can back and forth in gear to get it to start, you’ve seen what a dead spot in the start- er’s brushes can do. Between the battery, the solenoid, the
starter and all the wiring connecting those three components together, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Luckily, it’s relatively easy to use a digital volt-ohm meter to test the basics of the circuit, and that could point you right to the likely problem. If you’re having a problem with your
motorcycle that you’d like me to address, send your questions or issues to editor@
bmwmoa.org, and we’ll address your prob- lem in a future issue. Next time I’ll discuss how BMW’s integral brakes function and go over why bleeding the brakes on a bike so equipped is a little more involved than it looks.
George Mangicaro owns Beemers Uber Alles, an independent BMW shop in Manas- sas, Virginia. His first BMW was a Slash 5 and he currently rides an R 1100 RT with over 140,000 miles on it.
It may be hard to determine which lug on the starter connects to the battery and which to the starter, but you’ll know once you start testing it with your DVOM. It’s important to make sure the contacts are clean and tight. Corrosion such as seen in this photo should be carefully cleaned and the nuts retightened after cleaning.
Connect This Battery +
Battery + Battery + Battery + Battery + Battery + Battery +
Solenoid IN
Solenoid OUT Solenoid IN
To This
Battery – (or ground) Battery – (or ground) Starter Lug Starter Lug Solenoid IN
Solenoid OUT Solenoid OUT Starter Lug Starter Lug Starter Lug
Readout
12V (or more) <12V 12V
<12V 0V
12V
<12V 12V 0V
<12V
Set your DVOM to Volts DC (VDC) and use this handy reference chart.
Problem/No Problem No Problem
Problem
No Problem Problem
No Problem No Problem Problem
No Problem No Problem Problem
August 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS 61
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