R1150 RT Completely Shuts down while riding at 70MPH

[Dcyclst E]

Hello,

I have a 2003 R1150RT (former CHP @ 70kmi) that recently shut off while on the freeway at 70MPH in traffic. The engine cut out in blips about 10 seconds before shutting off entirely. No Lights, no engine, No RID, not even my flashers worked. Oddly one red panel light remained on (either oil or battery) but in a panic not to get run over in the 4th lane with out lights in the dark I did not make note which light. I was able to coast & merge to the breakdown lane and the lights came back on, and it started. I rode home another 10mi without a problem. Recently I had a different breakdown situation where just the engine cut out 3 hours from home. Replaced the fuel pump, Hall Sensor, and a used motronic from Beemer Boneyard per my dealer's diagnosis. Newer battery & terminals are tight. This happen to anyone else? The ignition switch would seem likely if I did not have one dash light on???

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Dcyclst E

 

Your problem sounds like the somewhat common wire harness broken wire at the steering neck area (probably red or green wire)

 

Not a sure thing but a good place to start looking.

 

Try putting the bike on the center stand then starting the engine, then vigorously move the handle bars back & forth.

 

Then grab the main wire harness near the tie strap at the steering neck are & wiggle it to see if the engine cuts out.

 

Either of those wires breaking acts like a bad ignition switch. That will usually shut all the dash lights down except the generator light. Then the GEN light will go out after engine stops turning.

 

[Dcyclst E]

Thank you, Your right; I found it, partially broken wire in ignition switch harness..... Now to the solidering

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Dcyclst E

 

As a rule I don't simply solder that wire break. If it broke there once it will tend to break even quicker the next time if the wire is soldered at the break & made stiffer in that flexing area.

 

I usually cut it back a ways in each direction, then add a NEW piece of quality wire that goes full length through the flex/break area. I then use splice clips & heat shrink to make a durable lasting moisture proof repair.

[Redman]

.... I found it, partially broken wire in ignition switch harness..... ....

 

 

DE,

 

Let me ask .... did you find that by doing the wiggle test...?

Or did you find it visually.. have to hack open a wiring harness or what to see it...?

 

The red or the green that DR mentioned...?

 

DE and/or DR,

 

Should we be concerned that other wires in same harness (experienced the same bending) are also about to fail...? Or is this one wire different in some way...?

 

It is a wire in a multi-conductor harness, correct?

 

.

 

 

[dirtrider]

Evening Redman

 

 

No way to know when/if they will fail. It depends, a lot, on how far & how many times the handlebars have been turned & how tight the tie straps holding the wire harness are.

 

Just slightly loosening the zip ties that secure the harness along the steering neck can go a long ways towards preventing future wire breakage.

[PAS]

Hi DR, are the splice clips you mention the blue one that fold over and snap shut or is there a better style to use. I have bar backs on my 03 RT that I better look closely at. (still in cold storage)

[dirtrider]

Evening PAS

 

No, the splice clips I use are crimp-on clips that make a secure resistance free connection, then the splice clip is soldered over.

 

We use those in the auto industry to maintain a resistance free non-failing long term connection.

 

[PAS]

Thanks DR, Your always a great help to all! Can the clips be bought over the counter, would be nice to have some in the tool box.

[dirtrider]

Morning PAS

 

You can buy them but most regular parts stores don't carry them.

 

Better electronics shops should have some.

 

You can basically make your own by cutting the rear wire retaining end off of a regular wire terminal like a 150 or a 250 terminal.

 

[PAS]

Thank you, great visual!

[awagnon]

Can the clips be bought over the counter, would be nice to have some in the tool box.

 

I usually use butt connectors of appropriate size and over-solder them after they are crimped. Occasionally I will just cut off one end of a butt connector of larger gauge and use it for both wires. Always over solder after crimping and shrink wrap.

[Rex R]

Morning PAS

 

You can buy them but most regular parts stores don't carry them.

 

Better electronics shops should have some.

 

You can basically make your own by cutting the rear wire retaining end off of a regular wire terminal like a 150 or a 250 terminal.

 

 

Far be it from me to question DR's advice. However, I do have some experience with electrical work and would like to offer the following. I welcome DR's response to my comments and suggestions.

 

A weak point on wires is the point from which the bare (stripped) wires emerge from the insulation. Open barrel terminals minimize this weakness by adding a crimp around the insulation to support the wire and minimize flexing at that point. For that reason, I would suggest not cutting off the insulation crimp (depicted in the upper right of DR's photo). By using the insulation crimp, you can protect at least one of the two wires that you are joining.

 

BMW even makes (insanely expensive) repair connectors/kits and crimpers which perform a similar function. Instead of selling individual terminals to repair connectors, they only sell the connectors, fully loaded with terminals crimped on to 6-12 inches of wire. Dealers can then clip the entire connector off from the harness, strip the ends of the old wires (on the harness) and the new wires (on the replacement connector), crimp each pair together and protect with shrink tubing. Their open-barrel repair terminals crimp the bare wires in the middle and the insulation at each end (similar to closed-barrel butt terminal).

 

For the customer, buying repair connectors is more expensive than just the terminal(s) that went bad. But for the dealer's shop it is cheaper because one crimper and one type of terminal will repair most, if not all, connectors. It's better than maintaining a tool chest full of more than a dozen crimpers which cost a few hundred dollars each. (Virtually every terminal requires its own crimper for a proper crimp.) One sign of a good crimper is a bellmouth where the bare wires enter the wire crimp. In a previous picture posted by DR on this thread, you can clearly see the bellmouth on the left side of the crimp. Not so much on the right side. When wires are crimped without a bellmouth, the edge of the terminal tends to nick and weaken the wires and may lead to failure of the repair.

 

 

As long as I'm babbling, if you solder connections, don't solder right up to the insulation. That makes it more brittle and more likely to fail at that point. If you are soldering a repair, you can add some strain relief with double wall polyolefin shrink tubing.