Sounds familiar!!!

tweedy453

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I need a good dose of inspiration and reassurance that I havent wasted my 10k when I could have kept my 1150GSA!

My problem is the bike is very poor to start , to say it barely turns over and manages to start just despite been on trickle charge mins before I set off.
I bought a new motobatt battery and started the bike slightly better did a 100 mile run no better when I fired her up. Stripped the starter motor right down regreased refitted slight improvement but not life changing !

Off down to Spain in 3 wks and don't want a break down due to a flat battery !
It's a 2011 Gsa 18k on the clock full bmw service history any suggestions greatly appreciated!
 
Could possibly just be a weak starter motor electrically. Unfortunately the only way I can think of to prove or disprove is to change it.
 
My '08 GSA has always felt "lazy" on start up both with the OEM battery and an Odyssey which I've had a couple of years now - but it's never failed to start.
 
Yes they are always lazy starters for sure.

Just had a thought, you will have checked the battery connections and starter connections but have you checked the main ground on top of the engine?
 
Compared to my 1100, I was surprised how 'lazy' my new to me TC was to start. I compared it to my mate's identical bike and it was just the same so I filed it away under 'character' and forgot about it :)
 
Try it with jump leads (donor engine not running). If the bike battery is weak the starter will spin faster on the leads.
 
Marki_GSA said:
Yes they are always lazy starters for sure.

Just had a thought, you will have checked the battery connections and starter connections but have you checked the main ground on top of the engine?
Click to expand...

I've not checked the main earth strap on the top of the motor but I'll certainly give it a go ! I forgot to mention that once it's started the battery sign comes up on the RID for about 30 secs any thoughts on that one !!
 
Bendy toy said:
Try it with jump leads (donor engine not running). If the bike battery is weak the starter will spin faster on the leads.
Click to expand...


The battery is brand new which what's perplexing me resulting in the total strip down of the starter motor right down to inspecting the commutator ring and the bushes all seemed fine! It's that lazy when starting you would swear it's not even going to make a full revolution but some how it just manages to spark into life !!
 
MattW said:
Compared to my 1100, I was surprised how 'lazy' my new to me TC was to start. I compared it to my mate's identical bike and it was just the same so I filed it away under 'character' and forgot about it :)
Click to expand...


There's lazy and lazy this bloody thing barely makes a very sluggish complete revolution and just manages to fire up the number of bikers that turn round when iam parked next to them expecting me to ask for a push or sneaky snigger at a Tosser been stranded is becoming embarrassing to say the least !!!!
 
Alternator needs a "kick" to start charging. Just blip the throttle and it should go out straight away. Just had similar problem and found the power socket not switching off when ignition off, should power down after a min, and was still powering my autocom and radio for some reason. You got anything connected like that? May be worth checking.
 
Ted said:
Alternator needs a "kick" to start charging. Just blip the throttle and it should go out straight away. Just had similar problem and found the power socket not switching off when ignition off, should power down after a min, and was still powering my autocom and radio for some reason. You got anything connected like that? May be worth checking.
Click to expand...

Yes got my autocom plumbed into the aux power socket under the seat as per the thread on here with official bmw piggy back connector as well as a hard wired satnav via the connector up front near the oil cooler as far as iam aware both switch of shortly after switching ignition off and removing the key but I will have a check !
 
Same cset up as me. But had a similar battery/starting problem and after lots of checking spotted the radio on almost by chance
No idea why it started doing it but used the socket wire to now switch a relay that powers everything and canbus switches off every time. Also have charged battery with an old fasioned battery charger after a web search said my super duper optimate 4 may not be fully charging it. 2 weeks now and still starting as it should, quickly
 
If the aux socket senses current it doesn't switch off after 30 seconds, tweedy's right I had this on my rt it was ok with autocom connected but the gps would be looking for a charge and drain the battery over about two weeks


Sent using Tapatalk
 
A valid point about your new battery not being fully charged. I bought a new battery
Last year and my optimate was not man enough to charge it from new. Took it back to the shop. They tested the battery and charged it for me for about 24hrs It has been perfect ever since. My optimate just charged it for a few hours and 'said' it was charged but it wasn't.
 
I had an issue when i first got mine where the starter jammed on one day, it was under warrenty but BM didnt change the starter to which i got a letter stating they would change if it caused any problems down the line, just wandering if maybe yours did the same, any notes about starter switch being changed as it was this on mine that was at fault. So thinking that maybe at some point this happened on yours and weakend the starter, however if you pulled it apart it would be obvious i would think??

Hope you get it sorted out..
 
My 2011 TC occasionally did this and I thought it might be the battery, however I changed that to a Motobat to cure a heated grip issue (which worked) and thought the low power may be the cause for the slow turnover on start as well, and would be solved with this too....it wasn't.

I have found though, that it hasn't done it if I turn on the ignition and kill switch and wait for the display to complete its cycle of checks. I then press to start and it fires up.

I have considered that may be a fluke and coincidence but so far this theory has remained intact up to now (1 month).
 
cookie said:
lazy??

both my GSAs started right on the button.
Click to expand...

I should qualify my 'lazy'.
Compared to my 1100, my TC turns over much slower - you can feel it slow as it pushes a piston over compression - feels like the battery / starter is only just up to the job. However, it's a larger, higher compression engine with a smaller battery so it's not surprising. It also always flashes the battery symbol on the RID immediately after starting but this clears with a blip of the throttle. That said, it always fires as the second piston hits compression.

I actually had my battery replaced by the dealer under warranty a month after I bought it (second hand with 4.5k on it) as it was *really* struggling. With the new battery it behaves as I describe above and I've compared it to a couple of other TC's which are exactly the same. It may well be that the OP's bike is like this and thus normal but without seeing it start it's impossible to tell :nenau
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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