R 1200 RT not charging

[Kannon]

Didn't expect my first post to be about a problem with a new bike, or to even be having problems this soon but I need some advice or opinions. '05 R 1200 RT w/ 10,000 miles. The charging warning light came on this afternoon so I cut my ride short and went home to check it out. It is not charging, 12.5 volts across the battery with brief jumps to 13.5 above 2500 rpm. Battery terminals are clean and tight and I checked the alternator belt tension, it's OK. My question is do you think I can drive the bike 50 miles to the dealer. The battery will be fully charged and I know how to turn the headlight off so the only current drains will be the Motronic, the brake servos, the ignition secondary circuit and the fuel pump. Your opinions? Thanks

[Satguy]

Call dealer or BMW Roadside Assistance and have it picked up. Not worth the chance that it will leave you stranded at the side of the road. After all your bike is still under warranty, no?

[Kannon]

Had not thought about Road Side Assistance, 'suppose that's an option but I wanted to get to the dealer so I could try to get a loaner (fingers crossed on this one). I have a lawn tractor battery I can mount on the luggage rack and wire in paralel with the bike battery, that might get me there.

[Ken H.]

If you ride the bike with the headlight turned off (the cancel button for 6 seconds then right turn button for 6 seconds thing), it would almost certainly make it 50 miles on a fully charged battery.

[RFW]

Didn't expect my first post to be about a problem with a new bike, or to even be having problems this soon but I need some advice or opinions. '05 R 1200 RT w/ 10,000 miles. The charging warning light came on this afternoon so I cut my ride short and went home to check it out. It is not charging, 12.5 volts across the battery with brief jumps to 13.5 above 2500 rpm. Battery terminals are clean and tight and I checked the alternator belt tension, it's OK. My question is do you think I can drive the bike 50 miles to the dealer. The battery will be fully charged and I know how to turn the headlight off so the only current drains will be the Motronic, the brake servos, the ignition secondary circuit and the fuel pump. Your opinions? Thanks

 

As others have said, if its still under warranty then let BMW handle it. You likely have more than enough juice to go 50 miles if you shut off the headlight. Your entire electrical system likely draws less than 10 Amps, and assuming you have a 20 A-H battery, you;ll get more than an hour's running at this discharge rate. Just ride with dispatch, and don't let it idle at long intersections (a quick restart draws almost zero energy from the battery).

 

If not, then the problem is almost certainly the little module that mounts on the alternator that has the regulator and brushes on it. Typically BMW simply uses standard automotive alternators, so if you have to buy a regulator, DON'T get it from a BMW bike dealer! Instead, try to pick one up from a VW aftermarket parts supplier (or other similar German aftermarket supplier). Typically, one can buy genuine parts at 1/3 the price of the dealer.

 

As an example, the WV price for the regulator module in my Jetta is close to $100 Canadian. I recently bought a German-made exact replacement part from an aftermarket supplier for about $30. God knows what BMW yould have charged for the same thing! Many parts on BMW bikes are able to be sourced much cheaper this way.

 

Bob.

[skyking44]

With the bike under warranty, I would get it to the dealer, and have them trouble shoot it. If it is the regulator, then it should be replaced at no cost to you. If you replace it with some other manufactruer's part it could void your warranty.

FWIW

[Kannon]

Well, the question is moot. The dealer isn't able to give me a loaner, so I'll will have to deal w/ Roadside Assistance, major PITA 'cause now I'll need to get a ride to pick the thing up when they finish it plus Roadside Assistance only pays up to $100 so I'll have some big out-of-pocket expense for the balance of the tow fee.

I'll let you all know what the diagnosis is but the dealer says he is backed up and won't commit to a repair date (I'm not a happy guy at the moment)

[David_S]

Well, the question is moot. The dealer isn't able to give me a loaner, so I'll will have to deal w/ Roadside Assistance, major PITA 'cause now I'll need to get a ride to pick the thing up when they finish it plus Roadside Assistance only pays up to $100 so I'll have some big out-of-pocket expense for the balance of the tow fee.

I'll let you all know what the diagnosis is but the dealer says he is backed up and won't commit to a repair date (I'm not a happy guy at the moment)

 

Check into the extra $$. I was told that if the tow to the nearest dealer was more than $100.00 BMW would reimburse the amount.

[Joe_Rocket]

Have you considered simply taking a look at it yourself? Could it be a bad connection to the battery? A broken fuseable link? A loose connection at the alternator? Perhaps a quick visual will show the problem and save you all the trouble.

 

Joe West

 

Well, the question is moot. The dealer isn't able to give me a loaner, so I'll will have to deal w/ Roadside Assistance, major PITA 'cause now I'll need to get a ride to pick the thing up when they finish it plus Roadside Assistance only pays up to $100 so I'll have some big out-of-pocket expense for the balance of the tow fee.

I'll let you all know what the diagnosis is but the dealer says he is backed up and won't commit to a repair date (I'm not a happy guy at the moment)