Scary moment

[JAC]

Thought I'd share a rather scary moment that I experienced this morning.

Buzzing happily along on the 12GS in the outside lane of the A12 (a 3 lane section) when everything on the bike went dead. Nada. Nothing. With momentum quickly running out and the realisation that if I didn't do something I would be stationary on the fast lane of one of Britain's busiest and most dangerous roads, I stuck my arm out (no indicators) to move across three lanes and thence to safety.

Fortunately I was lucky with the traffic and found enough gaps to get across, stopped on residual braking and let out a huge sigh of relief. The strange thing is that it turned out that the ignition key was in the 'off' position, hence the lack of anything electrical - it started again perfectly normally. How did this happen? Is it possible that I had not turned it fully on upon starting, or had the wind caught the spongy BMW wallet thing and managed turn turn it off?

Sufficient to say I kept glancing nervously down at the key for the rest of the journey. Any theories?

JC

 

[SteveBC]

I would imagine that you did not turn the key fully to the "on" position in the first place.

 

[GS TRV]

just completely mental thing to happen

 

[Shep]

I had exactly the same thing happen a couple of weeks back at the start of my 'four points' trip, I had just overtaken a line of traffic and a coach, just as I passed by the front of the coach the bike just died, I just managed to avoid being flattened with the help of the coach pilot, I was thinking ESA, fuel pump etc then I noticed the dash was blank so then I thought battery broken wires etc, then I noticed the key was in the 'off' position, switched her on and away I went again.

But you are right it was scary

I have the 'blipper' an extra key and the fob on mine, it must have had enough inertia to flick the switch off

Shep

 

[AlanWM]

Most prob the movement of the wind flicking the keys about and then giving it enough momemtum to turn key... (Seen my keys flapping about at higher-then-legal-speeds a few times and so decided to reduce keys on ring to prevent scratches etc.)

 

[Decster]

i keep the bike key seperate as a single key and the other keys for lock, givi top box and oil cap on another key ring. I hate the rattle of lots of keys and the marks they can make...

1150GS though.....

Glad nout serious happened but if i were you would be trying to find out why it happened and prevent it happening again

 

[Taff]

Most prob the movement of the wind flicking the keys about and then giving it enough momemtum to turn key... (Seen my keys flapping about at higher-then-legal-speeds a few times and so decided to reduce keys on ring to prevent scratches etc.)

Exactly. Have you got a large key-fob on your ignition key? The plastic "loop" type key rings are good, as the big leather key rings can catch the wind. A mate once showed me how he'd stuck some velcro on his key ring to stop it blowing about.

 

[Palerider]

Perhaps it was the lonely poltergeist ex owner who wanted you to join him.......??!!




MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAAAHAAAAAAAA!!




Sleep well.....

P

 

[AlanWM]

Mind you - while fiddling with said keys flapping about once, also noticed the tempreture of the warm air coming off the oil cooler. Quite surprised how warm it was... no chance of keys freezing in the winter months! Actaully, wonder if the hot/cold air temp has anything to do with the EWS failures? Most failuure seem to be reported when starting bike after already being on a ride - maybe the cooling down from being warm is somehow tripping the electronic sensor.... All this thinking - and its friday too!

 

[SpyInTheCamp]

i keep the bike key seperate as a single key and the other keys for lock, givi top box and oil cap on another key ring. I hate the rattle of lots of keys and the marks they can make...

+1

 

[JAC]

I only have one key on the ring, but the BMW pouch thing is quite large and therefore liable to catch the wind.

Velcro seems a good idea - I certainly don't want it happening again. Interesting that it has happened to more than one of us.

 

[piebaps]

There is a gizmo somewhere on t'internet called a key choob or sommat like that. Its a spongy cover that stops any other keys scratching the bike. Do a search and you'll probly find it.

 

[Ian916]

+1

+2

Always just have the bike key on its own fob...

 

[G4]

Same thing

Yep happened to me about a year ago, put it down to having other things on key ring and air flow catching it and turning the key to off. Only have just key now, never done it since.

 

[Brahma]

I also own a 06 K1200GT and had the same thing happen- except I was going over 100 mph at the time through light traffic! A real heart-stopper! The BMW keychain was bignenough to wedge between the instrument cluster and handlebar, and leveraged the key off and almost out of the ignition! It was also at night and I didn't know WHAT happened until I managed to get over to the side of the road. I hadthought "maor electrical" failure during the brief panic, but no, just the key. That BMW keychain rests now at the side of the road where I ended up.