1100GS choke problems

[Tomfoolery]

Problem is - it dunnae work.

Is the choke on the 1100s merely a fast idle or does it alter the mixture at all? I bought the bike from Motorworks in July and it didn't work then but I was too lazy to sort it. Now karma has rewarded my laziness with a non-starting bike in December. I've charged the battery (which I think is now fucked), but I'll need to get the choke working for the rest of winter (and the Dragon).

Any tips? I've previously tried to look at the Cable Distribution Unit under the battery but got a nosebleed from how bloody complicated it looks.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[Nobby]

it's only a fast idle

 

[Stewart H]

Just fast idle, I managed to nobble mine the first time I balanced the Throttle bodies by having too much slack in the throttle cables.
Stewart

 

[motobiker]

Never use the one on mine.. start the engine. bit of throttle and pull away. no problem. In the 30 seconds it takes me to get from my drive to the main road the engine warms up enough.. ie it never stalls. tickover settles down to 1100rpm very quickly.

Bike lives outside all year.


So.. so far as my old tractors concerned.. the fast idle/choke is pretty much redundant.

 

[Tomfoolery]

In that case I'll check the slack in all the cables, balance the throttle bodies, set the idle speed and valve clearances.

And get a new battery.

 

[Wrigsby1]

If you look at the throttle bodies they should move very slightly when you open the fast idle lever if you have any movement in it. If no movement then something has seized. If it move then the cable is too slack. As mentioned the same thing is achieved if you open the throttle very slightly when trying to start the bike.

 

[Tomfoolery]

Got an Odyssey battery after it being recommended by a friend. Yet to try it yet, as the Motorworks fellas didn't think I'd need terminal adaptors.

I need terminal adaptors.

Bumholes.

 

[MattW]

Got an Odyssey battery after it being recommended by a friend. Yet to try it yet, as the Motorworks fellas didn't think I'd need terminal adaptors.

I need terminal adaptors.

Bumholes.

I'm not familiar with Odyssey terminals but on my OEM gel battery I made my own terminal adapter using 15mm copper pipe squished flat in a vice with a couple of holes drilled in it (I lost the existing positive terminal extension piece when I changed the battery). However, if they're some sort of odd fitting, this might not work on Odyssey terminals.

 

[motobiker]

I'm not familiar with Odyssey terminals but on my OEM gel battery I made my own terminal adapter using 15mm copper pipe squished flat in a vice with a couple of holes drilled in it (I lost the existing positive terminal extension piece when I changed the battery). However, if they're some sort of odd fitting, this might not work on Odyssey terminals.

you need these for the Odyssey - http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/products/product.php?f=b&bke=bmw&q=ELA00007&x=27&y=12

funnily enough it states this quite clearly on the page for the battery itself.

 

[MattW]

you need these for the Odyssey - http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/products/product.php?f=b&bke=bmw&q=ELA00007&x=27&y=12

funnily enough it states this quite clearly on the page for the battery itself.

Well, there you go.
As I don't have (and won't be having) an Odyssey battery it's not something I've had to bother to find out.

That said, my patent 'squished pipe' busbar would serve admirably in this situation should the OP be struggling.

 

[Tomfoolery]

you need these for the Odyssey - http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/products/product.php?f=b&bke=bmw&q=ELA00007&x=27&y=12

funnily enough it states this quite clearly on the page for the battery itself.

And that is what I've bought.

Funnily enough, I didn't buy the patronising advice, though. The bloke on the phone said he's never had to use them, but there you go.

It's not like I can use the bike in this weather anyway. Waaaay too much ice.