2012 bike not pulling right under load.

[Hoolies75]

Hi everyone, my first post.
I bought my GS1200 last March new from the dealer. Over the next year I did 12,000 miles on the bike so it went in for a service a month ago.
Ever since that service it has had a problem.
- When under heavy load (full throttle) the motor fails to pull cleanly. This gives a different feeling depending what gear your in. In 1 and 2 it just fails to pull properly and motor sounds flat. in 5 and 6 it pulls sporadically (kind of stutters)
Note, this only started after the 12,000 mile service, and it does not do it every time. The dealer took a look but somehow did not hit upon the issue in 7 miles and I suspect he never really opened it up.
Any ideas would be appreciated because I'm at a loose end with it.
Thanks, rob.

 

[ghiribizzo]

- Get dealer to be more interested in the issue.
- Go to different dealer or find someone who is experienced in servicing the bikes and has a GS-911 to see what's what.
You're a bit away from me..! But if as you say, it was running ok until the service was done it's their issue. Any service should see a bike running the same or better, more crisp!
Did they advise of anything they did? Were you billed for valve shims? Anything noted on the bill?

Welcome to the site also. And it's an R1200GS unless you really bought a Suzuki GS1200... hehe.

 

[Hoolies75]

Well... the dealer did not find a problem with power but did say he thought the clutch was snatchy to the point he had a problem riding the bike which is rather odd as I have now done 14500 miles on the bike and think the clutch is fine.
Anyway, it's going in on Sat for the clutch as I thought it wrong to argue, he's the expert.
Cant remember about the valve shims but it was a big service alright, I seem to remember it cost £590 - 90 for fitting new tyres and rear brakes shoes. So basically it was a £500 service.
I hoping he would let me take him on the back so I can show the problem, either that or next time he rides it he hits upon the issue.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Spout]

- When under heavy load (full throttle) the motor fails to pull cleanly.

Sounds like a coil on the way out.

Perhaps the dealer damaged one during the service, or left one not seated correctly

 

[pojoel]

The 2006 I bought last month felt like "riding a moped with far too rich mixture downhill" at my first test ride, between 3/4 and full throttle.

I went back and told the dealer this, and the mechanic also test rode it. Cheezus how it stuttered... The next day they called me and told me they'd fixed it. They had changed the battery, they said. The battery was supposedly totally kaputt (but it managed to start the bike anyway?!?).

So I went on another test ride. This time ~200 km. And it performed like a charm, except at fifth gear, at precisely 5500 rpm, it started to stutter again. Only in fifth. Every time I reached 5500 rpm. Hm?

At ~100 km, I made a brief stop, outside of the building where my luvverly better half works, to wave and excite/frighten her and show off.

Then, I made my way back to the dealer, because the stoopid clock was ticking, and the only restriction I'd got was "Be sure to be back before we close for the day, since our insurance only cover until then". Grmblr...
And not one stutter on the way back! Not one! I twied, and I twied, but nope.

The dealer (and the mechanic) told me, after hearing this story, that the bike had been sitting in their "behind the store" storage without any exercise since October 2012, and this might have had something to do with it.

Anyway, I made them write this into the contract as a "special item for which they gave me an extended guarantee", and we have been living happily together since, without any stuttering.
She will be rewarded with a MudSling Max any week now, for behaving.

 

[Hoolies75]

It's in the dealers now so lets see what they say. They lent me a 1200RT which is ok but not as nice and the GS. Surprisingly I'm quite liking the cruise control.
At least I'm learning a bit about the bike...... coils in the cylinder head, who'd have thought it. When I read that it did suddenly occur to me that I not seen a HT lead.

 

[ghiribizzo]

There's one in each rocker box and you know what - there's another strapped on underneath the head too!

 

[Yellow Peril]

Go to different dealer or find someone who is experienced in servicing the bikes Agreed

and has a GS-911 to see what's what. Doesn't always work in fact half the time a good mechanic is far better with normal running issues.

You're a bit away from me..! But if as you say, it was running ok until the service was done it's their issue. Any service should see a bike running the same or better, more crisp! Agreed the dealer has done something and they don't always know best.

 

[Hoolies75]

They had the bike all week and said they checked everything and came to the conclusion it was contaminated fuel. I did say on picking the bike up (they charged me 200 quid) that it could not be that as the bike had done 2500 miles with this problem and gone through many tanks of fuel.
It's just as bad as ever and I suspect they use the fuel reason to put the blame onto the user.
I want to take it elsewhere but will they have to take a look at it under warranty? I treied it and the firm said I must take it to the shop I bought it from.
Weird thing is that I have had a good look and this seems to be a very rare issue.

 

[Bendy toy]

Mine had an episode recently where the RHS main coil went down. It would pick up like a 2 stoke single going burble burble then gradually smoothing out. When I stopped it sounded like a single pot thumper.

I took the coils out. All resistances were ok. The plugs were also looking very new so I left them in. I also took out the idle stepper motors but they were clean with nothing to suggest a problem.

It all went back together and the problem has not come back so maybe a poor connection somewhere.

 

[Myke Rocks]

Forgive me, but I suggest:

As a first course of action on any bike which stutters when the throttle is opened wide, change the spark plugs.
It puts the most common cause of such problems to bed instantly.
Myke

 

[Dave Barrett]

As a first course of action on any bike which stutters when the throttle is opened wide, change the spark plugs.
It puts the most common cause of such problems to bed instantly.
Myke

+1

 

[Bendy toy]

I agree but didn't have a set handy (they are not exactly low cost items). Interestingly, disconnecting and reconnecting the coils seems to have sorted it.

 

[Hoolies75]

It's booked in for Saturday so they can have another look. i could try the spark plug fix today if can get hold of some.
Thanks for the responses. A bad plug seems to be the most logical problem to me now you mention it.

 

[harry]

It's booked in for Saturday so they can have another look. i could try the spark plug fix today if can get hold of some.
Thanks for the responses. A bad plug seems to be the most logical problem to me now you mention it.

Don't lay a finger on, make THEM put it right!

 

[Hoolies75]

Oh no.
Just spoke to them and they say it seems like a fueling problem and they may not be able to do anything about it. This apparently can happen because of emissions rules.
----
Because it only happens when the throttle is cranked wide I think they are going to say I'll have to live with it.
They have another bloke taking it home tonight for a 3rd opinion. They seem to be sure it's not electrical.
Any ideas?
If no-one else has seen/ had to put up with this then I would find it difficult to accept this hypothesis.

 

[Paul Wakefield]

Oh no.
Just spoke to them and they say it seems like a fueling problem and they may not be able to do anything about it. This apparently can happen because of emissions rules.
----
Because it only happens when the throttle is cranked wide I think they are going to say I'll have to live with it.
They have another bloke taking it home tonight for a 3rd opinion. They seem to be sure it's not electrical.
Any ideas?
If no-one else has seen/ had to put up with this then I would find it difficult to accept this hypothesis.

But it was OK for the fist 12,000 miles, wasn't it?

 

[dsb79]

I would not accept it back until it was fixed and keep there bike, also why are you paying it must still be in warentee being a 2012 bike. If there not helpfull name and shame. Dealers piss me off at times.

 

[Hoolies75]

OK, so it's been in 3 times now. Bearing in mind the problem as described in the first MSG in this post, does anyone have any idea what could be the root cause?
So far the dealer has done the following to try and find the problem:
- flush fuel tank and all lines
- new air filter
- new spark plugs
- new primary coils
- new fuel controller
-------This work has not solved the fault, the dealer has a pair of secondary coils on order but they doubt they would be able to cause this problem, we will soon see as they will call me in when they have them for fitting.
---
There was some progress with the dealer in that they put a faster rider on the bike and he noticed the problem instantly. They now seem fully engaged in helping.
Again - any idea would be appreciated, it's really doling my head in now.
- rob.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Oh no.
Just spoke to them and they say it seems like a fueling problem and they may not be able to do anything about it. This apparently can happen because of emissions rules.
----

That my friend is horse shit. A 1200 will pull smoothly to the red line with no problems. I guess you have the manufacturers warranty which means you can take it to any dealer to try and get the problem solved. I would suggest you do this and I hope you aren't shelling out for any of this remedial work?