115RT Battery post extensions for Jump starting ease

[pmottaz]

I'm wondering if anyone has a solution to make easy access to the battery terminals on a 1150RT? Currently, since the battery is tucked up under the fuel tank, getting a cable clip in there is difficult.

 

What have others done? Haven't found anything in the aftermarket world.

 

Pete

[Boffin]

BMW make just the thing.

 

Items 9-12 on this link

 

Fitted as standard on later model R1150RTs, and easily retrofittable.

 

Andy

[pmottaz]

Thanks...ordered (well back ordered actually!)

 

Pete

[Quinn]

My '04 already has it installed. You might want to take off the seat and look in the area between the fuse block and tank to see if you've got one on your '03. It may be covered with a black plastic cap; it's about the size of a carriage bolt and sticks out horizontally maybe half an inch.

 

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[eddd]

I attached an additional battery cable to the starter and tie wrapped it to the frame, terminating behind the black triangle cover. The the lug terminal is taped.

[Peter Parts]

Pretty rare to worry about jump starting. On some models, there is an axillary connector on the plastic cover of the starter motor or you can add one. Just a few inexpensive pieces.

 

Jump starting really works by allowing the donor car to pump-up the bike battery for a few minutes, not a matter of the full cranking current passing through the wires and little clips. So just using the accessory plug and giving the battery a 15 minute charge will often do the trick.

 

I've never been too clear about push starting. Anybody?

 

Ben

spring in Toronto

[Boffin]

Pretty rare to worry about jump starting. On some models, there is an axillary connector on the plastic cover of the starter motor or you can add one. Just a few inexpensive pieces.

 

Jump starting really works by allowing the donor car to pump-up the bike battery for a few minutes, not a matter of the full cranking current passing through the wires and little clips. So just using the accessory plug and giving the battery a 15 minute charge will often do the trick.

 

I've never been too clear about push starting. Anybody?

 

Ben

spring in Toronto

 

I agree with your assessment on jump-starts. If you do not get juice into the battery for 5-10 minutes first, even a traditional jump start may not work - the dead battery sucks up all the energy.

 

As to push-starts? The battery must have some life in it to power the FI and ECU, else no fuel or sparks. Then you need enough speed to spin the engine at high-enough RPM - then there is the issue of traction to spin the high-compression lump. All-in-all it takes a decent hill and 'dropping' onto the saddle as you dump the clutch to stop the rear tyre sliding. I would stci to topping-off the battery.

 

Once, two days before I traded my 02RT, I left the lights on at work. The BMW roadside assistance mechanic (the same guys who support the cars - part of the UK warranty) connected a lead between his 5-series estate and my bike, made us a cup of tea, and when that had been drunk, unplugged the lead and the bike fired right up.

Andy

[Peter Parts]

Thanks for take on bump starting. With no cranking, battery voltage may stay high enough to power the ECU, spark, etc., making bump starting feasible.

 

I have a system of SAE 2-wire polarity-identified plugs. For heated clothing and other instances where the accessory jack is the source of power, the plugs are Pattern A (typically, hot lead shielded from accidental grounding).

 

But for charging INTO the accessory plug, you need what is called a "gender switcher" length of wire which reverses the connections. That way your charger (which also has to be Pattern A), can plug into the accessory jack.

 

Works great.

 

Ben

 

 

oh dear, the title reads "SEX CHANGE OPERATION (re: Boffin)".... humor unintentional.... hope you believe me.... I'm not clever enough to have thought that one up

 

EDIT: added "not".... sorry

[ESokoloff]

My '04 already has it installed. You might want to take off the seat and look in the area between the fuse block and tank to see if you've got one on your '03. It may be covered with a black plastic cap; it's about the size of a carriage bolt and sticks out horizontally maybe half an inch.

 

-----

 

02 & 03 do not have it.

[pmottaz]

Pretty rare to worry about jump starting. On some models, there is an axillary connector on the plastic cover of the starter motor or you can add one. Just a few inexpensive pieces.

 

Jump starting really works by allowing the donor car to pump-up the bike battery for a few minutes, not a matter of the full cranking current passing through the wires and little clips. So just using the accessory plug and giving the battery a 15 minute charge will often do the trick.

 

I've never been too clear about push starting. Anybody?

 

Ben

spring in Toronto

 

I agree with your assessment on jump-starts. If you do not get juice into the battery for 5-10 minutes first, even a traditional jump start may not work - the dead battery sucks up all the energy.

 

As to push-starts? The battery must have some life in it to power the FI and ECU, else no fuel or sparks. Then you need enough speed to spin the engine at high-enough RPM - then there is the issue of traction to spin the high-compression lump. All-in-all it takes a decent hill and 'dropping' onto the saddle as you dump the clutch to stop the rear tyre sliding. I would stci to topping-off the battery.

Andy

 

I've recently been in need of a jump and it was impossible to get a grip on the positive terminal. I ended up getting a push start from three kind people (damn bikes are heavy!). The technique you describe is correct, i.e. dropping onto the saddle coincidental to clutch release. Also give it little to no throttle till its running or it'll buck like a horse. Additionally, since I do a fair amount of group riding, there's been numerous occasions where others had needed a jump. With the current set up, I'm not able to offer help. So I ordered the BMW bits. Although, I do like the idea of adding a lead onto the starter and having it accessible without having to take off the seats.

Anyway thanks all for the help.

 

Pete

[OldBMWMaster]

i carry these. It is easy to get them attached to the battery posts because they have such small clips. The price is right too.

 

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200442296_200442296

[BMW_pingvinen]

I have bought the BMW parts that extend the positive terminal to a accessible point that sticks out from the tank, just have to remove the driver's seat.

Before that I used to carry a big screwdriver - clamped the plus cable clip to that and held the tip of the screwdriver firmly against the positive terminal. The minus cable clip goes to some accessible grounded chassis part.

Works ok, even when assisted by a rescue car with BIG clamps

[pmottaz]

I have bought the BMW parts that extend the positive terminal to a accessible point that sticks out from the tank, just have to remove the driver's seat.

Before that I used to carry a big screwdriver - clamped the plus cable clip to that and held the tip of the screwdriver firmly against the positive terminal. The minus cable clip goes to some accessible grounded chassis part.

Works ok, even when assisted by a rescue car with BIG clamps

 

Now that is a clever solution! ;-)

[Jimozach]

I know this post is dated, however, I have a related question. I have a terminal extender on the positive terminal of my R1150RT but not on the negative. If I have have to charge or jump the battery, the negative terminal is very hard to reach. Must the negative terminal be connected directly to charge/jump cable, or can I ground it elsewhere? I'm assumed the answer was yes since there was no extender on the battery's negative post. Jim

[eddd]

You are correct. Just connect the negative to a place on the bike that isn't painted or rubber mounted.

 

[Alfred02]

The negative extender should be on the LHS Cylinder head, near the inlet manifold if I remember correct.

[mneblett]

Correct -- that's where it is on my '04 ex-CHP RT-P.

[Jimozach]

All,

 

Thanks so much for the response, much appreciated. Now, please help the newb with another, bigger issue. I just posted the following:

 

"Hi,

 

I was trying to install some PIAA lights on my 2004 RT-P using a parasitic switch, which uses the turn signal cancel button to switch the lights on and off. Could not get the switch to work after following the instructions and connecting the switch wire to the turn signal cancel wire (brown with white stripe), so decided to use the stock switch that came with the lights. However, now my turn signals will not work, neither side. I thought I might have somehow damaged the flasher unit. My hazard flashers work fine, both sides, so I know that it is not the fuse or bulbs. Could I still have damaged the flasher unit in a way that the signals would not work but the flashers would. Any idea what the problem might be?? I am a novice with this kinda stuff, so any help would be appreciated!!!"

 

Any ideas??? HELP THE NEWB!!!

[dirtrider]

Morning jimozach

 

Difficult to say what happened with your turn signals. You might have damaged the cancel switch, or damaged the flasher unit, or damaged something else.

 

Start by checking fuse #4. If that is blown then replace that to start.

 

If that is OK then tell us what type of load you tried to place on that cancel switch circuit. Was it a ground type load or a power tope load or???? type load.

 

[Jimozach]

D.R.

 

Thanks. I don't think it is the fuse because the flashers (hazards) work. The load was positive as far as this newb knows. Checked #4 anyway and it's good What I was trying to install was an AS7 switch: http://www.autoswitch.com/downloads/as7/directions-as7.pdf

 

I connected the yellow wire to what I believe was the turn signal cancel wire (brown with yellow stripe).

 

I'm no expert, you can see that, but it's hard for me to imagine that the cancel switch was somehow damaged. What I wondered was if it's possible that the flasher could be the issue, noting that the hazard flashers front and rear DO work. It is only the left and right turn signals that do not work. Your wisdom appreciated. Thanks! Jim

[dirtrider]

Morning jimozach

 

 

OK as long as you have POSITIVELY verified that fuse #4 is good (not just visually but electrically). The hazards work from a battery input to the turn signal flasher as #4 fuse shuts off when the key is turned off so.

 

Are you sure on the wire color as my electrical diagram shows the cancel wire as brown/white? The R/H turn signal initiate wire is brown/yellow.

 

In any case the cancel switch is a low current switch that connects the circuit to ground so if you got enough current to go through the switch to ground the switch might be damaged. The good news is that usually fails the switch open & that shouldn't keep the turn signals from working but could keep them from canceling.

 

So, if you have a volt/ohm meter check cavity (1) of the turn signal socket for 12v power with key on, check cavity (2) for full time battery power, check the brown wire from the R/H switch for having a good connection to ground, check that the brown wire connects to the brown/white wire when the cancel button is pushed & check that the brown wire connects to the brown/yellow wire when the R/H turn signal button is pushed.

 

Otherwise see if you can find someone with a known good turn signal flasher unit to try.

 

[SAAB93driver]

I'm wondering if anyone has a solution to make easy access to the battery terminals on a 1150RT? Currently, since the battery is tucked up under the fuel tank, getting a cable clip in there is difficult.

 

What have others done? Haven't found anything in the aftermarket world.

 

Pete

 

You can add this post to the starter, requires drilling a hole in the starter housing. It is accessible without removing the seat. I put one on my R1150RS several years ago.

 

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=0498&mospid=51763&btnr=12_1017&hg=12&fg=41

 

[upflying]

Sorry for the blur but you get the idea. Two pieces of crushed copper tubing and two drilled holes. Jump starting problem solved. Cost, free, since I had the pipe in a junk drawer.

Extra bonus, Sharpie battery replacement info on the Odyssey.

 

[AndyS]

Bob,

Looking at your picture you get no sense of perspective, but that +ve terminal looks awfully close to the battery box. If that touches, there are no fuses to protect what could be a very high discharge (read sparks and bang).

I mention it both for your benefit, but also others thinking of doing the same...Make sure that +ve terminal bracket is short. It doesn't need that length. Half that distance would do.

[SAAB93driver]

I'm wondering if anyone has a solution to make easy access to the battery terminals on a 1150RT? Currently, since the battery is tucked up under the fuel tank, getting a cable clip in there is difficult.

 

What have others done? Haven't found anything in the aftermarket world.

 

Pete

 

http://advwisdom.hogranch.com/Wisdom/Oilhead%20Starter%20mod.html

 

[upflying]

Bob,

Looking at your picture you get no sense of perspective, but that +ve terminal looks awfully close to the battery box. If that touches, there are no fuses to protect what could be a very high discharge (read sparks and bang).

I mention it both for your benefit, but also others thinking of doing the same...Make sure that +ve terminal bracket is short. It doesn't need that length. Half that distance would do.

Yep, I sparked a wrench (spanner??)against that battery box but it's far enough away with no issues in the past 6 years or so.

Easily prevented by removing the ground (negative earth??) cable first.