BMW S1000R ※ Ohlins adjustable steering damper. Part One - fitting

For some S1000R owners the bike can get a little flighty when accelerating... some people call it a weave, other call it a wobble or a headshake. Since the bike has an OEM steering damper already it doesn't turn into a full tank-slapper but when it happens you usually have to back off the throttle!
I've checked tyre pressures - they were fine.
I've tried setting my suspension sag as per the manual - I still get the weaves.
I've been through the full range of preload settings of the forks and shock - still get the weaves.
I've played with the electronic suspension settings - still get the weaves.
I've tried holding onto the bars with a tighter/lighter grip and tried gripping the fuel tank more with my thighs - still get the weaves.
I've replaced both tyres - still get the weaves!
Again - other owners have been through all the same steps that I've gone through without solving the problem either.
I've shown you a little clip of what can happen on the road in this video, but look at this other video of one poor chap riding an S1000R at a track day:
• BMW S1000R Racetrack H... (tried to make the link start at the correct time but if it fails, skip to 2.52 in the video)
He's brave enough to keep accelerating through it and it keeps happening to him lap after lap!! I know my bike will be doing the same thing to me on my first track day in a couple of weeks and I just don't want to go through that AT ALL.
The only solution that seems to work consistently for others is to replace the OEM steering damper with a lovely adjustable Ohlins unit - model SD 046
This video goes through removing the standard unit and fitting the new one. Another video will follow in a few days once I've had a chance to test ride it.

[@fahrvergnuegen]

It was explained to me by my suspension guru (working for a well known bike suspension shop) that it's because the S1000R has front lift when getting over 100mph which makes the bike wobble. We already lowered the front from 1 rings to 2 rings showing on the forks and it has gotten better but my bike still wobbles. Going to install the SD046 on my 2017 next week and see if it's solved.

[@bmwhowknow]

This problem is solved by adjusting the suspension preload. The front fork is very vertical to the road when preload is weak.

[@RikkyTang]

Sadly I spent a day going through all the preload settings for both front and rear and I could not solve the problem. I mention this and the other things I tried in the description 😊

[@bmwhowknow]

RikkyTang! I solved this problem for myself a long time ago. Watch my video with English subtitles. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqvamGpvq9WaY5I or kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWKmhIqMmraprNE Sorry for my English.😊

[@RikkyTang]

@@bmwhowknow Cool videos! 👍 The setting of low rear preload and high front preload (which would create increased trail as you discuss in your video) was one of the combinations I tried but it didn't work for me - I still got the wobbles under acceleration.

[@Tacoma_Andrew]

I've heard if you loosen the pinch bolts on the front axle (right side), bounce up and down on the front suspension a couple time, tighten them back up, this should fix the problem. I'm going to install my damper today and try out what I described above. It's wet here so idk if I'm brave enough to push the bike too hard to report back if it works but it might be something for you to try if you're still experiencing it.

[@RikkyTang]

I hope this works out for you (wait until its nice and dry before you test it out though!) I actually sold my S1000R about a year ago but hopefully this idea will work for anyone else experiencing the problem.

[@Tacoma_Andrew]

@@RikkyTang I saw that after I posted this. I think you mentioned it in your 2nd video comments, but yeah..thought I'd keep this for someone else. It's so sketchy going around any turn that requires a slight lean above 60mph. I'll try to remember to post my experience after the adjustments.

[@RikkyTang]

@@Tacoma_Andrew Yes I'll be interested in knowing how you get on 👍

[@RaceBase]

Same problem on the new S1000R everytime i accelerate hard even on highway it wobbles you to death... and i had the 2013 RR never had that kind of problem 😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@RikkyTang]

I'm sorry to hear about this - I've ridden that new model S1000R and actually found it more stable than the model I used to own!

[@domosito4472]

Yea same with mine the 22, they don't don't make an adjustable ohlins damper for it this year yet tho I don't believe

[@Daniel-wt4rn]

Pretty sure the 2013rr came with an adjustable damper?

[@try-that]

I feel lucky, I don't suffer from that, I've just started experiencing white line jump, but my tyres are almost down to the wear-bars. Does it do it in all gears, as perhaps I've not been in that range? Looking forward to seeing how you get on with it. Can I ask the price, just being lazy :)

[@RikkyTang]

Not everyone suffers with it... wish I didn't! I managed to pick mine up on Ebay for £260, but brand new they are around £300-£320. These problems don't happen all the time, it just depends on the combination of acceleration, road surface, lean angle and... God knows what else! 😂 I've been dealing with two types of wobble I think; the hard acceleration flightiness, which the new steering damper has pretty much fixed (so relieved!) and secondly a high speed weave which tends to happen when the bike is in a faster bend. I'm still getting that so I'm not sure what else I can do at this point, other than check the tyre pressures. I've tried pretty much everything else I can think of. Do you know what tyres you are going to go for?

[@try-that]

@@RikkyTang If you fancy doing a compare, you're more than welcome to have a go on mine, just to see if it you or the bike? Regarding tyres, no I'm going to see what the prices are, I did put Pilot 4's on my MT09 and liked them, might look at Roadtec or even what you put on yours, Plus have to have a look at the forums as well. How have you found yours now their scrubbed in?

[@RikkyTang]

@@try-that That's a very kind offer! However I can say that I had the same issues on the model I test rode last year before I bought mine! Therefore it's probably me 😂

[@try-that]

@@RikkyTang Fair enough, but the offer is always there, we could also compare how I ride and sit on the bike etc. Must admit I had seen a couple of vids before I bought mine and was worried I might suffer the same, I just suffer with pull on my shoulders now I'm using as much welly as I can hold on to the bars :)

[@RikkyTang]

@@try-that We still haven't had that meet up have we 😂 We will get together and compare notes at some point! Yes this bikes certainly takes a bit of hanging on!!

[@lukasMey]

Got my S1000R yesterday, overtook a truck on the motorway, looked down, and saw I was sitting at 165km/h and had no shake or wavering on the steering.

[@RikkyTang]

I hope that you are enjoying your new bike! For me, the wobbles were under hard acceleration and the slower weaves were when I was throwing the bike into bends at high speeds. I didn't have any real problems in a straight line.

[@lukasMey]

@@RikkyTang I’m enjoying it a lot. Amazing piece of engineering. I’ll be sure to push it in the corners and see if I get similarities to your experience. Now I found one other issue where the bike won’t start when it’s been driving for some decent distance (Hot as hell) then turning it off, 20mins later it wont start, but it cranks. Had to leave it for 40mins and it started right up as if nothing was ever wrong. Seems a few owners of the S1000 mention battery issues that cause it

[@RikkyTang]

@@lukasMey yes I had that same issue with me S1000r and it was due to low battery charge. What happened with my was I had left the key on the bike seat overnight and because mine was Keyless Ride, the bike and the key fob kept a connection open all night and that took some power out of the bike battery. Hopefully once you get your battery charged it will all be good.

[@DAMEK87]

Got same problem :(

[@RikkyTang]

Very frustrating isn't it! Hopefully the weather will be dry enough to take the bike out for a test ride tomorrow.

[@millonezeta]

Test?

[@RikkyTang]

👍kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJfPaIOcgruffqc