99 R1100RT Can't unlock forks, battery dead

[CaseyB]

Hello all,

 

A guy I know has a 99 R1100RT, it's been sitting over the winter with the steering locked. Now, he can't get it to unlock. It has no force on the steering, moves a bit as normal when locked, just won't unlock. Not sure if it matters but the battery is dead, could there be a solenoid in the lock?

 

Thank you for your insight.

 

Casey

[dirtrider]

12 hours ago, CaseyB said:

Hello all,

 

A guy I know has a 99 R1100RT, it's been sitting over the winter with the steering locked. Now, he can't get it to unlock. It has no force on the steering, moves a bit as normal when locked, just won't unlock. Not sure if it matters but the battery is dead, could there be a solenoid in the lock?

 

Thank you for your insight.

 

Casey

Morning  Casey

 

Nothing electrical as the fork lock is all mechanical. 

 

Are you using the correct key? 

 

If the key used is correct then you first need to figure out where it it hanging up. Is the problem in the ignition switch area or in the pin area????  

 

Is the area that the bike is in well above freezing? If below freezing then possibly some moisture  has frozen the locking mechanism.

 

If the key part is working then possibly the pin has corroded & won't move so try spraying some penetrating oil in/on the pin & in/around around the ignition switch locking pin & the frame pin hole. Then keep trying to unlock it while vigorously wiggling the fork & key. 

 

At worst you might have to remove the ignition switch cylinder then spray penetrant into the inner pin locking area, or even completely remove the upper tipple tree,  or try to drill the ignition switch screw heads off & remove the switch assembly, or even go in far enough to cut the protruding pin off. 

 

If in fact the pin mechanism is corroded/frozen up then that can sometimes  be a REAL PAIN to free up. (reason I NEVER lock one of those darn things during storage). Actually I never-ever lock them at all. 

 

[CaseyB]

2 hours ago, dirtrider said:

Morning  Casey

 

Nothing electrical as the fork lock is all mechanical. 

 

Are you using the correct key? 

 

If the key used is correct then you first need to figure out where it it hanging up. Is the problem in the ignition switch area or in the pin area????  

 

Is the area that the bike is in well above freezing? If below freezing then possibly some moisture  has frozen the locking mechanism.

 

If the key part is working then possibly the pin has corroded & won't move so try spraying some penetrating oil in/on the pin & in/around around the ignition switch locking pin & the frame pin hole. Then keep trying to unlock it while vigorously wiggling the fork & key. 

 

At worst you might have to remove the ignition switch cylinder then spray penetrant into the inner pin locking area, or even completely remove the upper tipple tree,  or try to drill the ignition switch screw heads off & remove the switch assembly, or even go in far enough to cut the protruding pin off. 

 

If in fact the pin mechanism is corroded/frozen up then that can sometimes  be a REAL PAIN to free up. (reason I NEVER lock one of those darn things during storage). Actually I never-ever lock them at all. 

 

Good Morning D.R.

 

I believe he's using the right key, as the cylinder does move some. A corroded pin sounds most likely, I'm in Oregon, it's not that cold here right now. We'll get after it with penetrant & persistence. Hopefully that works, sounds like a real pain if it doesn't.

 

So, how do you secure your bike if you don't lock it in this way? A rotor lock?

 

Thank you very much for your assistance.

 

Casey

[dirtrider]

13 minutes ago, CaseyB said:

Good Morning D.R.

 

I believe he's using the right key, as the cylinder does move some. A corroded pin sounds most likely, I'm in Oregon, it's not that cold here right now. We'll get after it with penetrant & persistence. Hopefully that works, sounds like a real pain if it doesn't.

 

So, how do you secure your bike if you don't lock it in this way? A rotor lock?

 

Thank you very much for your assistance.

 

Casey

Morning  Casey

 

I really don't do much securing, I have insurance so don't fret it much.  Heck, most of the time I either leave the key in the ignition or toss it in the top box. 

 

Most quick thieves don't bother with the older BMW's & a determined (AND proficient) thief that wants your BMW will just show up with a van or trailer & a couple of friends & toss it into the van or trailer. So unless locked to the floor, or to a big weight, or to a post then no fork lock or rotor lock will stop them. 

 

An off-roader  guy that I know from Michigan  had 4 (4-wheelers) chained together in his locked garage & they were stolen between 11pm & 6 am in one night. His biggest concern wasn't the missing 4-wheelers as he had them insured but there was a lot of damage  to his 2 older (uninsured)  antique cars parked in the same garage with the thief's untidy chain removal & moving the 4-wheelers around. 

[Skywagon]

Casey.. like DR… I’ve never locked my BMW bike(s). I do lock the cases. I don’t think many do. 

[Paul De]

Haha, this brought up the conversation I had with the GM where I bought my '99RT.  Granted this was in 2000 and BMW's and in the area that I lived at the time BMW motorcycles represent a tiny market share.   When finalizing the purchase I asked about a theft alarm option and the GM chuckled and said save your money, nobody steals BMW bikes, and they couldn't really ride it around as the owners community here is small enough there would be a lookout for it. 

 

I do rarely use the fork lock, mostly in a situation where they would need to roll the bike a fair distance to a waiting van making it a PIA to drag it.  or where young kids might mess with it. But my best anti theft device is to park my RT next to a nice new Hawg.

[RK Ryder]

I never use the fork locks on my bikes. Actually bought a rotor lock and after ten or twelve years of never having used it once, gave to one of my sons. On my R1100RT I once (in June) I accidentally locked the forks, which I only discovered when it was time to leave. I had no success unlocking it. Other R1100 owners were around and asked one of them to try. He finally succeeded but it took quite a while. After writing this, guess I should add some lubricant to the lock in case I ever accidentally lock the forks again.

 

 Had my K100 for a few years and had never used the fork lock simply because I Had no success when I attempted using it. Once when picking up the K after a service, I asked the head BMW mechanic to show me how to lock the forks. I was it was an easy operation or so he thought until he tried and tried until he finally succeeded. Took a bit of time for him to unlock it. 
 

These two incidents have led me to the conclusion that locking the forks on either bike could inevitably leave me stranded. While staying overnight at a motel, I am usually able to park under the carport at the entrance. As well I use a bike cover (that stuffs down very small) that covers the bike from wheel to wheel, ground to ground.

 

If someone really wants my bikes, locks won’t hinder them, but then again BMW bikes, especially older ones with high mileage like mine, are not frequently stolen. 
 

Insurance is the best option if your bike should be stolen.

 

Paul

[szurszewski]

After dealing with a finicky fork lock on an r1100rt years ago I also stopped using the fork lock. Then last month I was just getting back to my office after an appointment and found this gentleman

 

 

walking out of the parking lot pushing my GS!

I wish I’d taken a moment to plan a funnier response that would have resulted in finding out where he was intending to push it, but instead I yelled something and he ran away. 

 

 

Since then I’ve been parking in a corner and using the fork lock until I can get around to digging out an old disc lock I’m sure I have in the garage…

 

[Miguel!]

My steering lock has always been a little tricky tho I've never failed to get it open. 

 

This discussion prompted me to go have a look at the locking pin today. I spayed WD40 Dry Lube in the two  lock holes in the frame (the two hole allow you to lock the fork to either the left or right) and on the pin best I could. I put a little graphite in the key lock too. After working it a bit, it loosed up quite a bit. Thanks for prompting me to go investigate and take action. 

 

Best

Miguel