On road trip, I broke down!..

[turq]

+1

[frankenduck]

Is the semi idling? That could be bad for your electrics.

I see this kind of stuff posted frequently on The Internet and it is simply NOT TRUE.  The semi could be running at 4000 RPM and it still wouldn't matter.

What determines how much current flows through a system has NOTHING to do with the capacity of the alternator to generate current.  What determines how much current flows through a system is the DIFFERENCE IN VOLTAGE POTENTIAL.  The semi, like your bike, has a voltage regulator which probably tops out somewhere in the same range of 14+ volts.  Unless the voltage regulator on the semi has an extremely high limit then there is no way that it can damage your bike's electrical system.

For example, you could put a 5000 amp alternator on your bike and, as long as the voltage regulator kicks in somewhere in the 14+V range, the bike's electrical system will still draw the same amount of current.

It's basic physics, Ohm's Law: V=IR

[sembrando]

Is the semi idling? That could be bad for your electrics.

I see this kind of stuff posted frequently on The Internet and it is simply NOT TRUE.  The semi could be running at 4000 RPM and it still wouldn't matter.

What determines how much current flows through a system has NOTHING to do with the capacity of the alternator to generate current.  What determines how much current flows through a system is the DIFFERENCE IN VOLTAGE POTENTIAL.  The semi, like your bike, has a voltage regulator which probably tops out somewhere in the same range of 14+ volts.  Unless the voltage regulator on the semi has an extremely high limit then there is no way that it can damage your bike's electrical system.

For example, you could put a 5000 amp alternator on your bike and, as long as the voltage regulator kicks in somewhere in the 14+V range, the bike's electrical system will still draw the same amount of current.

It's basic physics, Ohm's Law: V=IR

+1

1-how was the squatch music festival... if you can remember...

2-update on your motobrick please...

j o

+1

[mystic red]

Is the semi idling? That could be bad for your electrics.

I see this kind of stuff posted frequently on The Internet and it is simply NOT TRUE.  The semi could be running at 4000 RPM and it still wouldn't matter.

What determines how much current flows through a system has NOTHING to do with the capacity of the alternator to generate current.  What determines how much current flows through a system is the DIFFERENCE IN VOLTAGE POTENTIAL.  The semi, like your bike, has a voltage regulator which probably tops out somewhere in the same range of 14+ volts.  Unless the voltage regulator on the semi has an extremely high limit then there is no way that it can damage your bike's electrical system.

For example, you could put a 5000 amp alternator on your bike and, as long as the voltage regulator kicks in somewhere in the 14+V range, the bike's electrical system will still draw the same amount of current.

It's basic physics, Ohm's Law: V=IR

Unless whoever hooks the cables up doesn't know what they are doing. Semi's have a minimum of 2 bats, most have 3.

[TimTyler]

I see this kind of stuff posted frequently on The Internet and it is simply NOT TRUE. 

Physics has no place online.
 
If stuff is on the internet, it's true.

[frankenduck]

Is the semi idling? That could be bad for your electrics.

I see this kind of stuff posted frequently on The Internet and it is simply NOT TRUE.  The semi could be running at 4000 RPM and it still wouldn't matter.

What determines how much current flows through a system has NOTHING to do with the capacity of the alternator to generate current.  What determines how much current flows through a system is the DIFFERENCE IN VOLTAGE POTENTIAL.  The semi, like your bike, has a voltage regulator which probably tops out somewhere in the same range of 14+ volts.  Unless the voltage regulator on the semi has an extremely high limit then there is no way that it can damage your bike's electrical system.

For example, you could put a 5000 amp alternator on your bike and, as long as the voltage regulator kicks in somewhere in the 14+V range, the bike's electrical system will still draw the same amount of current.

It's basic physics, Ohm's Law: V=IR

Unless whoever hooks the cables up doesn't know what they are doing. Semi's have a minimum of 2 bats, most have 3.

The number of batteries in also quite immaterial. You could literally have six million batteries hooked up (in parallel) and it still wouldn't fry the bike's electrical system.

[Scott_]

Is the semi idling? That could be bad for your electrics.

I see this kind of stuff posted frequently on The Internet and it is simply NOT TRUE.  The semi could be running at 4000 RPM and it still wouldn't matter.

What determines how much current flows through a system has NOTHING to do with the capacity of the alternator to generate current.  What determines how much current flows through a system is the DIFFERENCE IN VOLTAGE POTENTIAL.  The semi, like your bike, has a voltage regulator which probably tops out somewhere in the same range of 14+ volts.  Unless the voltage regulator on the semi has an extremely high limit then there is no way that it can damage your bike's electrical system.

For example, you could put a 5000 amp alternator on your bike and, as long as the voltage regulator kicks in somewhere in the 14+V range, the bike's electrical system will still draw the same amount of current.

It's basic physics, Ohm's Law: V=IR

Unless whoever hooks the cables up doesn't know what they are doing. Semi's have a minimum of 2 bats, most have 3.

The number of batteries in also quite immaterial. You could literally have six million batteries hooked up (in parallel) and it still wouldn't fry the bike's electrical system.

The point MR was making is that not ALL semi truck systems are 100% 12v. Some are 24v for starting so there will be batteries in series.... Can f up a 12v system in a real hurry. Connect to 1 battery and you should be fine, connect to 2 and you can have problems......

[TajMan]

#1 - Sasquatch music festival was awesome!!! one of the greatest things I've done  :2thumbup:

#2 - motobrick update - just got the bike home in back of truck!

Yes, I knew the semi wasn't damaging my bike as did the semi driver, and we knew we were hooking to a 12v system.
lol, funny internet people ;)


I have yet to touch the bike beyond unloading it, I forgot to bring the key to Idaho lol. I'll update you guys after I charge the battery and test the alternator at the auto parts store.

So glad to get the bike home safe not stolen, only cost me maybe $180 extra in gas more to pick it up. My brother's '05 Nissan Frontier supercharged truck is fun to drive fast but a gas hog lol.

[tsbt]

I'll update you guys after I charge the battery and test the alternator at the auto parts store.

Love to hear how this ends.

[mystic red]

The point MR was making is that not ALL semi truck systems are 100% 12v. Some are 24v for starting so there will be batteries in series.... Can f up a 12v system in a real hurry. Connect to 1 battery and you should be fine, connect to 2 and you can have problems......

Thank you. They have extra batts for a reason like turning over a 500 hp diesel engine. But the driver should know how to safely jump.

[TajMan]

Maybe I spoke too soon with my arrogance of knowing how to hook up and jump this 12v system..

With the key, headlight turned on and looked bright but there wasn't enough juce left in the battery to turn over much..
Hooked up battery to my harbor freight battery charger/jump start box. Battery charged for awhile, then I had turned switches on unit to the 55A engine start setting and started the bike after I put the kickstand up. Engine started fine, revved fine. After 30 seconds I turned the key off, and right then the engine died and the starter motor started cranking simultaneously! Starter-motor cranking, it kept going no kill switch or anything could stop it!! I had to hurry find a phillips and unscrew + battery connections to stop it, was cranking for over a minute!

When you touch that main + battery cable that goes from the starter to + on battery, starter motor just cranks as if the solenoid is shorted out and always engaged!
Am I that dumb, fried the starter solenoid with over 55A? Can you replace just the solenoid on this like a standard motorcycle and not the entire starter motor?

[K75RT Keith]

Your issue has NOTHING to do with you jumping the bike.  YOUR starter relay is likely stuck due to the low voltage of the failed battery.  This issue is covered on the MOTOBRICK site, IBMWR.ORG and BMWMOA forum\

I believe the fix is as follows

Leave the battery disconnected and:

1.) Properly charge your new battery
2.) Lift the tank and open the Relay Box
3.) Tap the relay to try and break the arc weld.
4.) reconnect Battery and determine if the starter runs properly

If that doesn't work you'll need a new relay (it should be the big one at the rear of the box.

Also, pull your starter and clean the armature of carbon and check the brushes if you haven't done so already.
While your at it, clean the ignition switch contacts and pull the right side switch gear and clean with contact cleaner.  The phillips screw holding the switch gear often is seized, so use a good screwdriver.

[mystic red]

Yep

[TajMan]

Thanks, was good to hear.
Maybe I'm just dense maybe I need to remove other parts first to access, I can't seem to find that starter relay.

[Scott_]

Thanks, was good to hear.
Maybe I'm just dense maybe I need to remove other parts first to access, I can't seem to find that starter relay.

It will be in the "relay" box under that gas tank.

[johnny]

relay box layout...

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=536.0

J O

[TajMan]

Got the relay tapped loose, bike back to normal, new battery fully charged.

Can I test right at the battery for what amps and what voltage with a volt meter while the bike is running at what RPM? Seems an easier test before I remove parts further and remove alternator for testing.
(Yes, I plan to remove and clean alternator and starter when I get the chance regardless)

[johnny]

turn the moto off with the ignition key... test the voltage at the battery terminals with the moto off... make a note of it...

start the moto and rev it up to 4,000 rpm then let it idle... test the voltage at the battery terminals with the moto idling... make a note of it...

report your findings...

j o

[TajMan]

Before I could do the tests, I drove bike over 35 miles again, and wore down the battery again and stranded at least close to home this time.
I will remove the alternator first..

[TajMan]

Well, battery fully charged, then quick ride in the city to autozone, tested at 12.3 volts with key off and 11.8 volts with engine running.
So alternator probably bad pretty much right?
I'm searching now, but what are the options, cheaper new or reman'd part than new BMW?
Helpful alternator threads on the forum, link?
I just emailed smithduck about a 50A alternator upgrade..

[Scott_]

Check some of the bike breakers, BeemerBoneyard, Pinwall cycles, etc.....Some are listed on FleaBay.

At a minimum, take your alternator out, open it up and inspect it.

Mine on my '95 was not charging because the copper rings where the regulator brushes contact were all tarnished and not conducting current.
I polished them up nice and clean and it has been working fine since. No $ spent out of pocket......

[TajMan]

Found problem, poorly soldered contact to one of the brushes from a previous botched repair. It was in a way the wire was still through the hole but solder broke so it was making intermittent contact (makes sense why I'd get small bursts of power as I flick the throttle making the bike jerk as battery dead ignition cutting out)

I re-soldered, thought I had fixed.


After I put this back in and got a tester on battery, I was reading 12.6v from battery with key off, 12.3v from battery with key(headlight) on, and about 12.2v when the engine was idling.
This is better than 11.8 so alternator is producing voltage now, but seems low.
As soon as you revved beyond idle at all though, voltage would increase past 12.8, past 13.2, so I thought hey will probably work good enough now and charge the battery usually when riding normal.

However, after coming back from movie pre-screening last night (This Is The End with my friend Whitney!), battery was drained enough starter wouldn't crank when trying to leave her house.

So here is a question, copper rings didn't look tarnished way bad but I'm sure can be polished out better.
Could polishing those rings possibly bring voltage up a bit and maybe return me to normal good-enough operation?

[TajMan]

So monday, I went to a pre-release of the movie This Is The End with my friend Whitney, on the bike down to Jordan Commons in the south end of the SLC valley.
In the parking during the movie, someone F'd with the bike and busted off the kill switch!!
That's really messed up, and uncommon to a motorcycle and in the area in a multi-level mall type of parking.
Thought I was going to need a ride, but after 5 minutes I got the switch to rotate so I could start the bike.
However, when I dropped Whitney off, the battery was already drained too much to allow starter to crank!

Today, I removed alternator again, and this time polished up those copper rings the brushes make contact with. I also replaced the negative battery cable with a quality 6AWG cable with good ends.
I just rode the bike another 35 miles or so. It appears the electrical problem has been finally fixed! (besides the new starter button problem, sometimes it doesn't want to crank unless you fidget and get the broken kill switch in the exact correct orientation)

[Scott_]

Glad to hear you made progress. Sorry to hear someone had to f with your ride.

I've seen those combo switches on flea bay for $50 or so lately.

Edit:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/93-BMW-K1100LT-Right-Hand-Combo-Switch-Assembly-/380592563720?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item589d15a608&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/97-BMW-K1100LT-Rigth-Hand-Combo-Switch-Assembly-/360608502776?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item53f5f113f8&vxp=mtr

[TajMan]

I'm getting about 12.7-12.8 volts both when the key is off AND while the engine is idling. Rev the engine and you see a max output of about 13.9V! good stuff
I'll get one of those switches on ebay probably. I could open up my broken switch and see what I can modify, I could fix the starter button so it always cranks and add a new kill switch just to the left of that area..
I also need to install front brake pads I have, and fork seals actually..