hope i have,nt bought another lemon

bart2181

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hiya,just took bike out for quick spin and noticed 1,abs lights flicking on/off is this normal?i pressed abs button whilst riding and i had one solid abs light on for a while but then started flicking on/off again.and the other problem is(this im hopeing is,nt a biggy)theres a horrible ticking noise which sounds like its coming from right pot and increases with speed.its only the second time i,ve ridden bike but the first time i had ear plugs in so it may have been there then,the ticking noise was,nt there when the bike was first fired up but started after a couple of miles.anyone gonna put my mind at rest cause at the moment i,ve flipped into panick mode:blast
 
Did you try after 10 -15 miles stopping, switching off the ignition, starting the bike and riding off to see what ABS lights you had?

Ticking noise might be the injector, bad news riding a bike without ear plugs in :(
 
It's Christmas ...

... and this is your bikes way of telling you it wants a new battery :augie Pressing the ABS button whilst riding temporarily disables the system, allowing you to ride off-road and lock the back wheel; it should only stay on solid red for 5 mins (?) at a time.

The alternating red lights are telling to that ABS is not working properly, normally down to a knackered battery, or possibly starting the bike before it's finished it's sequence of checks. Turn key on so all idiot lights show, wait until it all settles down then start the bike. If it's still flashing alternate reds then try riding it for 15 mins, turn off & turn on again, if it's still flashing alternate reds then buy it a new battery :nenau
 
Doesn't sound too bad.

The ABS issue is probably because of a low battery. Ride it for a while then turn off and restart, hopefully the ABS will set correctly. If not you may need a new battery.

The ticking sound is the throttle bodies. Being worn they rattle, no big deal.

That's my diagnosis from what you wrote anyway.
 
cheers lads,i,ll put battery on charge overnight,and i may have to invest in one of those ticker stoppers whatever they,re called once i know for sure that its the throttle body
 
They could of course be out of balance, or missing the rubber cap underneath which wouldn't help. Do a search on throttle body refurb, there was a thread on here in the last week or so :thumb2

The generally approved solution to a noisey/ticking engine is better ear plugs.
 
If the abs lights blinked together until you pushed the starter button but before you rode off then it's more than likely the battery!

If it started as you turn on the ignition then there is a stored ABS fault code which needs cleared

There's 2types of diagnostic plugs one is a round cannister on tip of the air filter housing and the other a wee flat blue 3 pin plug

There are pins you can ground out to clear the codes but it would be better with a diagnosis It could be as simple as a gap too large or a defunct wheel speed sensor

As to ticking reach underthe throttle body while it's running and apply some pressure to the quadrant that controls the butterfly if it quietens it or clears it then it's the butterfly shaft slapping up and donw in the body and one of teh most annoying noise these things can make, Plus it screws up your mixture!
 
The 'Ticking' is easily cured - and is in your long term interest to do so. Motorworks sell a clever little gadget called a 'ticker killer' - this fixes the problem completely. cost is around £35.
 
just been out to garage started bike and tappings gone:confused:i,m gonna take it out tommorow and see what happens,both abs lights flash together so im hoping its just battery,but i,ve just checked oil level and it completely covers sight glass.i think a good full service is on the agenda
 
mine does the ABS Light thing but only when below 5c. I fitted a new battery so I know its not that, 100mtrs down the road I switch off, restart, and all OK So I aint bovvered.:)
 
It's not necessarily a bad battery causing the ABS fault when starting the engine.

I would check the starter motor magnets before buying a new battery. The magnets are glued to the housing.
The starter motor might still work if a single magnet or even several magnets have fallen off but it will draw considerably more current than usual.
This causes the voltage to drop as if the battery were knackered.

P.S.
Once you have removed the starter motor, it's also a good opportunity to give it a good cleaning and check the clutch.
 
It could need an ABS reset.:nenau

Mine was the same and still does it occasionally but I did fall off a lot on my last trip:augie
 
bart2181 said:
just been out to garage started bike and tappings gone:confused:i,m gonna take it out tommorow and see what happens,both abs lights flash together so im hoping its just battery,but i,ve just checked oil level and it completely covers sight glass.i think a good full service is on the agenda
Click to expand...

Get yourself an optimate and fit a male BMW male accessory plug toit so you can simply plug it into the auxiliary power socket near the starter.
Whether you end up with a new battery or not it will prolong it's life and help prevent the ABS/sluggish crank issues on cold mornings.
It's well worth giving the bike a good service. Follow steptoes guide to setting valve clearances and rocker end-float in the "font of all wisdom"
Once you've done that sync the throttle bodies.
It's a piece of p!ss to do both and may have pleasantly surprising results.
GS's make lots of weird noises, you've just got to learn to ignore them unless they come with some other nasty syptoms:aidan
If you want to buy a manual, get a clymer not a haynes:thumb2
 
I have an optimate - but find I hardly ever have to use it and when I do it shows a green light within an hour - this means the battery was already fully charged.

extras on the bike are heated grips and a set of spotlights.

I always ensure everything is 'off' (except sidelight at night) when I start the bike... on those odd occasions usually when its freezing and the battery is 'depressed' the ABS wont engage - but ride it to the end of the road. stop turn off - switch on - wait for 'silence' and it always engages. It doesn't take much of a ride to give the battery that tiny little boost it needs. then I'm off.. and headlamp and grips 'on'

To be honest I see no reason to leave the bike permanently connected to the optimate - of course that might be essential if you're overloaded with blingy gadgets and an all singing and dancing alarm system.
 
motobiker said:
I have an optimate - but find I hardly ever have to use it



on those odd occasions usually when its freezing and the battery is 'depressed' the ABS wont engage - but ride it to the end of the road. stop turn off - switch on - wait for 'silence' and it always engages.

To be honest I see no reason to leave the bike permanently connected to the optimate
Click to expand...

The fanny about you've described above is the reason mine stays on the optimate over night :thumb
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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