R1100S Thoughtful Improvements:

[KeithD]

The focus of this admittedly too-long posting is to ask experienced riders/owners about their thoughts on "improving" the R1100S.

I am new not only to the R1100S, but to motorcycling itself. I bought my 11S at the end of last October, rode it all of something like 4 miles, and, being in Wisconsin, carefully put it away in preparation for the Winter of 2010-2011 ... the previous winter!! Turns out that I could have ridden it a ton more, but who knew?

Anyway, my bike is a well experienced, bare, stock, daily commuter that's been in need of a variety of TLC, some of which I have been undertaking over this winter (2011-2012) as temperature permits. Being so new to everything, I have been scouring this board to learn and to get up to speed as best I can for this season's riding. In my situation, everybody will do some of the same things, and because we are all different we will do many things differently as well.
Which gives rise to simply too many possibilities! Without a plan, I've been spending more on things I maybe don't need, and perhaps not spending anything on things that I should; the correction which, is where you come in!

Questions:
For a new-to-him owner of a 10 year old stock R1100S, what would a prioritized improvement list, or the implementation of a thoughtful improvement program look like? Ahhh, "But every rider is different!" you say. Indeed, but since we have to start somewhere, let's talk about me!:

Not a lot of experience, but have taken the initial safety course, and will take at minimum a next course early this summer.
I will ride mostly short trips, but because I live in town, will ride a strong mix of small city urban, straight county roads, some interstate, and occasionally, when I can, great twisties an hour or two away.
I want to attend a few overnight/weekend out-of-town rallys.
I am panting, salivating, wet dreams, to do a track day at the track 1.5 hours away, but zero experience with such things.
I will occasionally ride two-up.
I have some mechanical aptitude, but only limited. For example, I can do all of the regular maintenance, but I cannot do an engine re-build.

My current thinking is along the following lines, but I have no real sense of priorities or the value of each. Can you help me out? Or point me in the right direction?

Maintenance

Safety

Handling

Performance

Comfort/Ergonomics

Touring

Style/Bling/Farkle

Apparel (Safety,comfort, performance, farkle)


Assuming that I will keep this bike for a while (no joke: at my age this might actually be the only bike I ever own), what are your recommendations regarding the specific improvements I should make to this 11S, and in what order of priority?

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to weigh in!!

[KeithD]

Based on this discussion thread and forum posts, I'm going to update this 2nd post here to catalog the board's collective ideas into a general "enhancements" prioritized list, and to brief everyone on what I've decided to do, even if I don't follow the list exactly.

By either popularity, or vehemence of opinion, (you know who you are) this looks like a fair prioritized "enhancements" list (as of Mar 6, 2012 - to be updated as results come in!)


Safety & Maintenance
1. ATGATT - Helmet, armored clothing
2. Get the bike in proper tune first
3. brakes
4. tires
5. lights
a. headlight modulator
b. HID (the non-modulated headlight)
c. LED tail light / flashing brake light
d. driving lights (piaas, motos, etc)

Handling
1. High-end shocks (Ohlins, Wilbers)
2. paralever change-out
3. Motoyoyo's telelever modification
? steering damper?

Performance
1. upgraded air filter
2. Y pipe & high performance exhaust
2. fuel management module / tuning chip
? Lennies sprockets (mostly for low-mid range throttle use?)

Ergonomics & Comfort
1. upgraded saddle (Corbin, Sargents, etc.)
2. BarBacks / bar risers
3. Throttlemeister-type friction lock
4. heated grips
5. tank grip pads
6. strap-on tank bag

Touring Functionality (varies - high priority for a trip, low priority for local use)
1. toolkit / spares kit
2. panniers / topcase
3. rain gear
4. bike cover
5. touring windshield
6. Bluetooth intercom (added this here myself because I want one)

Bling/Farkle
1. Life's short, ride what you like


I also much liked this advice from another post, which of course only makes prioritizing more difficult if like me you want to "sport-tour":

shreddr:
if you intend to tour, get all the ergonomic stuff first, seat, relocate bars, etc.
If you are going to sport ride, ditch the pregnant cat convertor, and get a y-pipe and high performance mufflers, and a fuel injection module,
then bolt up some worthy shocks as the stockers suck, and the BCR "sport" shocks arent' much better,
and get the shorter torque arm.
if you really are intent on serious sport riding, sell it now and get an R12S, as the difference is night and day.

And this quote, which SO applies to me ....

wiggledbits:
I really didn't know what I was getting into did I?



Following is what I have done so far (still winter, after all) to my own project bike to date (March 5, 2012):

Maintenance
1. Removed the carbon trap can (plastic nipples on the can were broken off anyway, and it looks better to me)
2. New brakes:
- Flushed the brake lines, including the ABS lines
- Resurfaced the rotors (done by TrueDisk, Great guys - Highly recommend!)
- New rear disk pads installed (went with ceramics, will see how they work) Fronts still fine.
3. New tires (opted for Michelin Pilot Road 3s. Will let you know how they hold up.)
4. Replaced the fuel filter. (What a pain! Have moved filter to the outside of the tank as per the Internet BMW Riders & Lentini).
5. Still need to change the oil, just too damned cold.

Safety
0. I have a helmet, but less than fully satisfied with it, so starting to shop for an upgrade
1. Tourmaster armored jacket & trousers
2. armored gloves
3. New tires (per above)
4. Taillight modulator

Handling
1. Boxer Cup/GS paralever
2. considering Motoyoyo's telelever mod
3. saving up for recommended shocks ($Ouch!)

Performance


Ergonomics & Comfort
1. Barbacks (not yet installed, going to rid a bit first)
2. Throttlemeister

Touring Functionality
1. BMW System cases & mounting hardware ($Ouch!!)
2. Givi mounts & topcase (ouch!)
3. Gerbings jacket
4. hardwire Gerbings outlet
5. hardwire accessory outlet
6. touring windshield to swap out w. sport windshield (looks easy enough to swap as needed, we'll see).

Style/Bling/Farkle
1. New paint job. hight have needed it anyway. Decided bike is old enough that I don't need to stay with factory, that it would be ok to take a risk. In this case, I'll report on what other people think. lol
2. I'm adding an oilpan/spoiler. I just like the look, maybe useful on track day.
3. smoked lenses, Niteshade tail

Apparel
Note: putting this under either safety, touring, or farkle lol

That's all so far .....


1. Previous owner's photo of my bike as it was before I bought it (October, 2011)



2. My bike as it sits today (March 5, 2012, Wisconsin) next to my "regular" ride in winter!



More pics to follow this spring

[ckcarr]

"1) I recently saw on this board in response to someone who wanted more "performance" out of his 11S a response something like" "Hey, if you are going to go to that much trouble, sell the 11S and buy an R1200S and be done with it." A disturbing statement to a new 11S owner who likes to accessorize! lol
Yes, the R1200S is more powerful. What else? My question is: If money is not a primary object, are there ways in which the 11S remains superior to (or at least the equal of) the R1200S? Or are 11S owners all merely wishing that they could afford an R1200S, which they will move up to as soon as they can afford to? Or, third possibility, are the bikes "surprisingly different" such that, if one could choose, one would pick one or the other based on different considerations, or even own both? (This is not a troll, there seem to be so many 11S owners happy to invest significant money into their bikes rather than sell them off. Also, one can find a reasonable number of 11Ss for sale, but almost always stock. Those who put the money into improving their bikes appear to keep them. Is this just a psychological effect?)
Other than initial cost, why own an 11S over an R1200S? Anybody ever sell an R1200S to own an 11S? Anybody own both?"

I'll answer this!

The bikes are two different horses.
Passenger & touring, R1100S
Ride solo and very brisk. R1200S

Fact is, you can put a lot of money into the R1100S to achieve minimal gains. It's been well discussed and tested since the inception of the board. Example, exhaust system - will make your ears hear fast, but will not give much more than 2-4% more power. But, the lightening (because the stock system is quite heavy) of the bike will feel good... So, find a nice light system to add. But then don't blame us when you get sick of the constant droning when you ride! Sometimes quiet/stealth is nice...

Time for bed...

[Flying Dutchie]

Well interesting questions, if money is no object buy 2!

Passenger & touring, R1100S
Ride solo and very brisk. R1200S or even HP2S.

I ride a R1100S, but where I ride mostly, Eifel, Ardennes in Germany, Belgium Luxemburg, it is hard to exceed 60-70 miles on the twisties. More torque is always nice but I hardly need more horsepower.
The german autobahn system, where only on small portions there are no speedlimits, is in my opinion boring to the extreme. (As are most of the roads in my native Netherlands, too straight). I like to take the train in Duesseldorf and ride through the night to Northern Italy in oder to ride the dolomites, thus eliminating all he boring parts.

If you want to tune the R1100S, and you can not do the work yourself, there are at east in Germany several companies offering tuning packages. And indeed money must not be an object. It seems that for street use, the limits are around 135 Hp, 125 Nm, above that you run into crank problems etc.

I would rather change money for time and I ride more (although money may be limitless, time is the same for all of us).

[Steve Carlton]

What was the question again?

As said above, the advantage of the R1100S is it'll take a passenger in comfort, whereas the 12 will not. A lot of people think the R1100S is a better looking bike, and it is destined to be a classic in that way, ala the R90S in my opinion. The 11 is gorgeous and the 12 is more insect-like, but still very nice looking IMO. Other than lower cost of entry, I don't see much advantage to the 11. If one big item goes out (spline shaft or ABS), you'll have paid for a 12. Adding Ohlins will get you halfway or so to the price of a 12 that has them from the factory.

Lots of things you can do to the R1100S and that needs to be your personal choice. Everybody has different taste and budget. Keep in mind that most of the money you spend on either bike will not come back to you.

[bikerfish1100]

shocks.

[EZ-RIDER]

I don't think 119 HP at the Crank is " achieve minimal gains"

[ckcarr]

Invest in good riding gear, and items that will be transferable to a newer bike if/when you upgrade.

You say you won't, but you very well might if the bug bites.



I like the "insect like" description of the r1200s...

[CoffeeGuy]

For me, the 11 is perfect as my wife and I use it to tour for long streches.

The 12 is a superior machine by most measurable standards, but wouldn't fit our needs. As ckcarr mentioned- IMO the 11 is better looking.

If your looking to do just one thing- get some good suspension.

[Trex]

Welcome to the clan. The good news about the 1100S is that there is not much you have to do - outside of maintenance - to get 100% from the bike. The bad news is that trying to get beyond that 100% can be costly and of little value. I think most of us have put a fair amount of money into our bikes with only a few regrets. What we wind up with are personalized bikes: set up the way we like.

So, start with maintenance. Tune up and fluids. Synthetic in the trans and RD seems to be a good choice. Oil in the motor? Do a search and take your pick of opinions. Remember to keep an eye on the oil sight glass. Make sure you have good, fresh, tires. A search here will offer good suggestions for street/touring or fast/track choices. Brakes are good on the 1100S. An upgrade would be Spiegler lines. If unsure of when the brake fluid was last replaced, just do it. I like an HID light and MotoLights up front. I also like two-element bulbs in the turn-signals as running lights. And air horns. That can make the battery terminals busy so, add a remote fuse box. Search here for ideas for that. The cleanest way to add a fuse box is place it where the tire repair kit is under the seat.

I use an adjustable torque arm to shorten the wheelbase but swapping to a shorter GS unit works, too. The one item that changes the bike dramatically with a corresponding dent in your wallet will be an upgrade to better shocks. I feel that if you need to save money for one big-ticket item, shocks are it. Plenty of thoughts here about what to get. I am of the opinion that if you do not track the bike, Wilburs will be fine. As for a K&N air filter, I'll just say that there are opinions about that, too. I have one but, I can't tell you that it is better. For more torque you can open up the hole in the balance tube between the headers. If the headers are off, grind down the internal welds on each end. A FRK or similar add-on unit may add more comfort of mind than performance. I have a FRK but I can't quantify any gains. But, I'm not taking it off, either. If you have the stock cans and want a bit more power or better sound, after market units are available (keep an eye on FOR SALE stuff here). Remove the charcoal cannister.

I like tank pads. I use the standard black rubber (Luftmeister?) pads. I have tried a handful of windshields over the years and am back to the stock (standard) screen. I do have the peg lowering kit which I like and I have the bar-back kit which I like a lot, too. I have a Sargeant saddle. Search here for comments on saddles - many opinions, a few choices and not cheap. I have the feeling that if you go to a custom saddle shop and have someone there measure you and fit a saddle to you specifically, you'll get the best possible saddle. I still don't know how some can ride 1000 miles in 24 hours. I also have the alloy triple clams (MotoYoYo) which seems to make the bike turn better but, again, nothing that I can quantify. Those triple clamps are no longer made so watch for when they go up on the For Sale space. I run a throttlemeister for the occasion highway blasts. I also have one of those Cramp Busters, too. I have a pair of City Lids and full lids - buy them when they are on sale: they are a lot of money new.

As for apparel, that is up to you. I am more or less ATGATT. BMW apparel is good but you have to buy it when it is on sale. I like the Rev It clothing, too. I wear a Nolan flip-up and like it. Many swear only by Arai or other full face helmets. I would add a few extra tools when riding. Take a first aid kit.

I've put a lot of money into my 2004 1100S and I might have 2 or 3 more horsepower and someone who knows how to ride will spank me with an R69. But it is a bike that fits me well, is set up the way I want it, looks good and I love to ride it. I can only wish that you'll be able to say the same soon.

[RBMann]

You are new to motorcycling and the R1100S. My thought is ride your S for awhile and get to know it then try and change the things that you don't like. I like things that are reliable and work over a broad spectrum. I do touring or sport-touring and commute year round.

The list of my changes is small-

HID hi/lo
Reworked shock
SS brake lines
Power Commander- to cure surge not for power
Enlarged gas tank
Had a cat eliminator but went back to stock- noise issue
Never really found a seat I loved or a windshield better than the stock low one

[Noblehops]

Originally Posted by CoffeeGuy

For me, the 11 is perfect as my wife and I use it to tour for long streches.

The 12 is a superior machine by most measurable standards, but wouldn't fit our needs. As ckcarr mentioned- IMO the 11 is better looking.

If your looking to do just one thing- get some good suspension.

...and go scare up the shorter, 365mm GS torque arm. It's hard to be certain looking at your photos, but you appear to have the longer one. From the sounds of it you don't get to ride much in the way of twisties, so I don't think you'll get much value from spending a LOT of dough on handling stuff, but EVERY 10 year old bike benefits greatly from suspension upgrades. Our moderator Roger sells Ohlins and is an expert. That's a great place to start.

Maybe luggage for touring?

I'm a big fan of the BoosterPlug to smooth out the low-speed throttle response and surging. Another big contributor here is Robert Foster aka Boxercup, and he sells another version called the FRK. These are temperature sensor spoofers that richen the mixture at small throttle openings, to good effect on my bike. Cheap mod either way, relatively speaking.

I did a similar project to yours, BTW, just last year.

Spruce-up of a 2001 1100S Light

N.

[hellfishtat]

+1 on this suggestion. You can always take gear with you, unless you get too fat.

Here is the list of what I purchased, in order....
Suburban Industries foot peg lowering blocks (really helped my knees)
Corbin Seat (really makes long rides more enjoyable)
Speigler SS brake lines (rear one busted and ordered a complete set)
Ohlins shocks (had gotten a bonus at work)
Spiegler Handlebar Conversion Kit (just ordered today)

Here is what was on my bike when I bought it....
GS Torque Arm
Ztechnik Exhaust
12" Sport Screen
relocated Evap Canister


I have, on and off, contemplated selling the bike. Hell, just last week I got all hot and bothered for a K1200GT. The month before it was a R1200R. Before that it is the Uber sexy R1200S. In the end, I realize that even with everything I'd done to the bike, I'm still out $3K-$5K less than I would be for any of the other rides. It's just so damn fun I can't imagine selling it just to go another route.

Originally Posted by ckcarr

Invest in good riding gear, and items that will be transferable to a newer bike if/when you upgrade.

You say you won't, but you very well might if the bug bites.



I like the "insect like" description of the r1200s...

[bradzdotcom]

if you still have money sitting around, invest in the riding gear. the weather is warming up so you can save up a little and splurge by end of summer.

after that, suspension.

maybe a remote garage door opener too. gotta have one of those.

seems like you have the rest of it covered.

[SergioK]

Yeah, gloves, boots, jacket, pants... there's at least $1000 right there.

Gloves - Helds (love Steves - not Carltons though, his are icky)
Boots - Sidis (not Brads cause he's been known to go bareback in them, again, icky) imo

[roger albert]

TIRES!!!

For a bit of smoothness and if you don't mind a bit of mileage drop, some cheap spoofer like FRK.

Shorter (GS paralever arm)

Shocks.

Lighter exhaust is nice, but noisy. Personal taste tradeoff as Craig said.

If you have the budget, wheels. Those are pretty big ticket though (but again, awesome)

HID lights not bad, if you ride at night much.

Haven't frankly futzed with mine much, but it needs a new battery, and I just had a whole case of those lightweight Shorais ordered for the shop, so I'm going to give one a try.


Single best improvement _for_the_money_ is the GS torque arm.

Good luck, and welcome.

[wiggledbits]

Single best improvement _for_the_money_ is the GS torque arm.
If you need then the RD Bar backs and Suburban peg kit are good and inexpensive relative.
TIRES!!!
Shocks. Spendy but plenty of pay-back if you keep the bike for 3 or 4 years. Plus they might still pull in a few bucks after that time on a resell.
+1 Good luck, and welcome.

[R111S]

[bikerfish1100]

Originally Posted by Noblehops

...and go scare up the shorter, 365mm GS torque arm. It's hard to be certain looking at your photos, but you appear to have the longer one.

look at the angle of the rear hub to swingarm interface. big angle there. definitely the longer stock arm. the short arm will create a straight line between swingarm and FD.

[Nitro]

Like anyone says:

GS-length paralever, a must.
Oval K&N filter (do not buy the one made for the R1100S as it's ridiculously small).
K-bike high pressure fuel regulator.
Closed-loop Powercommander (again not for much power gain, rather for engine smoothness and a final fix for all surging issues).
Exhaust with cat eliminator.
Custom shocks.
Systems cases, a ultra must!

As for the 1100S vs the 1200S, the former is possibly the perfect sport-touring bike, the latter is mediocre attempt of a sport boxer; if you want a sport race replica, then get a real one! The R1100S is not a sport bike, if you understand and accept that with a little TLC, you will love the bike.