a 4 collumn unit for twins, triples or 4 cylinder bikes. I have been using one for close to 10 years now and find it much easier to use than a Twinmax. The steel columns are dead steady and don't bounce around like the Twinmax does. Makes it extremely easy to get the TBs adjusted perfectly. Full disclosure, we do sell them now at Beemerboneyard . Check them out here: http://www.beemerboneyard.com/tools.html