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What's the strangest problem you've had to fix on your Oilhead?

senseamidmadness

Neglected Bike Adopter
I'm in the mood for some mechanical stories and would love to hear them.

Mine was probably when I figured out the Motronic "panic" mode where it locks into all its connections to ground, including through the ignition coil to provide spark. Took a multimeter and a battery disconnect to figure out and fix that problem on my R850R.

Also, last night I found a fuel filter installed backwards in my 1996 RT's tank. It was dated 2008. C'mon, whoever was last in there, there's a big arrow printed right on the side of it... :scratch
 
Voni was riding her R1100RS on the Interstate in heavy rain. Needing fuel we took the exit. At the bottom of the down ramp her bike settled back to idle and died. Cranking did no good but did sound a little funny. It had spark and it had squirt but would absolutely not start. We trailered it back home.

Among other trouble shooting steps, a compression test showed zero or near zero compression on both cylinders. I removed the heads. The piston tops were shiny clean and the combustion chambers were too. Except that is for a few bits of carbon lodged beneath the exhaust valves.

Riding down the highway at speed the engine was ingesting water through the forward facing snorkel. The water caused the build-up of carbon in the high mileage (300,000 miles) combustion chamber to scour off. At highway speed the carbon bits were blown past the exhaust valves but at idle speed some of the few remaining bits lodged under the exhaust valves causing the near complete loss of compression.

Since I had to remove the exhaust valves to get things cleaned up properly I sent the heads off for a good refresh while everything was apart.

ADDED: I am convinced that if we had ridden a few more miles at Interstate speed all of the carbon would have blown clear of the valves and I never would have known she had the cleanest 300,000 mile combustion chambers anywhere around. :)
 
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Also, last night I found a fuel filter installed backwards in my 1996 RT's tank. It was dated 2008. C'mon, whoever was last in there, there's a big arrow printed right on the side of it... :scratch

I went to replace filter and lines in another 11RT years back with flow issues to find a copper bypass and no filter, screw clamps on non FI hose/submersible that was mushy to say the least. The u- hose copper hack also had a serious kink :eek
The owner claimed no knowledge :banghead

The first time encountering the turn to right engine kill on H’s 1150R in Santa Fe was a PITA. Found it quickly fortunately in the parking lot and spliced the break to make the trip continue. That steering neck zip tie is first thing I remove on every Oilhead
 
When I bought my R1150RT it had a non-functional windshield mechanism. In fact, I didn't even know the windshield raised and lowered electrically. (I didn't know anything about BMW motorcycles at all; all I knew is that I really liked the way it rode so I bought it.) When I started researching what I had bought, and started looking things over carefully, I noticed two deck screws run through the bottom of the windshield into the cowl, apparently to keep it from vibrating in the wind. I removed the screws and replaced the motor, and now have a properly working windshield.
 
When I bought my R1150RT it had a non-functional windshield mechanism. In fact, I didn't even know the windshield raised and lowered electrically. (I didn't know anything about BMW motorcycles at all; all I knew is that I really liked the way it rode so I bought it.) When I started researching what I had bought, and started looking things over carefully, I noticed two deck screws run through the bottom of the windshield into the cowl, apparently to keep it from vibrating in the wind. I removed the screws and replaced the motor, and now have a properly working windshield.

Oh jeez. That one's bad.

My RT had a similar thing when I bought it. Previous owner had either stripped out or lost two of the windshield securing screws, and had replaced them with self-tapping metal screws that bit into and ruined the windshield arms. Once they were out it was impossible to put them in again. Had to replace both windshield arms.
 
2004 RT.
When activating the left turn signal, the engine would die.
I traced out the entire electrical system and couldn't find a clear culprit but spent the time and cleaned every ground point I could find. The problem got better but was still intermittent. I resolved it by adding a parallel ground wire from the left turn signal to the battery. It's been flawless for over five years.
 
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At highway speed the carbon bits were blown past the exhaust valves but at idle speed some of the few remaining bits lodged under the exhaust valves causing the near complete loss of compression.

Detective work at its best. Wow!
 
I married a woman who had no belief in regular maintenance. She had a Nissan Pathfinder that in 77,000 miles had never had an oil change and she begrudged me the cost of oil and filter. After 27 years of marriage she accepts my mechanical and household maintenance as my “quirks.”
 
I married a woman who had no belief in regular maintenance. She had a Nissan Pathfinder that in 77,000 miles had never had an oil change and she begrudged me the cost of oil and filter. After 27 years of marriage she accepts my mechanical and household maintenance as my “quirks.”
I hope there was some of that Nissan Durability DNA built into my Nissan. :wave
OM
 
The right side spark plug cover is gone on my bike, just noticed it the other day. The scuffs of paint on the cylinder head make me think I was clipped in a parking lot. At least they're pretty cheap to replace. Makes me want to find someone to repaint my cylinder heads.
 
I replaced the clutch on my 2004 RT-P and while I was in there, replaced the rear engine oil seal. After I got it all back together I took it for a test drive. Everything was working great until I opened up the throttle and the oil cap blew off and showered me with hot oil! I later discovered that I had driven the rear oil seal in to far and blocked the breather. Had to take it all apart again to replace the seal correctly.😞
 
My 94 R1100RS which is now parked since I re-acquired it back from my brother-in-law has a small drip of transmission oil coming from the the joint between the case halves. Not sure how that sealant failed, it certainly did not leak there in the past. I had done some work on it for him a couple years back and replaced the input and output shaft seals in the transmission then thinking those were the source of the oily mess. They were only part of the issue. I haven't committed to tearing the transmission back out to split it in half and re-seal it. Someday.
 
Here are two….

At about 40k miles, I notice the RS fairing would make a slight clunk, if encountering a road irregularity, like a pot hole, or even a small road surface separation. Took the fairing apart, and discovered that the fairing subframe, had cracked, at a T juncture. Removed this component, and had it welded, and extra buttressing added to the joint. Painted, re-assemble, and it’s held since.

Right after the above repair, I was getting an occasional stalling, just as the bike would begin to move in first gear. This condition worsened quickly. So, i googled the symptom, and replies had me looking for a broken ignition wire, at the headstock. Bingo, easy find. I replaced the section of the wiring harness, with a BMW part, which was about $125. , but that was years ago. Apparently, the factory assembly folks, zip tie the wiring too tight, and the turning of the handlebars, eventually causes the wiring to break.
 
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I'll add my story... 2000 RT-P... Was dumbfounded when dash lights died and the tach dropped to "0" when brake was applied and all the "idiot" lights would light up at half strength with brake applied... Turned out it was rear brake light fuse... also the fuse did not "pop" it appeared to be a clean break from vibration and was the original fuse!
 
I've had 2 fuses (truck, not bike) do that... Pull the fuse and it looks OK. Put a meter on it, and it's dead.

I now ALWAYS put a meter on a fuse before plugging back in.
 
I've had 2 fuses (truck, not bike) do that... Pull the fuse and it looks OK. Put a meter on it, and it's dead.

I now ALWAYS put a meter on a fuse before plugging back in.
That happened with the fuel pump fuse on my 2003 R1150RT. Had I known then what I know now, it would have saved me the cost of a tow.
 
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