Philly Noob

[Gebo]

Greetings Brick Riders,
The K1100RS is an amazing ride.  I love the ergonomics, the feel of Euro engineering, and the song of its inline flat-four.  I spent 15 months researching various rides including the K's, the R's and the FJR. The KRS does so much of what I want a bike to do.

I found this bike following an extensive search for the right kind of project.  The bike was not running all that well when I found it for sale in Raleigh, NC.  The PO had thrown in the towel in disgust at the local BMW dealership's approach at simply throwing new parts at the bike in failed efforts to cure its sputtering and plug fouling ways.  The problem proved to be an ungrounded wire servicing the ignition output stage.  The shop had tucked the wire away from view to give easier access to the aft end of the engine but had forgotten to reattach it at the close of the service session.  After four trips back and forth, the PO and the dealership declared defeat.

But it purrs sweetly now.  Lots to do to get up it to snuff including a new shock and fork springs, better lighting fore and aft, an improved seat and maybe some fresh paint.  I'll post a few photos shortly.

Good riding,

[mystic red]

Welcome, glad you like the ride! Please do post your pics here. We love to look at the K-Bikes.

[Ocelot]

Yo Gebo

Explain to us about this wire, and how you diagnosed that it was the problem.

 

[frankenduck]

Welcome.  I just spent four days riding mine and can only agree.

[Gebo]

Thanks for the welcome aboard, everyone. 

Ocelot, the solution to the plug fouling and sputtering came as much through luck as through preparation.  My two brothers who in former lives were certified aircraft mechanics are of the opinion that, having to choose between fuel or electrical, go with electrical.  Their experience and the experience of other sources in the blog-o-sphere reinforced the opinion that 9 times out 10, either poor grounding or a failing electrical sensor will be the culprit.

I assumed that the BMW mechanics had already addressed all codes or fault readings (the easy stuff) so I scratched out a list of as many K11 ignition problems I could find that were eventually solved by improved grounding or sensor replacement/adjustment.  Let the tedious, step by step inspection begin.  I eventually reached behind the ignition amplifier, aka ignition output stage which I understand was integrated into the Motronic unit in post-1993 models, and found a wire that had been tucked to one side (out of sight, out of mind).  Judging by the wire's length and size, it was designed to ground the device and because it reached perfectly to the main ground below the battery, that's where I attached it.  It ran perfectly with proper grounding, go figure.

I was lucky to find the problem near the beginning of the tedious list rather than at the end.  I like problem solving and really don't have a lot of wrenching experience but now I feel that I can do this DIY thing.  Still haven't found the heart to tell the PO that it was just a loose wire...

[frankenduck]

FYI: From the factory the ignition amp(battery mounting base) grounds to the left starter mounting bolt - but a ground is a ground so it's not a big deal.

[Ocelot]

Reminds me of a Honda CB450 I scored maybe 30 years ago. When I first came to Dull-Aware, I fetched up at a race trotter ranch where I rented a brick cottage beside a barn. Rats lived in the barn and I hunted them. That's how I spotted the CB450 all covered in cobwebs, pigeon feathers, and owl shit. Asked the sulky driver about it. He said he'd scored the bike at an auction, knew nothing about bikes, gave up because it ate one battery after another, and all the shop did was sell him new batteries and say they didn't know. I knew right away without looking. Told him I'd give fifty bucks. Back to the cottage, fetched a ulysses grant and a bit of lamp cord. Gave him the grant, shook on it, sent him for a gas can, cut a six inch strand of lamp cord, wired the selenium rectifier to ground. Those old Honda upright twins used a selenium rectifier for a voltage regulator. It lived behind the battery. If you didn't replace the vent tube when you swapped batteries, then battery acid ate through the ground wire.

Gas in, kicked over, fired up. Easy as that.

Next thing you know I was roaring down the country road doing 70, blowing her out, bits of feasthers flying off, reached out to adjust the rear view, scraped the crap off it, and as I passed the place, I spotted the sulky driver watch me roar by, shake his head sadly, turn around, and walk back to the house. Gotta love a simple solution.

That's the bike I met the RedHead on.

[Gebo]

Awesome story.  Hope your good bike karma helped with the Red Head!

[Gebo]

Frankenduck -- it's good to know the proper routing of the ignition amp ground wire.  Gives me a good reason to mess around in starter motor area.  And actually helps me figure out what the dealership was up to.

[DRxBMW]

I found this bike following an extensive search for the right kind of project.  The bike was not running all that well when I found it for sale in Raleigh, NC.  The PO had thrown in the towel in disgust at the local BMW dealership's approach at simply throwing new parts at the bike in failed efforts to cure its sputtering and plug fouling ways.  The problem proved to be an ungrounded wire servicing the ignition output stage.  The shop had tucked the wire away from view to give easier access to the aft end of the engine but had forgotten to reattach it at the close of the service session.  After four trips back and forth, the PO and the dealership declared defeat.

Sad case when a BMW dealership "gives up."

After 4 trips, proves the shop tech was totally incompetent. Take it, the dealer lacked common sense on when to call in for help diagnosing the issue.

Hope like hell the previous owner reported the incident to the BMW of North America service manager.

FWIW, I can recite a horror story about Bergen BMW in NJ. Do NOT take your bike there period, asshole wrenches, enough said.