Washing is bad!

[ewanmcconachie]

Firstly a merry christmas to you all. I just wanted to share a running problem i had recently. I work away for weeks on end so before i left recently i looked at my bike (which had a good coating of acf 50 on it) and to say my bike was dirty was an understatement! Now i know you should not need to wash it but i just could not head off knowing how dirty i had left it so out came the sponge. 3 hours later, more acf50 and the job ws done. I could sleep well at night. Following my trip away too the big blue sea i arrived home, by passed the bird and headed off on my 06 1200gs for a ride. Immediatly i noticed that it would not tick over with the problem seeming to be coming from the right had cylinder. First thoughts were of sabotage from a jealous bird.....I perceviered for a day or so, finding that once moving it ws fine but at tick over it would stall. Eventuly i gave in a visited my local friendly bike shop mechanic who went straight to the electrical connectors on the right hand cyclinger and quickly found that the tick over sensor plug haqd been slightly dislodged. He plugged it back in, had a general check over and off i went, happy. Now i know you will be saying that that was an obviuus fix but i had not experienced the problem before and on a visual inspectiion all looked well. So from now on i will be a little more careful with the acf50 and to hell with the washing.

 

[andyclift]

Not directly related but a similar problem. Before Xmas I gave the bike a good clean which included taking off the seats to clean the accumulated crap from underneath.

Next morning the bike started OK but stopped as soon as I put it in gear. side stand was up and bike was in neutral. Repeated attempts failed to get the bike moving so as its an 09 bike I phoned BMW Rescue. Super quick response for a Sunday morning and a guy was checking out the side stand switch inside 20 minutes. 1 1/2 hours later and repeated calls from the technician asking for advice and the bike still refused to keep running in gear. Eventually the technician gave up and left saying he would arrange for the bike to be taken to a dealer.

After putting the bike back in the garage I took off the seat to get to put tools away and notice a small in-line plug and socket by the left rear of the tank which did not look like the plug was fully pushed into the socket. Pushed plug in and problem solved.

 

[rockchunk]

i know someone who coats most of there bike in chain lube before winter it looks like fuck all twice but when he cleans it in the spring it doesn't half come up well

 

[ewanmcconachie]

Thanks for that Andy. Did you ever find out what that connector was for?

 

[Mr K]

An ex-bike Cop told me "Ensign Oil" or something like that from boating supply shops.
Looked awful through the Winter but bike came-up sparkly in the Spring clean..

 

[Pukmeister]

Right hand cylinder tick over sensor plug ?????

 

[ewanmcconachie]

Mmmm, i guess it is to do with mixture at tick over. I don't know really as i am not a mechanic. It is small, with a black cover and is a two pin plug situated ontop and to the rear of the cylinder. I remember there are around 3 there. Sorry cannot post pic as i am away.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

BMW Rescue.

I suspect that the mechanic was not a BMW mechanic -who would have spotted the problem straightaway. Look on page 7.30 wiring diagrams in your Haynes manual and you will see exactly what happened. You have now discovered one of a few simple ways to immobilize your bike!

 

[ewanmcconachie]

Your right he is not a bm mechanic and unfortunatly i do not have a Haynes manual although one is on it's way. Many thanks.

 

[andyclift]

Thanks for that Andy. Did you ever find out what that connector was for?

It just takes the cable going to the side stand switch so the BMW tech spent ages laying under the bike shorting different pin combinations on the switch cable because he was convinced the switch had failed when, in fact, the switch cable was disconnected under the seat|!!|