lone riderer
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2014
- Messages
- 540
- Reaction score
- 1
- Bike
- KTM 690 Enduro
Gentleman, I please need some pointers in troubleshooting a non-starter situation on my X-CH, seemingly electrical in nature.
Some background first. The bike has been operating absolutely faultless all it's life (40kkm) until 3 months ago in Lesotho when it developed a non-idling condition intermittently which was much fun in the slow-going rocky sections. After doing some research and speaking to the BMW mechanic the culprit was thought to be the Idle Actuator and perhaps a good clean-up of the throttle body etc. Decide to take it in for the due service at SMG Motorad Umhlanga and have the problem seen to. I pay good money to collect a few days later and the bike doesn't start. I leave it there for another few days and I get the call the bike is good with little clarification. I collect and it seems to run fine.
I load it on the bakkie and drive to my sisters in Kathu where my journey starts to the West Coast via Namakwa 4x4 trail and the Richtersveld. About 100kms into the trip I notice the idling issue is back. Bike seems to start fine (with throttle), it just won't idle, intermittently. I decide I've come this far and push on and the bike keeps misbehaving predictably until after the bone shattering roads and tracks of the Richtersveld after which it suddenly refuses to start, making the typical flat battery rapid clicking sound but coming from the ignition. Luckily my brother is down the coast and I can sort out a ride for me and bike.
Now back at home I have been trying to have a look myself as to what the problem is, having checked some wiring and earthing connections and confirming that the battery (1.5 years old) is still good. So here's the clue, the battery reads 12.6v on the terminals and across the frame but the voltage on the dash gauge reads 9v (and getting lower after each attempt) and of course it does not start with a loud clicking coming from the ignition/dash area when pressing start and the dash doing it's typical low battery rigmarol reboot sequence. I did manage to run start it but no luck starting.
So where to start? I really don't think I will take it back to BMW as they seemed to be primarily concerned with doing pre-holiday oil changes and flogging fancy mesh vest jackets or whatever that was.
Much appreciated.
EDIT background thread here https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=229862.0
Some background first. The bike has been operating absolutely faultless all it's life (40kkm) until 3 months ago in Lesotho when it developed a non-idling condition intermittently which was much fun in the slow-going rocky sections. After doing some research and speaking to the BMW mechanic the culprit was thought to be the Idle Actuator and perhaps a good clean-up of the throttle body etc. Decide to take it in for the due service at SMG Motorad Umhlanga and have the problem seen to. I pay good money to collect a few days later and the bike doesn't start. I leave it there for another few days and I get the call the bike is good with little clarification. I collect and it seems to run fine.
I load it on the bakkie and drive to my sisters in Kathu where my journey starts to the West Coast via Namakwa 4x4 trail and the Richtersveld. About 100kms into the trip I notice the idling issue is back. Bike seems to start fine (with throttle), it just won't idle, intermittently. I decide I've come this far and push on and the bike keeps misbehaving predictably until after the bone shattering roads and tracks of the Richtersveld after which it suddenly refuses to start, making the typical flat battery rapid clicking sound but coming from the ignition. Luckily my brother is down the coast and I can sort out a ride for me and bike.
Now back at home I have been trying to have a look myself as to what the problem is, having checked some wiring and earthing connections and confirming that the battery (1.5 years old) is still good. So here's the clue, the battery reads 12.6v on the terminals and across the frame but the voltage on the dash gauge reads 9v (and getting lower after each attempt) and of course it does not start with a loud clicking coming from the ignition/dash area when pressing start and the dash doing it's typical low battery rigmarol reboot sequence. I did manage to run start it but no luck starting.
So where to start? I really don't think I will take it back to BMW as they seemed to be primarily concerned with doing pre-holiday oil changes and flogging fancy mesh vest jackets or whatever that was.
Much appreciated.
EDIT background thread here https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=229862.0
