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Purchasing a broken R1150R... Questions?


nwtacoma

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Very first post on this forum... I'm new to oilheads. I started on a 650GS, quickly graduated to a KTM 1190. Reluctantly sold it to get into a house. That was 5 years ago. Fast forward, I just found an '02 R1150R for sale. Can't pass up on the price! 101K on the bike. Owner said it popped out of 3rd gear thinking he missed a shift. Grabbed it again and it held for a second and then he heard a loud metal bang sound. He was able to hobble it over to a safe part on the shoulder. He secured the bike by as best he could until he could return for the bike. It was dark by the time he returned and the bike was still there, but someone had tried to steal it by hammering a screw driver into the ignition.

So, I'm hoping there are some helpful folks here to lend some advice & expertise. I can't test the bike out because the steering is locked and unable to unlock it with the key (theft damage). How easy or difficult is it to change the ignition switch out, especially without being able to unlock it.

Second question, which has me more concerned, the clunk and now no clutch bite. I've done so much research online in the last 24hours regarding the possible scenarios. The current owner seems to think he grenaded the clutch. My research is leaning more towards stripped out splines on the input shaft or possible other internal breakage. Any advice or experience with this?

I'm planning to pick this bike up in 2 days and tackle the job of getting it back on the road myself. I'm no mechanic by trade, but I'm very handy and not afraid of much when it comes to tinkering, fixing and repairing. I've done it all from rebuilding VW's to Yanmar Tractors.

Any info that might shed some light would be very helpful. Thanks in advance! - Nick

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It could be splines, but that normally happens earlier in the life of the bike. And it normally makes a screech instead of a bang. Whatever it is, you'll just have to start at the back and pull things off until you find the broken part. 

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4 hours ago, nwtacoma said:

Very first post on this forum... I'm new to oilheads. I started on a 650GS, quickly graduated to a KTM 1190. Reluctantly sold it to get into a house. That was 5 years ago. Fast forward, I just found an '02 R1150R for sale. Can't pass up on the price! 101K on the bike. Owner said it popped out of 3rd gear thinking he missed a shift. Grabbed it again and it held for a second and then he heard a loud metal bang sound. He was able to hobble it over to a safe part on the shoulder. He secured the bike by as best he could until he could return for the bike. It was dark by the time he returned and the bike was still there, but someone had tried to steal it by hammering a screw driver into the ignition.

So, I'm hoping there are some helpful folks here to lend some advice & expertise. I can't test the bike out because the steering is locked and unable to unlock it with the key (theft damage). How easy or difficult is it to change the ignition switch out, especially without being able to unlock it.

Second question, which has me more concerned, the clunk and now no clutch bite. I've done so much research online in the last 24hours regarding the possible scenarios. The current owner seems to think he grenaded the clutch. My research is leaning more towards stripped out splines on the input shaft or possible other internal breakage. Any advice or experience with this?

I'm planning to pick this bike up in 2 days and tackle the job of getting it back on the road myself. I'm no mechanic by trade, but I'm very handy and not afraid of much when it comes to tinkering, fixing and repairing. I've done it all from rebuilding VW's to Yanmar Tractors.

Any info that might shed some light would be very helpful. Thanks in advance! - Nick

Morning   nwtacoma

 

I somewhat question that screwdriver damaged ignition switch, hardly anybody steals a BMW R motorcycle & when they do it is usually lifted into a trailer or van.  (just fully verify the VIN is not reported stolen).

 

On the ignition switch,  THAT could be a problem, on a working intact switch there is a slot in the switch housing that gets a pick pushed in it, that depresses the last cylinder wafer then allows the cylinder to pulled out (if it has a proper fitting key in it). 

 

If the switch cylinder is damaged, or the key won't properly fit & allow the cylinder to turn then you will probably have to remover the  upper  cross brace (triple tree) then drill the security bolt heads off, then remove the entire switch assembly (a good tec can drill them with triple tree in place but not easy).

 

From there you will have to find a way to drill the lock cylinder out without damaging the switch housing  (a very delicate operation). Possibly a used switch assembly from E-Bay.

 

Once the switch assembly security screw heads are  drilled off the switch can be pulled away  so the handlebars will then turn (you can then hotwire the ignition to start the engine).

 

On the drivetrain noise & no drive-- that is usually stripped splines but could also be  a broken U joint or internal trans problem, or even a clutch issue. 

 

What happens when you put the motorcycle on the center stand, put the trans in 6th gear then turn the rear wheel???
 

Any resistance?, any noise?, where is the noise coming from?, is it the same when turning the rear wheel in the other direction? (might give you some idea what you have).

 

That motorcycle better be darn dirt chap as it could EASILY become a money pit that cost you way more to repair than buying a similar operational motorcycle. 

 

 

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So, the seller is asking $1,200 firm. He states he just had the Ohlins shocks rebuilt @ $750 and has receipts to back it. The guy admits he’s not a mechanic. That said, I’m hopeful it’s something overlooked that wouldn’t be thought of, but, he is saying it’s the clutch. 
Good point on checking the status of the VIN. I assumed having a title means it’s clear, but I will look into that as well. 

Another good point is to center stand it in gear and see what happens. Didn’t think about it possibly being a u-joint. 
After reading the post about the ignition switch replacement, that now has me more scared than the mechanical issues. Mechanical parts seem less difficult to donor or repair, and in a different way, less daunting even. I watched some YouTube videos that weren’t all that helpful. The security bolts the require drilling, are they located under the triple tree? 

If it were something internally in the transmission, at $500, is it cheaper to just swap in a salvage vs having original repaired? Is transmission work DIY territory? I have the understanding of how they work, but that’s one bag I’ve never had to open. Not that it’s like a watch that shoots springs and parts when you pull off the cover, but pressed in/on parts, specialty tools, etc., is the stuff that scares me. 

Lots of unknown questions here. Definitely will be taking another stab at a price cut. Too many unknown variables for an aged out bike. It’s definitely fixable, but at what cost and extent am I willing to go. 

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Checking craigslist/cycletrader in you area reveals decent "riders" without the potential pitfalls of that overpriced 1150. A lot of R's online right now, (I've been looking for the past few months), and $1200 for a completely unknown and high mileage bike is not something I would deal with. My .02

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4 hours ago, nwtacoma said:

So, the seller is asking $1,200 firm. He states he just had the Ohlins shocks rebuilt @ $750 and has receipts to back it. The guy admits he’s not a mechanic. That said, I’m hopeful it’s something overlooked that wouldn’t be thought of, but, he is saying it’s the clutch. 
Good point on checking the status of the VIN. I assumed having a title means it’s clear, but I will look into that as well. 

Another good point is to center stand it in gear and see what happens. Didn’t think about it possibly being a u-joint. 
After reading the post about the ignition switch replacement, that now has me more scared than the mechanical issues. Mechanical parts seem less difficult to donor or repair, and in a different way, less daunting even. I watched some YouTube videos that weren’t all that helpful. The security bolts the require drilling, are they located under the triple tree? 

If it were something internally in the transmission, at $500, is it cheaper to just swap in a salvage vs having original repaired? Is transmission work DIY territory? I have the understanding of how they work, but that’s one bag I’ve never had to open. Not that it’s like a watch that shoots springs and parts when you pull off the cover, but pressed in/on parts, specialty tools, etc., is the stuff that scares me. 

Lots of unknown questions here. Definitely will be taking another stab at a price cut. Too many unknown variables for an aged out bike. It’s definitely fixable, but at what cost and extent am I willing to go. 

Morning   nwtacoma

 

Yes, drill out security screw heads from underneath (or go by the manual & remove the upper triple tree then drill the screw heads off).

 

Should be easy enough to find a complete switch (complete with key) on E-Bay. 

 

That $1200.00 is more than I would personally pay for high mile 1150R with unknown (and EXPENSIVE) sounding problems.  

 

As for trans repair-- parts are EXTREMELY expensive, not to mention the work & expertise  involved, so a good used trans is the way to go, problem is in finding one that isn't problem prone. 

 

You probably should budget in a fair amount of money to the purchase price as BMW parts are very expensive. 

 

If it was an 1150RT then might be worth the bother but an 1150R just isn't that desired to put a lot of money into (at least to me personally). 

 

 

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Count me in as someone who thought he had a bargain, but now has spent more in parts than the bike's value.  It is apart more than it is ridden.  This forum keeps me going...

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Depends what you want to do. Personally, I enjoy riding more than wrenching. Seems like for not much more money, you could buy a fully functional bike and ride immediately. Just my 2 cents.

 

Miguel

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szurszewski

Hey @nwtacoma ! Welcome to the board. I’m from Tacoma - currently living in Olympia - and saw that ad a few days ago. I didn’t even realize the ignition was stuck locking the steering, and still thought that bike was beyond a cheap quick fix. That’s not to be discouraging - if you want a rider and can and are

willing to do the work and buy the parts, that’s great. The downside is that bike will likely never be worth more than about what’s he’s asking even running well because of the miles. (It also looked a little rough to me in the pics.)

 

I don’t have any specific helpful answers to your questions, but I wanted to say hello and offer to come lend a hand, or at least drink a coffee and watch, if you get to any problems that need extra hands. I’m not an expert at all, but I’ve broken a bunch of things on various R1100s and similar vintage K bikes and managed to fix some of them as well ;)

 

Good luck!

 

 

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Brucifer1150
5 hours ago, Miguel! said:

Depends what you want to do. Personally, I enjoy riding more than wrenching. Seems like for not much more money, you could buy a fully functional bike and ride immediately. Just my 2 cents.

 

Miguel

 

+1

 

I went the cheap route, but all said and done, I should of spent more upfront and had a better bike. As the saying goes: "Buy once, cry once". Then again, I probably been happier with a GS.

 

That being said, there is something about becoming intimate with your bike as you rebuild it. You should have a decent idea as to cost (worse case scenario), so it mainly comes down to time and how soon you want to be back on the road.

 

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Tacoma- as the owner of a 123k fully functional 1100RT, Id say 1200 is too much. I figured with my bikes mileage 1500 is about all I could expect to get, maybe less. He will NEVER sell it for 1200. People are shy about buying a 100k machine, even a clean runner. Not to say that I'd run from a project (have a locked engine 1978 CB750F Supersport Honda sitting in my garage). I'd offer him 800 bucks (maybe 500 without the Ohlins) along with your phone number. He'll be calling you in 3 weeks when he has had NO interest from anyone on the bike. Dave

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szurszewski

Let’s not beat this guy up too much! Particularly if he’s already made the deal... if nothing else that bike could probably be parted for $1200 particularly with the shocks. 

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szurszewski
1 hour ago, Dave P said:

Oh, didn't realize he bought it, thought he was considering buying it. D

I don’t know either, but he did say he was “picking it up in two days” so I’m assuming some deal is in place ... and he didn’t ask us if he should buy it ;)

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5 hours ago, Dave P said:

Tacoma- as the owner of a 123k fully functional 1100RT, Id say 1200 is too much. I figured with my bikes mileage 1500 is about all I could expect to get, maybe less. He will NEVER sell it for 1200. People are shy about buying a 100k machine, even a clean runner. Not to say that I'd run from a project (have a locked engine 1978 CB750F Supersport Honda sitting in my garage). I'd offer him 800 bucks (maybe 500 without the Ohlins) along with your phone number. He'll be calling you in 3 weeks when he has had NO interest from anyone on the bike. Dave

Dave, my initial offer was $800 as it sits. He sold me the story about the Ohlins shocks being newly rebuilt, then made it clear he was firm on the price. I'll admit I may have let excitement take over here. I've been without a bike going on 6 years  now. Guys, that's a LONG time!

 

I haven't purchased the bike yet, other than a verbal "I'll take it so long as it checks out and meets my expectations". I have tentative plans to head over to check it out on Thursday with my trailer, just in case. I too agree the price is on the high side for what it is, but when the stars align, you jump, meaning simply, a bike I could afford to purchase & the wife was on board with me spending.... 

 

In the past, I've taken on 3 free bikes, all not running and never got more than testing the battery and inflating the tires. Buying a cheap bike that runs but needs mechanical work, I'm in. 

Last winter my '71 Yanmar tractor chewed up the pinion & bull gear in the rearend. Everyone said you'll never find parts and it's not worth the time & effort. 4 weeks later I had it back up and running and I knew NOTHING about tractors. I'm not shy to the repairs. What concerns me is the cost of these repairs. 

As mentioned earlier, I sold my 1190 adventure that I bought new, in cash and owned outright. It was all for financial strategies that unfortunately didn't see itself all the way to the end, which was eventually saving up enough cash to purchase my next bike, the RnineT. My wife is telling me I should just save the money and continue saving for that goal instead of interrupting it. Well, with 4 young kids, 2 more needing braces and 2 heading to college soon, yea, you can imagine the priority that line item has... So, my thought was, get something that I can afford now and tinker on for the next oh, decade or so.

 

Sorry, on a little rant there. I really appreciate all the comments, suggestions and personal experiences. I'm always hesitant to post on forums because you never know how you'll be treated and what kind of responses you'll get. Every single response read so far has felt genuine, meaningful and informative and thank you all for your kindness. I am considering all the comments and have decided that unless he is willing to drop the price to $800, I think I'm going to walk.

 

Thanks again for all the comments and advice

 

- Nick

 

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11 hours ago, szurszewski said:

Hey @nwtacoma ! Welcome to the board. I’m from Tacoma - currently living in Olympia - and saw that ad a few days ago. I didn’t even realize the ignition was stuck locking the steering, and still thought that bike was beyond a cheap quick fix. That’s not to be discouraging - if you want a rider and can and are

willing to do the work and buy the parts, that’s great. The downside is that bike will likely never be worth more than about what’s he’s asking even running well because of the miles. (It also looked a little rough to me in the pics.)

 

I don’t have any specific helpful answers to your questions, but I wanted to say hello and offer to come lend a hand, or at least drink a coffee and watch, if you get to any problems that need extra hands. I’m not an expert at all, but I’ve broken a bunch of things on various R1100s and similar vintage K bikes and managed to fix some of them as well ;)

 

Good luck!

 

 

Hey szurszewski, I appreciate your offer to lend a hand and visit. I may just take you up on that if I end up getting the bike. I live in Bremerton and adopted the forum name of nwtacoma after I bought my first Toyota Tacoma and well, being in the NW, I simply put the two together. I will keep everyone posted with the direction I end up going. 

-Nick

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szurszewski

Well there I go making assumptions - ha!

 

Bremerton’s not so far away either, so the offer stands. 
 

I don’t know what your budget is, but better deals do come up around here if you’re into the idea of an “older” BMW. Last August I bought a 2004 R1100S for $1500. It had a failing ABS unit and a dead battery - otherwise in great shape. In January I found another one for $1700 - there wasn’t anything really wrong with that one, but it needed a full service, and a handful of other minor maintenance items. Between the two of them they have about the same miles as the R bike you’re looking at. 
 

I’ve put about a thousand dollars and maybe 24 - 48 hours into the two of them and they both are now running and looking good. (And one is for sale ;) )

 

So...if this one doesn’t work out, there will be another for you out there for sure. 

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Leave the door open if the bike still interests you. Tell him to ping you if he gets sick of looking at it and decides to let it go for $800. Good luck either way.

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6 hours ago, nwtacoma said:

Sorry, on a little rant there. I really appreciate all the comments, suggestions and personal experiences. I'm always hesitant to post on forums because you never know how you'll be treated and what kind of responses you'll get. Every single response read so far has felt genuine, meaningful and informative and thank you all for your kindness. I am considering all the comments and have decided that unless he is willing to drop the price to $800, I think I'm going to walk.

 

Thanks again for all the comments and advice

 

Morning Nick 

 

This would be a sensible place to break it off. At $800.00 you could still get most of your money back if there are other things wrong with it that the seller forgot to mention.  (at that mileage who knows)

 

Be sure to put the motorcycle on the center stand then give the rear wheel a good twist shake--  grab it fore aft & top bottom. If any movement in the wheel to final drive then figure a final drive  crown bearing replacement in your future, if the final drive is loose to the swing arm  (movement between drive & swing arm) then figure pivot bearings will need work/replacement.  

 

Just don't leave your deal open indefinitely or the seller will probably just sit on that motorcycle trying to get his price knowing you are there if it eventually doesn't sell. (be firm, fair, & DIRECT) 

 

Put a time frame on your offer (doesn't have to be a fixed date), tell him your $800.00 offer is good for 2 weeks, OR until/if you find another motorcycle to buy.  (that will make him think he could lose the deal at any time). 

 

That is a lot of miles on a non-ridable expensive to repair BMW (R)  bike. Even if that motorcycle ran & was ridable it is difficult to sell a high mile (R) bike (an RT, GS, or S) maybe, but much less likely on an (R) bike.

 

How long has it been for sale (any idea?) 

 

Figuring best case-- Only a stripped input shaft & stripped clutch disk  & needing an ignition switch you  are looking at $400-$500 for a used trans with decent splines (plus shipping), clutch parts (new/used) maybe $100 to $350 plus shipping, possibly a new slave cylinder (those are usually found leaking on an older 1150 bike)-- (used is risky on this),  used ignition switch $75-$100  plus shipping, things not discovered yet ????? who knows.

 

Be sure to open the gas tank cap then sniff, look in there with a flash light-- if that motorcycle has been sitting for a while it might have sour gasoline in the tank. THAT turns into an EXPENSIVE rusty mess on the (R) bike as the tank is metal & the internal pump  & related  parts are very expensive. (they do rust up inside fairly fast if sitting with alcohol containing fuel in them)-- If sour fuel  or rust in the tank then I would definitely say this motorcycle should be a walk-away for you.

 

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Again, all good points made here. The ad has only been up a week now. I’m definitely going to press him on the price and I am prepared to walk if he won’t budge or I find something else wrong.

The resale value of the bike is not important to me... a bike with this many miles will probably hit the boneyard once I’m ready for an upgrade. Honestly probably worth more in a part out situation at that point. 
 

szurszewski.... what are you asking for one of your spare S bikes? 

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Tacoma- With regard to the "hit the boneyard" comment, you might be surprised. Sometime after this whole Covid thing is over and BMW rallies start happening again, go to a rally and walk around looking at odometers. You will see plenty of BMW bikes with 100k miles and higher. Some a LOT higher. D

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So I am still planning to go look at the bike. Seller contacted me and agreed to $800 as is. He also provided the VIN and it checks out with a clean record.

 

Since the ignition is FUBAR, anybody know if there is a way to bypass the ignition quickly to get it running long enough to hear it run? 

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52 minutes ago, nwtacoma said:

So I am still planning to go look at the bike. Seller contacted me and agreed to $800 as is. He also provided the VIN and it checks out with a clean record.

 

Since the ignition is FUBAR, anybody know if there is a way to bypass the ignition quickly to get it running long enough to hear it run? 

Evening  Nick 

 

There is a couple of ways to bypass the ignition switch but none are easy, especially for someone not familiar with the BMW boxer bike wiring locations & harness runs.

 

Given enough time you can do it but it won't go easy for a quick start up. Even the (+) battery post is not an easy access.

 

IF (big if here) you can get to the ignition switch pig tail connector  then unplug it (probably under front of fuel  tank) you can jump the large red wire to the  green wire in the chassis side connector (you will need a jumper wire with pins that will fit the connector) or possibly just use a regular jumper wire into the back side of the chassis side connector red wire &  green wire terminals. Then, with side stand UP & kill switch (on) you might get it to start. If it won't crank with the start button  then you can jump the starter solenoid to get it to crank over.  

 

This is assuming the seller will allow you dig that far into his motorcycle.    

 

There are other ways but those wires are even more difficult to access.

 

OR-

 

You might also be able to jump battery  12v from the battery (+) post to both sides of the #1 fuse in the under-seat fuse box then push the start button or jump the starter solenoid.   (I t-h-i-n-k this will power up enough key  items to allow starting the engine)  

 

To get that thing to start you need to power up all the fueling system electronics, fuel/ignition system relays, fuel pump circuit, all ignition coils, &  both fuel injectors. Then get the starter to engage. 

    

 

 

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szurszewski

If he’s good with $800 as is and it really has recently rebuilt ohlins on it I’d not worry too much about starting it...assuming you’d have the patience to part it out if it won’t start. The shocks and a few other key things would likely recoup your $800. 
 

edit: actually I’d not even bother to try when you go look; just hope I could when I got home. Eventually ;)

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Evening  Nick 

 

When you get that motorcycle home do not cut any wires or damage the ignition switch any more than it  already is. 

 

There is a small screw in the side of the ignition switch (with some sealer over it). I will post some pictures tomorrow & help you access it.

 

If you remove that screw you can pull the actual switch part out of the bottom of the ign switch assembly, then simply stick a screwdriver into that removed switch, turn it & motorcycle should then start  as if you turned the key on. 

 

You can run it, or even ride it,  like that (if it will move under power). 

 

There is also the possibility that you can then  drill the switch lock barrel out enough to release the tumblers, then insert a small pick into the slot & ease the lock cylinder out  (I can help you with this also). If you can get that lock barrel out without damaging the outer  switch housing then you can just buy a lock cylinder off of E-Bay then juggle the tumbler positions (or at least a few tumblers)  to get it to work with your existing  key.  

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Brucifer1150

Just perusing the CL because I was nosy and there seems to be a lot better options for you if you want a Beemer AND they seem to be in running order (always a good start). At this point, mine is mostly cosmetic with a little bit of upgrade/maintenance money if you want to spend it (unless I just offended the BMW Gods who will take my clutch spines from me).

 

https://seattle.craigslist.org/search/mca?sort=priceasc&query=bmw

 

 

It's a lot easier to make a running bike into a non-running one than it is to ride a non-runner.

 

Convoluted, but start with the basics and go from there.

 

This is for an 1150 and a RT, but should give you an idea as to what's in store just to get to the meat of the matter:

 

 

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szurszewski
52 minutes ago, Brucifer1150 said:

It's a lot easier to make a running bike into a non-running one than it is to ride a non-runner.

 

 

This is funny stuff right here!

 

:rofl:

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19 hours ago, dirtrider said:

Evening  Nick 

 

When you get that motorcycle home do not cut any wires or damage the ignition switch any more than it  already is. 

 

There is a small screw in the side of the ignition switch (with some sealer over it). I will post some pictures tomorrow & help you access it.

 

If you remove that screw you can pull the actual switch part out of the bottom of the ign switch assembly, then simply stick a screwdriver into that removed switch, turn it & motorcycle should then start  as if you turned the key on. 

 

You can run it, or even ride it,  like that (if it will move under power). 

 

There is also the possibility that you can then  drill the switch lock barrel out enough to release the tumblers, then insert a small pick into the slot & ease the lock cylinder out  (I can help you with this also). If you can get that lock barrel out without damaging the outer  switch housing then you can just buy a lock cylinder off of E-Bay then juggle the tumbler positions (or at least a few tumblers)  to get it to work with your existing  key.  

Thanks dirtrider! Electrical and it's components are my nemesis... I'm slowly becoming more comfortable with it, more so the communications & data to make it all work. I'm sure I could use all the help I can get for this one.

 

Nick

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szurszewski
1 hour ago, nwtacoma said:

Thanks dirtrider! Electrical and it's components are my nemesis... I'm slowly becoming more comfortable with it, more so the communications & data to make it all work. I'm sure I could use all the help I can get for this one.

 

Nick

Did you get it? Are there pictures? There should be pictures either way...

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If the "klunk" problem is the transmission input splines: Let me share my expereince from when mine failed and then I was looking for a used xmission for R1150RT:

 

- mine was more of a "krunch" and then "zzirrrr zirrrrrrrr" 

- I found that many of the R1150RT bikes being parted out were being parted out because the failed transmission.

- I found that some people were buying used transmission when they became available "just to have on hand when they needed it", so I was in competion with them.

 

- THis is how far that disasemble things to work on anything related to the clutch or transmission

U75PbSy.jpg

 

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Ok guys... So, I ended up taking the bike. The guy seems like a legit guy. Older gentlemen in his late 60's/early 70's. He picked the bike of from a one owner a year ago with all the miles already on it. Must have been a commuter. Anyways, the guy had everything serviced at the dealer, on time plus any additional repairs or services. The new owner basically bought it and rode it, quite often I might add. He's owned over a dozen beamers in the last 20 years just recalling what he rattled off. 

 

He threw in some extras, like an aftermarket super comfy seat, stock seat, a compatible front fender off a K bike (IIRC), tool kit & PDF Shop manual. The bike is equipped with Ohlins front & rear. Aftermarket stainless brake lines, pretty new tires and a new Oddyssey battery.

 

He had already started some tear down of the bike before even posting the ad and given the interest I had, he was not motivated to put things back together. It's all upper half stuff. Tank, seat, battery, plastics, etc . I have all the hardware and parts. 

 

So, down to the nitty gritty. The bike was up on center stand. I click it into 1st gear and spin the tire. It spins freely, meaning there is the resistance from the driveshaft and I can hear it moving up at the transmission when rotating the tire back and forth. I must say if feels a bit clunky when going from backward to forward. Like slop in the tranny or driveline. The big mystery is that not in any gear will it move the flywheel, forward or backward and no unusual sounds either, other than the clunk I hear when changing direction of the tire spin, but the clunk is at the transmission end. Everything feels fine at the wheel hub. No play or slop there. 

The owner says he was cruising at around 30mph when it (he describes) slipped out of gear. He engaged the clutch, grabbed the slipped gear and it made a audible noise. At this point I don't recall if he described the type of sound but I want to say it was more of a bang clunk metal sound, not the krunch, zzzrrr zrrr sound of the splines. He said he was able to feather the clutch and limp down the road to a wider section of shoulder to park it and that's the last time it moved under it's own power. I'm suspect of it not being the input shaft because of the lack of noise being generated by manually spinning the tire in gear. It's a smooth rotation. Not notchy as if it were still catching on the splines, unless he clean sheared them off!! To be sure it was in gear, I had him click through the gears while spinning the tire to make sure the gears were meshing.

 

I got home about 10:30 last night and too tired to deal with it so it's still tied down in the trailer waiting to be unloaded. I'd like to get some advice as to where I should start or what else I should be looking at or for before I start dismantling or if there is any reason to look further? The bike will be getting torn down to yank the tranny either way. Whatever it is, lies between the wheel hub and the clutch.

 

-Nick

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I wonder if he spun the driveshaft. Pull back the rubber boot connecting the swingarm to the final drive. If you get a big whiff of burnt rubber you may be in luck. That's a pretty simple fix. 

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1 hour ago, nwtacoma said:

Ok guys... So, I ended up taking the bike. The guy seems like a legit guy. Older gentlemen in his late 60's/early 70's. He picked the bike of from a one owner a year ago with all the miles already on it. Must have been a commuter. Anyways, the guy had everything serviced at the dealer, on time plus any additional repairs or services. The new owner basically bought it and rode it, quite often I might add. He's owned over a dozen beamers in the last 20 years just recalling what he rattled off. 

 

He threw in some extras, like an aftermarket super comfy seat, stock seat, a compatible front fender off a K bike (IIRC), tool kit & PDF Shop manual. The bike is equipped with Ohlins front & rear. Aftermarket stainless brake lines, pretty new tires and a new Oddyssey battery.

 

He had already started some tear down of the bike before even posting the ad and given the interest I had, he was not motivated to put things back together. It's all upper half stuff. Tank, seat, battery, plastics, etc . I have all the hardware and parts. 

 

So, down to the nitty gritty. The bike was up on center stand. I click it into 1st gear and spin the tire. It spins freely, meaning there is the resistance from the driveshaft and I can hear it moving up at the transmission when rotating the tire back and forth. I must say if feels a bit clunky when going from backward to forward. Like slop in the tranny or driveline. The big mystery is that not in any gear will it move the flywheel, forward or backward and no unusual sounds either, other than the clunk I hear when changing direction of the tire spin, but the clunk is at the transmission end. Everything feels fine at the wheel hub. No play or slop there. 

The owner says he was cruising at around 30mph when it (he describes) slipped out of gear. He engaged the clutch, grabbed the slipped gear and it made a audible noise. At this point I don't recall if he described the type of sound but I want to say it was more of a bang clunk metal sound, not the krunch, zzzrrr zrrr sound of the splines. He said he was able to feather the clutch and limp down the road to a wider section of shoulder to park it and that's the last time it moved under it's own power. I'm suspect of it not being the input shaft because of the lack of noise being generated by manually spinning the tire in gear. It's a smooth rotation. Not notchy as if it were still catching on the splines, unless he clean sheared them off!! To be sure it was in gear, I had him click through the gears while spinning the tire to make sure the gears were meshing.

 

I got home about 10:30 last night and too tired to deal with it so it's still tied down in the trailer waiting to be unloaded. I'd like to get some advice as to where I should start or what else I should be looking at or for before I start dismantling or if there is any reason to look further? The bike will be getting torn down to yank the tranny either way. Whatever it is, lies between the wheel hub and the clutch.

 

-Nick

Afternoon Nick

 

We can sure help you with this BUT THIS thread is already becoming long & convoluted so it will quickly become  a big mess is we keep adding new content  to this tread.

 

I'm sure that you will have lots of question about different parts of that motorcycle as you dig into it.. 

 

So lets get this on track early___

 

Please start a new thread on THIS question (you can just copy & paste the above into a new thread).

 

Then as you need to know things, or venture into new areas, start a new thread on those areas. (like transmission & drivetrain in one thread, & electrical in a new thread, other unrelated things in a different new thread. Also please include your year & model in each thread heading so we don't have to keep looking it up, or worse yet, give you back info on the wrong motorcycle year or model.

 

These threads will quickly get out of hand if too many (unrelated)  things are  asked at once in one long ragged thread. 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, dirtrider said:

Afternoon Nick

 

We can sure help you with this BUT THIS thread is already becoming long & convoluted so it will quickly become  a big mess is we keep adding new content  to this tread.

 

I'm sure that you will have lots of question about different parts of that motorcycle as you dig into it.. 

 

So lets get this on track early___

 

Please start a new thread on THIS question (you can just copy & paste the above into a new thread).

 

Then as you need to know things, or venture into new areas, start a new thread on those areas. (like transmission & drivetrain in one thread, & electrical in a new thread, other unrelated things in a different new thread. Also please include your year & model in each thread heading so we don't have to keep looking it up, or worse yet, give you back info on the wrong motorcycle year or model.

 

These threads will quickly get out of hand if too many (unrelated)  things are  asked at once in one long ragged thread. 

 

 

 

Understood. I was planning to start different threads as I start digging into it, but didn't want to dispose of this one until I heard back from others if there might be any advice from followers pursuing my journey. I WILL have questions and WILL be asking. I will take your advice about separating out the new threads as I progress. As for the assistance in walking me through the ignition issues, would you prefer a PM or a separate thread for others to view?

 

Jim, thanks for the info. That will be the first thing I check once I get it unloaded.

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1 hour ago, nwtacoma said:

Understood. I was planning to start different threads as I start digging into it, but didn't want to dispose of this one until I heard back from others if there might be any advice from followers pursuing my journey. I WILL have questions and WILL be asking. I will take your advice about separating out the new threads as I progress. As for the assistance in walking me through the ignition issues, would you prefer a PM or a separate thread for others to view?

 

Jim, thanks for the info. That will be the first thing I check once I get it unloaded.

Afternoon Nick

 

Just start a new thread on the ignition switch as that is probably interesting enough to share with others.

 

On your drive line lack of drive-- (just a quick answer here then if it gets more detailed start a new thread on that area).

 

If you can feel the transmission shifting gears & engaging/spinning as you rotate the  rear wheel then it  more then  likely isn't a drive shaft issue. If the dive shaft rubber joint slips they usually still have enough friction  to feel the trans drag in the rear wheel spin test.

 

If the shaft breaks up front (front U joint) then you will hear all kinds of clunking as you spin the rear wheel. 

 

If a rear U joint breaks the rear wheel will spin very freely & you will NOT  hear or feel anything in the trans shifting or spinning area.

 

You might remove the starter, then while shining a strong light into the starter hole  (with trans in 2nd or 3rd gear) & while spinning the rear wheel, see is you can see the input shaft spinning inside the clutch hub (stripped splines), or see if the clutch disk is spinning inside a failed clutch pack. 

 

You can also remove  the top transmission filler plug then look it that hole to see if the gears spin when you spin the rear wheel with trans in a gear. 

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My 1150 experience is all on Authority bikes and the only driveline failures we had were spun driveshafts.... and we rode the crap out of them. I remember that the hard rev limiter made a fabulous quickshifter!:3:  I think the drive shafts suffered most when the heavier operators rode off curbs while accelerating. YMMV

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Ok guys. Last update before I retire this thread. 
 

I took dirtriders advice & pulled the starter. Splines are GONE on the input shaft. Now, I can’t see the damaged splines, but when I spin the rear tire, the input shaft spins inside the clutch without moving it. The clutch lever still disengages the clutch, but even when disengaged the shaft spins freely inside the disc. 
Lastly, the rear wheel has a LOT of play in the driveline or transmission. By that I mean when rotating(spinning) the wheel, the amount of counter turn it takes before the input shaft changes direction. Like maybe 3” of rotational turn before the input shaft moves. I’ve never owned a shaft driven bike, but that seems like a lot of slop to me. Maybe a bad U-joint that deteriorated and that’s the slop? 
 

I’m going to start the disassembly and will be starting different threads regarding different issues and subject matter. Thanks again for all the help everyone. 
 

-Nick

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7 hours ago, nwtacoma said:

Ok guys. Last update before I retire this thread. 
 

I took dirtriders advice & pulled the starter. Splines are GONE on the input shaft. Now, I can’t see the damaged splines, but when I spin the rear tire, the input shaft spins inside the clutch without moving it. The clutch lever still disengages the clutch, but even when disengaged the shaft spins freely inside the disc. 
Lastly, the rear wheel has a LOT of play in the driveline or transmission. By that I mean when rotating(spinning) the wheel, the amount of counter turn it takes before the input shaft changes direction. Like maybe 3” of rotational turn before the input shaft moves. I’ve never owned a shaft driven bike, but that seems like a lot of slop to me. Maybe a bad U-joint that deteriorated and that’s the slop? 
 

I’m going to start the disassembly and will be starting different threads regarding different issues and subject matter. Thanks again for all the help everyone. 
 

-Nick

Morning Nick 

 

You sort of knew this possibility going in, at least it was pretty well pointing to this as the cause.

 

On the driveline slop, yes that is normal, it adds up from the rear wheel through the drivetrain to the input shaft. A little in the ring gear to pinion backlash, possibly a slight amount in the drive shaft splines, most is inside the transmission with some in the gear to gear tooth contact between shafts  (there are 3 shafts with  gear tooth match up's involved, but the BIG slop area is in the shifting slider dogs to matching gear dog pockets. For the trans to be able to shift easily there is a fair amount of slop in the shifting drive/driven parts (lower gears usually have more slop than the top 2 gear sets). 

 

Just be glad you didn't pay the $1200.00 for that motorcycle.  

 

OK, you know about the trans splines-- My next suggestion is to not hurry the drivetrain disassembly.

 

You need to get the engine running to verify that runs OK & sounds reasonable BEFORE taking that motorcycle apart. If it doesn't then that can change your overall plans. 

 

 

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