[vp920b]

Hi all

Just owning a used 2017 R1200R with 275KM's on the clock(around 150 miles).

The first month I owned it no problem on the first start. But after I left for 2-3 weeks unused, the start problem has begun.

Now it needs 2 until 5 crank before it starts and backfires on the muffler. Is anyone had the same issue? What should i fix? I will try to go to my bmw dealer but in indonesia there's only 2 dealers.

Thanks

 

[mjgt]

Hi all

Just owning a used 2017 R1200R with 275KM's on the clock(around 150 miles).

The first month I owned it no problem on the first start. But after I left for 2-3 weeks unused, the start problem has begun.

Now it needs 2 until 5 crank before it starts and backfires on the muffler. Is anyone had the same issue? What should i fix? I will try to go to my bmw dealer but in indonesia there's only 2 dealers.

Thanks

Give the battery a good charge and if that's cures it get yourself a trickle charger.

 

[Panzermann]

From my recollection, the only cause of cold-start issues is battery related. The quality of BMW batteries doesn’t seem to match their price so yours is unlikely to be at full capacity, especially as the bike is around three years old and barely used. Unless the battery has been well maintained during that time, it’s likely to be toast.

If you have a smart charger with a recondition function, it would be worth cycling it through. You may regain capacity. If you aren’t using it frequently, and for rides of decent duration, keep it on a trickle charger.

Another option is to turn the ignition on while you don your helmet and gloves. The current flow will warm the battery a bit, giving better cranking. But as a minimum, the battery needs to be brought up to full charge.

The final option, of course, is a new battery, but as indicated above, don’t bother with going to your dealer - any quality aftermarket item should do fine.

Don’t be concerned with the exhaust popping - it’s simply fuel/air mix that has passed into the exhaust system while the bike was cranking.

 

[zer0netgain]

From my recollection, the only cause of cold-start issues is battery related. The quality of BMW batteries doesn’t seem to match their price so yours is unlikely to be at full capacity, especially as the bike is around three years old and barely used....

This. I'm VERY DISAPPOINTED in the quality of the OEM battery. When the time comes to replace, I'm going to get the strongest battery that fits on the bike. There's no reason why the battery can drop so much over a couple weeks of being parked...unless it's a poor quality battery. My BigCrank battery on the XX was going strong YEARS past its normal lifetime and no issue starting after a couple months of no activity.

 

[Ontrip]

My OEM battery on my 2011 F800r was still original 8 years later when I traded it in. Per PM, get a good charger and plug it in when the bike is not being used.

 

[Panzermann]

This. I'm VERY DISAPPOINTED in the quality of the OEM battery. ... There's no reason why the battery can drop so much over a couple weeks of being parked...unless it's a poor quality battery. ....

Note that the OP's battery is three years old and the bike has only done 275 km. So no matter what brand battery, if it hasn't been properly maintained in that time, being lead-acid it will lose capacity and charge will drop over a couple of weeks.

Like @Ontrip I got good service from the original battery in my F800 (ST) but the 1200 twin places a bigger demand on the battery so it isn't unusual for them to last only three or four years.

I'm just saying that the BMW batteries aren't 'premium' notwithstanding the premium price, so buy elsewhere.

 

[moto-rama]

Im a big fan of Odyssey batteries, Shorai pretty snappy, too.
If you live in a cold climate, I'd go with an Odyssey, assuming that they have one that fits.
Shorai, if you're in a temperate climate.


Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[Pete In The 'Couv]

I don't know if this applies to our bikes, but I belong to a car forum and several members were experiencing similar problems with the batteries in their cars. It turned out that the one thing they had in common was the key fob. All of the cars were push button start and the members were leaving the key fob either in the car (in the garage) or very close to the car. The key fob and the car's computer talk to each other until the key fob is out of range. Over a long enough period of time the cars battery would be drained so low that it could not start the car.

 

[Kingy]

If the bike had an alarm that will drain the battery over time, as others mentioned, a battery tender will keep it nicely charged whilst not in use.

 

[vp920b]

From my recollection, the only cause of cold-start issues is battery related. The quality of BMW batteries doesn’t seem to match their price so yours is unlikely to be at full capacity, especially as the bike is around three years old and barely used. Unless the battery has been well maintained during that time, it’s likely to be toast.

If you have a smart charger with a recondition function, it would be worth cycling it through. You may regain capacity. If you aren’t using it frequently, and for rides of decent duration, keep it on a trickle charger.

Another option is to turn the ignition on while you don your helmet and gloves. The current flow will warm the battery a bit, giving better cranking. But as a minimum, the battery needs to be brought up to full charge.

The final option, of course, is a new battery, but as indicated above, don’t bother with going to your dealer - any quality aftermarket item should do fine.

Don’t be concerned with the exhaust popping - it’s simply fuel/air mix that has passed into the exhaust system while the bike was cranking.

Thanks for your reply.

I just changed the battery with Motobatt AGM16amps, 240CCA and it still hard to crank.

I charged the battery using ctek until its full charged and it still hard to crank for the first time.

But after i turn off and on, the bike starts right away.

I don't know why but maybe i might have to check the remote battery as someone mentioned on the forum. Maybe the immo didnt pick up the signal for the first time.

Dealers doesnt have any clue and since on the forum has been issue as well, but didnt fix a thing, so might as well just use the bike.

Thanks

 

[Panzermann]

You don’t have your location in your user info, @vp920b but if you’re in the northern hemisphere, is the bike (and hence battery) cold when you first try to start it? A cold battery won’t deliver full CCA, but cranking will warm it, so often with the second stab of the start button it will start straight away.

When my bike showed a little starting hesitation like this, I began turning on the ignition prior to donning helmet and gloves, and wheeling the bike from the shed. This seemed to be enough to warm the battery a tad.

 

[vp920b]

You don’t have your location in your user info, @vp920b but if you’re in the northern hemisphere, is the bike (and hence battery) cold when you first try to start it? A cold battery won’t deliver full CCA, but cranking will warm it, so often with the second stab of the start button it will start straight away.

When my bike showed a little starting hesitation like this, I began turning on the ignition prior to donning helmet and gloves, and wheeling the bike from the shed. This seemed to be enough to warm the battery a tad.

I'm from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Cold start shouldn't be a problem since it is hot and humid.

Just have not any idea why it is hard to crank up in the morning on the get go. Second time is ok.

 

[zer0netgain]

It makes little sense, but if the power levels were off, maybe the system had issues starting up but off/on “reset” thing to normal. That...or the key fob as mentioned.

 

[dgiturbo]

This was posted by Sound Wave in post 4 of the thread...
"Switch on the ignition
With engine turned off, completely open up throttle twist grip once or twice and leave fully opened up for at least 1 second
The BMW engine management will detect the throttle position
Switch off the ignition"

So without remembering that post, I may have done that procedure. While my bike was parked on the tender last month, I turned the ignition on to verify things would still wake up after 5 months of hibernation, and out of daydreaming for the future, I twisted the throttle to wide open. I heard a series of servo motors operate so I closed the throttle, switched off, and hoped I didn't damage anything.
Now that I have had a chance to ride, I haven't had the 2 times to start issue. (as of yet??)

A few disclaimer parameters. Still the original BMW battery, always on a tender when parked, 5500 miles so far, but there hasn't been a large temperature swing between shut down and re start a few hours later.

I am still convinced the issue is with the cold start program with the ECU, but if my inadvertent ignition throttle re calibration worked, then I will take that as well.

 

[swalko]

I bought my R1200R LC 2015 year ago. It had a 5k kms on clock and i was always admired as strong and bulletproof it starts. Few weeks ago it often denied to start on first time after day or more of sitting in garage. Second start was always like start of champion without any hesitation. Once or two times same problem happened when motor was hot. So it was not a problem of cold start. Starter cranked fast and not sounded as cranking with weak battery. But there was still fabric battery (6 years old). So i bought high performance Yuasa ... and it not solved my problem. About 2 months later from first time that i noticed this problem i got warning on dash about low battery in key. So i replaced battery in key and now my R starts always on first attempt as champ! What was not able to solve 80 euros battery, solved 30 cent battery!

 

[BC_Rob]

That worked for me too. Starting experiencing poor 1st attempt starting (every time for about 4weeks bike needed a second stab at the starter button) then changed the key fob battery and it now starts consistently on the 1st attempt!
2018 R1200RS.