BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

I am the proud owner of a 2002 R1150RT , my first Beemer after riding for many many years. Admired them for a long time and finally got a
line on one I liked so purchased it used. I do most of my own work but found that the bmw's have some of their own special tools and needs. Started when I first tried to change the oil and needed the special filter wrench. Well a few weeks ago battery just up and died-
luckily I was only 5 miles from home so loaded up in truck and brought it home.Got schooled on how to navigate the labyrinth of tupperware
removal and was astounded to find that one ond only 1 battery exactly fits. I sprang for another sealed agm but not a westco this time.
Unbeleivably tight fit! Can be removed w/o taking the tank off but requires disconneceting the neg lead-slide battery left then disconnect
the positive lead. Some German engineer had his Liederhosen on too tight when designing this as a routine maintenance item!
Enough complaining- my question is what does one do if out on the road somewhere and this happens? I have a trickle charge port set up
through the winter clothing socket but that will not handle the current to jump start a dead battery. Also tried to catch it in gear but no
luck rear wheel locked up even in 4th gear! Later read in the owners manual that you cannot catch in gear a warm engine??? Why not???
What do you folks do if on a trip and you have a battery problem/failure?


PS- otherwise this is the smoothest best handling 2 wheeled machine I have ever owned.

My Rockster came with a negative and a positive post (the -ive on the back of the LH cylinder, and the +ive on the case by the starter body). I believe these can be retro-fitted, and are to permit the connection of jumper cables.

When my battery died 140 miles from home no-one was about with any jumper cables to try them out (thankfully I was at a meet and Riceburner was there with a couple of other helpful lads who gave me a push to bump-start it). BTW - mine would bump-start quite well, the technique was to get a push, then engage 2nd from neutral while rolling and drop the clutch while simultaneously dropping your backside as hard as possible onto the seat, then whip the clutch in the moment the motor caught. This technique worked when cold and warm I've found, but unless there's a steep well-surfaced downhill handy, you will need the help of an enthusiastic pusher to get those paint-tin size pistons to turn through compression.

Back to the battery posts on the engine..... the problem is.... I don't they are much use - at least in some cases. When I connected jumper cables to the engine posts back home, I still couldn't crank the engine with my duff battery (perhaps my battery was extra-FUBAR?).

I took a guess that the remoteness of the posts to the source (the battery) was absorbing too much energy over the cables between the +ive post and the Battery (even though it should've worked fine being basically straight onto the starter?). So, I lifted and propped up the rear of the tank and then could just about get the cable crocodiles onto the battery connections directly (I put a rag over the +ive crocodile clamp to make sure there was no chance or arcing onto the tank by accident), then she cranked over and fired straight away.

So.... best advice from my one-time experience is to employ one of the following......

a) always park near a steep hill (!)
b) sort out your bump-starting technique with a willing pusher (does anyone ever practice bump-starting? somehow I doubt it ) or;
c) hope to find someone helpful with a set of jumper cables, raise/prop the rear of the tank and attach leads straight to the battery connections (noting esp the need to insulate the +ive cable from the steel tank, and only connect the other end of the +ive jumper to the donor battery once you've connected the other 3 crocodiles safely (correct polarity goes without saying).

BTW - I'm pretty sure I read it in the owners book (yes I actually read it once - I must have been v bored) that BMW say that to jump-start one of these bikes could damage the Motronic system. I only found this out after I'd done it (twice) with no ill-effects. So whether BMW are just being uber-cautious or if there is any serious risk I don't know.

Bump Start.. neutral to 2nd.. .. yeah.. luckily I had a hill.. took two attempts.. had to push back up.. UGH!...

If I remember correctly I believe the sequence goes..

CLUTCH... BUTT SLAM.... THROTTLE ... CLUTCH....


After pushing the heavy bease up that hill twice, I sprang for a wet battery from the local battery guys. Next year, I'll do it right and get the Odyssey....

yep i thought that this bike was heavy enough to notr have to "jump down" on ther seat.

Reminisent of my youth and experiences with a 441 Beeser Victor, genrally tried parking that one on a hill,
which wasnt too hard to do In Pittsburgh!

thanks fro the replys and the advice not to jump for potential Motronic damage? Darn disappointing for a bike
I want to occasionally tour with. Sounds like when the Odyssey I put in gets to 3 yrs old better just replace it.