[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11527

Hi Guys,What with the pressure of work (six day week currently) and a limitation to my knowledge of electrical things, I gave up with my repairs as I could still not get the fuel pump going and the relay tested all OK, so I took my bike to Hamilton motorcycles, and they found the plug into the ECU was not fitting very well and a number of the pins were oxidised, so they cleaned them and refitted the plug and the fuel pump is OK, but still a fault with cutting out and just as Bogser  🙄 said, the analyser said the hall sensors were at fault, so they took them out and sent them to an auto electrician, who said they were OK, so they reinstalled them and the analyser said that they were at fault, so we are having the board fixed (Jaycar hall sensors) rather than a BMW replacement and hopefully, I can pick the bike up on monday. I might need picking up after they give me the bill, but I am hopeing I will have a reliable motorcycle after that!Thanks Bogser - I owe you one and thanks every one else who contributed. I will let you know how it goes on the test ride!Cheers,Mike

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11526

Thanks 90S, I shall have a look tonight and get some of the C&I instrumentation guys at work to test the relay – here's hoping!Cheers,Mike

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11523

Thanks Phil. No smart remarks from me about Ducati's. I like them and have considered one – an ST4, but the boxer engine seems to have that nostalgia about them, until of course I bought an oilhead!Maybe I should return to my true origins of motorcycling a James Captian 197cc villiers - now that was a bike or at least I thought so at a mere 15 years old!Mike

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11521

Hi Bogser and Phil,Thanks for your replies. To answer your questions Bogser - No, the bike is NZ new in 1999 with a full service history from Bay motorcycles - last serviced at 52,000Kms now with 54,300Kms on the clock. The side stand switch has been removed and the wiring to the switch has also been removed and this was done before I got the bike. On one of the last WOF reports with the bike documentation it mentions "the switch as being damaged but bike still runs".I am a mechanical engineer by trade so yes, mechanical and electrical knowledge are there (I work at Huntly power station :roll:) and the Hall sensors are something that I have been told and like you mention, that break down under temperature, where as my problems so far, seem to be not temperature related, but once I have figured out the fuel pump problem, I may have to do the check on them.Phil - which one of the relays is the fuel pump relay? My bike manual only mentions what the fuses are for, but makes no mention of the fuel pump relay? I hope it is something as simple as the relay, as the pump would be an expensive item for sure.Thanks for your help anyway and I will keep you posted.Cheers,Mike 

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11518

Hi Guys,Well, unfortunately for me, the saga is ongoing  🙁 I have used the bike for 160Kms after the road side rescue and subsequent fuel filter change, and in leaving work on Saturday to go home, I had gone about 0.3Kms and the bike cut out - bugger! I started it again and it cut out again, I talked to the bike in an encouraging way, started it again and it went OK - I rode home, some 32 Kms.Next day, went to have a look to see if there is anything obvious, lifted the tank up to see all the connections were made and all looked OK, so tried to start it and the damned fuel pump does not run now  😕 Everything else seems to be OK so now is the problem a faulty fuel pump or a faullty fuel pump relay? Which of the relays under the seat is the one for the fuel pump? There is nothing in the manual to say which one is which. I checked the fuse of course and that was fine, but now I am totally stumped.One of the links posted Bogser (thanks mate) talks about one guy having a faulty fuel pump, so I am hoping it is that, as replacing the engine management system would be $$$ for sure. Not that a replacment fuel pump will be cheap I am sure!!Maybe this is the start of my return to trusty old airheads!I will keep you posted on progress.Cheers,Mike  

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11517

Hi Alex,Thanks for your email. The mechanic was quite convinced that the fuel filter was the original, as they even look slightly different from the BMW spare part. Surprisingly, he showed me the fuel filter for a Triumph, Ducati and BMW and they are all the same, made in the same place, but marked with their respective names, but there is a difference in price - Triumph $130, Ducati $89, BMW $53!I hope that the problem was bad fuel, but I can only wait to see if it faults again. They balanced my throttles, adjusted the tick over, cleaned the tank of sediment and I picked it up last night and did 70 Kms on it and it seems fine. I filled up with BP fuel this time, as I have always used Shell, as it is the most convieniant.There analyser is sick and is being dispatched to Auckland today, but they have said that I can take the bike in, in about a week and have it checked then, so I will take them up on that, as a totally blocked fuel filter seems a bit hard to swallow as being the only cause.I will let you know if the analysis shows anything.Cheers and thanks for the help.Mike     

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11515

An update as to my ongoing problem – Going to work on Saturday morning, my bike cut out altogether whilst doing 100KMH ! Bugger. I coasted to a stop and both the oil and battery lights were on. I switched it off and on again and whilst it would turn over, it would not start! I had to get road side recovery in the end, and had my bike taken to hamilton Motorcycles, where they changed the fuel filter and had the bike running again by 3PM. I left the bike there over the weekend to let them check it out for any other contributing problems.The surprising part is that BMW show in service details that the fuel filter should be changed at 40,000Kms and the bike has 54,000KMS and a full service history from Bay motorcycles with the last recorded service done at 52,000Kms and the fuel filter was found to be the original filter, as the clamps supplied with the new filter are apparantly different from factory fitted - so much for a BMW service history!I have yet to find out if there was anything else contributing to the problem, but hopefully I will pick the bike up today and get to ride it again. The mechanic that did the fuel filter said that he has never had to change hall sensors on BMW's but is aware that some have had problems.Is there an analyser plug on these bikes so they can talk to the engine managment system to see if there other faults that have been triggered?l Cheers,Mike    

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Lube Oil recommendations #11623

Hi Guys,That is interesting Kokopelli that you buy GTX? Not specifically GTX as a brand but the fact that it is predominantly a car oil and ussually for older cars. I was of the thought that motorcycle oils had to be a different spec from Car oil - I have not compared the Castrol Active X spec against a standard mineral car oil, but are they similar?I use a semi synthetic oil in my car engine and have done for years, so if they are comparable in specifications, then my option would be to go to that oil, as I have had some good results with it over the years. 

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Fuel line quick coupling #11367

Hi Hagen,I had to lift my fuel tank over the christmas period and would like to get some of these quick couplings. Do you know what size they are? I am assuming you have changed yours by your email? I was going to email C2C direct and see if I can but them direct.Cheers,Mike (R850R

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Lube Oil recommendations #11620

Hi Kokopelli,Thanks for that. I bought some Castrol Active 4T - I phoned Bay motorcycles and asked what they used on every service they have given it and they recommended that oil. I just need a small top up for now, but may think of another oil when I do the change.I checked my final drive bearing as suggested and swing arm bearings too and as you suggest, there is no movement in either.I am two rides down the track of my intermittant problem now and the bike is going very well, so I hope the problem has gone away and never to return.Cheers,Mike

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11513

Hi All,Thanks for your help and advise. Good day today for working on my bike (overcast and wife went to the movies), so I set to and took the tank off and cleaned every electrical snap block, fuse, relay that I could find.What I found that may have contributed.1) Earth wire on left hand side fuel injector badly oxidised.2) -Ve connection to battery oxidiised and not as tight as it could have been.3) Left hand side HT lead as a small "mark" in it where the sheith ends and before the right angle cap on the coil end - covered with electrical insulation tape (none available in Hamilton)4) one relay in the fuse box was not firmly in its resepctive socket.5) most electrical snap connector blocks were externally dirty.6) air box top not fitted correctly.Anyway, after spending about 6 hours on the bike (it now gleams like a new one) cleaning every electrical thing in sight and cleaning the bike (again) I have just test ridden it and it does not fault at all.I started the bike up and there was a misfire on the left cylinder and I thought "oh oh" and maybe the problem was not fixed, but after that, it revs freely and ticks over well, so I took it for a ride and on a quiet back road gave it full throttle in all gears and it does not miss a beat, even attempts at pulling a wheelie in second, and throttling off going into corners, with no problem. I shall keep my fingers crossed and hope that the problem has gone and give the bike another run (for test purposes of course) tomorrow.There are a couple of electrical snap blocks under the tank that are not used and not fitted with a dust cover and even one on under the right hand side of the seat (sitting on it) - what are these for? ABS (my bike does not have ABS) I covered them with electrical insulation tape, but wonderd what they were for?Anyway, hopefully trouble free riding now and thanks all for the help and comments.Cheers,Mike           

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Spark Plugs #11564

Hi DickT,Thanks for your advise. I assume you have the Bosch plugs fitted rather than the NGK BKR7EKC-N plugs then? I shall have to try the Bosch plugs, but could not get any locally (hamilton) I have just spent the day on my bike in search of my intermittant problem and seem to have cleared it now and just came back from a test ride and the perofmance of the bike is much better and revs easier, and that is with my NGK plugs inI have also been reading BMW - The racing story (mick walker) and it mentions in there for the R259 engine that three earth electrode plugs are standard for the engine, so is the Bosch plug a three earth electrode or two earth electrode, as the BKR7EKC-N is the NGK equivalent for the Bosch FR6 DDC plug and when they say "equivalent", I assumed the number of earth electrodes to be the same?CheersMike.   

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Spark Plugs #11562

Hi,I checked up the specification of the BCPR7ET plug against the BKR7EKC-N plug and the oly difference is the number of earth electrodes - the number 7 is indicative of the heat rating of the plug.http://www.cyclechaos.comGood web site. I just wonder why the three eartch electrode plugs were fitted over the two earth electrode plugs by I assume a BMW dealer?Bike runs better with the two earth electrode plugs in anyway.Cheers

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: Intermittent ignition – R850R 1999 #11509

Hi Alex and BoGSer,Thanks for the links and the advise. I changed the plugs today and checked the HT leads out (see the new topic) and whilst they made a difference, the intermittent problem came back. The bike just cuts out when I throttle off - a couple of times only, but starts without any problems and then runs really well without a problem there on after?I will wrestle the tank off and see if there is anything loose under there or earthing, as it has got me puzzled, , but it is very intermittent.You say that it is a common problem on oilheads BoGSer? as it does cut out and seemingly cuts the spark, but then starts straight away there on after? I am hoping its water or something or a loose wire somewhere, but I will update this topic once I find it.Thanks for your help,Cheers,Mike   

[Grant Freeman]

in reply to: R850R / R1100R exhaust pipes #11387

Hi Kokopelli,Thanks for the link, but I am hopeful of doing the job for less than that and I am thinking of using a scorpion muffler, which would be new.The pipe would not actually be a Y pipe either, as the two exhaust pipes have already siamesed into one by the right foot peg, so it would only be a single link pipe across the back of the gearbox, to connect to the muffler.Thanks anyway.Mike 

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