Tried a good deed

While getting gas I noticed a newer bmw 1000rr rider having issues. I asked what's up and he showed how it wouldn't start. Starter barely turned didnt sound like a dead battery. I asked if he wanted me to push so he could try to start it. He said he's never done it and asked if I wanted to have a go.

This thing have something that prevents it from push starting ? It wouldn't even sound like it would try to turn. Oh and it had a blinking light on the dash. Left side middle light. Orange with a hazard triangle and and a circle with arrow around it. Do I just suck ?

Tried to help out. Even offered my garage while he waits for the triple A. He lived like 40 miles away and said triple A would take care of him

 

good of you...

seems like it's acting like a true BMW

 

Hah. He said he'd never had issues before, got gas then it wouldn't start. Damn good looking machine.

 

Hard to push start fuel-injected bikes with no prime. Did it have the slipper clutch?

 

Good for you for trying.

 

Probably a slipper. Not wise enough to know to look. May explain why the bike didnt seem to do anything when trying to push start. Didnt get that normal tight feeling when you fail or anything.

 

How far did you let him push before you stopped?

 

I could pop start my '05 636 and my '08 R6 just fine. Both have slipper clutches.

 

Just a couple of times around the gas station parking lot. With it not giving even an hint of trying to turn we gave up. He needs a pro and had triple A. He's covered. He's got quite a trip in front of him though. 40miles + Friday afternoon traffic.

Bike was tons lighter than I expected. I couldn't imagine running that thing around big willow at speed. Shiver. Those guys are nuts.

 

I've jumped my 04 R1 before, but it was a bitch IIRC.

 

As I recall that blinking light always is on at startup until the ABS initializes, and I think you have to ride a certain distance or hit a certain speed (not very fast) before that goes off.

The BMW electronics do not like certain things, like incorrect reading/failure of the rear wheel position sensor (such as mounting the rear wheel where it can't find the sensor), or if you spin the rear wheel when the bike thinks it shouldn't be moving - up on a stand, for instance. In those situations, it thinks there is an error with the system or the sensors. I don't think it would shut off the bike entirely but it can (at least on the 2010 models) kill power to the engine, and you have to turn the key off for at least three seconds to reset it. I'm not sure the electronics would take kindly to push-starting, especially if the wheel were to slide.

I'm not an expert on the bike but we do have an S1000rr (which is, in fact, a fantastic machine and incredible to ride) and we've run into the wheel sensor thing; turned out resetting it was as simple as shutting the bike completely off but that wasn't the FIRST thing we thought of.

 

He probably put diesel in it.

 

or NOS

 

They'll actually run for a bit and blow a ton white smoke.

 

I know someone who did that, he is on this board too...

 

Is there a false BMW, too?

 

my 07 GSXR is FI and slipper.

I have push started it.

Remember to use 2nd gear when doing so, though

 

if i remember correctly...its been a while.
i don't think those even push start with a dead bat...

 

Im sure that light on the dash had something to do with the ABS. I think you have to be going 5mph for it to activate or some shit like that. The Ape has the same light, but I haven't paid enough attention to it to know exactly what it means or why/when it goes off, but im almost positive it has to do with the ABS. I know that because my Sprint ST is the ABS version and it has the same shit.

 

I had that happen a few times in the Army. First the morons put straight gas in 2 stroke mowers and weeds whackers, and I put a sign on them to put premix only. Doubt it did any good. Then they put diesel in them. Then they wondered aloud why we couldn't have nice things.