05 1150 gsa not starting

[Steven 0001]

So I have an 05 limited edition 1150 gsa. 38000 miles. It was sat for a few years until i picked it up 5 months ago. 1st problem was the hall effect sensor went after the 2nd ride. 9 week wait for the part then it seemed sorted. 2 days after picking it up it fails to start again. Its a totally different sound from when the hall sensor had failed.
Now it just wont turn over. (brand new battery fully charged). Its had a brand new starter motor too.
Starting to panic a bit as im booked for a 5000 mile road trip on july 1st!!!
The legendary gs reliability has failed me big time so far!!!!
Any ideas greatly appreciated.

 

[bisbee]

Check that the alternator is not seized

 

[hops]

A bit more info may help your diagnosis. When you turn the key initially does the fuel pump prime? When you try the starter does the solenoid click. Can you hear anything at all, do the lights dim? Could be many things, like the side stand switch, starter button itself. Have you checked all of the fuses?

 

[Ian J Hartley]

You are going to have to give more information.

When you say the bike doesn’t turn over, what happens when you press the start button, do you get a clunk does the headlight go off.

Stick Bike in neutral and on main stand with side stand retracted.

Ignition on
Does the fuel pump prime……..yes/no
Do you have head light and instrument lights……yes/no
Do you have a neutral light….yes/no
When you press start button do you get a clunk……yes/no
Put your finger on the starter relay in the fuse box, can you feel it operate when you press the start button……yes/no.

 

[Steven 0001]

Bike is on center stand, in neutral. Lights all on etc
Fuel pump primes.
Lights all stay on, dont dim at all
No particular clunk really
Neutral light , yes

Im new to bmw and it makes all sorts of sounds like the abs servo brakes that im really not used to.
My other bike is a harley chopper which has taken me all over Europe and never missed a beat but after breaking my back i thought the gs would be an easier option!!!

 

[Ian J Hartley]

Bike is on center stand, in neutral. Lights all on etc
Fuel pump primes.
Lights all stay on, dont dim at all
No particular clunk really
Neutral light , yes

Im new to bmw and it makes all sorts of sounds like the abs servo brakes that im really not used to.
My other bike is a harley chopper which has taken me all over Europe and never missed a beat but after breaking my back i thought the gs would be an easier option!!!

Under normal conditions the headlight should go out when you press the start button, it’s the job of the load shedding relay to chop all electrics to allow for maximum battery power to start the bike.

It might be that either the start button or the starter relay is faulty.

Try pulling in the clutch lever whilst pressing the start button, see if that has any effect.

 

[Ian J Hartley]

If it still doesn’t start, then you could try pulling the starter relay and momentarily jumping across the contacts. This will feed power directly from the battery to the starter motor coil.

Momentary is the key, don’t hold the jumper on to long. But as you do it the starter should rotate and the lights should go out.

 

[Ian J Hartley]

You can also check the operation of your start button from the starter relay. All being well every time you press the start button with ignition on you should get +12v to power the relay coil.

 

[Nando654321]

So I have an 05 limited edition 1150 gsa. 38000 miles. It was sat for a few years until i picked it up 5 months ago. 1st problem was the hall effect sensor went after the 2nd ride. 9 week wait for the part then it seemed sorted. 2 days after picking it up it fails to start again. Its a totally different sound from when the hall sensor had failed.
Now it just wont turn over. (brand new battery fully charged). Its had a brand new starter motor too.
Starting to panic a bit as im booked for a 5000 mile road trip on july 1st!!!
The legendary gs reliability has failed me big time so far!!!!
Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Dude

I feel for you, I mean it. I bought a BMW 1150GS with 34k miles (2004), but what I REALLY wanted was the GSA.

All your issues above is making me think that I made the right decision though! Mine was a retired RAF engineer who spent Covid ensuring all was well engine wise. So it’s a weird one as I ride it with confidence but know on the outside it’s not as pretty as others. He even put in a brand new clutch. Yours seems to have been left to go off for a bit and on a near 20 year old bike that’s not good news.

My suggestion if you are not mechanically minded / like me can do basics only in general:

- there are some amazing (and reasonable prices) GS specialists in this group and across the country. If you are South West London near Putney then I have a contact. Somewhere else in the country? Plenty of people here will know an amazing GS mechanic, no problem

- I would give your bike over to them for a major service and sanity check of the basics that can go wrong in a 5,000 mile trip… it’s going to hurt cost wise, but from a peace of mind point of view… you will be in the right place. You DO NOT want to save money now only to be bike stuck in your amazing trip as fixing it mid trip will be triple cost minimum.

On a positive, the cost of doing the above will still be lower then buying a very new bike.

I would also do a check of all the paperwork, what hasn’t been done in the last few years that may be worthwhile upgrading before the big trip


My 2 cents


I’m West Berkshire so am lucky to have the Putney GS specialist within easy reach. There will be a good one near you

 

[Steven 0001]

Hi mate. Thanks for the feedback. Exactly what im after is someone who's gs knowledgeable, ive come here from old harleys and its a different ball game. Im jappy to spend a few quid for sure making it a solid ride.
Im based in dorset so if you know anyone down south any contact would be amazing

 

[Ian J Hartley]

Hi mate. Thanks for the feedback. Exactly what im after is someone who's gs knowledgeable, ive come here from old harleys and its a different ball game. Im jappy to spend a few quid for sure making it a solid ride.
Im based in dorset so if you know anyone down south any contact would be amazing

You will never get more detailed and specific bike knowledge than on the pages of this forum, and it’s all free. Many of the posters have years of experience in servicing and repairing not only your specific make and model of bike but many others as well. Of course if doing even the basics of mechanical or electrical fault finding is beyond your abilities, then you need to say so. We will try to steer you through some fault finding and try to make it as detailed as possible, but at the end of the day progress in fault finding relies on your commitment by providing feedback where necessary.

 

[Seamaster]

Hi mate. Thanks for the feedback. Exactly what im after is someone who's gs knowledgeable, ive come here from old harleys and its a different ball game. Im jappy to spend a few quid for sure making it a solid ride.
Im based in dorset so if you know anyone down south any contact would be amazing

Ive heard this person is good, ex CW Motorcycles

https://www.studleysmotorcycles.co.uk/

 

[Nando654321]

Hi mate. Thanks for the feedback. Exactly what im after is someone who's gs knowledgeable, ive come here from old harleys and its a different ball game. Im jappy to spend a few quid for sure making it a solid ride.
Im based in dorset so if you know anyone down south any contact would be amazing

Haha - I was in Dorset up to yesterday on Holiday!

Quick answer is no I don’t know any GS specialists over in Dorset but as I expected, some good examples from others already coming through to help you re specialists in your area.

Great to see and don’t worry about the bike, the great thing about the GS specialists is that they will get it running again in no time and with our bikes being relatively simple compared to nowadays, it should mean you have trouble free miles going forward.

Just one of those things, you happened to have picked up one that needs a bit of TLC that’s all

 

[Nando654321]

Ive heard this person is good, ex CW Motorcycles

https://www.studleysmotorcycles.co.uk/

Got to say this guy does sound like he knows his sh!t

It’s one of those situations - yes you can sit here for days on end trying to fix a raft of issues, or as a one off you can send it to this guy (or whichever specialist you decide on) and get the bike a well needed overhaul

Thereafter you can do the jobs yourself

 

[Steven 0001]

Okay so i can get the bike running. It takes a fair few goes at it with a bit of throttle and then it starts and runs absolutely perfectly. Once its warm it seems to start okay. But then if its left for a day or 2 its difficult to get going again. Brand new Battery tested and all fine. New starter motor, new hall sensor, new fuel, new spark plugs, new oiland filter. Ive only ever had carbed bikes so maybe its some gunky injectors??
Im gonna ride to Birmingham from dorset this weekend so maybe that will blow some crap thrpughbit if there is any??

 

[Two wheels good]

Because I met someone recently who wasn't aware of the fast idle "choke" lever I'll mention it. Left h/bar unit.
Apologies if stating the bleedin' obvious.

PS Thanks Ian H. Useful relay socket images. Saved for future reference.

 

[pharme]

Okay so i can get the bike running. It takes a fair few goes at it with a bit of throttle and then it starts and runs absolutely perfectly. Once its warm it seems to start okay. But then if its left for a day or 2 its difficult to get going again. Brand new Battery tested and all fine. New starter motor, new hall sensor, new fuel, new spark plugs, new oiland filter. Ive only ever had carbed bikes so maybe its some gunky injectors??
Im gonna ride to Birmingham from dorset this weekend so maybe that will blow some crap thrpughbit if there is any??

@Steven 0001,
Hey, did you eventually got the issue sorted?

I have exact symptoms on my 1150GS Adv and it pretty haunting on my recent trip in Thailand.
My starter button would take a few presses to click (it's happening more frequently now) before it cranked the starter motor.
It's intermittent, especially when bike is fresh from a long rest (not particularly cold though), so I'll rule out side stand and clutch switches fro now.

@Ian J Hartley, really appreciate the trick to jump start at the starter relay base socket, it helped during emergency hour. I have tried with 3 to 4 yellow starter relays and am still faced with the issue. All seems to be pointing to the start button, is it serviceable? I tried to dismantle the assembly parts but always stuck with the piece that allows access to the kill switch button.

03 R1150GS Adv (twin spark)

 

[Ian J Hartley]

@Ian J Hartley, really appreciate the trick to jump start at the starter relay base socket, it helped during emergency hour. I have tried with 3 to 4 yellow starter relays and am still faced with the issue. All seems to be pointing to the start button, is it serviceable? I tried to dismantle the assembly parts but always stuck with the piece that allows access to the kill switch button.

03 R1150GS Adv (twin spark)

It looks like the start button switch is the cause of your problem. If you can’t get the assembly apart, then you are probably missing one of the two screws which hold it all together. One screw is under the part No label. Even if you get it all apart, there is no guarantee that you can source a replacement switch, though I understand some of the after market suppliers may stock alternatives. The Start and Kill switches are slightly different from the other switches used, the Start switch is fully weather proofed, and the kill switch has the small dimple.

 

[pharme]

It looks like the start button switch is the cause of your problem. If you can’t get the assembly apart, then you are probably missing one of the two screws which hold it all together. One screw is under the part No label. Even if you get it all apart, there is no guarantee that you can source a replacement switch, though I understand some of the after market suppliers may stock alternatives. The Start and Kill switches are slightly different from the other switches used, the Start switch is fully weather proofed, and the kill switch has the small dimple.View attachment 274743View attachment 274744View attachment 274761

 

[pharme]

Good call Ian. I did miss the top hidden screw. I have a spare right hand switch, will see to replace it if necessary.

In addition to no-crank, I also have a crank but engine does not fire up situation. It usually happens when the bike is parked side stand for hours. It happened again this evening. Start button when pressed on, cranked but no firing up. Bike was on side stand and once lifted to its main stand, it fired up immediately. I went to look into side stand switch and noticed part of the sheath to the wires is gone. Any write up/link on how to bypass or even better to replace one. The wires seemed to sneak behind the starter motor.