[apehair]

02 RT with 22,000 miles. When I bought it, it stumbled and died every time it settled at idle unless I kept up the revs. Then I did all this:

- Installed PC III (was told it wasn't necessary, but I'd already bought it)
- Adjusted the valves
- Tuned the throttle bodies
- Replaced spark plugs
- Replaced fluids
- Ran Seafoam through the tank

The problem went away and the bike got a lot smoother, but now the stumbling has returned. It's not as bad as it was when I bought the bike, but here's what it does:

- Every once in a while it skips a beat at idle.
- When it heats up a bit, it skips a couple beats and then dies.

Idle is set to 1100 RPM, 1500 RPM with choke.

Have any of you had this problem before? Any ideas what could be causing it?

Thanks,

ape

 

[twkBMW]

02 RT with 22,000 miles. When I bought it, it stumbled and died every time it settled at idle unless I kept up the revs. Then I did all this:

- Installed PC III (was told it wasn't necessary, but I'd already bought it)
- Adjusted the valves
- Tuned the throttle bodies
- Replaced spark plugs
- Replaced fluids
- Ran Seafoam through the tank

The problem went away and the bike got a lot smoother, but now the stumbling has returned. It's not as bad as it was when I bought the bike, but here's what it does:

- Every once in a while it skips a beat at idle.
- When it heats up a bit, it skips a couple beats and then dies.

Idle is set to 1100 RPM, 1500 RPM with choke.

Have any of you had this problem before? Any ideas what could be causing it?

Thanks,

ape

Are you letting the gas sit in it for any lenght of time? (3 months or longer)

I just had to go through carbs (in know the BWM is FI) n a few dirtbikes that would not idle. Did not see a thing, but when I put them back together they ran fine.

How do the plugs look?

Any vacuum leaks? (probably not)

 

[beech]

I will assume you have set the valves carefully and done a good throttle body balance (called a sync by many). Now try some injector cleaner such as Techron or Sea Foam. This is a ten year old bike and will need more help than a newer one of course. It takes dedicated maintenance to keep this era bike running well. You have reached the end of life of many parts and need to think if you want to do deep maintenance or move on. Things like spark plug coils, plug wires, wheel bearings, fuel hoses, fuel filter, throttle cables, spline lube, brake disks, you name it, they are all due. You have to separate your current problem to fuel, fuel quality or ignition. The basic engine is good for a couple of hundred thousand miles or more so you see it can be kept alive! New bikes are expensive and to an extend an old one can be also (but not as much). It will take some serious cash to bring a ten year old bike to fresh. It is worth it if you like the bike.
Try some injector cleaner first. Use one of the brands above for a couple of tanks.

 

[apehair]

Hmmm ... maybe it's the Colorado fuel. Even though I always use premium, they put a lot of corn in the fuel around here. Already did the Seafoam treatment. I'll check the plugs and get back to you all.

Thanks for the tips.

ape

 

[japachap]

Is your 02 a Twinspark? Try checking your Primary spark plug coils if so. If its only one plug per head then check the spark anyway (clean spark in 1/2inch airgap is good- not less than 1/4inch arc) and if its not strong then check/clean the LT and HT connections...?

 

[hopz]

First of all....

The '02 bike is not all that old, and it is unlikely that the bike is over the hill. I will bet that there is something amiss that can and will be found.

- Next, FYI... that is not a choke lever. There is no choke on this bike. What that is, is a Fast Idle lever. Be certain that it is fully Off when it is supposed to be Off.

- The bike ought to idle comfortably at the normal speed. You should not have to run it up to 1500 to keep it going.

- Seafoam and Techron, etc are good products. One can ought to do the job... when used according to the manufacturer's mixture rates. If one can does not get her done then it is unlikely that two will.

- I know you did a proper valve adjustment and TBS but I am guessing that is not the issue. Valves being off will more likely show up when running off-idle anyway.

- My thoughts lie in three directions. One is that the PC III is getting involved and as you and I have discussed previously I think it is highly likely that it is not helping (either the problem or the diagnosis) and it ought to be disabled or removed at least till you figure things out.
Two ... my pure guess... is that you might have a bad coil or possibly the coil wire is funky or even not firmly seated. The process of pulling the coil during a spark plug removal and/or valve job can cause breaks in the wire or coil... especially since you might not be all that experiened in this system.
Three... fuel pump and fuel filter. At this age it ought to be considered. Unfortunately it involves removing the fuel tank, and opening it up to get to the pump and filter. Not trivial but certainly not highly technical or obscure. The filter should be serviced at your mileage anyway. The pump is probably OK.

just my $0.02.

 

[beech]

my pure guess... is that you might have a bad coil or possibly the coil wire is funky or even not firmly seated. The process of pulling the coil during a spark plug removal and/or valve job can cause breaks in the wire or coil... especially since you might not be all that experiened in this system.

Ten years on coils or wires can easily be a time frame when problems especially the stick coils begin. I agree the fuel filter should be serviced. Interesting RT's built later don't have filters just a fine mesh sock. Guess difficulty changing the filter was put in the merit matrix. Generally poor filter quality shows up at larger fuel flow than low speed or idle. And, for sure reverse any add on electronic controls to aid in figuring this out. (Sometimes it even helps to go to stock exhaust if there are running problems). Plug wires can develop small pin holes that on close inspection look like a gray spot with a tiny black spot in the middle. This is where a high voltage leak is occurring. Generally a bad coil will have an additional symptom of serious loss of power when you open the throttle (looking for more power) underway. One thing to keep in mind, try repair at a time.