Top Speed

[ranmar850]

Tried a top speed run today, hit the limiter in 6th at 7,900--exactly 220km/hr; bit of a tailwind. Slightly tucked behind the Wunderlicht Sport screen, carrying a BMW soft tailpack, laser pipe and y-piece.

[fnfalman]

That's 139-MPH. I don't know. Sounds a bit optimistic but then speedometers are notoriously inaccurate at higher ranges.

I haven't redlined mine yet but I yanked the throttle wide open a few times and it accelerated briskly to 120-MPH (indicated) and climbing ever slowly toward 130 when I backed off the throttle.

[Boxer]

These speedometers are intentionally optimistic. If you registered 139 you were actually going about 125. At 70MPH they're off about 7%. And it probably increases as you get faster.

[ranmar850]

I realise that the speedo is probably optimistic, but I wonder how much--if it is calibrated the same as the trip, (and could it be otherwise, that thing is VERY accurate, even possibly pessimistic --reads 220 KM on one round trip that my old GPZ900r used to say was 245km! And 101km on a distance that is officially 103km. Anyway, my point is that it exceeded the redline in top, hit the limiter and not downhill, either; " sport" top gear, obviously. Have to borrow a GPS one day...

[R90rider]

I've never hit redline in top gear on my rock. It's not for lack of trying. It just pisses out about 200rpm from the rev limit.

[beekstersocal]

just under130 once .and ill never see that again ,man that was fast

[hybridmoose]

As far as I can determine with my fat ass on top of the poor little bike and the pillion in a million in tow, I can get about 197km out of the old girl. Funnily enough, that is exactly what the manual says the top speed is. Ironic?! The manual seems pretty truthful in most things. One of those things I like about BMW.

[wardieone]

I would like to see you hit the rev limiter in sixth gear. I'm not saying you didn't do it but I've banged my Rockster for all it worth in 5th and 6th and cannot hit the rev limiter in sixth. My top speed is around 123 and unless you've changed the gear ratios in the rear drive so is yours. Wardieone

By the way thats the GPS reading opf top speed not the crappy BMW speedometer.

[dumby]

Someday this summer, it'd be cool to take the bike to the track and do a speed run under good circumstances with some accurate telemetry -

I got my Rock up to ~125 according to the speedo once. I'm 205# and have a Parabellum windshield & no silencer; otherwise I run stock. The bike still felt plenty lively but I decided I had no bizniz going that fast. Get on the track after a good technical checkout, put an organ grinder's monkey up top and give it nerves of steel - who knows what it'll do?!?

[Bry]

Hey Ranmar!

I got a shade over 200 indicated with my lard arse on the Rockster, figured that was ok..

Was nice to meet you the other day, now I can put a face to the name, and go "yes officer, it was him!"


Bry

[MIXR]

Forget the speedo and run a GPS. I was out yesterday with the boys, side cases fully loaded and a small sport-type screen fitted, and hit 195.5 km/hr. Measured by GPS, NOT the speedo which was over the 200 mark. I've hit 215 a few times, fully loaded with top box as well, but that was read on the speedo, not the GPS. I am confident my R will run a genuine 200, but will be reading much higher.

Every BMW I've ever ridden with has had about 5 to 7 km/hr error (optimistic). Even some of the jap stuff has had a huge error up in the top speed range, so claims of '300' on Blackbirds and the like are usually a bit of a fudge when you do an accurate GPS or speed gun check.

An interesting twist is that mine is faster with cases on than with no cases. Aerodynamics plays its part. There are warnings that we shouldn't go this fast with cases on, so be careful as sh*t happens quickly at those speeds.

[jeffbowman]

I've had my Rockster opened up all the way on about 15 separate occasions. According to the speedo ... 123mph is guaranteed every time, 127mph is a crawl to get to and requires no headwind, 130mph is on a gradual downhill. I've never under any conditions exceeded 130mph. I have the Wunder windscreen and am usually riding with the system cases.

Jeff

[boxermania]

ranmar850.....don't sell that Rock....it must be one those where all the assembly tolerances are working for you.

I don't know of any R of Rock that will hit redline in 6th gear on a level road.

[jon pierce]

In my experience all vehicles in Europe over read by approx 10%, doesn't matter if it's a bike or a car. Over the last few years I have confirmed this with GPS.

Now living here in the US however, I notice that all vehicles (well, all the ones I have driven anyway!) seem to be bang on.

My theory is that the over reading in Europe is intentional to help keep your speed down a bit? After all, there is no reason why they can't make accurate speedos - particulary as most are now electronic.

[ranmar850]

ranmar850.....don't sell that Rock....it must be one those where all the assembly tolerances are working for you.

I don't know of any R of Rock that will hit redline in 6th gear on a level road.

Yes, I think it's a good one-bought it as a demo with 147km on the clock--ran it in on the open road on the way home, varied the revs, gave it the odd burst to higher revs as the miles went up, you could feel it free up as the miles rolled by. It has never burnt one drop of oil between services---the addition of the laser y-pipe and can (bought thru this list from Bry) cleaned up the performance, particularly the bottom end, initially. As the motor freed up , top end performance also seemed to benefit. I swapped back to the standard can (w/ y-pipe) a couple of times when the laser can cracked around the inlet, and the top end doesn't seem quite as good. I think the cat is the main villain in the exhaust system, which is why I don't back the removal of the can/retention of the cat as an option. Last time the laser cracked I had it properly reinforced around the inlet, and, as I use the standard clamp with the integral shield, the repair is invisible anyway.
Back to the original post--the day in question, I had a quartering tailwind, but not terribly strong; given the angle , effect probably less than 10mph. I had crested a hill at 170, not working hard, saw a clear road in front of me, and went for it. A very short, slight downhill passed 200, then it kept going quickly to the 220 as the road went slightly uphill again.
I realise that that speed was indicated, and I don't need to be told that speedos are very rarely spot-on, but it was the RPM reading and stuttering off the limiter that got my attention. Not that tachos are perfect--anyone notice a recent fuss about the new R6 yamahas, the ones with the 17,500 rpm redline--it's actually doing 16,000 rpm at 17.5 indicated. American dealers were forced into a buy-back package for dissatisfied customers.... investigations showed that other jap 600's were out, mostly by 1,000 rpm. And the SV1000, also, by the same amount. GPS is the only answer. Any way, it was going well, and the low Wunderlich Trimm screen doubtless helped.

[dragonmojo]

Been too busy hitting those 60 to 70mph top speeds (on tight twisties marked 30-35mph). Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!

[m@rco]

205km/hr at approximately 7200rpm on the gauge.