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slugish starting 1996 r1100rt

Isleryder

New member
My 1996 r1100rt started to have sluggish starts like a week battery. I had 13.65 from the alternator so I assumed it was a week battery. So I replaced the battery and cleaned all the to the starter. After that I have had the same issue where it starts but is sluggish to start. The starter has only 27,000 miles on it. Has anyone had issues with the starter going bad in this way?
 
My 1996 r1100rt started to have sluggish starts like a week battery. I had 13.65 from the alternator so I assumed it was a week battery. So I replaced the battery and cleaned all the to the starter. After that I have had the same issue where it starts but is sluggish to start. The starter has only 27,000 miles on it. Has anyone had issues with the starter going bad in this way?

Lots of those starters have had problems over the years.. Sometimes it is a magnet that has come loose. There is another issue with a bulkhead breaking which is hard for me to describe.

Also, I would actually expect to see a charging voltage a bit higher than 13.6.
 
I have the exact same bike, 96 R1100RT with about 45,000 miles on it, and I have the same problem. Odyssey battery with approx 13 volts coming out, the starter pulls it down to around 8 or 7 when cranking. ABS fault code, of course. Like yours, it really struggles to start the bike on the first start up. When it's warmed up, it starts instantly. I pulled the starter off and had a specialty auto shop test it, they said it was fine, drawing like 10 amps, which I believe is within specs for these Veleo starters. And this guy was familiar with them. As you probably know, from BMW those little guys go for around $500. If I decide to start throwing parts on mine to find the problem, it will definitely be an aftermarket unit for around $100. I wish I could offer an answer to the problem, but to be honest, at this point I'm somewhat disgusted with the whole affair and just put a tarp over the bike till spring. I wish I knew someone close by that still had one of these older models to see if mine is any different, but I can't believe these bikes were designed to just barely crank the engine, which is what mine, and apparently yours, does.
 
The motor should turn over and start quickly. First I would be sure that valve clearances are correct and when was the last time you changed the spark plugs.

I replaced my original starter about two years ago with a drop in replacement from DB Electrical. It’s about $60, and has been flawless.
 
I see Rik's Motorrad Elektrik has the Nissan Denso starters for Oilheads for $350.

Anton Largiader has a good review of the Valeo starter issues in his site, which pulls up with the link that GSAddict posted.

I recall that with my very first BMW, an R100RS, I had to have the (Bosch) starter rebuilt at about 60,000 miles.
 
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When I tested the alternator it was at idile. The plugs look fine but I'll change them. I'm going to pull the starter and have a shop by me bench test it.
Thanks for the input everyone.
 
When I tested the alternator it was at idile. The plugs look fine but I'll change them. I'm going to pull the starter and have a shop by me bench test it.
Thanks for the input everyone.

The real test is under load which won't show up on a bench test.
At this age/point the starter should be disassembled/inspected/cleaned and components changed as req'd
I've repaired many. With the symptoms described, the previous sentence is a no brainer for me.

Note: don't spend too much time or money on the old starter. Fleabay Chinesium knockoffs ones are in the $60 range and actually work quite well.
The only caveat is internal parts are not available
 
The real test is under load which won't show up on a bench test.

Note: don't spend too much time or money on the old starter. Fleabay Chinesium knockoffs ones are in the $60 range and actually work quite well.
The only caveat is internal parts are not available

Reading this thread, I've been convinced to try getting a new starter for my 1100 to solve it's problems. Anyone have an opinion as to which is the best choice: Endorolast for $119, or one from DB Electric for $46.52. I usually believe you get what you pay for, but in this case the opinion seems to be that cheaper is going to work just as well.
 
I have a 99 RT with 97k miles. Same starting issues, new battery or old, it progressed until it almost wouldn’t start when cold. I considered ordering the rebuild parts and digging in. Finally got an aftermarket starter from Bobs BMW, problem solved.
 
a friend of mine on this board taught me the correct way to start my ‘99 RT:
Open up throttle to the max , hit starter for 2 seconds .. roll back the throttle to normal position , then open up choke to the max , and hit the starter .. should start right up
.. I’ve tried this for the last year , and she starts right up every time .. I too thought I needed a new battery until my friend taught me this procedure ..
 
a friend of mine on this board taught me the correct way to start my ‘99 RT:
Open up throttle to the max , hit starter for 2 seconds .. roll back the throttle to normal position , then open up choke to the max , and hit the starter .. should start right up
.. I’ve tried this for the last year , and she starts right up every time .. I too thought I needed a new battery until my friend taught me this procedure ..

Not sure why your friend has something against you. :scratch

With respect, this procedure makes no sense whatsoever. If this is what you have to do to get your bike started, you may succeed in getting it going but you have other issues. If your starter is working properly, I would recommend a full tuneup with proper throttle cable and fast-idle cable adjustment. Then you could simply crank the "choke" lever full on (when cold) and have your bike running in 1-2 seconds. That's how long it took my oilhead to fire up.
 
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Rich, it really sounds like this friend is not familiar with oilheads (especially if he calls it a "choke" too): Cranking open the throttle like that is a sure way to promote destruction of your left cam chain guides. If you've upgraded the tensioner, it still makes no sense.
 
Rich, it really sounds like this friend is not familiar with oilheads (especially if he calls it a "choke" too): Cranking open the throttle like that is a sure way to promote destruction of your left cam chain guides. If you've upgraded the tensioner, it still makes no sense.

Agreed, not a wise idea.
 
thanks. . please advise on cold start procedure..

Leave the fast-idle lever alone. Be fully dressed, helmet and gloves on, ready to ride. Right hand on the throttle, put just a little pressure on the twist grip so you are just starting to open the throttle. Push the start button, the bike should turn over two or three times and then start. Put it in gear and pull away.
 
Not necessarily... The cold-start/fast idle lever is used to open the throttle plates just a little when the engine (and/or ambient environment) is cold. It has (should have - another problem if yours doesn't) two positions: "full" rotation, which is spring-loaded, and the half-way detent.

If cold, hold it fully "open", no need to twist the throttle at all, and when the engine lights up, slowly let it come back to the half-way detent. If the engine is warm, it "probably" won't be necessary to use it, but the detent position is quite useful for initial starting anyway.

Additionally, the older oilheads' computers require about a two-minute period after ignition to settle down and have the bike "willingly rideable". This has been proven by Roger04RT; he has published captured real-time computer data elsewhere in the Oilheads section to show this. My own '04 does indeed require this; if I take off "early", I need to be more gentle on the throttle until the temperature gauge shows at least a bar or two. Other owners have already reported "no apparent issue, I can ride off almost immediately".

And by the way, starting and idling performance is also directly impacted by crud (oil plus dirt) build-up on the big brass throttle screw tips and within that passageway.

I have to wonder, but don't "know" - if somebody always cranks the throttle fully open every time before starting, might that force the computer to re-map its Throttle Position Sensor function, to actually lose the "old" map and re-build it? Seems like a waste of time and possibly add frustration because the computer is not allowed to fine-tune and have the bike running as it really should be.
 
If cold, hold it fully "open", no need to twist the throttle at all, and when the engine lights up, slowly let it come back to the half-way detent. If the engine is warm, it "probably" won't be necessary to use it, but the detent position is quite useful for initial starting .

:thumb
 
I have to wonder, but don't "know" - if somebody always cranks the throttle fully open every time before starting, might that force the computer to re-map its Throttle Position Sensor function, to actually lose the "old" map and re-build it? Seems like a waste of time and possibly add frustration because the computer is not allowed to fine-tune and have the bike running as it really should be.

"Roger04RT or GSAddict to the white courtesy phone, please."
 
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