1998 R1100RT with 72000 km on the clock, it just died on me

[michael sturesson]

Dear Sir/Madam,

Being  retired and born again rider, I have enjoyed my RT for a while.

A few days back I was riding along and all of a sudden the engine died, started again by itself for a short while, died again and started again by itself to die completely. 
Parked the bike on center stand. Tried to start it to no avail. Starter motor working, lamps working, Seems it is not getting any spark och fuel to engine (this is my guess).

 

Anyone out there who can guide me toward a solution?

 

Thank you.

[Jim Moore]

I'm not sure how everybody missed this thread. It's p[robably the ignition timer, AKA hall Effect Sensor, AKA HES.  If it's not the HES, replace it anyway. Someday it will be. My other bet would be that you split the u-shaped fuel line in the tank, or blew a hose off.

[Lowndes]

Michael,

 

WELCOME to the 'hood!!

 

How long have you had the bike and do you have any service history/replaced parts info??

 

A couple of quick and easy checks on Jim's suggestions above.  Chances are its either the HES or a fuel problem - a split hose or disconnected hose or a dead pump.  These are well known and sorted issues for these bikes. 

 

It sounds like a classic HES failure where the wires connecting the HES sensors to the ECU succumb to the heat of the engine and shed their insulation then short out.  This all happens inside a protective sheath that looks perfect.  The sensors are still good, they just need some new, high-heat rated wire.  You can have it rewired or buy a new HES with the good wires.  You can do the repair, it's not that bad.

 

Do you hear the fuel pump in the tank run for two seconds or so when you first turn the power on (not to crank it, just power up the lights etc.)  No pump sound means the pump - no power or locked up.

 

Was the tach needle jumping around when you first had this issue??  If so, that points toward "the HES" syndrome.  If it was steady, it might be a fuel pressure problem.

 

If you can, pull a sparkplug, then put the plug back in the cap and lay it on top of the cylinder (or ground it to the bike another way) and crank it and watch for a steady spark.  No spark or very erratic spark points toward the HES again.  A steady spark points to the fuel pressure again.

 

As Jim mentioned, if it isn't one or both of thes, you are overdue for them and they both need to be addressed in the near future.  I've had both issues plus a few others, and it's so much easier in the garage than on the side of the road or in a different state!!

 

Tell us more about what you got there!!

 

 

 

[dirtrider]

On 5/12/2023 at 6:42 AM, michael sturesson said:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Being  retired and born again rider, I have enjoyed my RT for a while.

A few days back I was riding along and all of a sudden the engine died, started again by itself for a short while, died again and started again by itself to die completely. 
Parked the bike on center stand. Tried to start it to no avail. Starter motor working, lamps working, Seems it is not getting any spark och fuel to engine (this is my guess).

 

Anyone out there who can guide me toward a solution?

Morning  michael 

 

Hopefully you have it sorted by now, we did somehow miss this post, not sure how that happened but that can happen if it gets buried a little with a couple of follow-up posts right after your posting. 

 

If by chance you don't have it running again by now then if you can give us some additional information we might be able to get you closer to the problem. 

 

Was that motorcycle washed, ridden in the rain, or ridden through water  just prior to the problem showing up? -- If so then definitely look into the HES  (actually HES wiring pigtail) as the most likely cause of the stalling problem. At least that would probably be at the top on my list.  

 

If it was dry during your ride & you hadn't washed it or ridden in the rain just prior to the problem then how about the fueling? Did you just fill the fuel tank prior to the problem?-- If you had just filled the fuel that day or on the last ride then it is possible that you got some gasoline with water in it. Water in the fuel can act a bit like your stalling did. You might confirm this by removing the spark plugs then look at them for being wet with water (water won't evaporate quickly off the spark plugs like gasoline will).  If you suspect water then try to siphon as much fuel out or your fuel tank as possible but get the siphon hose as close to the bottom of the fuel tank as possible as water settles to the bottom of the tank.  Once you get as much fuel out as possible lean the motorcycle to the left as far as possible then siphon more out if possible. 

 

Then put that siphoned fuel in a clear container, allow it to settle for a couple of hours then see if there is a water/gasoline line where the water has separated from the gasoline.

 

Another place to look is for a ruptured high pressure hose inside the fuel tank (usually the U shaped hose), you can verify the fuel system (pump operation/internal hoses/etc) by disconnecting the fuel return hose, then plugging off the return hose coming from the front, then point the fuel return hose coming from the rear into a container. Now turn the key ON & crank the engine. If you have a pencil sized stream of fuel coming out of the rear return hose then your in-tank pump & hoses are more than likely OK & your problem lies in another place.  

 

You could also have a problem with your side stand switch, an intermittent or failing side stand switch can cause an engine stall with no re-start. 

 

It doesn't sound like a wire problem in the wiring running from the frame to the R/H handlebar  (usually red or green wires) but don't totally discount that if nothing else found.