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My R1100Rt died

JDOCKERY132445

OldBMWMaster
I was riding home today and it died. I pulled off the road. I restarted it and it ran for a few seconds and died again. This was repeated numerous times. I finally gave up and left it on the side of the road and got a ride to the house from a friendly motorist. I will take my truck and pick it up in the morning.

Any guesses as to what the problem might be?
 
Assuming your charcoal canister isn't clogged (blocking vent air entering the tank, preventing the fuel pump from being able to draw fuel from the tank -- release of a built-up vacuum in the tank is a sign of a blocked charcoal canister), the next likely thing is a failed HES (Hall Effect Sensor) -- a common oilhead malady.
 
Rt

Could be something simple like water in the gas, or a clogged fuel filter. When you turn the key on can you hear the fuel pump start and stop? Jon
 
HES, or blown-of line in the fuel tank. My first bet would be the HES. Did the tach go crazy during your start-up attempts? Was it raining? Both of those would point to the HES.

In any event, replace the HES first. It's a failure waiting to happen in the 1100 series.
 
This morning

I got an email this morning from a riding buddy who suggested the bad gas I got in Florida might have had so much alcohol in it that it has caused the fuel lines to collapse from the inside. took a friend with me to pick it up this morning and it cranked right up. Ran for about 2 miles and quit.

I am going to order the new lines, connectors and filter.

Yes, it was raining; so I will go ahead and replace the sensor just to be safe.

All this needs to be sorted out quickly; I have riding to do.
 
I got an email this morning from a riding buddy who suggested the bad gas I got in Florida might have had so much alcohol in it that it has caused the fuel lines to collapse from the inside. took a friend with me to pick it up this morning and it cranked right up. Ran for about 2 miles and quit.

I am going to order the new lines, connectors and filter.

Yes, it was raining; so I will go ahead and replace the sensor just to be safe.

All this needs to be sorted out quickly; I have riding to do.

You can get a HES from EuroMotoElectric http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/BOSCH-Hall-Effect-Sensor-R1100-12-11-2-306-137-p/boignsen-r137.htm
 
bits of black rubber

I think my buddy who suggested the gas with the high concentration of alcohol is the culprit. There were bits of black rubber coming out of the fuel lines and more in the tank when I dumped it. I am expecting the rest of my parts today.
 
slightly related/interesting to me

Even in my limited experience, I've run across several stories of bad gas in the past three or four years. One of the posited reasons that intrigued me was that because so few people are buying Premium/ High Octane/ what-you-may-call-it gas, the stations tend to let their underground tanks run almost dry before refilling from the truck. The literal bottom of the barrel, along with whatever's settled there is what we're occasionally putting in our machines.

And here's a weird PS. My friend/indep guru had worked on a guy's airhead. Some routine maint'. The guy left the shop and ret'd a few minutes later complaining that the bike ran poorly as soon as he filled the tank. Tank drained. Fresh gas put in. Bike runs good. Owner still wants $$ back for "bad service."

What is it w people?

Hope you get your problem solved easily and hope I haven't hijacked too extremely.
 
Bad pulley

I completely re-plumbed the fuel tank with new filter and hoses. The U shaped hose that joins the pump to the filter was cracked at the filter connection. Black bits of rubber came out of the filter and from inside all the hoses; they had definitely been harmed by the high alcohol content.

While I was at it, I decided to replace the alternator belt. This is when I found the problem with the bike turning off; the crank pulley came off in two pieces.

I thought all the crap pulleys had been discontinued in 9/94; but no way. I got some Permatex metal glue and put it back together. The bike is running well.

What happens when the two parts of the pulley come unglued, is that the inner piece which sends the signals to the HES, begins to slip and thus stops delivering the signal necessary for the HES to send the spark.

Don't believe BMW; check your pulley. I was lucky that the problem happened close to home.

My bike was manufactured in 10/95
 
Glue?

I've removed a few pulleys now to change HES sensors and alternator belts and none of them have been glued together. They are two separate parts that fit together with a notch on the pulley and a tab on the rotor. No glue there as far as I've seen. Bolt torque holds it in place.
 
BMWs manual calls for a locitite adhesive...Odd bit of bad design- if you're going to glue it you coould just machine a single keyed piece and avoid this type of failure altogether.
 
Yes, the OE manual says adhesive:

Installing magnetic gate/belt pulley
ÔÇó
ÔÇó
ÔÇó
ÔÇó
Install Hall-effect trigger plate (1).
Install locking device, BMW No. 11 5 640, to
lock clutch housing.
Secure rotor (2) of Hall-effect gate to the Po-
ly-V-belt pulley (3) with, for example, Loctite
instant adhesive.
Install the Poly-V belt pulley.
e Caution:
Seat retainer for Hall-effect gate rotor (4) in groove
in crankshaft (5).
X
Tightening torque:
Retaining screw for belt pulley...................... 50 Nm


Of all the units I've had apart I have never seen this done????
BMW must have stopped doing it at some point.
 
I stand corrected. It's in the OEM manual. UI never looked as I had no reason to.
What a strange thing. I've read here where someone mis-assembled the two and the bike would not run and also read of problems holding them together while getting the bolt started but never realized they should be glued!

Why the heck didn't they just spot weld them together?
 
Last edited:
I stand corrected. It's in the OEM manual. UI never looked as I had no reason to.
What a strange thing. I've read here where someone mis-assembled the two and the bike would not run and also read of problems holding them together while getting the bolt started but never realized they should be glued!

Why the heck didn't they just spot weld them together?

Installing magnetic gate/belt pulley

ÔÇó Install Hall-effect trigger plate (1).
ÔÇó Lock clutch housing with retaining device, BMW No. 11 5 640.
ÔÇó [from 1995 model year on] Prevent rotor (2) of
Hall-effect gate from moving with (for example)
Loctite instant adhesive at Poly-V belt pulley (3).
ÔÇó Install the Poly-V belt pulley.

Caution:
Install the belt pulley lock (4) (from model year 1995
on, rotor location at Hall-effect gate) at the groove/
crankshaft (5).
X Tightening torque:
Retaining screw for belt pulley ..................... 50 Nm

Never found 'em glued together and I'm leaving them like I found 'em in this case.
 
We just adjusted the timing to perfection! I'm not messing with it either.

I wonder if it is just to prevent assembly errors. The magnetic effect wants to yank the gate off the pulley sometimes. :scratch
 
Heat

The opinion of Paul is that the intense heat from the alcohol gas led to a failure of the glue and likely caused the problem. All I know is that when i removed the crank bolt, they fell off as two pieces.

I put over 700 miles on the bike since the repair and all is well with the bike.

Like many of you, I had no idea the parts had to be glued together.
 
The opinion of Paul is that the intense heat from the alcohol gas led to a failure of the glue and likely caused the problem. All I know is that when i removed the crank bolt, they fell off as two pieces.

I put over 700 miles on the bike since the repair and all is well with the bike.

Like many of you, I had no idea the parts had to be glued together.

The only way I would buy that is if the nut was not torqued properly in the first place.
Also if the heat was so intense your HES harness will be compromised as well.

Glad it's running for you now.
 
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