• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Slow to start 2006 R12RT

davidmwhitten

New member
Hey out there.. I have a r1200rt, 2006.
Problem starting.. Slow to turn over.. Charged the battery, interstate. purchasted last year. still no luck.. justa very slow turn over.. pushed it and popped the clutch.. no help there.. then she kicked over.. but slowly.. any recomendation? I'm thinking new battery with more CCA's?
 
You don't need a bigger battery unless you live in Svalbard - something else is awry. The stock-size battery will crank the bike very briskly if the battery and bike's starting system (cables, starter, starter relay, bendix) are in good shape.

Before buying yet another battery, try two tests: first, jump-start the bike from a car battery, which will have way more capacity than the bike battery. If it cranks slow, the bike battery isn't the problem; second, make sure it's charged and then pull the bike battery and have it load-tested - that's the only way to determine if it can deliver the current it's supposed to. If it fails, replace it; if it passes, there's something else wrong in the starter system.

Have you removed, cleaned, and reconnected both ends all the battery cables and the big cable to the starter? Connections sometimes look and feel good, but aren't.
 
This thread should be in Hexheads

If battery passes the load test and all connections are clean, check out the starter. Brushes may be worn or crudded up.
May be an issue with the magnets as well (common to earlier oilhead starters, not so with hexheads)
You did not reveal the mileage.
 
thx.. good advice.. millage is 28000..batery ia an interstate bsl1116... sealed AGM..
I like the thought of connections and starter brushes..
I cleaned both batery posts and cables.. will see how it starts this afternoon..
 
thx.. good advice.. millage is 28000..batery ia an interstate bsl1116... sealed AGM..
I like the thought of connections and starter brushes..
I cleaned both batery posts and cables.. will see how it starts this afternoon..

Good. How about the other (non-battery) ends of those cables?
 
Size does matter

What are the battery specifications? Cold Cranking amps and the like? Compare the specs for your Interstate bsl 1116 sealed agm to what is recommended for your bike and make sure the battery specs are what is recommended for your bike.

How old is the battery? Do you keep it on a trickle charger or are regular rides long and frequent enough to keep a good healthy charge in the battery?

Has the bike always turned over slow?

Before going to far looking for problems in your wiring or starter make sure the battery has the recommended specifications for your bike, always has a good charge and is not on just worn out.

A 9 year old bike with 28,000 miles suggests to me the bike isn't ridden often and may just be enjoyed on short and infrequent trips, perfectly alright in my opinion. That kind of riding time will wear out batteries especially if you don't keep them on some sort of trickle charger during the down time.

Don't go crazy looking for a wiring or starter problem until you are sure the battery is good and getting an adequate and often recharge.
 
I got the bike this July with 24600 on it.. i put the rest of the miles on myself.. long rides and use a trickle charge when not going anywhere. The bike has always turned over slowly..
but started up.. It seams to start with more "gusto" now, with cleaned terminals and wire ends. But I will check the specks and see if its too weak of a batery. It wouldn't surprise me if the person I got it from put a low end batery in the bike.

Thx for all the comments ! Any brands of batery to be recomended? Hopefully will not have to buy one now?
 
OK.. Now I'm MAD!!! This Interstate batery is designed for wheelchair scooters!!! #BSL 1116.. So with that in mind... any good batery brands ie.. yuasa yt19bl or shorai lfx18li-bs12?
open to sugestions.. please kind.. as I feel like a horses ass with this interstate batery
 
Bat Rays

All sorts of bat ray suggestions on this forum. Anger solves nothing, just address the issue. It's one of those
things where the more you spend the better you get IMHO
 
One thing to remember about BMW motorcycles

Some times the cheapest thing you find on one is the owner. I have had great success with Oddesy batteries. My 04 GSA (delivered in 8-03) is on its third battery, OEM battery died after two years, the first Oddesy was given to a friend after 6 years of faithful service and the second and current one is still cranking strong.

When you do install a new battery I would strongly suggest attaching a fused battery tender lead/pigtail directly to the battery and securing the plug end some place convenient for easy access. You may already have that setup or may use the power outlet adapter plug, both work but in my opinion the hard wire directly to the battery is a better setup.
 
OK.. Now I'm MAD!!! This Interstate batery is designed for wheelchair scooters!!! #BSL 1116.. So with that in mind... any good batery brands ie.. yuasa yt19bl or shorai lfx18li-bs12?
open to sugestions.. please kind.. as I feel like a horses ass with this interstate batery

I currently have Odyssey PC680-P batteries in the family RTs and highly recommend.
 
Last edited:
OK.. Now I'm MAD!!! This Interstate batery is designed for wheelchair scooters!!! #BSL 1116.. So with that in mind... any good batery brands ie.. yuasa yt19bl or shorai lfx18li-bs12?
open to sugestions.. please kind.. as I feel like a horses ass with this interstate batery

I put a Yuasa GYZ16 in my R1200GSA, it has the same physical size as the stock battery but much more plate area and capacity. I noticed a difference in cranking speed on the cool fall mornings. Price was under $90 online.
 
A failing starter exhibits the same sounds as a dead battery, especially when the bike is hot. Suggest you replace the battery and see if it goes away. I had a starter fail at only 7,000 on one of my BMWs, so its not unusual for that to happen in a bike with relatively low miles. It does that same "tick, tick, tick" sound and lights go low, as it draws so much juice. When its warmed up, the engine is harder to turn over.
For what its worth, I have Odyssey PC-680s in all 3 of my BMWs, and am in year 7 on one of them with no issues at all. Keep them on a Deltran Battery Tender Plus 24/7 when I'm not out riding.
 
I had the same symptoms on my recently acquired 07RT with 36K miles on it. I had the BMW battery installed by Haps in Sarasota and it made a world of difference.
 
A big Thank you to all this great advice. I will indeed get a new battery and keep looking to posts to get and give advice. you all are saints!!!!
 
Beemerboneyard has or had Westco AGM batteries on sale for the RT's. Last week with shipping here to northern IL mine was under $100 and the bike starts fine now.
 
battery tender

I put a acessary receptible on my rear right side of my RT. It goes through a circuit box direct to the battery. That is where I put my battery tender.
 
OK.. Now I'm MAD!!! This Interstate batery is designed for wheelchair scooters!!! #BSL 1116.. So with that in mind... any good batery brands ie.. yuasa yt19bl or shorai lfx18li-bs12?
open to sugestions.. please kind.. as I feel like a horses ass with this interstate batery

Why? I just replaced my BMW Battery with a similar one and it starts the bike just fine.

BMW battery 19Ah -$279 CDN
UPS battery 20Ah -$46 CDN

At that price I can even put a new one every year and still come out cheaper.
 
Back
Top