Tomfoolery Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 When I picked the GS up in July the choke didn't work. No problem, it's a fuel injected bike it's probably just a fast idle, I'll open the throttle a tad when starting. Worked fine until Monday. Bike fairly reluctantly cranking over in the -3 temperature and doesn't go. Flatten the battery trying which didn't take much. Choke needs fixing but it runs down to the most complicated 'cable actuation system' I've ever seen. Might have to buy a Clymer manual since the Haynes doesn't cover it. Arse. Battery's charging now so it could be that too... D'oh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted December 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Oh yeah forgot about them - they're due 1,000 miles ago I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonkeyJim Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 There's a knack to cold starting a GS apparently - so my GS owning mate tells me here's how Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-=JK=- Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Foolery, unless the battery is recent, it may be on its way out. big twins take a lot of cranking, especially when its cold. lovin your work, monkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gobert23 Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 (With tongue firmly in cheek) why not try some of this --> G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidkinky Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 When I picked the GS up in July the choke didn't work. No problem, it's a fuel injected bike it's probably just a fast idle, I'll open the throttle a tad when starting. Worked fine until Monday. Bike fairly reluctantly cranking over in the -3 temperature and doesn't go. Flatten the battery trying which didn't take much. Choke needs fixing but it runs down to the most complicated 'cable actuation system' I've ever seen. Might have to buy a Clymer manual since the Haynes doesn't cover it. Arse. Battery's charging now so it could be that too... D'oh! Isn't there an App for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastfreddybikes Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 Isn't there an App for that? am i missing something? who the fook would want to start a bike in this weather? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 A bloke with no car might be interested. Or, especially a bloke with no car and a load of heated clothing. Which reminds me, you wonder why the battery's flat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgy_tom Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 Fresh battery young Tom, I'd also chuck some fresh plugs in and change the oil for a lower cold viscosity (0w or 5w) if it lives outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deviant Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 Isn't there an App for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pussyhorse Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 I had probs with my 1150 starting. Fully charged new gel battery would shit itself in the middle of nowhere in Scotland or somewhere equally arse-clenching. Would eventually lurch over and catch. Replaced it with a Hawker Odyssey. Job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted December 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 I've heard good things about them. I'll source one after Christmas. Using heated kit/grips wouldn't make a difference if the system/battery was healthy. BMW fit a gert big alternator when you specify heated grips from the factory. It's due a service anyway now I'm approaching 12,000 on it. Normally use 20/50 since that's what the manual indicates is best for most of the year round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgy_tom Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 It's due a service anyway now I'm approaching 12,000 on it. Normally use 20/50 since that's what the manual indicates is best for most of the year round. There are other batteries similar to the Odysey, I looked at them when I had teh guzzler, but I have forgotten, do some searching. As for oil, I'm sure, like other manufacturers, BMW will recommend a range of oils depending upon the operating temp. I know Yamaha, Honda, Guzzi, Triumph, and Guzzi do. Could be worth looking at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strappy Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 What Tom said about oil. Last time mine was serviced by the local BMW stealers, they put Castrol Racing 1 in, which from memory is fully synthetic 0W50 or something. Whereas the manual recommends standard 10W40 semi. I've no idea. TBH. I decided that as long as the oil's at the right place in the sight window, that'll do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted December 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Yep, my manual says 20/50 covers the most temperature range, from -10 to 30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted December 25, 2009 Report Share Posted December 25, 2009 it's the 20w bit that specifies how thick it is when it's cold, then the 50 that deals with what it's like when the engine's warm. If your battery's tip-top and it's still slow to turn over (not reluctant to start, just slow turning over) then I'd swap for some 10w/50. It'll only perform like a different oil for the first few minutes or so anyway, and will probably give better protection from cold too. I think I'd be right in saying oil cooled motors use pretty heavy grade oils anyway, don't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Popped the charged battery in it today and it started no problem. Doesn't hold on to tickover, though, so have to hold the throttle open for the first few miles at a standstill. Annoying, and I need to get it sorted otherwise this will happen again. Oh, for a garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollygiant Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 May sound silly but wrap the engine in a blanket?? Prob no use but the battery's on TDM has to be tip top all the time or it won't spin it that quick enough to start it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 On my TRX I had some real issues with getting it to start on cold mornings, stuck a gel battery in there and it would spin just as powerfully as a warm day; it seems that gel batteries are affected less by the cold then normal lead acid types. With the new battery it'd start within a handful of revs, literally, a second or so of turning over, and it'd be firing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 It's got a gel battery in there already, according to the writing on the side of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 It's got a gel battery in there already, according to the writing on the side of it. Smack it with an axe, just to make sure. Do it in the lounge and see what colour the carpet ends up, it's a simple test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted January 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 Smack it with an axe, just to make sure. Always good advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted January 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 The battery is completely fucked now - it wouldn't start this morning. NumberOne also quite rightly pointed out I should be covering it up overnight some time ago. Smart arse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
levo Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 The battery is completely fucked now - it wouldn't start this morning. NumberOne also quite rightly pointed out I should be covering it up overnight some time ago. Smart arse. Pa knows bestest.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted January 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 I can see him now, smirking smugly in his garage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumberOne Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 I can see him now, smirking smugly in his Heated garage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted January 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Ordered a Hawker Odyssey battery yesterday at 3:20pm and it arrived 30 minutes ago, courtesy of Motorworks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgy_tom Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 So it only took a few people telling you to change the battery then? Have you stuck some winter oil in it yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHimmer45 Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 i thought something like 10/40W would be fine for pretty much all conditions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomfoolery Posted January 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Not yet, Tom. Haven't had time. The manual says 20w/50 has th widest temperature range and I'm lazy... It needs an oil change anyway so I might put something different in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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