1100GS died on me!

[GrahamD]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a bit of technical assistance please...

Bike is a R1100GS 1997 with 10,000 miles on clock - Datatool system 3 alarm & Immobiliser.

I've had the bike for 2 weeks and washed it yesterday (first mistake!)

Riding to work today, filled up with a full tank of petrol (correct grade) and within 1/2 mile the alarm went beep once and the engine cut out. All warning lights on the dashboard seem to light up when the ignition is on, but the fuel and temperature gauge did not. Also the engine didn't turn over.

I got it recovered eventually, on a flat bed trailer as the bike trailer only works nights! And I now seem to have the fuel gauge back (showing a full tank). But when I try to start the bike I get a rapid clicking sound and the bike doesn't turn over. The hazard lights had been on for over 2 hours by now.

So;
Is it the immobilisers/alarm playing up?
Is it the battery?
Is it the fuel pump?

Or is it something else - I did wonder if some water got on a contact when I washed it - but I'd have thought it would be more waterproof than that!

Any advice appreciated.

Many thanks,

Graham.

 

[david vaughan-birch]

i had exactly the same symptoms a couple of weeks ago-and it took pidcocks a week to find the problem. it looked like the rectifier/alternator (which is only a year old) but it turned out to be a defective drive belt which had snapped despite being changed well within service limits. i certainly didnt think to check the simple things first. hopefully yours is something similar?

 

[shready]

I had a similar problem when I washed my RT a while back. It worked but then had the same problems that you describe.

Someone will be along in a minute to say Hall Sensors, but I reckon you need to get it to dry out and it will be fine. Mine was.

If you park it somewhere dry and sunny , then if you can remove the black engine cover too that will help.

 

[TheWarlock]

GrahamD,

I could be completely wrong, but it sounds as if your alarm somehow set itself (alarm beeped once) which would set your immobiliser and cause the bike to cut out. Extremely dangerous I must say and something I thought should not happen once the bike was running. Also indicating this is the fact that you had ignition lights but no Rider Information Display (Fuel, Temp etc). You probably then ran the battery down with the hazards on while awaiting the pick-up truck.

When you got back home and switched on in the normal fashion, the alarm was disabled so you got the RID display, but the battery is too flat to turn the bike over hence the solenoid clicking.

My advice is to charge the battery and just to be on the safe side, while it is charging, take off the black front engine cover and check that the black v-belt (similar to a car fanbelt) is intact.

Once the battery is recharged the bike should start. If this turns out to be the issue, I would get the alarm checked as the alarm should not set when the bike is running.

HTH

 

[TheWarlock]

i had exactly the same symptoms a couple of weeks ago-and it took pidcocks a week to find the problem. it looked like the rectifier/alternator (which is only a year old) but it turned out to be a defective drive belt which had snapped despite being changed well within service limits. i certainly didnt think to check the simple things first. hopefully yours is something similar?

It took them a week to find a snapped v-belt? I would be changing my service garage.

 

[Keith Chapman]

If you have snapped the belt, wouldn't your charging light come on before anything else died due to lack of battery juice

 

[GrahamD]

Hi all,

Thanks for the info so far - The battery is still dead (thought the sunshine might give it just enough to start it but no).

I've taken the black engine cover off and the belt is intact - One thing someone at work mentioned is that if it's a faulty side stand switch, this would have the same effect to immobilise, but presumably without the beep.

I'll charge the battery if I can get the tank off (I must get myself a Haynes manual !!), as I have to park in the road and don't have the luxury of a garage or Optimate. As I've just bought the bike I can transfer the ownership and what's left of the warranty on the Alarm - Valid till Feb 2008.

Is it worth bump starting or is that a no no?

Graham.

 

[FBF]

ive bump started mine recently without issue but its got some serious compression, i suggest two mates to push or a hill.

 

[solemnboy]

Don't know if it's the same thing but...my fuel gauge and temp went and bike became immobile, when I checked the wiring from the fuel gauge (right hand side if you take the small black cover off, thanks for that advice Steptoe) the wires had shorted. Despite replacement fuel gauge it's still causing me problems now. Deeply frustrating.

Sol

 

[GrahamD]

So, the latest - Battery charged eventually and bike started - Haven't had a chance to run it yet as the Front Master Cylinder is now leaking Brake Fluid, which it wasn't doing before I got it recovered.... - so I need to get a repair Kit - are they the sort of things that are normally held in a BMW Dealers, like South London Motorcycles or do I need to go to Motoworks?

Or, does Steptoe stock them, as I may be in the area tomorrow.

Thanks,

Graham.

 

[dizzyrascal]

Brake master cylinder

Hi you can buy a master cylinder rebuild kit or master cylinder complete from motorworks. I had to buy a rebuild kit last year but unfortunatly the cylinder started leaking again therefore this year i bought a new master cylinder that came complete. Suggest that this is the best course of action because once the body is pitted the problem will come back.

P.S. The cylinder is £100.

Regards,

Mike