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

Have any of you guys ever had a problem like this with your R1150R?

The bike turns over and starts but it won't stay running. This has happened to me twice. Also, the constant restarting caused a slight electrical burning smell (I'm guessing from overheating the starter). The only way to keep the bike running is to start it and keep it at moderate throttle (if I let the bike idle it would die again and again). After 10 minutes of running at normal speed, the bike runs fine.

What the heck? Is this a prelude to a problem? If I had to venture a wild guess I would say the fuel pump is giving out.

What do you guys think? If this is the case, what's the approximate replacement cost (out of warranty) to replace a fuel pump on a 2004 R1150R Series 80?

Have the codes read before you do anything. The injection throttle bodies have Throttle Position Sensors (TPS) that sometimes fail if they have been pressure washed. The injection system also has a cold start sequence that relies on inputs from a temperature sensor, and that circuit sometimes gets dirty. Both fixes are relatively inexpensive, and certainly much less costly than a new pump.

Rich, are you using the "choke" (aka "high idle") lever in front of the clutch lever when you start up cold? If it won't idle with that on in Florida, there is a problem...

Thanks for the input. Funny, I never use the high-idle level since it doesn't really work on my bike (it won't stay in the "pulled-forward" position, it just falls back to a midpoint position which doesn't affect the idle at all). I simply give the throttle a little twist when I start the bike, then just put it in gear and drive away (I don't like to just let the bike idle anyway, to me it wastes gas; I just get going right away and drive slowly for the first few blocks until the bike warms up).

But in these instances it's different. I have to keep the RPM's over 2000 or, if I release the throttle a little, the bike will just die. Once the bike warms up (about a minute or so of driving), then it'll idle just fine. Maybe it is a Temp Sensor or a Throttle Position Sensor or whatever sensor - who knows?

*Sigh* I'm starting to miss the fully-mechanical aspects of my old Honda now (no sensors, computers or other electronic wizardry, save for the electronic ignition for the spark plugs). Yes it all adds up to a more "civilized" ride I suppose; but at the same time it's just more things that can go wrong.

If you need a sensor to tell a computer there's something wrong with the bike, what happens when the sensor itself goes bad? It's so ironic: Something is wrong with the sensor that tells the bike that something is wrong with the bike.

Go figure. Sounds like the sensor needs a sensor....

My bike is in Florida and it never starts from the first time with the "choke" all the way up, unless the bike is hot, of course. I always need to add it a little throttle too at the cold start. I think it is a Throttle Position Sensors. I looked at the TPS on the left side of the bike, and it has paint/mark only on one screw instead of both. I wish one day someone will come to one of the Rallies and offer a service like; TPS adjustments, body and cables synchronizations and codes reading.

Try this. Pull the idle swithch up and start. Let it settle to the mid position for a couple of blocks and then push all the way down. Works all the time for me. That mid position does set the idle a little higher while engine warms up.

dcameron wrote:Try this. Pull the idle swithch up and start. Let it settle to the mid position for a couple of blocks and then push all the way down. Works all the time for me. That mid position does set the idle a little higher while engine warms up.

The problem with mine is I have to physically pull the lever all the way back and hold it there with my fingers for it to make any difference (that would make for some difficult driving ). If I let it go, it falls back to the mid-point and at mid-point there is no change in the RPM's at all (it's not even slightly higher - the bike is at idle with the lever at mid-point).

Sounds like my "choke" cable needs adjusting too....

All I can say is, my R1150R works as the man. says it is supposed to. Maybe it is the warmer climate? (For you that is )

Rich, when was the last time your throttle bodies were synched? I wonder if your air bleed screws are out of adjustment or there is dirt in the orifices, since these control your idle speed. What is your hot idle rpm?

According to the previous owner and the maintenance logbook, the 30,000 mile and annual service were both done at last August at 29,500. I bought the bike with 29,750 miles. It now has 31,250.

It's right on the money when warmed up - 1100RPM.

It does sound like your "fast idle" cable is loose. My R idles at about 1500RPM with the idle adjust lever all the way up, 'bout 1300 with it in the mid-position, 1100 with it off. As you describe it, it s not even engaging at all until it's all the way up. I think the adjusting ferule is at the throttle cable 'junction box' down under the tank.

Its supposed to fall back to the mid point position!
The top position is for you to hold it there while you press the starter, then let it go back to the mid point position until it warms a few blocks then manually push it all the way down.

For some reason the right hand throttle cable does not affect the high idle starting procedure the same as the high idle position switch. Mine would do the same thing when my high idle cable was too loose and I would just try to manually give it a high idle setting with the right throttle grip.

It could be your high idle cable is just a little too loose or too tight. Check the most obvious items first before fooling around with the TPS.

Try this. When your bike is good and warm and the idle is sitting at 1100 RPMs, pull your high idle switch up to the middle position. Then start adjusting the play in the cable until you have about 1500RPMs. It won't take long for the bike to overheat while running so you have to be kind of qucik with the adjusting procedure.