Here we go again... (dead battery)

[profbodryak]

Won't turn over after a short ride this morning. New battery from just a couple of months ago. In an Uber on my way to the parts store to get a noco gb20... 

 

Maintaining my once a month schedule to visit the dealer. 

[JamesW]

Sell it.

[Hosstage]

22 hours ago, profbodryak said:

Won't turn over after a short ride this morning. New battery from just a couple of months ago. In an Uber on my way to the parts store to get a noco gb20... 

 

Maintaining my once a month schedule to visit the dealer. 

What bike are you dealing with? Is it on a maintainer? Have you done any troubleshooting? Are the terminals right? Do you have a volt meter?

What is the history causing you to visit the dealer every month?

Did the new battery solve the problem?

[Hosstage]

8 hours ago, JamesW said:

Sell it.

Seems a bit extreme...

[profbodryak]

I'd prefer to not sell it in hopes that the last of the issues is with the battery. 2023 R1250RT purchased brand new in June of last year. Issues:

 

1. Cricket in the dashboard for months

2. Failed windscreen servo motor with way too many visits to the dealer to count for re-syncing

3. Battery replaced two months ago, was told it was from a bad batch

4. Same happened yesterday and it was a colder morning. I spent 1.5 hours ubering to two different parts stores to get a NOCO just to return and the bike started right up by itself (it was by then several degrees warmer).

5. The other day I noticed that the right passenger foot peg was protruding upwards by a third of an inch to find that the concentric stopper ring has gone missing

6. Right side case lock would constantly freeze at below freezing temperatures, so the entire case was replaced.

7. Central lock switch went crazy and was locking/unlocking by itself. It was replaced.

8. Probably missing something from the list because I already forgot.

 

No electrical mods on the bike except the navigator wired to switched power and also a phone charger, wired to switched power through the BMW splitter harness. Gerbing wiring is wired directly to battery with a permanent controller which is always off when the bike is off.

 

The bike lives outside with no battery tender and this is my 7th RT (first one of the 2021 model year). I've never had this issue on any of them unless the battery was old and needed replacement. I am not sure if the current draw is so much higher compared to the R1200RT that it just doesn't recharge as fast after it is started?

 

No troubleshooting and no voltmeter.

[dirtrider]

3 hours ago, profbodryak said:

I'd prefer to not sell it in hopes that the last of the issues is with the battery. 2023 R1250RT purchased brand new in June of last year. Issues:

 

1. Cricket in the dashboard for months

2. Failed windscreen servo motor with way too many visits to the dealer to count for re-syncing

3. Battery replaced two months ago, was told it was from a bad batch

4. Same happened yesterday and it was a colder morning. I spent 1.5 hours ubering to two different parts stores to get a NOCO just to return and the bike started right up by itself (it was by then several degrees warmer).

5. The other day I noticed that the right passenger foot peg was protruding upwards by a third of an inch to find that the concentric stopper ring has gone missing

6. Right side case lock would constantly freeze at below freezing temperatures, so the entire case was replaced.

7. Central lock switch went crazy and was locking/unlocking by itself. It was replaced.

8. Probably missing something from the list because I already forgot.

 

No electrical mods on the bike except the navigator wired to switched power and also a phone charger, wired to switched power through the BMW splitter harness. Gerbing wiring is wired directly to battery with a permanent controller which is always off when the bike is off.

 

The bike lives outside with no battery tender and this is my 7th RT (first one of the 2021 model year). I've never had this issue on any of them unless the battery was old and needed replacement. I am not sure if the current draw is so much higher compared to the R1200RT that it just doesn't recharge as fast after it is started?

 

No troubleshooting and no voltmeter.

Morning profbodryak

 

The newer BMW water cooled do not charge as fast after starting as the older ones that had actual external high amp alternators. 

 

The recharge after starting is even slower if heated gear is used as there just isn't that much extra charging output (especially at lower engine RPM's or at  idle)

 

The new starting systems are also different & require working compression releases or they can really fight starting when really cold. 

 

If that is your only transportation & you have no way to put a battery maintainer on it overnight then you might invest in one of those small jumper packs. Most of those small jumper packs will easily start a motorcycle with a low battery  unless the battery is totally dead.

[Hosstage]

After seeing that list I'm starting to agree with James. What an absolutely frustrating experience. Have you talked with the dealer about a possible lemon return?

[profbodryak]

dirtrider, thank you, that's exactly what I did is pick up a NOCO GB20 yesterday. Seems frustrating to have to carry it around in cold weather all the time.

 

Hosstage, not yet. I am hoping that this is the last of the issues although who knows. I just sent a long letter of complaint to BMW of NA. Will see what they say.

[profbodryak]

What is this stealth data recorder mentioned in some of the other forums that used to be installed on these bikes?

[profbodryak]

Found this too: https://advrider.com/f/threads/r1250gs-starting-problem.1418465/page-2. From two messages at the link:

 

"They found oil in the voltage regulator. .
The wiring from the generator (who sits inside the engine) had a bad seal.
So oil from the engine was penetrating that seal, and followed the cable up to the regulator, causing this to malfunction.
This again caused the battery to be damaged.

It was a big job to fix, the engine had to be removed to change the cables, the regulator was replaced, and the battery as well.
"

and

 

"Well..... cleaned and retorqued battery terminals, cleaned and retorqued 50amp fuse, cleaned starter + terminal retorqued, and finally cleaned and retorqued battery ground. Charged battery, could not get it to happen again. Either it's dirty terminals or a marginal battery from the factory. Will see if it comes back. P.S. Voltage regulator was inspected and everything looked good."

 

and finally

 

"As some of you and I had guessed earlier the problem was the compression. Compression release did not work consistently on the left cylinder. That's why it will start sometimes, depending on if the bad side is on compression on that first turn. Not the automatic decompressor was the defective part, it works perfectly. The problem is the exhaust VALVE CLEARANCE.
The clearance was too big (even within tolerance) so they adjusted it (within factory tolerance) because with this factory setting the decompressor cam did not open the valve as much as it should. So if your bike doing similar malfunctions measure the compression, its a simple process!
I don’t know how they made the adjustment, because the valve clearance adjusted by steel balls, they may change the ball to bigger size (to reduce the clearance). "

[Scotto336]

I had a Noco cook two of my bikes batteries, one of which was almost new.  No mo Noco for me.

[Oldrider51]

Has the dealer checked for a possible battery drain? Have seen instances where a drain was occurring even with the ignition switch off. Used a clamp on amp probe around the negative cable off the battery. 

[profbodryak]

Oldrider51 - that is the case as I found out today but more to be figured out.

 

Starting next weekend I will have the loaner for however long it takes to figure out. There is a parasitic draw caused by 1 of the 10 modules (and it's not the alarm system). At this point there's not yet a solution for the panic throttle algorithm either. The only solution available is to disable ride modes pro however I am not willing to do this as this something I paid for when I bought the bike. Repeated calls to BMW to follow next week...

[Oldrider51]

Good to hear that something was found. Will they disconnect one module at a time to try to determine which one is drawing excessive current?

Seems like a new module could be necessary for the throttle problem.

[profbodryak]

That's what they are going to do. As far as the throttle issue - that's not removable at this point as that is a part of ride modes pro. They are aware and it appears that I am not the only one with this issue. 

[JamesW]

You know I got to say one more thing.  In all honesty if someone gave me a new BMW M/C I wouldn't even test ride it.  I would just put it up for sale.  So many things today are just becoming throw away items.  When one of these motorcycles is out of warranty it's going to be on the owner and I've had happier thoughts.

[Hosstage]

What??? James harping on modern bikes being horrible?

 

Honestly, it really doesn't help solve problems that members here are having with their bikes.

 

This is the tech side of the forum, not the constantly bash BMW side.

 

 

[JamesW]

2 hours ago, Hosstage said:

What??? James harping on modern bikes being horrible?

 

Honestly, it really doesn't help solve problems that members here are having with their bikes.

 

This is the tech side of the forum, not the constantly bash BMW side.

 

 

 

Good point and I agree.  

[profbodryak]

On 4/1/2024 at 8:37 PM, JamesW said:

You know I got to say one more thing.  In all honesty if someone gave me a new BMW M/C I wouldn't even test ride it.  I would just put it up for sale.  So many things today are just becoming throw away items.  When one of these motorcycles is out of warranty it's going to be on the owner and I've had happier thoughts.

JamesW, I post these updates on here in hopes that someome will find them useful later on as issues I am having are very atypical of RT's (at least in my experience). I wouldn't discard new BMW tech altogether simply because there's one forum member who may have gotten a Monday Friday bike. Who would have thought that the first ever new vehicle I bought has this many issues? It happens both with bikes and cars also. I must say that the 1250 boxer is amazing. I am picking up a loaner tomorrow which is a 1200RT and after having done this once, I know I will miss my 1250 even after all of the issues. 

[profbodryak]

The cause of the issue is the immobilizer in the ignition. Part has been ordered but currently unknown ETA. Another new battery on the RT. 

[Rougarou]

That list of issues equates to:

[Rinkydink]

2 hours ago, Rougarou said:

That list of issues equates to:

THIS ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

[JamesW]

On 4/5/2024 at 4:33 PM, profbodryak said:

JamesW, I post these updates on here in hopes that someome will find them useful later on as issues I am having are very atypical of RT's (at least in my experience). I wouldn't discard new BMW tech altogether simply because there's one forum member who may have gotten a Monday Friday bike. Who would have thought that the first ever new vehicle I bought has this many issues? It happens both with bikes and cars also. I must say that the 1250 boxer is amazing. I am picking up a loaner tomorrow which is a 1200RT and after having done this once, I know I will miss my 1250 even after all of the issues. 

I must be bored.  It's been awhile since I checked back here to see what's going on and I see not much has changed.  This, and some other threads, has honestly made me wonder why on earth anyone would subject themselves to situations like this.  I know for a fact I surely wouldn't but that's me.  Good luck sounds like you'll need some.

[Bernie]

Does Royal Enfield import kick start motorcycles with 6volt systems or magnetos? And 3 speed transmissions?