I own a 2019 R1250 GS Adventure which I bought new and I live in Victoria, Australia. I will keep this as short as possible and try and avoid going into any details that readers and fellow owners already know. I have experienced all the starting problems that have been documented by riders around the world for four years. The sudden and unexplained no-start events, the myriad of TFT screen fault messages etc. I do not know if this problem applies to every MY but it certainly applies to MY19, MY20 and MY21 as I have read user complaints online. I have used a total of four AGM batteries in four years, Exide (which caused problems in the first 3 weeks of bike delivery), Deka, Yuasa and SSB, all have been either 200 CCA or 240 CCA batteries. Batteries have always been fully charged and able to pass a load test when the bike failed to start and have been connected to an appropriate charger when the bike has not been in use. So battery problems are not confined to a specific batch of Exide batteries that were factory fitted by BMW when the bike was new. My son has an R1200 GS Adventure, he has used the same AGM batteries, and he has had zero starting problems over the four years that I have owned my bike. Regardless of the healthy status of all four AGM batteries the starting problems have always suggested that a battery power problem existed. Any mature vehicle system does not require changes to valve clearances, or require pushing whilst in gear, or any other unusual or creative change to get the vehicle to start. Does anyone have to do that with their car? Standard comments from BMW dealers have included ‘cannot replicate the fault’ and ‘they all do that’ along with others. Is BMW Motorrad really happy with that state of affairs? It has appeared so. I purchased a GOOLOO GP2000 lithium jump starter, it is small, light, and quick and easy to use. I carry it in my top box and it started the bike every time I needed it to. The bike started instantly and essentially proves that the complete starting circuit is serviceable provided that sufficient cranking power is available. BMW obviously made significant changes (mechanical & electrical) from the R1200 GS Adventure to the R1250 GS Adventure. When making those configuration changes did they carry out a detailed Power Management study under all user operating conditions, in all environments that users operate these bikes in, and over a reasonable period of time to ensure that the starting circuit for instance, from the battery right through to the starter motor and everything in-between, were compatible and actually worked? Only BMW know the answer to that question. I used the GOOLOO GP2000 for many months on many occasions to prove to myself that the starting circuit is serviceable enough to be operated as designed, and as delivered on the bike when it was new. Once I was convinced that the problem was the power source then I researched a safe and more capable alternative. You can research the various chemistries of Lithium batteries yourselves if you wish, I selected Lithium (Li) Iron (Fe) Phosphate (PO4) which is LiFePO4, it’s the safest battery chemistry and fit for purpose. I purchased a SSB Powersport Lithium Ultralite, LiFePO4, LFP14H-BS, 150mm X 87mm x 93mm. The battery came complete with screw on plastic spacers to raise the battery height to suit the motorcycle battery compartment. The bike now enthusiastically starts first time every time, under all conditions and as it should have done when I purchased it in the first place. I finally have the bike that I thought I purchased four years ago. Ignition has improved and all lights and displays have improved. If this problem went away at some production point then what was changed during production and why don’t all users know about it? Prior to starting the bike the ‘My Vehicle’ screen on the TFT display always shows a battery voltage approaching, or at, 13 volts I have an Ozcharge OC-PRO80L 12 volt 480ma LiFePO4 battery charger which I have not used again since I charged the battery when it was new straight out of the box. As soon as the charger tells you that the battery is fully charged then disconnect the charger. I have a charging pigtail lead fitted to the bike and I check the battery voltage with a meter via this lead before using the bike. The battery voltage is now always between 13.27 volts and 13.30 volts. The most the voltage ever drops in a week or more is 0.01 volts (1/100th of a volt) which is probably due to the bike internal clock and maybe a standby function of the keyless start module. The bike charging system is capable of keeping the battery charged and I will only use the battery charger/maintainer if the battery voltage ever drops below 13 volts which it hasn’t done and so far doesn’t look like it will. You do NOT, and SHOULD NOT, keep the appropriate battery charger/maintainer connected to your bike when the bike is not in use. Do I leave the GOOLOO GP2000 at home? No I don’t as I may meet a fellow R1250 GSA rider one day who is stuck at the side of the road/trail or next to a fuel pump in a service station because his bike will not start.
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Hi, Thank you very much for your post. It included a lot of information which I believe will be useful for other people with the same problem out there. Thanks again and best regards //Patric
This is happening with mine registered Sept 2019. Mine also died whilst riding it. Tried to restart it but sounded like the battery was flat. Called recovery but after 30 mins I thought I would give it another try while waiting for the recovery to arrive. The bike started!! Quickly rode it to the dealer for them to check, nothing from the diagnostics. They replaced side stand switch as they they thought this might be an issue, in addition updated the software. Bike started fine for two other outings, no problem. But out at the weekend 19th Jan 2020, rode to meet up with some mates to go for a ride. Got to the meeting point , had a chat and then tried to start the bike to set-off, same problem, battery appears flat. Will be taking it to the dealer and will leave it with them until it's resolved. You've got to have confidence in your bike and sadly I don't at the moment. Interestingly, one of my mates on a new GSA also had a starting issue later on the ride, same symptons like a flat battery. It was a cold day but hey, these are meant to be adventure bikes!!!
4 ปีที่แล้ว +2
I think there is some kind of design issue on the 1250 engine, let's hope that BMW finds out what it is and solves it permanently.
Same problem with my 1250 RT (same engine) Battery is OK (replaced twice). Voltage goes down and up. After several tries, the board computer goes back to factory settings (German language, all my settings lost). BMW Motorrad says that the problem is related to the exhaust camshaft and there is no fix available yet. My bike is in the dealer's workshop for several weeks now, will ask the importer for replacement.
My bike has been fixed, by the dealer. BMW acknowledge (known fault) battery amps insufficient and new battery fitted. Mine was registered Sept 19 and my friends GSA, had the same issue, was registered in June 19. It is possible that a bad batch of batteries were fitted arounf this time.
@@neilking1 Had a new battery, new starter, and had the exhaust valves re-shimmed on the left cylinder. The right cylinder valves were spot on. So far so good. Bike Oct 2019. Bet BMW will come out with a mod to the exhaust camshafts to allow greater decompression.
4 ปีที่แล้ว
Stéphane Spoerli Hi, Thanks for the information, interesting to hear about the camshaft.
UPDATE and great news! Last week called me the dealer they have found the problem and reapired it satisfactorily. Earlier they updated the software but nothing has changed. (My bike engine code: 0J91 - Europe, Hungary 2019.) As I guessed earlier the problem was the compression. Compression release did not work consistently on the left cylinder. That's why it will start sometimes, depending on if the bad side is on compression on that first turn. Not the automatic decompressor was the defective part, it works perfectly. The problem is the exhaust VALVE CLEARANCE. The clearance was too big (even within tolerance) so they adjusted it (within factory tolerance) because with this factory setting the decompressor cam did not open the valve as much as it should. I don’t know how they made the adjustment, because the valve clearance adjusted by steel balls, they may change the ball to bigger size (to reduce the clearance). Here is a video of a 1200 wethead adjustment: th-cam.com/video/OqWgZTkFeM8/w-d-xo.html So if your bike doing similar malfunctions measure the compression, its a simple process! I am wondering how can this 20.000$ bike come out from factory with this settings than can cause this kind of severe malfunction. Anyway, I am happy and I can finally enjoy my bike. More information and exchange of experience in this Adv.Rider topic: advrider.com/f/threads/r1250gs-starting-problem.1418465/
@ A could not test much, but everything seems to be OK. I made two short tour with a couple start. I hope that the compression was my bike's problem. If the weather and the corona let me out, I will test it more, because it interests me too.
do you think it is possible to work around this issue by turning the rear wheel by hand (to get left side exhaust off compression stroke), if you're stuck? or is it too difficult on this large engine?
Hello folks! The same issue was happening on my May 2019 1250 GSA, although it wasn’t nearly as bad as what some of you are facing, probably because it doesn’t get as cold in India. BMW Motorrad India checked the bike and to cut the long story short what they’ve identified as the cause is the battery. It’s particularly an issue with batteries manufactured by Exide. They’ve replaced the battery with a BMW branded battery and I understand the issue has been resolved. I haven’t been able to pick up the bike yet from the dealership. I will keep everyone here posted once I’ve picked up my bike and tested it. Hope this helps!
Karanvir Gill this is exactly what happened to my bike, had the same starting problem, went to the dealer, gave them the video of the issue and they sent the video to BMW, BMW daid that the new 1250 gsa dont work well with the exide battery, they changed the battery with a bmw brand(cement color) never had the starting problem after that
Many thanks. R1250GS / 5,000km / 2019 / UK. I now have this starting problem. Prior to investigating, I assumed it was the battery or starter. Changed Battery to even higher CCA (240) than standard battery. Cleaned Battery terminals got starter checked. Problem still persists. Having read about this problem on many forums, I now believe it's the decompression. This week I shall be checking the exhaust valve clearances (0.34mm to 0.41mm) and will set them ( 4 in total ) to 0.34mm or 0.35mm by buying replacement shims. Let's see what happens.
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Thanks for the feedback, please let us know the result after the check. Br
@ Hi again. Okay GOOD NEWS I think... I have just completed the Valve Clearance checks. Prior to commencing, I attempted 10 starts. 4 were without problem and the other 6 were failures. (Didn't start or stuttered and started). The Valve Clearances are: INLET 0.10mm to 0.17mm respectively. EXHAUST 0.34mm to 0.41mm. (There are 2 inlets and 2 exhaust valves on each cylinder of course) On the LHS Cylinder the Exhaust clearances were 0.40mm and 0.41mm!!! On the RHS Cylinder the clearances were 0.35mm and 0.36mm. So, I adjusted the LHS Cylinder to 0.35mm and 0.36mm by replacing these shims with larger shims (thickness). Whilst I had everything out, I checked and adjusted the INLETS as well. On completion of reassembly and checks (couple of hours ago) I crossed my fingers and did the first start! Fired up immediately and was definitely quicker and healthier. I then let her warm up (as it is still sub zero temps here in the UK) and restarted many times ( ~ 8 ) and all perfect. I will be doing starts in the garage for the next few days as further checks. So, I think the problem was the excessive exhaust valve clearances in the LHS cylinder which I think wasn't allowing the cylinder to be decompressed adequately to allow the starter to cleanly start the engine. Anyway, I am hoping this is a fix! Fingers crossed. I didn't make a video but I did take photos which I will hopefully produce a montage with 'knowhow' information on how I did the valve clearances and pop it up into my little channel, Of course, there are a few people out there who have already done this. A big thanks to Patric and indeed all the others who suggested this exhaust valve clearance issue. Anyway, I will get back in a few days with an update and also a ref for the valve clearance procedure incase anybody wants it.
Latest Update. I found the problem! LHS Auto decompression mechanism has failed. I'm now going to replace. Video on CLLUK. Will upload another video on completion and test.
I experienced the same problem last weekend. Started the bike without a problem, rode it 30 miles or so, stopped and when tried to restart it some 10 minutes later it behaved just as shown on the video! R1250 GSA registered June 2019. I called my good lady, who travelled out to meet me with a battery jump starter. Tried it several times whilst waiting without any luck, same thing. 30 minutes later, plugged the jumper onto the battery terminals and cranked the bike.... fired up without an issue! Once home have had it hooked up to a float charger, however despite the charger reporting full charge, bike has failed to start with the same symptoms when testing. Looks the battery isn’t holding its charge! Will be calling dealership tomorrow.
Spoke to dealer today, who seems to be acknowledging that there is a known problem... BMW have apparently sent remediation instructions for such an issue, so will see what transpires. Assist are collecting the bike tomorrow.
Dealer is confident they have fixed the problem, which was being caused by a faulty battery - BMW advised that they should change it owing to issues that link it to a bad batch. They couldn’t tell me whether the battery tested faulty for sure, but seem to be suggested that it was short of amps - reason for the voltage to drop significantly during startup. Anyhow, its being returned to me tomorrow, so will wait and see. Will be carrying around my battery jump starter for some time to come!
4 ปีที่แล้ว
Neil Kennedy Interesting, my dealer are confident that it’s not the battery that causes the problem and are now waiting for 5 parts for the starter that BMW recommended to replace.
This is plain and simple compression settings that cannot be overcome by the battery even its healthy. There was an update mid 2023 that eased the compression and solved my problem.
June 2022 -2019 R1250GSA - 8500Kms Australia, same problem will contact my dealer this week. I do note a tap from the left hand cylinder head. Let me down big time this week after refueling, would not turn over. After leaving for 5 minutes it turned over slowly and thankfully was enough for the bike to start. Now cannot reset journey break and other individual settings. Trip meter 1 did not reset after fueling. This has always been a problem with the bike from new but not as bad as now.
Just bought a 23 1250 gs with 0Ks on it. Having the same issue, curious if there has been any follow up from BMW? Will have to trail mine back to the shop only 2 hours away without even a ride; awesome.
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Hi, Sad to hear what you are experiencing :( I haven't heard anything from BMW regarding this problem, although it's been present since 2019 when the 1250 was released. Thanks for the feedback Best regards //Patric
Hello Patric & Gang! I stumbled upon this page (and the 14 ADVRider pages reporting the same issue!) while doing research for my own new 1250GS purchase. Thank you all for your posts. If I understand the issue correctly from all of the posts I’ve read here and on ADVRider, it appears that this is a cylinder compression issue related to the clearance of the exhaust valves, and the automatic cylinder decompression feature not being able to compensate for it. The cylinder becomes locked up due to the compression and the starter motor is not able to overcome it. The symptoms of the issue then present as a weak battery (which it still may well be) and crazy voltage drop as the starter tries to start the bike but can’t. Have I summarized the collective knowledge accurately? If not guys, please correct me. If I have summarized the issue correctly, has anyone tried pushing the bike forward a bit in 1st gear with the clutch out to move the cylinders and valve train and then tried starting the bike after? If so, what was the result? Thanks for any responses. And I’ll be checking back to learn more from everyone’s collective experience. Hope there is a definitive BMW fix coming soon. 🤞
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Hi, I have heard theories about both valve clearance and decompression valve, but not combined like you describe it. According to my vendor there has been problem with a batch of batteries as well, of course this makes the problem even worse when you get into the situation when the engine locks. When I had this problem the first time the battery suddenly was totally empty, my guess is that this battery was defect. We tried to start the bike by pushing it but it was to hard to get the engine rotating even on higher gears. The bike started fine when we jumped start it with a car and cables. My guess is that we managed to move the cylinder a little during our session with pushing it around, but I can’t say that for 100%. I think your theories makes sense a lot and this is the best summary I have seen so far, thanks a lot. Do you have a source for this information or did you find it out by your self? Thanks again for a really good summary. All the best //Patric
Hi Patric! Thank you for your kind comment. No, I do not have an official source for my hypothesis. That is why I asked in my first comment if anyone had tried rolling the bike in gear and what the result was. It is only my hypothesis and I do not claim it to be correct. After watching your video and the one on bkriss’ page, reading all of the comments on both pages, and then reading all of the comments on the MANY pages related to this issue on ADVRider I thought I was beginning to see a pattern. The hard starting problem was beginning to look to me like the result of a stacking of multiple issues - not any one issue by itself. Batteries appear to play a part if they are weak. It seems new or higher capacity batteries may resolve/mask the issue for awhile for some depending on the mechanical state of a particular bike’s engine. It may resolve the issue completely if the engine tolerances aren’t too off. For others it may only be temporary once the replacement battery weakens. Your comment about how hard it was to push your bike and get it to roll while in gear is very interesting. It might also be a clue. It should be possible to push it like this rather easily - with some effort, of course. Think of the mechanical advantage we have to turn the engine when pushing the bike in gear - the gearing itself and the large rear wheel. Now think about how hard it must be for the starter motor to try to turn a ‘stuck’ engine with it’s tiny little gear and no mechanical advantage. Sounds like a recipe for big current draw, big voltage drop and a dead or weak battery. Jumping the battery may give it that extra electrical advantage it needs to brute force the start Again, just a hypothesis. How has your bike been since your last post? All good I hope? Cheers!
My bike have the exact symptoms I was once told by another rider to put it in first gear rock the bike with the clutch out and it worked. But after that trying it again didn't work. My bike is with the dealership now almost 2 weeks. They are trying the valve clearances route mentioned. By the way it is my 2nd new battery as well so that part eliminated.
Hi Patrick, I have the same problem. Mine started but very hard, and I get "check the brake light" warning. It happend 2 times in 1000km. Bike was in gear with clutch pulled when starting. Bike is 05/2019.
4 ปีที่แล้ว
Marko Vuleta Hi, I also got warning about my tail light. Thanks for adding information here.
I had the same with my GS adventure, from September 2021 37.700km about a year and half old. I wanted start it in the morning, bike sleeps outside -10°C, and it wouldn’t start, i tried 6times. I put the rain cover on and a hot air blower underneath for 15min; after the onboard computer showed +4°C i could start the engine on the first try. Mid December 2022. End of January 2023 same problem , this time I started the bike at +2°C and rode for some 5-7km, parked for 10min and couldn’t make it start again no matter what. Got it on a trailer and brought it to the dealership/mechanic (official BMW motorrad Berlin) they checked the battery, changed it (for free) and handed me back the motorcycle the next day. Now it starts without problems (only tried at -1°C) and I’m curious how long it will last, because i red on forums this is a quite common problem for the BMW 1250 engine.
Im in California and my 2019 R1250GS has the same symptoms. Sometimes starts and sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t start I let it cool for about one hour and then starts just fine. I was going to replace the battery myself thinking that was the problem but after reading your comments I think it’s better to take it to the dealer.
Same here, in Ireland, 2019 r1250gs. Started, rode8 miles stopped for 10 minutes, bike wouldn’t start and same as video. Battery had been on an Optimate trickle charger all night (as is usual). I had to get a cab home and go back with a booster pack to jump her and it started first time. Dealer just told me it was a flat battery! Thankfully, that was 3 months ago and hasn’t happened since.
I'm also affected by this issue. It started on September 5th, 2019, 1 month after I got the bike delivered. It has been checked by the dealer but didn't find anything but upgraded the software as a new version was out. About two weeks ago it happened again. When testing the battery voltage with a multimeter the voltage can drop as low as 6-7 volts. Now I have the charger plugged in whenever I'm parked overnight and no issues since but this is just a workaround until the dealership fixes the issue. It has the Exide battery. R1250GS Exclusive. Sweden
Update: Was an issue with the generator leaking oil into the electrical system or something like that. Seems to be a known issue. However today on the freeway the engine died and wouldn't start again and was towed back to the workshop after 100km riding since the generator replacement. I'm very disappointed with BMW at this point.
Hello Patrick. 2021 R1250GS, exactly the same issue when starting in gear. I am located in Panama. Did you find a solution. Mine is a new bike with only 6,000kms.
Hi there! Greetings from Essex County, UK!... My 2015 R1200GSA now refuses to start... after I refuel it !!!... I've ended up having to jump start it 3 times at the petrol station in the past month... How embarrassing... Battery is a year old, bike has literally just had a full service at 35000 miles... To say I'm frustrated is an understatement...
having the same problem when weather gets cold....... already changed battery, the same problem still happens...... the original size battery is too weak for start motor of such a big engine .....
My 2013 r1200gs has the same problem😂 I press the start button and I heard starter motor working,but the engine doesn't start,then I pressed start button and it works,it's a new battery on my bike,maybe it's too cold to caused this?
Hi Patric, just been out to the garage and started another 12 times (OK, normal starts). I'm not saying this is resolved as it could reoccur, don't know. Fingers continuously crossed. I'm hoping that fixing those very large valve clearance gaps on the LHS cylinder solved the issue. Here is the video I put together on how the bikes started before and after and the valve clearance checks/adjustments. For the benefits of others the Battery is NEW (240 CCA!) and all inline connections OK. th-cam.com/video/z6y3F-DOTlg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-3g0WopBf6nKhpqa
Hi, If even after battery swapping the problem remains then all the symptoms shown by this are looking like a major parasitic drain happening from the battery. I suspect most likely the factory fitted earthing wire connected to the chassis from the negative terminal of the battery may have corrosion or no proper connection is happening which is resulting in the battery draining like crazy. What one can do is make a 8-9 mm thick sheathed electrical copper wire with battery connectors crimped on both sides, then connect one end to the negative terminal of the battery and the other end to any of the points of the chassis where a metal bolt is there so that the crimped section can be held by this bolt. It will hardly cost you €2 - 3 for the parts and labour and is a simple job. Once you install this secondary wire to the chassis, the earthing leakage will stop and the rapid draining of the battery will go away and everything should be hunky dory and running like new. Alternatively you may ask the BMW service to confirm if your vehicle has 1 earthing point or two earthing points on your vehicle that will give you a base line to identify and rectify the issue. This kind of faulty earthing (also known as earthing leakage) problem is quite common amongst a lot of bikes including Yamaha R1, Honda Gold wing and other class of bikes where the chassis is powder coated or the bolt (usually zinc is electroplated on it as a protective coating) holding the earthing wire eventually gets corroded due to exposure to elements or salt. Kawasaki motorcycles usually have two earthing points on almost all of their bikes right from the factory so usually they don't suffer from such issues. You may try this simple mod as it won't cost you a moon nor it will lead to the motorcycle catching fire and exploding. However do note that this is just a hunch based on common issued experienced on other motorcycles. Hope this helps, ✌🏻😬
2 batteries later and yep I have the same on my GS and an almighty clank sometimes which sounds like it could be causing damage that’ll end up costing me big bucks !!! Warranty has now expired and so where do I stand now ?? The problem was never fixed during the warranty period but whatever first caused it still exists ! It’s almost like the cheapest make do remedy will keep you out of their hair for a while …. But you will be back until your warranty runs out ….20k for what ???
hello from Greece. i have from september a BMW GSA 1250 HP with 3500 km and i have the same problem. the dealer cant find anything!!!! I had GSA 1200 for 3 years and i made 40.000 km with out a problem! and now all my confidence go away! i dont have trust to go somewhere with out another bike because i dont know if my bike will start again!!! its rediculous
4 ปีที่แล้ว +1
Hi Omikros Gaidaros Thanks for your post, good to know that we are more and more that that are experiencing this problem. My dealer are still waiting for one part out of five for the starter. I feel the same as you, my confidence is getting lower and lower for this bike. Best regards //Patric
@ today my dealer change my battery with a new one! that was the order from the germany motorrad center. to be honest i dont think so that the problem start from the battery but.... we will see!
4 ปีที่แล้ว +1
Omikros Gaidaros My dealer has tried with a new battery several times and unfortunately it does not solve the problem. Thanks for the information 👍
@@skolikaseri καλησπερα! μου αλλαξαν μπαταρια μεσα στην εγγυηση και απο τοτε δεν εχει ξανα παρουσιασει το ζητημα καθολου. περιμενω βεβαια να δω τωρα με τα κρυα αν τυχον θα το ξανα κανει.
I see a "fall/drop sensor" error, did you check it? you can simulate it by turning 90° left or right... it will stall the engine and unable to start the engine.
Same problem…. Went out for a ride about 35 miles stopped for a minute.then bike would not start. i rolled the bike about fifty feet then tryed again nothing. tried starting it every couple of minutes still nothing. Waited 25 minutes and it started up. go figure !!!! A month prior to this issue i mistakenly let the battery drain out and had to charge it back up. Other than this… i have had weird instances were the battery should be fully charged after riding for awhile and stoped for gas and tried staring the bike and the battery seemed a little week. I have heated grips and found that its best to make sure you turn them off before turning the motor off.
I was considering changing bike and getting a gs, but upon watching the video and then reading all the comments, I think I might stick with my 16 yr old Suzuki Bandit as it’s been utterly reliable, the only caviat is once when I hadn’t put it on the trickle charger when the weather turned cold and the battery went flat.
i have exacte same problem, run for ex: an hour stop for filling gas and it does't want to start again like yours. R1250GS 2019 3600KM. Send it to the dealer but I have to wait 1 week before they start looking at it!! will see.
@@jamesdickie7752 Hi James, no I didn't find the problem. The other problem i had is a really bad dealer who didn't want to investigate. Unfortunately because of this problem I sold my GS 2 weeks ago. The guy who buy it and couple of people on internet thing the problem is with the exhaust valve asdjustment. Let me know if you find the solution.
@@jamesdickie7752 thanks James, let me know also I still have to decide if I'm going with a new GSA or maybe a Super Tenere. I'm waiting after the covid because in Montreal (Qc) we are in red zone and we can't go anywhere.
I also have 1 R1250 GS HP 2019 starting problem the same in Viet Nam, I trying find reason and sollution to solve it, Can you help me to understad more problem?
My bike does the dame thing when the temperature is below freezing, i left the battery charging all night a couple days ago and it didnt make that starting issue after cranking the bike multiple times, it seems like the oem bmw battery doesnt have much cranking power
4 ปีที่แล้ว +1
I don't think it's the battery that causes this problem, we have tested with three different ones. My dealer are now looking into the starter, it could be an issue with it that just happens occasionally. Thanks you for your comment.
Just swapped the oem exon battery for yuasa ytx14h-bs, before doing the swap the exon would not start on the second attempt after stoping and starting again, after the yuasa swap it starting right up after the second, third or fourth attempt, i am pretty positive that the oem battery is the issue, it just doesnt have enough cranking power for that big bike
4 ปีที่แล้ว +1
Interesting@@renatoshehu7902 Let's see how it behave after a while, keep us updated. I think that a new or bigger battery doesn't solve the real problem though, but let's see. I'm going to check with my dealer tomorrow and ask for this week's progress on my bike. Thanks for posting 👍
seems like the battery is the biggest issue with these big adventure bike. The KTM 1290 super adventure has issues if the battery don't have enough cranking amps
Had the same issue. My dealer fixed the valve timings and currently everything is fine when I‘m starting the bike (cold and warm). 1250 GSA HP 09/2019, Germany
@@pixelshock4793 Interesting. Let's hope it works over time and that it's not just a quick solution that decreases the overall compression and by that covers another problem, like decompression issues.
Patric Brånhede hopefully. That would be aweful. 😔 Just wanna ride this bike without issues. And I‘m pretty sure you would like to do the same 💪
4 ปีที่แล้ว
@@pixelshock4793 Yes the spring is getting closer here, so I will need the bike soon. I read on another place that someone got the timings changed as well and that unfortunately changed the bikes behaviour in a bad way. Let's hope that it's not like that for you.
4 ปีที่แล้ว
@@pixelshock4793 It doesn't feel right about the valve timing since the problem is not present all the time.
Seems a common problem, I'm looking at a different battery not a BMW replacement. Don't believe getting replacement BMW exide battery will solve the issue. Still waiting on BMW for a solution.
Had same issue. Changed battery. Same crap. Dealer checked over whole bike. Everything seemed ok I saw somewhere else someone did an update at dealer and it resolved issue. I’m planning on doing update to mine this week coming. I’ll let ya know. Thanks for posting
4 ปีที่แล้ว +1
@@TheJOEBELLO Thanks. I will post updates here as soon as I get any.
I'm looking at the Intact HVT-08 YTX14_BS. Battery 30% more crank power, designed for high loading required for Harley Davison. Don't believe you can flash the ecu and that will resolve the issue. If your battery Voltage drops below 10volts when cranking your engine, then your battery is on the edge of it's capacity. Interested on what happens next with your bike.
I have the same problem Bro and lets see what the BMW dealership say. But what ever i have found on the net and from the experience of the fellow riders normally it is a problem with the battery and some of them have got it changed. But BMW Motorrad should find a final solution on this problem as how can a Bike give this kind of problem after changing such a huge amount for purchasing the same. Shame on BMW Motorrad
Hi all same problem in Canada 2020 r1250gs. Happened twice. Bike 6 months old and 1100 km. Going to dealer. They saying battery issue with excitement battery
February 15:th Hello guys! My dealer is still waiting for parts for the starter, they have received 4 out of 5. Unfortunately no more news this week. Another guy reported same problem here, this time 1250 GSA in Greece. We are now 30 bikes with similar problem reported here and who knows how many there is out there in total. Best regards //Patric Brånhede
Patric Brånhede hey. I can tell you that a 220 cca battery (non lipo ) is Definitely better. I’ve also noticed the following First start. No problem. Restarting immediately I get the freeze up. Then First start. No problem Wait five minutes or more Second start. No problem. I really think it’s the decompression thing or the variable cam thing. Not the starter. The larger battery is definitely pushing through the problem if there is one. I even put my stock exhaust back on to see if that was the issue I was thinking perhaps third party exhausts have no back pressure. Lol. Trying everything. Thanks for keeping us in loop. I’ll keep doing the same
Anyone have any luck getting this fixed? New stronger battery seems to help but not fix.
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Sorry for late update. ------------------------------------------------------------- January 31:st No solution yet. The technician has unfortunately been on sick leave this week. Next update on this Friday 7:th of February. ------------------------------------------------------------- Best regards //Patric
Please keep us updated, would like to point our dealership in the right direction when she goes in for repair in the next to weeks.Thanks
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Will do Sid Crowe 👍
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February 7:th The dealer have during this week checked the decompression again and can’t find any problem there. BMW sent a recommendation to change some parts for the starter so the dealer have now ordered those parts. It should show up during next week.
Add me to the list. 2019 1250 GSA. Same problem as the bike would not start after riding it for 20 minutes. Actually had two friends help me push start it. Dealer check it and have no answer. Live in California
Are we looking at dry water spots all over your screen if so that tells everybody how well you take care of your machinery hate to see the rest of the bike 😥👎
Hey Patric, add me to the list. 2019 r1250gs in Pennsylvania U.S. My bike is currently at the dealer and they are checking valve tolerances. I will keep you posted.
hey there same problem here 2019 R 1250 GSA anybody has the solution yet?
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Hi guys, My dealer received the parts for the starter and replaced them. After this they did not manage to reproduce the problem. I got it back this Monday and the day after the problem was there again. So the starter does not seem to be the root cause for our problems. Best regards
Patric Brånhede hey thanks for the info. I uploaded another vid of mine after update. Better but not right yet. We will see.
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We have experienced that the bike starts better after replacing the battery with a charged or new one. But the problem is back a few days later. I have linked to your new video here.
I see you battery voltage drop to 10 volt when you try to start so it may be that your new battery does not give you enough starting current when you try to start the bike and you get under voltage problems. Espesially in cold weather this may be a problem. I had earlier a F700GS that would not start @ 2+ when the battery got about one year old. Happen twice on a row with BMW dealer fitted batteries so third time I just got a 3rd party battery for 1/10 of the price and that worked just as good. Try setting your bike into a warm garage over the night and try again. Video is for a new 1250. Apparently the battery did develop a faulty cell. th-cam.com/video/9GB_fhls1ws/w-d-xo.html
Yes.. quite similar to my issue: th-cam.com/video/o7oX2JU1CNg/w-d-xo.html Absolutely no battery problem. My bike did this in 35 celsius and in 10 Celsius too. It starts to get annoying that there is many similar problem but no sure solution from dealers.. :-(
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We have experienced that the bike starts better after replacing the battery with a charged or new one. But the problem is back a few days later. I have linked your video in my info as well. Let me know if you hear anything from your dealer.
@ Every time I had this problem on the road I could only jump-start my bike with another bike's battery. Another time when it did not start at home I just did nothing, and a day later it started normally.. Good idea to collect links and infos below your video, I will do it too.
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bkriss Same with mine, next time it might start again.
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I own a 2019 R1250 GS Adventure which I bought new and I live in Victoria, Australia. I will keep this as short as possible and try and avoid going into any details that readers and fellow owners already know. I have experienced all the starting problems that have been documented by riders around the world for four years. The sudden and unexplained no-start events, the myriad of TFT screen fault messages etc. I do not know if this problem applies to every MY but it certainly applies to MY19, MY20 and MY21 as I have read user complaints online. I have used a total of four AGM batteries in four years, Exide (which caused problems in the first 3 weeks of bike delivery), Deka, Yuasa and SSB, all have been either 200 CCA or 240 CCA batteries. Batteries have always been fully charged and able to pass a load test when the bike failed to start and have been connected to an appropriate charger when the bike has not been in use. So battery problems are not confined to a specific batch of Exide batteries that were factory fitted by BMW when the bike was new.
My son has an R1200 GS Adventure, he has used the same AGM batteries, and he has had zero starting problems over the four years that I have owned my bike.
Regardless of the healthy status of all four AGM batteries the starting problems have always suggested that a battery power problem existed. Any mature vehicle system does not require changes to valve clearances, or require pushing whilst in gear, or any other unusual or creative change to get the vehicle to start. Does anyone have to do that with their car? Standard comments from BMW dealers have included ‘cannot replicate the fault’ and ‘they all do that’ along with others. Is BMW Motorrad really happy with that state of affairs? It has appeared so.
I purchased a GOOLOO GP2000 lithium jump starter, it is small, light, and quick and easy to use. I carry it in my top box and it started the bike every time I needed it to. The bike started instantly and essentially proves that the complete starting circuit is serviceable provided that sufficient cranking power is available. BMW obviously made significant changes (mechanical & electrical) from the R1200 GS Adventure to the R1250 GS Adventure. When making those configuration changes did they carry out a detailed Power Management study under all user operating conditions, in all environments that users operate these bikes in, and over a reasonable period of time to ensure that the starting circuit for instance, from the battery right through to the starter motor and everything in-between, were compatible and actually worked? Only BMW know the answer to that question.
I used the GOOLOO GP2000 for many months on many occasions to prove to myself that the starting circuit is serviceable enough to be operated as designed, and as delivered on the bike when it was new. Once I was convinced that the problem was the power source then I researched a safe and more capable alternative. You can research the various chemistries of Lithium batteries yourselves if you wish, I selected Lithium (Li) Iron (Fe) Phosphate (PO4) which is LiFePO4, it’s the safest battery chemistry and fit for purpose. I purchased a SSB Powersport Lithium Ultralite, LiFePO4, LFP14H-BS, 150mm X 87mm x 93mm. The battery came complete with screw on plastic spacers to raise the battery height to suit the motorcycle battery compartment.
The bike now enthusiastically starts first time every time, under all conditions and as it should have done when I purchased it in the first place. I finally have the bike that I thought I purchased four years ago. Ignition has improved and all lights and displays have improved. If this problem went away at some production point then what was changed during production and why don’t all users know about it? Prior to starting the bike the ‘My Vehicle’ screen on the TFT display always shows a battery voltage approaching, or at, 13 volts
I have an Ozcharge OC-PRO80L 12 volt 480ma LiFePO4 battery charger which I have not used again since I charged the battery when it was new straight out of the box. As soon as the charger tells you that the battery is fully charged then disconnect the charger. I have a charging pigtail lead fitted to the bike and I check the battery voltage with a meter via this lead before using the bike. The battery voltage is now always between 13.27 volts and 13.30 volts. The most the voltage ever drops in a week or more is 0.01 volts (1/100th of a volt) which is probably due to the bike internal clock and maybe a standby function of the keyless start module. The bike charging system is capable of keeping the battery charged and I will only use the battery charger/maintainer if the battery voltage ever drops below 13 volts which it hasn’t done and so far doesn’t look like it will. You do NOT, and SHOULD NOT, keep the appropriate battery charger/maintainer connected to your bike when the bike is not in use. Do I leave the GOOLOO GP2000 at home? No I don’t as I may meet a fellow R1250 GSA rider one day who is stuck at the side of the road/trail or next to a fuel pump in a service station because his bike will not start.
Hi,
Thank you very much for your post.
It included a lot of information which I believe will be useful for other people with the same problem out there.
Thanks again and best regards //Patric
@ Hello, no worries and thank you for your reply. I think I'm still getting used to NOT hearing my starter motor give up instantly. Regards, Martin
@@thetraveller1602 Interesting feeling Martin 🤓
Best regards //Patric
This is happening with mine registered Sept 2019. Mine also died whilst riding it. Tried to restart it but sounded like the battery was flat. Called recovery but after 30 mins I thought I would give it another try while waiting for the recovery to arrive. The bike started!! Quickly rode it to the dealer for them to check, nothing from the diagnostics. They replaced side stand switch as they they thought this might be an issue, in addition updated the software. Bike started fine for two other outings, no problem. But out at the weekend 19th Jan 2020, rode to meet up with some mates to go for a ride. Got to the meeting point , had a chat and then tried to start the bike to set-off, same problem, battery appears flat. Will be taking it to the dealer and will leave it with them until it's resolved. You've got to have confidence in your bike and sadly I don't at the moment. Interestingly, one of my mates on a new GSA also had a starting issue later on the ride, same symptons like a flat battery. It was a cold day but hey, these are meant to be adventure bikes!!!
I think there is some kind of design issue on the 1250 engine, let's hope that BMW finds out what it is and solves it permanently.
Same problem with my 1250 RT (same engine) Battery is OK (replaced twice). Voltage goes down and up. After several tries, the board computer goes back to factory settings (German language, all my settings lost). BMW Motorrad says that the problem is related to the exhaust camshaft and there is no fix available yet. My bike is in the dealer's workshop for several weeks now, will ask the importer for replacement.
My bike has been fixed, by the dealer. BMW acknowledge (known fault) battery amps insufficient and new battery fitted. Mine was registered Sept 19 and my friends GSA, had the same issue, was registered in June 19. It is possible that a bad batch of batteries were fitted arounf this time.
@@neilking1 Had a new battery, new starter, and had the exhaust valves re-shimmed on the left cylinder. The right cylinder valves were spot on. So far so good.
Bike Oct 2019. Bet BMW will come out with a mod to the exhaust camshafts to allow greater decompression.
Stéphane Spoerli
Hi,
Thanks for the information, interesting to hear about the camshaft.
UPDATE and great news!
Last week called me the dealer they have found the problem and reapired it satisfactorily. Earlier they updated the software but nothing has changed. (My bike engine code: 0J91 - Europe, Hungary 2019.)
As I guessed earlier the problem was the compression. Compression release did not work consistently on the left cylinder. That's why it will start sometimes, depending on if the bad side is on compression on that first turn. Not the automatic decompressor was the defective part, it works perfectly. The problem is the exhaust VALVE CLEARANCE. The clearance was too big (even within tolerance) so they adjusted it (within factory tolerance) because with this factory setting the decompressor cam did not open the valve as much as it should.
I don’t know how they made the adjustment, because the valve clearance adjusted by steel balls, they may change the ball to bigger size (to reduce the clearance). Here is a video of a 1200 wethead adjustment: th-cam.com/video/OqWgZTkFeM8/w-d-xo.html
So if your bike doing similar malfunctions measure the compression, its a simple process!
I am wondering how can this 20.000$ bike come out from factory with this settings than can cause this kind of severe malfunction.
Anyway, I am happy and I can finally enjoy my bike.
More information and exchange of experience in this Adv.Rider topic: advrider.com/f/threads/r1250gs-starting-problem.1418465/
That makes sense, My bike was picked up yesterday so I will pass on your findings to my dealer, thank you
bkriss
Hi,
What’s the status of your bike now?
Did the valve clearance adjustment solve the issue for good?
Best regards //Patric
@ A could not test much, but everything seems to be OK. I made two short tour with a couple start. I hope that the compression was my bike's problem. If the weather and the corona let me out, I will test it more, because it interests me too.
do you think it is possible to work around this issue by turning the rear wheel by hand (to get left side exhaust off compression stroke), if you're stuck? or is it too difficult on this large engine?
@@lewiswilson3677 I think you can't turning it by hand, but after a 20-30 minutes the compression pressure escapes and you can start the engine.
Hello folks! The same issue was happening on my May 2019 1250 GSA, although it wasn’t nearly as bad as what some of you are facing, probably because it doesn’t get as cold in India.
BMW Motorrad India checked the bike and to cut the long story short what they’ve identified as the cause is the battery. It’s particularly an issue with batteries manufactured by Exide. They’ve replaced the battery with a BMW branded battery and I understand the issue has been resolved. I haven’t been able to pick up the bike yet from the dealership. I will keep everyone here posted once I’ve picked up my bike and tested it. Hope this helps!
Karanvir Gill this is exactly what happened to my bike, had the same starting problem, went to the dealer, gave them the video of the issue and they sent the video to BMW, BMW daid that the new 1250 gsa dont work well with the exide battery, they changed the battery with a bmw brand(cement color) never had the starting problem after that
Many thanks. R1250GS / 5,000km / 2019 / UK. I now have this starting problem. Prior to investigating, I assumed it was the battery or starter. Changed Battery to even higher CCA (240) than standard battery. Cleaned Battery terminals got starter checked. Problem still persists.
Having read about this problem on many forums, I now believe it's the decompression. This week I shall be checking the exhaust valve clearances (0.34mm to 0.41mm) and will set them ( 4 in total ) to 0.34mm or 0.35mm by buying replacement shims. Let's see what happens.
Thanks for the feedback, please let us know the result after the check.
Br
Will do. Correction, 5,000 miles not km. Thanks
@ Hi again. Okay GOOD NEWS I think... I have just completed the Valve Clearance checks. Prior to commencing, I attempted 10 starts. 4 were without problem and the other 6 were failures. (Didn't start or stuttered and started). The Valve Clearances are: INLET 0.10mm to 0.17mm respectively. EXHAUST 0.34mm to 0.41mm. (There are 2 inlets and 2 exhaust valves on each cylinder of course) On the LHS Cylinder the Exhaust clearances were 0.40mm and 0.41mm!!! On the RHS Cylinder the clearances were 0.35mm and 0.36mm. So, I adjusted the LHS Cylinder to 0.35mm and 0.36mm by replacing these shims with larger shims (thickness). Whilst I had everything out, I checked and adjusted the INLETS as well. On completion of reassembly and checks (couple of hours ago) I crossed my fingers and did the first start! Fired up immediately and was definitely quicker and healthier. I then let her warm up (as it is still sub zero temps here in the UK) and restarted many times ( ~ 8 ) and all perfect. I will be doing starts in the garage for the next few days as further checks. So, I think the problem was the excessive exhaust valve clearances in the LHS cylinder which I think wasn't allowing the cylinder to be decompressed adequately to allow the starter to cleanly start the engine. Anyway, I am hoping this is a fix! Fingers crossed. I didn't make a video but I did take photos which I will hopefully produce a montage with 'knowhow' information on how I did the valve clearances and pop it up into my little channel, Of course, there are a few people out there who have already done this. A big thanks to Patric and indeed all the others who suggested this exhaust valve clearance issue. Anyway, I will get back in a few days with an update and also a ref for the valve clearance procedure incase anybody wants it.
Latest Update. I found the problem!
LHS Auto decompression mechanism has failed. I'm now going to replace. Video on CLLUK.
Will upload another video on completion and test.
Thanks@@CLLUK
Good job!
I experienced the same problem last weekend. Started the bike without a problem, rode it 30 miles or so, stopped and when tried to restart it some 10 minutes later it behaved just as shown on the video! R1250 GSA registered June 2019. I called my good lady, who travelled out to meet me with a battery jump starter. Tried it several times whilst waiting without any luck, same thing. 30 minutes later, plugged the jumper onto the battery terminals and cranked the bike.... fired up without an issue! Once home have had it hooked up to a float charger, however despite the charger reporting full charge, bike has failed to start with the same symptoms when testing. Looks the battery isn’t holding its charge! Will be calling dealership tomorrow.
Spoke to dealer today, who seems to be acknowledging that there is a known problem... BMW have apparently sent remediation instructions for such an issue, so will see what transpires. Assist are collecting the bike tomorrow.
@@neilkennedy9961 Please let us know your progress , BMW acknowledging a fault is very positive to solving this issue.
Neil Kennedy Thanks for the information 👍🙌
Dealer is confident they have fixed the problem, which was being caused by a faulty battery - BMW advised that they should change it owing to issues that link it to a bad batch. They couldn’t tell me whether the battery tested faulty for sure, but seem to be suggested that it was short of amps - reason for the voltage to drop significantly during startup. Anyhow, its being returned to me tomorrow, so will wait and see. Will be carrying around my battery jump starter for some time to come!
Neil Kennedy Interesting, my dealer are confident that it’s not the battery that causes the problem and are now waiting for 5 parts for the starter that BMW recommended to replace.
This is plain and simple compression settings that cannot be overcome by the battery even its healthy. There was an update mid 2023 that eased the compression and solved my problem.
June 2022 -2019 R1250GSA - 8500Kms Australia, same problem will contact my dealer this week. I do note a tap from the left hand cylinder head. Let me down big time this week after refueling, would not turn over. After leaving for 5 minutes it turned over slowly and thankfully was enough for the bike to start. Now cannot reset journey break and other individual settings. Trip meter 1 did not reset after fueling. This has always been a problem with the bike from new but not as bad as now.
Just bought a 23 1250 gs with 0Ks on it. Having the same issue, curious if there has been any follow up from BMW? Will have to trail mine back to the shop only 2 hours away without even a ride; awesome.
Hi,
Sad to hear what you are experiencing :(
I haven't heard anything from BMW regarding this problem, although it's been present since 2019 when the 1250 was released.
Thanks for the feedback
Best regards //Patric
Hello Patric & Gang! I stumbled upon this page (and the 14 ADVRider pages reporting the same issue!) while doing research for my own new 1250GS purchase. Thank you all for your posts.
If I understand the issue correctly from all of the posts I’ve read here and on ADVRider, it appears that this is a cylinder compression issue related to the clearance of the exhaust valves, and the automatic cylinder decompression feature not being able to compensate for it.
The cylinder becomes locked up due to the compression and the starter motor is not able to overcome it.
The symptoms of the issue then present as a weak battery (which it still may well be) and crazy voltage drop as the starter tries to start the bike but can’t. Have I summarized the collective knowledge accurately? If not guys, please correct me.
If I have summarized the issue correctly, has anyone tried pushing the bike forward a bit in 1st gear with the clutch out to move the cylinders and valve train and then tried starting the bike after? If so, what was the result?
Thanks for any responses.
And I’ll be checking back to learn more from everyone’s collective experience. Hope there is a definitive BMW fix coming soon. 🤞
Hi,
I have heard theories about both valve clearance and decompression valve, but not combined like you describe it.
According to my vendor there has been problem with a batch of batteries as well, of course this makes the problem even worse when you get into the situation when the engine locks.
When I had this problem the first time the battery suddenly was totally empty, my guess is that this battery was defect.
We tried to start the bike by pushing it but it was to hard to get the engine rotating even on higher gears.
The bike started fine when we jumped start it with a car and cables.
My guess is that we managed to move the cylinder a little during our session with pushing it around, but I can’t say that for 100%.
I think your theories makes sense a lot and this is the best summary I have seen so far, thanks a lot.
Do you have a source for this information or did you find it out by your self?
Thanks again for a really good summary.
All the best //Patric
Hi Patric! Thank you for your kind comment.
No, I do not have an official source for my hypothesis.
That is why I asked in my first comment if anyone had tried rolling the bike in gear and what the result was.
It is only my hypothesis and I do not claim it to be correct.
After watching your video and the one on bkriss’ page, reading all of the comments on both pages, and then reading all of the comments on the MANY pages related to this issue on ADVRider I thought I was beginning to see a pattern.
The hard starting problem was beginning to look to me like the result of a stacking of multiple issues - not any one issue by itself.
Batteries appear to play a part if they are weak.
It seems new or higher capacity batteries may resolve/mask the issue for awhile for some depending on the mechanical state of a particular bike’s engine.
It may resolve the issue completely if the engine tolerances aren’t too off.
For others it may only be temporary once the replacement battery weakens.
Your comment about how hard it was to push your bike and get it to roll while in gear is very interesting.
It might also be a clue.
It should be possible to push it like this rather easily - with some effort, of course.
Think of the mechanical advantage we have to turn the engine when pushing the bike in gear - the gearing itself and the large rear wheel.
Now think about how hard it must be for the starter motor to try to turn a ‘stuck’ engine with it’s tiny little gear and no mechanical advantage.
Sounds like a recipe for big current draw, big voltage drop and a dead or weak battery.
Jumping the battery may give it that extra electrical advantage it needs to brute force the start
Again, just a hypothesis.
How has your bike been since your last post? All good I hope?
Cheers!
My bike have the exact symptoms I was once told by another rider to put it in first gear rock the bike with the clutch out and it worked. But after that trying it again didn't work. My bike is with the dealership now almost 2 weeks. They are trying the valve clearances route mentioned. By the way it is my 2nd new battery as well so that part eliminated.
Nice follow up.. Good luck with the issue... i also noticed this issue is only reported on 1250s here...
Kalle Kouvola Is it available on the 1200 as well? I have only heard about this problem on the 1250.
Hi Patrick,
I have the same problem. Mine started but very hard, and I get "check the brake light" warning. It happend 2 times in 1000km. Bike was in gear with clutch pulled when starting.
Bike is 05/2019.
Marko Vuleta Hi, I also got warning about my tail light.
Thanks for adding information here.
Same here, had to do a rolling start once and brake light warning like you had
Hi,i my bike just now behave like this..
What should i check?any recommendations to solve this problem?
I had the same with my GS adventure, from September 2021 37.700km about a year and half old.
I wanted start it in the morning, bike sleeps outside -10°C, and it wouldn’t start, i tried 6times. I put the rain cover on and a hot air blower underneath for 15min; after the onboard computer showed +4°C i could start the engine on the first try. Mid December 2022.
End of January 2023 same problem , this time I started the bike at +2°C and rode for some 5-7km, parked for 10min and couldn’t make it start again no matter what. Got it on a trailer and brought it to the dealership/mechanic (official BMW motorrad Berlin) they checked the battery, changed it (for free) and handed me back the motorcycle the next day. Now it starts without problems (only tried at -1°C) and I’m curious how long it will last, because i red on forums this is a quite common problem for the BMW 1250 engine.
Im in California and my 2019 R1250GS has the same symptoms. Sometimes starts and sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t start I let it cool for about one hour and then starts just fine. I was going to replace the battery myself thinking that was the problem but after reading your comments I think it’s better to take it to the dealer.
Same here, in Ireland, 2019 r1250gs. Started, rode8 miles stopped for 10 minutes, bike wouldn’t start and same as video. Battery had been on an Optimate trickle charger all night (as is usual). I had to get a cab home and go back with a booster pack to jump her and it started first time. Dealer just told me it was a flat battery! Thankfully, that was 3 months ago and hasn’t happened since.
I'm also affected by this issue. It started on September 5th, 2019, 1 month after I got the bike delivered. It has been checked by the dealer but didn't find anything but upgraded the software as a new version was out. About two weeks ago it happened again. When testing the battery voltage with a multimeter the voltage can drop as low as 6-7 volts. Now I have the charger plugged in whenever I'm parked overnight and no issues since but this is just a workaround until the dealership fixes the issue. It has the Exide battery. R1250GS Exclusive. Sweden
Update: Was an issue with the generator leaking oil into the electrical system or something like that. Seems to be a known issue. However today on the freeway the engine died and wouldn't start again and was towed back to the workshop after 100km riding since the generator replacement. I'm very disappointed with BMW at this point.
I have the exact same problem. However, I see you have your lights and heated grips on.
Hello Patrick. 2021 R1250GS, exactly the same issue when starting in gear. I am located in Panama. Did you find a solution. Mine is a new bike with only 6,000kms.
Hi there! Greetings from Essex County, UK!...
My 2015 R1200GSA now refuses to start... after I refuel it !!!...
I've ended up having to jump start it 3 times at the petrol station in the past month... How embarrassing...
Battery is a year old, bike has literally just had a full service at 35000 miles...
To say I'm frustrated is an understatement...
having the same problem when weather gets cold.......
already changed battery, the same problem still happens......
the original size battery is too weak for start motor of such a big engine .....
My 2013 r1200gs has the same problem😂
I press the start button and I heard starter motor working,but the engine doesn't start,then I pressed start button and it works,it's a new battery on my bike,maybe it's too cold to caused this?
Hi Patric, just been out to the garage and started another 12 times (OK, normal starts). I'm not saying this is resolved as it could reoccur, don't know. Fingers continuously crossed. I'm hoping that fixing those very large valve clearance gaps on the LHS cylinder solved the issue. Here is the video I put together on how the bikes started before and after and the valve clearance checks/adjustments. For the benefits of others the Battery is NEW (240 CCA!) and all inline connections OK. th-cam.com/video/z6y3F-DOTlg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=-3g0WopBf6nKhpqa
Hi,
If even after battery swapping the problem remains then all the symptoms shown by this are looking like a major parasitic drain happening from the battery. I suspect most likely the factory fitted earthing wire connected to the chassis from the negative terminal of the battery may have corrosion or no proper connection is happening which is resulting in the battery draining like crazy.
What one can do is make a 8-9 mm thick sheathed electrical copper wire with battery connectors crimped on both sides, then connect one end to the negative terminal of the battery and the other end to any of the points of the chassis where a metal bolt is there so that the crimped section can be held by this bolt. It will hardly cost you €2 - 3 for the parts and labour and is a simple job. Once you install this secondary wire to the chassis, the earthing leakage will stop and the rapid draining of the battery will go away and everything should be hunky dory and running like new.
Alternatively you may ask the BMW service to confirm if your vehicle has 1 earthing point or two earthing points on your vehicle that will give you a base line to identify and rectify the issue.
This kind of faulty earthing (also known as earthing leakage) problem is quite common amongst a lot of bikes including Yamaha R1, Honda Gold wing and other class of bikes where the chassis is powder coated or the bolt (usually zinc is electroplated on it as a protective coating) holding the earthing wire eventually gets corroded due to exposure to elements or salt.
Kawasaki motorcycles usually have two earthing points on almost all of their bikes right from the factory so usually they don't suffer from such issues. You may try this simple mod as it won't cost you a moon nor it will lead to the motorcycle catching fire and exploding.
However do note that this is just a hunch based on common issued experienced on other motorcycles.
Hope this helps,
✌🏻😬
the light, the heated grips, the cell ... the enterprise
Hi,
The problem was also there with no light, no heated grips on and no cell connected.
Best regards
2 batteries later and yep I have the same on my GS and an almighty clank sometimes which sounds like it could be causing damage that’ll end up costing me big bucks !!! Warranty has now expired and so where do I stand now ?? The problem was never fixed during the warranty period but whatever first caused it still exists ! It’s almost like the cheapest make do remedy will keep you out of their hair for a while …. But you will be back until your warranty runs out ….20k for what ???
hello from Greece. i have from september a BMW GSA 1250 HP with 3500 km and i have the same problem. the dealer cant find anything!!!!
I had GSA 1200 for 3 years and i made 40.000 km with out a problem! and now all my confidence go away! i dont have trust to go somewhere with out another bike because i dont know if my bike will start again!!! its rediculous
Hi Omikros Gaidaros
Thanks for your post, good to know that we are more and more that that are experiencing this problem.
My dealer are still waiting for one part out of five for the starter. I feel the same as you, my confidence is getting lower and lower for this bike.
Best regards //Patric
@ today my dealer change my battery with a new one! that was the order from the germany motorrad center. to be honest i dont think so that the problem start from the battery but.... we will see!
Omikros Gaidaros My dealer has tried with a new battery several times and unfortunately it does not solve the problem.
Thanks for the information 👍
Φιλε μου καλησπερα,ελυσες τελικα το προβλημα με την μπαταρια σου;μου παρουσιαστηκε και εμενα σημερα
@@skolikaseri καλησπερα! μου αλλαξαν μπαταρια μεσα στην εγγυηση και απο τοτε δεν εχει ξανα παρουσιασει το ζητημα καθολου. περιμενω βεβαια να δω τωρα με τα κρυα αν τυχον θα το ξανα κανει.
I see a "fall/drop sensor" error, did you check it? you can simulate it by turning 90° left or right... it will stall the engine and unable to start the engine.
Same problem…. Went out for a ride about 35 miles stopped for a minute.then bike would not start. i rolled the bike about fifty feet then tryed again nothing. tried starting it every couple of minutes still nothing. Waited 25 minutes and it started up. go figure !!!! A month prior to this issue i mistakenly let the battery drain out and had to charge it back up. Other than this… i have had weird instances were the battery should be fully charged after riding for awhile and stoped for gas and tried staring the bike and the battery seemed a little week. I have heated grips and found that its best to make sure you turn them off before turning the motor off.
Hello , same issue with my R1250GS HP - nov 2019 (model year 2020). What does your BMW dealer say today ?
Still no solution (2020-02-05)
I was considering changing bike and getting a gs, but upon watching the video and then reading all the comments, I think I might stick with my 16 yr old Suzuki Bandit as it’s been utterly reliable, the only caviat is once when I hadn’t put it on the trickle charger when the weather turned cold and the battery went flat.
i have exacte same problem, run for ex: an hour stop for filling gas and it does't want to start again like yours. R1250GS 2019 3600KM. Send it to the dealer but I have to wait 1 week before they start looking at it!! will see.
Forgot to mention I'm from Canada Quebec.
@@robertchausse3050 hi Robert. I have a r1250gs 2020 with same issues. Live in PEI. Did you get yours resolved yet
@@jamesdickie7752 Hi James, no I didn't find the problem. The other problem i had is a really bad dealer who didn't want to investigate. Unfortunately because of this problem I sold my GS 2 weeks ago. The guy who buy it and couple of people on internet thing the problem is with the exhaust valve asdjustment. Let me know if you find the solution.
Thanks Robert. Mine just being sent to dealer. Pass my contacts onto purchaser of yours if you like and will let him know if they solve anything
@@jamesdickie7752 thanks James, let me know also I still have to decide if I'm going with a new GSA or maybe a Super Tenere. I'm waiting after the covid because in Montreal (Qc) we are in red zone and we can't go anywhere.
Hi Patric , have you solved the problem ?
Hi Stefano,
I gave up and returned the bike to the store in June 2020.
Best regards.
I also have 1 R1250 GS HP 2019 starting problem the same in Viet Nam, I trying find reason and sollution to solve it, Can you help me to understad more problem?
My bike does the dame thing when the temperature is below freezing, i left the battery charging all night a couple days ago and it didnt make that starting issue after cranking the bike multiple times, it seems like the oem bmw battery doesnt have much cranking power
I don't think it's the battery that causes this problem, we have tested with three different ones.
My dealer are now looking into the starter, it could be an issue with it that just happens occasionally.
Thanks you for your comment.
Just swapped the oem exon battery for yuasa ytx14h-bs, before doing the swap the exon would not start on the second attempt after stoping and starting again, after the yuasa swap it starting right up after the second, third or fourth attempt, i am pretty positive that the oem battery is the issue, it just doesnt have enough cranking power for that big bike
Interesting@@renatoshehu7902 Let's see how it behave after a while, keep us updated.
I think that a new or bigger battery doesn't solve the real problem though, but let's see.
I'm going to check with my dealer tomorrow and ask for this week's progress on my bike.
Thanks for posting 👍
seems like the battery is the biggest issue with these big adventure bike. The KTM 1290 super adventure has issues if the battery don't have enough cranking amps
Same issue happening to me right at this moment! Stranded in a shopping mall unable to start the bike. R1250 GSA 2019, Sweden
I also noticed in my GSA1200 y 2016
This is not a problem in the battery, because it starts and then stops, the engine does not hold speed, it can be a fuel pump, spark plugs
Hello I am experiencing the same problem on a 2022 BMW C400 GT with only 4400km. Poor quality compared to Honda.
Had the same issue. My dealer fixed the valve timings and currently everything is fine when I‘m starting the bike (cold and warm).
1250 GSA HP 09/2019, Germany
Ps: cheers from „GSDude“ 😉
@@pixelshock4793 Interesting.
Let's hope it works over time and that it's not just a quick solution that decreases the overall compression and by that covers another problem, like decompression issues.
Patric Brånhede hopefully. That would be aweful. 😔
Just wanna ride this bike without issues. And I‘m pretty sure you would like to do the same 💪
@@pixelshock4793 Yes the spring is getting closer here, so I will need the bike soon.
I read on another place that someone got the timings changed as well and that unfortunately changed the bikes behaviour in a bad way.
Let's hope that it's not like that for you.
@@pixelshock4793 It doesn't feel right about the valve timing since the problem is not present all the time.
Hi,Guys i too had the same problem couple of days back and my bike is with the dealer should'nt we notify the company our grievance if its so rampant
You ever get this sorted on your bike?
Hi,
I gave up on this problem June 2020 and returned the bike to the store.
Best regards //Patric
@ that's bad ! Any plans of getting the latest model.
Mine is doing exact same thing. 2019 US bike. Covid-19 will delay any dealership visit
heators954 Thanks for your feedback 👍
Still no definitive solution in sight here.
Have the same problem, so I'm not alone.
The dealer has managed to reproduce the problem and are now waiting for a response from BMW.
Seems a common problem, I'm looking at a different battery not a BMW replacement. Don't believe getting replacement BMW exide battery will solve the issue. Still waiting on BMW for a solution.
Had same issue. Changed battery. Same crap. Dealer checked over whole bike. Everything seemed ok
I saw somewhere else someone did an update at dealer and it resolved issue.
I’m planning on doing update to mine this week coming. I’ll let ya know. Thanks for posting
@@TheJOEBELLO Thanks. I will post updates here as soon as I get any.
I'm looking at the Intact HVT-08 YTX14_BS. Battery 30% more crank power, designed for high loading required for Harley Davison. Don't believe you can flash the ecu and that will resolve the issue. If your battery Voltage drops below 10volts when cranking your engine, then your battery is on the edge of it's capacity. Interested on what happens next with your bike.
I have the same problem Bro and lets see what the BMW dealership say. But what ever i have found on the net and from the experience of the fellow riders normally it is a problem with the battery and some of them have got it changed. But BMW Motorrad should find a final solution on this problem as how can a Bike give this kind of problem after changing such a huge amount for purchasing the same. Shame on BMW Motorrad
J'ai le même problème. La batterie se décharge et abime le démarreur à la longue. Je suis sur mon deuxième démarreur.
Yes I have this exact same issue. Brand new battery fitted, problem still persists 👎🏼
mines done the same thing 3 times guess I'll need to say something to the dealer before the warranty runs out 2019 1250gsa
1250 gsa hp, 2019, Romania, same problem and not resolved by the BMW’s dealer
Hi all same problem in Canada 2020 r1250gs. Happened twice. Bike 6 months old and 1100 km. Going to dealer. They saying battery issue with excitement battery
Replace battery ?
February 15:th
Hello guys!
My dealer is still waiting for parts for the starter, they have received 4 out of 5.
Unfortunately no more news this week.
Another guy reported same problem here, this time 1250 GSA in Greece.
We are now 30 bikes with similar problem reported here and who knows how many there is out there in total.
Best regards //Patric Brånhede
Patric Brånhede hey. I can tell you that a 220 cca battery (non lipo ) is Definitely better.
I’ve also noticed the following
First start. No problem.
Restarting immediately I get the freeze up.
Then
First start. No problem
Wait five minutes or more
Second start. No problem.
I really think it’s the decompression thing or the variable cam thing. Not the starter. The larger battery is definitely pushing through the problem if there is one. I even put my stock exhaust back on to see if that was the issue I was thinking perhaps third party exhausts have no back pressure. Lol. Trying everything. Thanks for keeping us in loop. I’ll keep doing the same
TheJOEBELLO Thanks for the update 👍
Hello I’m having same problems
Anyone have any luck getting this fixed? New stronger battery seems to help but not fix.
Sorry for late update.
-------------------------------------------------------------
January 31:st
No solution yet.
The technician has unfortunately been on sick leave this week.
Next update on this Friday 7:th of February.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Best regards //Patric
Please keep us updated, would like to point our dealership
in the right direction when she goes in for repair in the next to weeks.Thanks
Will do Sid Crowe 👍
February 7:th
The dealer have during this week checked the decompression again and can’t find any problem there.
BMW sent a recommendation to change some parts for the starter so the dealer have now ordered those parts.
It should show up during next week.
Same problem, I'm interested.
Add me to the list. 2019 1250 GSA. Same problem as the bike would not start after riding it for 20 minutes. Actually had two friends help me push start it. Dealer check it and have no answer. Live in California
Are we looking at dry water spots all over your screen if so that tells everybody how well you take care of your machinery hate to see the rest of the bike 😥👎
Hey Patric, add me to the list. 2019 r1250gs in Pennsylvania U.S. My bike is currently at the dealer and they are checking valve tolerances. I will keep you posted.
I end up selling the bike. Also, the left engine ticking. Ridiculous .
hey there
same problem here 2019 R 1250 GSA
anybody has the solution yet?
Hi guys,
My dealer received the parts for the starter and replaced them.
After this they did not manage to reproduce the problem.
I got it back this Monday and the day after the problem was there again.
So the starter does not seem to be the root cause for our problems.
Best regards
Hey Patric, Any progress with this issue?
New update from the dealer added
Patric Brånhede hey thanks for the info. I uploaded another vid of mine after update.
Better but not right yet. We will see.
We have experienced that the bike starts better after replacing the battery with a charged or new one.
But the problem is back a few days later.
I have linked to your new video here.
Patric Brånhede hey Patric. Check out the last vid I posted. Wtf. This thing is killing me. Unreal. Hope your having some luck.
th-cam.com/video/NXWVPnWxpfg/w-d-xo.html
@@TheJOEBELLO I'm planning to check for progress with my dealer today.
I see you battery voltage drop to 10 volt when you try to start so it may be that your new battery does not give you enough starting current when you try to start the bike and you get under voltage problems. Espesially in cold weather this may be a problem. I had earlier a F700GS that would not start @ 2+ when the battery got about one year old. Happen twice on a row with BMW dealer fitted batteries so third time I just got a 3rd party battery for 1/10 of the price and that worked just as good. Try setting your bike into a warm garage over the night and try again. Video is for a new 1250. Apparently the battery did develop a faulty cell. th-cam.com/video/9GB_fhls1ws/w-d-xo.html
Have exactly same problems 😰
Hi. I have exactly the same problem
At 95% it's the Starter motor... (I have it ...).
Brand new bike and I have the same problem
🔋
Yes.. quite similar to my issue: th-cam.com/video/o7oX2JU1CNg/w-d-xo.html
Absolutely no battery problem. My bike did this in 35 celsius and in 10 Celsius too. It starts to get annoying that there is many similar problem but no sure solution from dealers.. :-(
We have experienced that the bike starts better after replacing the battery with a charged or new one.
But the problem is back a few days later.
I have linked your video in my info as well.
Let me know if you hear anything from your dealer.
@ Every time I had this problem on the road I could only jump-start my bike with another bike's battery. Another time when it did not start at home I just did nothing, and a day later it started normally.. Good idea to collect links and infos below your video, I will do it too.
bkriss Same with mine, next time it might start again.
have the same issue
r1250r
2020