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This can't be good...

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Tourmeister

Tourmeister

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Scott
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:tab So the 1200 GS has been idling rough since I bought it, sometimes even dying once or twice before it warms up. If I try to rev it to smooth it out, it will often hit a real rough spot at about 2000rpm and go no further. I went over it with the GS911 and recalibrated the throttle body stepper motors and found no other faults. No change. Then the other day I just happened to be poking around by the left cylinder and noticed this... :brainsnap

1200GS-LeftIntake.jpg


The entire throttle body assembly is backed out of the rubber boot about 3/8"!! I assume it is sucking in air and that is throwing things off. It might also explain why the bike would NOT start for about an hour after I first washed it. Now, leave it to BMW to not use a normal hose clamp like anyone else. I have no clue how to get that clamp loose. Given that I don't have a replacement, I am not real inclined to experiment with it. No doubt, it requires some over priced specialized tool. Anyone have any suggestions, or better yet, the special tool they might part with for a bit?
 
So far, my 2004 RT hasn't exibited this problem (sitting at just over 98,000)(knock on wood).

Although my F-150 is having similar problems after recently diddling with the air-intake assembly to replace a PCV unit. I'll have to trouble-shoot it later for leaks...only having this problem at idle, not when fully running, so I suspect an air leak while idling.

If your willing to maybe dremel or somehow snap the old one off, put on a more conventional worm-gear clamp. This is a frustration with BMW bikes, the need for special tools at times, this is holding back a repair needed on our CS. Otherwise, hope someone has either a tool or better solution for your situation.

I did just happen to read the current BMW-ON mag this evening, and an article by Paul Glaves about "jumping to conclusions." Basically, trouble-shoot the obvious before jumping to conclusions and spending time chasing a problem that really isn't the problem. I've done that before :giveup:

Keep us updated

Scotchale
 
Last edited:
Squeeze there and the little tab will pop up. Installation is reverse except you'll have to push the tab down.
 

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flb_78 said:
That's a pretty easy clamp to remove and install if you had room to get a pair of pliers in there.

post-knipexselfadjust.jpg
Click to expand...

Okay, got it done with a large set of needle nose pliers. Now we'll see if it runs any better tomorrow morning...
 
Scott

Your TB is indeed out a bit. To remove the clamp all you have to do is take a pair of pliers and pinch the clamp by its teets and viola it is free to re-affix, you will need a wider mouth set of pliers and pinch by the top most teet and the bottom most teet and push with a finger in the middle until you feel it catch. I will not take a lot of umph, and will come free really, really, easily.

the "four" teets... and TB placement.
964718820_Vv2N6-L.jpg


I just grabbed the first set of pliers on the top of tool box... These worked fine...

964719342_ux5zV-L.jpg


You can see the "Catch Teet" second from the bottom.

964725387_m7KSb-L.jpg


30 seconds on/off. easy peasy as they say.
 
Dang... thought I was helping by going out side to take pics and upload and type....

Move along... nothing to see here... move along.
 
I don't have these clamps on my RT, but I'll keep all these tips in mind if I ever get a 1200 GS in the next year. Nice to know some TWT folks can give some good input and pics to these sort of problems.

Scotchale
 
:tab Wow... what a difference! It must have really been sucking in a lot of extra air. The bike idled very smooth this morning, even when cold. Also, it just ran wayyy smoother on the way to work and idled smoother at stops along the way.

:tab Duke, I have some pliers like you show in the pics, and in retrospect, I think they would have worked easier than the needle noses I used. Noted for future reference ;-)
 
You probably need to redo the TB synch and stepper motor reset now since the balance has probably changed. Good to know you most likely found the problem.
 
There is a common tool made for that clamp. Just go to an auto parts shop and ask for CV joint clamp pliers. They're cheap, and won't bugger up the clamp if you want to reuse it.

Another suggestion. Try one of these: http://www.boosterplug.com/

It'll make your R1200 run like they used to before the EPA started ruining motorcycles. No more low rpm stumbling.
 
aggie81 said:
There is a common tool made for that clamp. Just go to an auto parts shop and ask for CV joint clamp pliers. They're cheap, and won't bugger up the clamp if you want to reuse it.

Another suggestion. Try one of these: http://www.boosterplug.com/

It'll make your R1200 run like they used to before the EPA started ruining motorcycles. No more low rpm stumbling.
Click to expand...

Not to jack the thread, but......
Great link for a problem that nobody has been able to give me a solution for.
Where from and how much?
 
How long has it been like that? I knew a guy that took his bike in for repair and the mechanic didn't tighten up the throttle body enough. He went like 50K miles like that and seemed to be loosing power. As it turned out, dirt had been sucked up into the engine which toasted a cylinder. They diagnosed it with a compression check (low).
 
terrebandit said:
How long has it been like that? I knew a guy that took his bike in for repair and the mechanic didn't tighten up the throttle body enough. He went like 50K miles like that and seemed to be loosing power. As it turned out, dirt had been sucked up into the engine which toasted a cylinder. They diagnosed it with a compression check (low).
Click to expand...

:tab I bought it in mid June. I have only put about 1500 miles on the bike since then. I presume it has been that way the whole time as it was idling rough from the very beginning. I have no idea how long it might have been that way prior to my purchase of the bike. However, now that it is fixed, the bike seems to be running very well. I will soon be doing a valve job, TB synch, etc,... as part of the normal scheduled maintenance.
 
yeah, the guy that had the bike I talked about also had a long dirt road that went to his house. He drove that thing just about every day, plus he went to AK one time on it like that. It was a FJR
 
I always carry in my tool bag a few meters of S/S safety wire for when a clamp goes bad. I've made "safety wire" clamps when broke down in wilderness areas for radiator hose and fuel hose without problems to get me home until I could find an appropriate clamp. I've also used it to wire my gearshift lever back onto the bike after it fell off one time.
 
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