K11 Owners Group

[Ernie-NH]

Good morning all....

Say.... getting to the relays on a K1100LT is real PIA !! What the heck was BMW thinking ? This is almost a complete disassembly ???? What's been your experiences? I'm contemplating re-routing the entire 'wire system' to a more accessible 'behind the seat' location..

Regards all.........// Ernie-NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

[Flying Duck]

It's not THAT bad. Remove the seat, remove the clips on the gas tank and lift up the rear of the bank or pull the tank back and set it off to the side. If you have a tall chair or equivalent you don't need to remove the fuel lines and can leave the gas tank attached.

I got my tank off in about 30 seconds one day. (The heated grip wires were smoking so I was very motivated.)
_________________
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

[BobZ(IL)]

Getting to the battery is the REAL PIA.
_________________
'93 K1100LT
'78 R100S
'05 R1200GS
BMWMOA, CRBMWOA, ABC, K11OG #997

Live well, do good work, enjoy the ride.

[SugarHillCTD]

Ernie,

I agree with you. But once you "clear the deck" by getting the tank and seat off, accessibility is pretty good.

Found the cause of your charging problem yet?

The + side lug on the back of the alternator is tight, yes? And all the ground attachments are tight also?

Saturday looks like the better day of the weekend- if you are still OK to go.

Good luck with those pesky electrons.
John
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

[Scott_Anderson]

Ernie, did you do an LED upgrade to the inst cluster?
If you did, did you accidently replace the batt indicator light with an LED did you?
SOME(I didn't say all) alternators won't charge with an LED in the exciter circuit.

I replaced the regulator on the '95 this winter. It was charging but it was weak. The replacement reg was only like $30-35 including new brushes.
_________________
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)

[Ernie-NH]

Hi Scott....

Thanks, good tip, but "no" I've not replaced any bulbs ( yet ). Hope others read your tip and take heed !

Hi John...

As yet, it doesnt look god for me to get out on Sat.. I've GOT to get this charging thing resolved. So today I'll tear back into the disassemble and get at the alternator. Shame BMW doesnt use an externally accessible "voltage regulator" like they used to instead of that alternator integral " voltage rectifier". Makes for a lot of work IF that is part of the problem.

So back to the garage for the day !

Best regards all..............// Ernie-NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

[Flying Duck]

Note: I used my Godlike mod powers and added battery charging to the title of this thread since we're heading down that path.

Ernie:

Your symptom is that you charging lamp stays on for several minutes after starting the bike and then goes out, right?

I'd suspect the battery is dying. Here's why:

How the circuitry works on a K:

When the bike is turned on the voltage from the battery is routed to one side of the charge indicator bulb in the cluster. When not running (alternator not generating current) that puts a difference on 12V across the bulb and it lights up. Once the bike is running and the alternator diode board has been excited, the blue wire from the alternator puts 12V to the other side of the bulb. When the bulb has 12V on both sides of it that's a net voltage of 0V so the light goes out.

In your case, it sounds like the voltage to the bulb on the battery side might be low causing the bulb to stay lit for a few minutes until the alternator has had the time to recharge the battery from the drain of starting the bike.

Two courses of action:

1) Get the battery load tested. Most auto parts stores will do this for free if you bring the battery to the parts desk.

2) Just get a new battery - which is a good "insurance" policy anyhow.

I'm a big fan of the Odyssey PC680 battery and that's what I use in my bikes. My last one lasted 5+ years and it had an abusive life (numerous deep discharges for a variety of reasons) but they usually last 6-7 years or even longer. Yes, they're a tad expensive but for the $/year and known reliability I think it's a good value.

If you Google around a lot, you can stumble across them in the $110ish shipped price range but it might take a while to find it. They generally run in the $130 shipped range.
_________________
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

[Flying Duck]

Also, are you actually riding the bike any distance or just starting it and letting it run for a few minutes? If you're starting it and just letting it run for a short period then your battery does not get a chance to get fully recharged. If a battery is at a low state of charge then it takes a fair amount of riding to get it charged back up to it's normal peak state of charge. The light going out does not indicate it's been fully recharged.
_________________
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

[Ernie-NH]

Good morning Duck !!

Thanks for both the PMs and the Thread responses.... as I mentioned, I have been through EVERY wire, connection, coupler, etc....and have found nothing that would be troublesome. This morning I went for a little 10 mile breezer just to see what would happen, and as I told you in the PM, after about 5 or maybe 6 minutes the "charge lamp" extinguished itself. However after returning the, the battery did not have enough "umph" ( technical term ) to grind out a single rev.! This is now the second time. Rior to this morning, I bench tested all relays and they are all functional, I did not test the starter relay no need... That is why I started to consider "Battery Defect" and I think your input here this morning confirms that this is the most probable cause. Winter battery storage here in New England is long and hard, so the 3 year old battery that appears fully charged ( 13.2 v ) may have the voltage but NOT the capacity.... So, without further ado, I'm off to locate a battery ( 19 aH or above ) and restart the 'startup' process. Will keep you briefed as to "success or failure" .....

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate your input and advice...

very best regards............// Ernie-NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7

[Flying Duck]

3 years in your winters is hardly what I'd call a "defect."

A fair amount of riders in cold climates, when they put their bikes up for the winter, actually bring the battery inside.

All it does here is rain for nine months so we don't have to bother with that in my neck of the woods.
_________________
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

[Ernie-NH]

THANK YOU all.... a new battery has been ordered !

Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend..

best regards..........// Ernie-NH
_________________
AMA,, American Deaf Bikers
Airhead Beemers Club
'11 G650gs
'95 K1100LT
'76 R100/7