Re: Rode Easy, put up slightly wet

["Patrick Coleman" <pdcolema@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the quick reply. I don't know about the manual, but considering the kind of engineer he is, I suspect he's got it memorized. I doubt he directed a stream of water into sensitive parts, but I wasn't there so I can't say for certain. 

I will say I have washed my R1100RS with a garden hose, not as frequently as I should, but at least 5 or 6 times a year, and never had any starting problems afterwards, but that's a considerably different bike. 

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- -----Original Message-----
From: "Clive Liddell" <cliddell@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 20:46:34 
To:<oilheads@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Rode Easy, put up slightly wet

Patrick,
Has he RTFM where it says not to pressure wash.  I take that to include
garden hoses.  If I want to wash off salt deposit I put on the sprinkler
that you use for seedlings and go for it ;>))   Only after bike has cooled
down ie next day though.
Regards
Clive Liddell
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
'96 R850R 85kkm
'01 R1100RT 75kkm
===========================

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-oilheads@xxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Patrick Coleman
Sent: 11 August 2006 18:38
To: oilheads@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Rode Easy, put up slightly wet

My friend Greg just called with a problem with his '05 1200GS, non-ABS. He
took a short ride, came home, let it cool down, and then gave it a light
bath. No pressure washer, just a garden hose and rags. Not a deep cleaning,
just a get the bugs off type of cleaning.

Afterwards, the bike wouldn't start. Key on, things lit up more or less
normally, but when he hit the starter, there was one click, and then
nothing. The battery tested good, horn works, he didn't really check
anything else like brake lights, turn signals, etc. Sometimes, when he
turned on the key, there wouldn't even be the one click when he hit the
starter.

After letting the bike dry out for about an hour, it started and ran fine.

Any ideas? Without other guidance, he's going to wet down the starter button
area and see if it happens again. If not, then he'll wet down the ignition
switch area, and so on until it happens again, then troubleshoot that area.

Greg is a way more than adequate bike mechanic, but this is his first BMW,
and he's only had it about 3 months.


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