lakeober Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Hello everyone, new to the forums. Unfortunately, my 1200RT experience is starting a little rocky. Bought a 2005 today with 12k miles on it. I picked it up from the sellers house and started it to ride it up on the trailer, no issues. Then I drive it back home on the trailer over 2.5 hours away on the interstate. It is currently about 32 degrees here and 19 with the wind chill. When I got it home I backed it off the trailer and tried to start it. It turns over strong but will not start. I tried it with the kickstand up and down, clutch in and out, in neutral, all the normal stuff I know about. I don't see any warning or anything concerning on the dash. I tried turning it for quite some time and nothing different. I then put it on the tender (which the previous owner also had it on), charged it to 100% and same thing. I tried to start it with full throttle and then let go and it chugged a couple times and instantly died. I checked the paperwork and saw that the battery was replaced by BMW less than 2 years ago. Not sure what else to try. Any ideas? I feel like I am going crazy and hoping it is just something stupid, not sure how it could stop running after just 3 hours. The ride home was surely cold, but not overly rough or bumpy. Thanks! Link to comment
lakeober Posted March 1, 2020 Author Share Posted March 1, 2020 I'm doing some research and I feel like it is some sort of fuel issue. Does the fact that it stutters a little after fuel throttle mean that the fuel pump is working? I hear noises when the key is turned, but I don't know if it is the pump priming or not (it kind of sounds like the sound when I engage the brake). I have concerns about if the gas is good or not. The previous owner only road it 900 miles in 2 years. I asked him about the gas and he said he thinks it is from sometime the end of last year and that he put stabilizer in it. It doesn't smell unusual to me. Another concern would be a clogged injector if something got knocked loose during transport. Would it maybe be a good idea to try and start the bike with a squirt of starter fluid in the airbox and see if I get anything? Link to comment
Rinkydink Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 I would try fresh gas first and foremost. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 9 hours ago, lakeober said: I'm doing some research and I feel like it is some sort of fuel issue. Does the fact that it stutters a little after fuel throttle mean that the fuel pump is working? I hear noises when the key is turned, but I don't know if it is the pump priming or not (it kind of sounds like the sound when I engage the brake). I have concerns about if the gas is good or not. The previous owner only road it 900 miles in 2 years. I asked him about the gas and he said he thinks it is from sometime the end of last year and that he put stabilizer in it. It doesn't smell unusual to me. Another concern would be a clogged injector if something got knocked loose during transport. Would it maybe be a good idea to try and start the bike with a squirt of starter fluid in the airbox and see if I get anything? Morning lakeober With motorcycle starting OK to load on the trailer but not when you got home (and assuming that you didn't knock something loose in transport or strapping down) then it does sort of point to a fuel issue, or fuel flow issue. What was the ambient temperature where you picked the bike up?? If it was above freezing there but is now below freezing where you are currently at then it possible that some moisture in the fuel supply is now frozen. Also, if there is/was any water in the fuel tank then your trailer trip home definitely stirred & mixed that moisture into the fuel supply (water usually sits on the bottom of the fuel tank with motorcycle not being jostled around) Try warming the motorcycle up (in your garage or in the sun) then see if it will start. As Rinkydink said, try some new (fresh gasoline), try siphoning out as much old fuel as you can then put in some fresh gasoline. If it still won't start with most of the old fuel siphoned out & fresh installed then you will probably have to remove the spark plugs to see if they are fuel or fuel/water fouled. If nothing found then you will probably have to check for nice bluish spark during engine cranking & possibly check for fuel injection spray at a removed fuel injector during engine cranking. (careful in how you check for this so you don't have a fire) You can try a LITTLE bit of starting fluid but access to the air box is difficult & you should never just spray starting fluid into the plastic air intake snorkel or into the air box with filter in place as that can turn the air box into a plastic bomb & become a very costly endeavor. You can try removing the rubber hoses going to the bottom of the throttle bodies then carefully spraying in (very little) starting fluid into the bottom of the throttle bodies through the TB hose nipples. Or if you have the proper intake boot ring pliers handy loosen the intake boots on one end then spray a little starting fluid directly into throttle bodies. Begin by getting as much old gasoline out of your fuel tank as possible then putting in some known good gasoline into the fuel tank. Link to comment
lkraus Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 The 2005 owners manual said not to touch the throttle when starting, but subsequent years called for slightly opening the throttle in cold temperatures. Below 40º, my early 2006 will crank forever without starting unless I twist the grip just a bit off the stop. Link to comment
The Rocketman Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 That's what Dirtrider told me and it worked like a charm. Just a 1/4 throttle open when its freezing out cured my no-start problem. Link to comment
lakeober Posted March 1, 2020 Author Share Posted March 1, 2020 Crisis averted, I think I am good! I kept giving it full throttle and hitting the starter and then letting it all the way off the throttle and hitting the starter again. I know the manual advises against it, but this is the only thing that would get it to sputter. Every time I would do it, it would sputter just a little more but would stop when I let off the starter. Finally, I tried it and after letting off the throttle it ran on its own for a second and died. Tried again, and it ran on its own entirely. A bit rough at first and then smoothed out. I let it run for about half an hour and it ran good and never died. So, I think it is safe to say it is not so good fuel. I am going to go buy a siphon and get it all out and add fresh gas. Is it a good idea to add Seafoam since I ran it for 30 mins with that gas in? Thanks for everyone's help, this is a great community! Link to comment
Mike M Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 You let it run half an hour idling? Link to comment
dirtrider Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 1 hour ago, Mike M said: You let it run half an hour idling? Afternoon Mike Unlike the BMW 1100/1150 left on fast idle, idling a 1200RT in cool/cold weather won't hurt them as the fast idle is computer controlled so the engine drops to a normal curb idle automatically. There is also a lot more exhaust pipe clearance to plastic parts on the 1200 bikes. I have been caught in stop & go traffic in 90°f+ ambient temps with my 1200RT for a lot longer than half an hour with no heating problems. Probably not a great re-occurring habit to allow them to idle for that long but shouldn't hurt them either in cooler weather. Personally I would rather see a 1200 idle for 1/2 hour to fully heat up in cold weather than just run for 2 minutes then get shut down before fully coming up to operating temperature & burning off the internal moisture. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 2 hours ago, lakeober said: Crisis averted, I think I am good! I kept giving it full throttle and hitting the starter and then letting it all the way off the throttle and hitting the starter again. I know the manual advises against it, but this is the only thing that would get it to sputter. Every time I would do it, it would sputter just a little more but would stop when I let off the starter. Finally, I tried it and after letting off the throttle it ran on its own for a second and died. Tried again, and it ran on its own entirely. A bit rough at first and then smoothed out. I let it run for about half an hour and it ran good and never died. So, I think it is safe to say it is not so good fuel. I am going to go buy a siphon and get it all out and add fresh gas. Is it a good idea to add Seafoam since I ran it for 30 mins with that gas in? Thanks for everyone's help, this is a great community! Afternoon lakeober You are probably better off to just buy about 6 feet of small diameter hose (clear tubing) from your local hardware store, then use that to syphon out the tank. (1/4" ID should work, slowly but will fit better & work) Most commercial siphon rigs use stiff plastic hose that won't property fit down into your fuel tank. If you use something stiff, or stiff & larger diameter, something like that can easily damage your fragile fuel sender strip that is right where you want to put your siphon hose. Small diameter soft type hose will go into the tank without damaging anything & will go all the way to the bottom of that convoluted fuel tank to get most of the fuel out (if you don't tilt the bike heavily to the left you won't get all the fuel out of the R/H tank wing, if you do that (tilt the bike) GET SOME HELP so you don't drop the bike as once a 1200RT starts over past a few degrees they can go all the way over & down pretty darn quickly) Link to comment
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