Bike Pinking under load.

[Captain Beaky]

Hi all,

Just got back from Scotland - nice 2000 miles in a week - easy on GS.

And the damn thing has started pinking.

It has always pinked when in too low a gear, at too low revs, when you open the throttle, but after some tomfoolery on a Scottish B-Road she got a bit hot, the old bird started pinking her brains out - not just at that "oops, I've forgotten to downshift" moment.

She would pink at any revs, at over about 1/2 throttle.
Not constantly, but regularly enough, she would either give a few single detonations or a really loud rattle of a pink.

At it's worst, she would pink constantly 70 in top.

My first thought would be bad fuel, but I had already done 60 odd miles on the tankful, and she was fine until she got a bit hot.

I nursed it back to Stornoway, where I stumbled into the only Bike garage on the Outer Hebrides. Pulled the plugs, all looked fine, no signs of det or weak mixture. Checked over everything else, and no problems.

I changed the cat plug from the yellow original to the light brown one whick (I have been told) is for low grade fuel - and pinking got a bit better.

Pressed on, and pinking would change in intensity, but would never go.

This went on for about the next 800 miles until I filled up with Optimax, and now it's gone completely - not even the really low revs pinking happens.

I'm a little lost, but she has been fine up till now on regular fuel, why, all of a sudden is it sensitive to supermarket fuel?

ANY IDEAS?

 

[Ian Whinnett]

It comes and goes.

My 1100GS has a habit of pinking after I have been doing a lot of pootling aroung without any serious blasting out. During pootling as I could imagine you doing on Scottish roads GS's do run very hot and lay a lot of carbon in the combustion chambers and exhaust ports. This carbon marginally reduces the size of your combustion chamber and causes a change of characteristics and specifications within the engine and possibly lower tolerance to crap fuel.

Asyou say 800 miles later and the bike has had a good clear out and you also happened to put a good quality fuel in. I find that a month of London riding causes pinking when pulling away and less tolerance for lugging in a high gear. A full tank of any fuel and a good hammering involving some rev limiter if you are in a real hurry always sorts it out.

The fitter at bracken reccomended this course of medicine for GS.s.

Hope this allays your fears.
Of course if the situation comes back and refuses to go away get it checked you could be drawing in unmetered air to one or both cylinders.

Ian Whinnett

 

[Keith Chapman]

Captain,
Did you find the cause of your pinking. if so what was it, cos my 1150 is suffering the same symptoms.

 

[Captain Beaky]

Don't really know yet.

I reckon I've had a slightly blocked fuel filter, and the better quality Shell optimax has cleaned it out a bit.

I haven't had a chance to change the change the filter yet, but I will play with the fuel that I put into it this weekend and see if putting standard back in it does anything.

Even though she was pinking her brains out, the plugs looked OK.

Put a clean tank of quality fuel (Not Tesco's) in it, and rag the nads off it. Worked for me!

 

[Shurv]

Don't use cheap( crap) fuel. I never use supermarket fuel as i read once in a motoring paper that it is of a lower grade than the others, and that Texaco and Shell are the best for engines in terms of running and keeping deposits etc at bay.

I might be talking complete boll*** though. Any experts out there??


Marcus.

 

[pragmatix]

Pootling

During pootling as I could imagine you doing on Scottish roads

Pop up to Scotland and the Scottish Hooter Beaks will show you how to pootle, gauranteed to remove yer carbon.

Pete A

 

[Captain Beaky]

It's definitely fuel related.

Put 4 tanks in it over the weekend - Shell Optimax was fine - s rubbish binked it's brains out.

Question still stands though:-

Why should it start playing up now?

It has been fine till now, and suddenly- it's sensitive.

I'll be servicing it in the next few days - we'll see if that helps.

 

[Keith Chapman]

My bike has been in Vines for a week, and they cant find the problem, I dont know how much vines have swapped over to check the fault, I think it is a timing problem, something is not advancing the timing enough. maybe the ECU is screwed.
why should a bike that has run sweet for 7000 miles on un leaded fuel suddenly want a higher octane fuel.

Had a R1150RS from Vines and that did ran sweet on normal 95 ron, only had 4000 on the clock though.

My feeling is that Super unleaded is only masking the problem, not curing it.

 

[Captain Beaky]

Yeah, Same here, I reckon that the higher octane is making the true problem.

Keep us posted as to what Vines find on yours - I'll have a good look over mine when I service it, change the fuel filter and see what happens.

 

[Keith Chapman]

Happy GS again, Happy me.

Beaky

Well Vines have been busy on my GS .
In order to trace and fix my pinking problem they have.

done a road test and proved that it pinked,
Stuck the MoDiTec on to check the Motronic
Replaced a missing cat code plug
Checked the ignition system with BMW diagnostic equipment
carried out diagnostic check on the ignition & sensor,
Drained the tank and refilled with fresh fuel.

Do extended road test, still pinked.

Replaced the ignition pulse generator (Hall sensor and rotor)

do another road test. ....and now everything seems fine.

I collected the bike this morning and it is pulling like a train and is a joy to ride again.

So it might be worth investigating your ignition pulse generator
to cure your pinking.


Big thanks go to all the guys at Vines and too Pat at Mobitec

 

[Ketchup]

I put a thread up about this a couple of months ago and have been in to the dealer to get it sorted. Initially had problems getting in because CW's were so busy. After some time Wally has managed to get the bike in and was very good to me in the bargain, He has replaced the 'motronic' part of the bike (at least I think that's what he called it) and it seems to have got rid of the pinking and I do seem to have some more beans available to me.

 

[dust_cloud]

My R1150GS started pinking under load coming back from the NW200 which is the first time I've noticed it. I usually fill up at local Sainsbury's or Shell and never noticed any Pinking. I think I will opt for branded fuel or super unleaded (RON 98) unbranded fuel on the longer trips. I know many moons ago there was hear-say that supermarket fuel were at the lower end of the octane rating of RON95, whereas Esso were rumoured to be at the higher end near RON 98, but that was many moons ago.

 

[maratt]

Beaky

Well Vines have been busy on my GS .
In order to trace and fix my pinking problem they have.

done a road test and proved that it pinked,
Stuck the MoDiTec on to check the Motronic
Replaced a missing cat code plug
Checked the ignition system with BMW diagnostic equipment
carried out diagnostic check on the ignition & sensor,
Drained the tank and refilled with fresh fuel.

Do extended road test, still pinked.

Replaced the ignition pulse generator (Hall sensor and rotor)

do another road test. ....and now everything seems fine.

I collected the bike this morning and it is pulling like a train and is a joy to ride again.

So it might be worth investigating your ignition pulse generator
to cure your pinking.


Big thanks go to all the guys at Vines and too Pat at Mobitec

hi

I have a r1150 gs, 33000 k and always worked perfectly.. Had a slight injury in my neck and did nt ride fo about 3 to 4 months... and now its pinking.... had read your article and so went to bmw agent today to order an ignition pulse sensor but believe it or not,he could not find it on his system...would appreciate if you could tell me the part number and if its difficult to replace.. The bmw agent also told me to check my spark plugs.. I just did and found that the brand is a japanese one,denso, i think and saw that the colouring of the plug was very light,pale brown... seems to be running lean....any advice willl be greatly appreciated

Thks

Marco

 

[maratt]

pinking

hi

I have a r1150 gs, 33000 k and always worked perfectly.. Had a slight injury in my neck and did nt ride fo about 3 to 4 months... and now its pinking.... had read your article and so went to bmw agent today to order an ignition pulse sensor but believe it or not,he could not find it on his system...would appreciate if you could tell me the part number and if its difficult to replace.. The bmw agent also told me to check my spark plugs.. I just did and found that the brand is a japanese one,denso, i think and saw that the colouring of the plug was very light,pale brown... seems to be running lean....any advice willl be greatly appreciated

Thks

Marco[/QUOTE]

hi

I have a r1150 gs, 33000 k and always worked perfectly.. Had a slight injury in my neck and did nt ride fo about 3 to 4 months... and now its pinking.... had read your article and so went to bmw agent today to order an ignition pulse sensor but believe it or not,he could not find it on his system...would appreciate if you could tell me the part number and if its difficult to replace.. The bmw agent also told me to check my spark plugs.. I just did and found that the brand is a japanese one,denso, i think and saw that the colouring of the plug was very light,pale brown... seems to be running lean....any advice willl be greatly appreciated

Thks

Marco