River Crossings - Lessons learnt
Posted: Fri 03 Nov, 2017 8:05 pm
It’s much easier not to drown your bike but if it occurs
here is what I have learnt on dewatering bike after ingesting water
Air Filter needs removing, then use a rag to remove pooled water in air box.
Place bike on centre stand on level ground or such that the sump plug is at the lowest point.
Spark Plugs removed then run starter motor in bursts until expelled air is clear.
Loosen sump plug until a trickle leaks out. Initially its water then white sludge.
Once oily sludge is dripping out screw in sump plug and wait for a while and repeat.
After waiting it may start with water again then back to white sludge.
repeat until you get oil dripping out. Remember to tighten the sump plug.
Spark Plugs back in and if all is well bike should eventually start. Mine required a jump start.
Carry out an engine oil change as soon as possible and replace air filter.
In my case it was after 60km to Albany with the old oil still looking good.
Some drowned bikes had the oil came out frothy and white.
My bike also had evidence of water in the diff.
The R1200GS 2010 model has a breather on top of the diff housing which can let in water.
So even after successfully creek crossings it would pay to check the diff oil for water
After the river crossings my bike developed erratic revs at idle and low engine revs.
It would rev from idle up to about 3000rpm. In traffic it required using the clutch to maintain steady speed.
Once above about 60kph all appeared normal.
Fault returned again when slowing down while in residential speed zones or in neutral and idling.
A temporary remedy to make the bike more rideable was once a stable idle occurred with the bike at normal
operating temperature was to turn off the ignition and then remove the cables from both the idle control devices.
This worked well with the only noticed difference was that from cold a slight amount of throttle was required to
maintain normal idle revs. Once warn bike operated normally.
Diagnostics did not show up any error codes. Fault turned out to be the gear position potentiometer.
From what I can remember the selected gear still appeared to be showing correctly on the instrument display.
Brian/5
here is what I have learnt on dewatering bike after ingesting water
Air Filter needs removing, then use a rag to remove pooled water in air box.
Place bike on centre stand on level ground or such that the sump plug is at the lowest point.
Spark Plugs removed then run starter motor in bursts until expelled air is clear.
Loosen sump plug until a trickle leaks out. Initially its water then white sludge.
Once oily sludge is dripping out screw in sump plug and wait for a while and repeat.
After waiting it may start with water again then back to white sludge.
repeat until you get oil dripping out. Remember to tighten the sump plug.
Spark Plugs back in and if all is well bike should eventually start. Mine required a jump start.
Carry out an engine oil change as soon as possible and replace air filter.
In my case it was after 60km to Albany with the old oil still looking good.
Some drowned bikes had the oil came out frothy and white.
My bike also had evidence of water in the diff.
The R1200GS 2010 model has a breather on top of the diff housing which can let in water.
So even after successfully creek crossings it would pay to check the diff oil for water
After the river crossings my bike developed erratic revs at idle and low engine revs.
It would rev from idle up to about 3000rpm. In traffic it required using the clutch to maintain steady speed.
Once above about 60kph all appeared normal.
Fault returned again when slowing down while in residential speed zones or in neutral and idling.
A temporary remedy to make the bike more rideable was once a stable idle occurred with the bike at normal
operating temperature was to turn off the ignition and then remove the cables from both the idle control devices.
This worked well with the only noticed difference was that from cold a slight amount of throttle was required to
maintain normal idle revs. Once warn bike operated normally.
Diagnostics did not show up any error codes. Fault turned out to be the gear position potentiometer.
From what I can remember the selected gear still appeared to be showing correctly on the instrument display.
Brian/5