K11 Owners Group

[Hobieone]

folks, you've been a treasure of good info, her's somethings I don't even know where to start with; electrical snafus in vehicles are the reason for my bad liver, and it's getting worse .........

93 k11LT with 42K miles; just finished my first season with it last fall and put up the battery in the basement. I guess I slept thru battery tending 101 and when time came to wake up Dr. Beemer, the bat had voltage and no current.

Fast forward to new bat. Once installed, I'll bet the mill doesn't turn over 2x and fires right up. The son is ready to pee his pants. Warm up the beast while on the center stand, checking for leaks, loose fits, whatever. It seems to burn off a little more smoke during warmup, but nothing out of the ordinary. I suit up telling the lad "I'll just go for a little shakedown and be back." Kick it off the center stand, and ready to restart.............. nothing .......... lots of cranking, no fire.

I suspect an interlock problem at the side stand but the radiator fan is on -- not even CLOSE to op temps yet. A few cycles of the kickstand, various switches, whatever I can find and I try again; Roger Huston we have ignition!!!

I zip down the road, about 8 mi and all seems fine. Then it shuts down, just like someone turns off the engine. Odd thing, the tach shoots up to 7-8K, but the engine is engaged and braking me to a halt. I de-clutch, and I have oil and alt lights, no inition. At a stop the tach comes back to normal. Go to crank, no fire..... plenty of crank, no fire.

Stopped on the roadside, 10 miles from anything, I learn a few new words. Cycle the ignition switch, radiator fan now on for no reason, barely 45F on the shores of Lk. Superior. Cycle the igintion a few times, and she fires, back to the storage barn I ride. Did that whole schpeel one more time along the way.

For a few days (maybe 120 mi) it's been fine. I thought maybe the new battery was passing a kidney stone or something.

Today, same old same old. On a 30 mile trip to town and back, the ignition circuits cut out at least 6 times. A few for only a second or two, once brought me down to about 20 mph on the roadside, but each time; turn off, turn on, and restart......... the radiator came on about 1/2 of those times ........ and each time the tach shoots up to the 7-8K range.....

I checked all bat and ground connects and seem good. Cleaned and sanded each before hookups........

Is something computer wise trying to tell me it's self destructing, is there a no-brainer that I'm missing, or is this something that is going to flush my perceptions of bullet-proof reliability down the crapper?

My sincere thanx in advance ......... to one and all


I'm now to the point of wondering if the Germans are still trying to get even.

[Stoked Steve]

Wow, that's a strange one. The tach going nuts and the radiator fan coming on is what has me scratching my head.

One other ground to check is a big one under the tank, up near the front of the tank, up on top of the frame. A lot of important stuff grounds there.

Other than that, maybe call an exorcist?
_________________
Steve
Virginia Beach, VA
93 K1100RS Mystic Red SOLD
12 Suzuki DL650A VStrom

[Flying Duck]

When starter brushes get old/dirty that sometimes causes weird electrical stuff.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

[Hobieone]

Thanx Drake on the starter brushes ....... but would that effect things running on the road with no starter action whatsoever ?

Today, another 20 miles and everything is just peachy. Stop for some groceries and when I come out, on goes the ignition and on comes the radiator fan. Not good I figure. Yep, lots of crank on the mill, no fire.

I teach the son pacing around some of the new words I learned earlier, and go thru the switch cycling routine. At one point, the gauges light up WITHOUT a radiator fan, and she fires up and away we go.

So I'm back to the commonality of the radiator fan and some bad electrons floating around the ignition circuits.

Any hints ?

The prior owner gave me a complete schematic of the bike, but I have 2 problems with it; #1 I don't read or write German and #2 I can't read electric in ANY language --- it's all the FM principle to me (f ' n magic)

TIA

[Scott_Anderson]

I hate to suggest this, but it almost sounds like an issue internal to the motronic.
_________________
Ride safe.



1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

[Mystic Red]

[Saltcreek]

[Scott_Anderson]

[Saltcreek]

Thanks, Scott. It would seem this would make it more likely that the fan would not work when it should, instead of the other way around. Very mysterious.
_________________
Jim

1994 K1100LT Mystic Red, bfd, 37000 miles, sold
2009 Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 ST
2002 Litespeed titanium

[jarnbak]

If it is a late model with motronic ma2,2, try clean the connector.I have seen corrosion there due to the vertical installed connector.
Regards Palle.