I had said all along, over many years, that IMO, a GS-911 is a very expensive device to play with, but it is NOT necessary to have one to do any required maintenance on our bikes, and that includes brake fluid flush. OTOH, I do love to play with gadgets, but $400 is a bit rich for a (for me) toy!
So, I had been keeping my eye on the alternate option for a little while now, and somebody's recent post in another thread made me take another look, and realize that the device and app that you would need have "grown up", and for about $100, I am willing to get a new toy!
The reason for this post, and new thread, is because if you go at it the wrong way, you will be very dissatisfied when you unwittingly fall into a couple of potential issues. I want to share what I had researched and caution you about the potential pitfalls, with the products that I have purchased and used, just about a month ago.
Depending on what year bike you have (not necessarily just RTs), you will need either two or three things. The three things are: a good OBD-II scan device, an adapter cable to go from the standard OBD-II connector to the BMW round 10-pin connector, and the Android Only app MotoScan for BMW motorcycles. Here are the details on what you should get, and what to avoid:
OBD-II Scanner - these devices are based on ELM Electronics ELM327 chip. The very big issue is that the very early version of the chip has been heavily pirated by cheap Chinese manufacturers! Those cheap pirated devices will work, or not, and if they seem to work, they will have some very severe limitations as well as being inconsistent. You need to avoid those devices! One way of telling if the device that you are thinking of buying is legitimate or not, is to look at the cost, while keeping in mind that ELM sells their chip, in bulk to device manufacturer, at around $15 each! So, a cheap $5 or even $10 Chinese device isn't likely to be legitimate! You can read about this on ELM's website.
The scanner that I had bought, and recommend is the OBDLink LX, which is one of the one recommended by MotoScan. It will cost around $50 ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H9S71LW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). Note that MotoScan also recommend OBDLink MX, which is more expensive, but that is only because the MX model can communicate with Ford and Chevy vehicles, which have special communication protocol. That brings this to a special bonus in that you can use this device in your cars as well, with the free app for the product by the manufacturer!
OBD Connector to 10-pins BMW connector cable - You will NOT need this if you have the newer RT (2017+ ?). BMW has replaced the 10-pin diagnostic plug with the standard OBD-II connector for the newer bikes (must be an EU mandate!). For the rest of us, we do need this to connect the OBD-II scan tool to our bike. This is a potential pitfall as well. Some Chinese cables that you may see on eBay and even Amazon may have quality issues with their pins, and some have incorrect cross-connections between pins. This is a well-known issue, if you follow any of the discussions in other forums. I guess the safe thing to do is to buy what I have, which I know works very well. It will run you just under $20 at Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075K7MQFC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ).
MotoScan - ( MotoScan for BMW Motorcycles - Apps on Google Play )this app is the heart of the application, and unfortunately, it is only available for Android and no plan of development for IOS at any time! It is free to download, and the "free" version will communicate with the scan device. MotoScan recommends that you do so, to make sure that your set-up is working. You can upgrade, within the app itself, to any of the 3 additional levels. The nice thing is that when you upgrade to a level that isn't the highest, you can upgrade to the higher level at any time by paying just the difference. Can't go backward though!
Presently, I have my MotoScan app paid for the second to the highest level (I think it's labeled as "Professional") at a cost of under $30, while the highest level is around $40+ (can't remember the exact numbers). At the Professional level, I can read and reset all fault codes, reset the service reminder, and (I believe) do the ABS brake module fluid flush. I don't know for sure only because I have not used it but went part way through the procedure just to explore. This level will not allow me to reset the adaptive vales, but the app can do so with the highest level.
Here is the item that this set up cannot do, at present, and it applies to the wetheads (and the newer BMW bikes only). Presently, it cannot do the ESA calibration. The feature works for the older bikes, and so you guys with camhead, hexhead won't have any issues at all! The app developer is working on the feature for the wethead and newer bikes, and he is hoping that it will work, perhaps next year. Here is what he said to me in a recent email communication:
Hello,
Is not possible on the new LC models. Will come next year.
Best Regards
--
Dipl.-Ing. Wladimir Gurskij
WGSoft.de
Automotive Diagnostic Software
Email: wladi@wgsoft.de
Homepage: WGSoft.de - Automotive Diagnostic Software, OBD-2.de - OBD-2.net - Das Fahrzeugdiagnose Informationsportal, MotoScan – App für professionelle BMW Motorrad Diagnose
Tel.: 05223/491234
Am 11.07.19 um 02:27 schrieb Padej Gajajiva:
I hope that the information is of some use! The app is very easy to use and understand, plus the bonus is that you can also use the device on your car to play around with. Oh, yeah, one other bonus is that you do NOT have any limitation as to how many bikes you use your set-up, which is very much in contrary to the $400 GS-911!
So, I had been keeping my eye on the alternate option for a little while now, and somebody's recent post in another thread made me take another look, and realize that the device and app that you would need have "grown up", and for about $100, I am willing to get a new toy!
The reason for this post, and new thread, is because if you go at it the wrong way, you will be very dissatisfied when you unwittingly fall into a couple of potential issues. I want to share what I had researched and caution you about the potential pitfalls, with the products that I have purchased and used, just about a month ago.
Depending on what year bike you have (not necessarily just RTs), you will need either two or three things. The three things are: a good OBD-II scan device, an adapter cable to go from the standard OBD-II connector to the BMW round 10-pin connector, and the Android Only app MotoScan for BMW motorcycles. Here are the details on what you should get, and what to avoid:
OBD-II Scanner - these devices are based on ELM Electronics ELM327 chip. The very big issue is that the very early version of the chip has been heavily pirated by cheap Chinese manufacturers! Those cheap pirated devices will work, or not, and if they seem to work, they will have some very severe limitations as well as being inconsistent. You need to avoid those devices! One way of telling if the device that you are thinking of buying is legitimate or not, is to look at the cost, while keeping in mind that ELM sells their chip, in bulk to device manufacturer, at around $15 each! So, a cheap $5 or even $10 Chinese device isn't likely to be legitimate! You can read about this on ELM's website.
The scanner that I had bought, and recommend is the OBDLink LX, which is one of the one recommended by MotoScan. It will cost around $50 ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H9S71LW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). Note that MotoScan also recommend OBDLink MX, which is more expensive, but that is only because the MX model can communicate with Ford and Chevy vehicles, which have special communication protocol. That brings this to a special bonus in that you can use this device in your cars as well, with the free app for the product by the manufacturer!
OBD Connector to 10-pins BMW connector cable - You will NOT need this if you have the newer RT (2017+ ?). BMW has replaced the 10-pin diagnostic plug with the standard OBD-II connector for the newer bikes (must be an EU mandate!). For the rest of us, we do need this to connect the OBD-II scan tool to our bike. This is a potential pitfall as well. Some Chinese cables that you may see on eBay and even Amazon may have quality issues with their pins, and some have incorrect cross-connections between pins. This is a well-known issue, if you follow any of the discussions in other forums. I guess the safe thing to do is to buy what I have, which I know works very well. It will run you just under $20 at Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075K7MQFC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ).
MotoScan - ( MotoScan for BMW Motorcycles - Apps on Google Play )this app is the heart of the application, and unfortunately, it is only available for Android and no plan of development for IOS at any time! It is free to download, and the "free" version will communicate with the scan device. MotoScan recommends that you do so, to make sure that your set-up is working. You can upgrade, within the app itself, to any of the 3 additional levels. The nice thing is that when you upgrade to a level that isn't the highest, you can upgrade to the higher level at any time by paying just the difference. Can't go backward though!
Presently, I have my MotoScan app paid for the second to the highest level (I think it's labeled as "Professional") at a cost of under $30, while the highest level is around $40+ (can't remember the exact numbers). At the Professional level, I can read and reset all fault codes, reset the service reminder, and (I believe) do the ABS brake module fluid flush. I don't know for sure only because I have not used it but went part way through the procedure just to explore. This level will not allow me to reset the adaptive vales, but the app can do so with the highest level.
Here is the item that this set up cannot do, at present, and it applies to the wetheads (and the newer BMW bikes only). Presently, it cannot do the ESA calibration. The feature works for the older bikes, and so you guys with camhead, hexhead won't have any issues at all! The app developer is working on the feature for the wethead and newer bikes, and he is hoping that it will work, perhaps next year. Here is what he said to me in a recent email communication:
Hello,
Is not possible on the new LC models. Will come next year.
Best Regards
--
Dipl.-Ing. Wladimir Gurskij
WGSoft.de
Automotive Diagnostic Software
Email: wladi@wgsoft.de
Homepage: WGSoft.de - Automotive Diagnostic Software, OBD-2.de - OBD-2.net - Das Fahrzeugdiagnose Informationsportal, MotoScan – App für professionelle BMW Motorrad Diagnose
Tel.: 05223/491234
Am 11.07.19 um 02:27 schrieb Padej Gajajiva:
I hope that the information is of some use! The app is very easy to use and understand, plus the bonus is that you can also use the device on your car to play around with. Oh, yeah, one other bonus is that you do NOT have any limitation as to how many bikes you use your set-up, which is very much in contrary to the $400 GS-911!