DeLewis needs to pay attention to the basics, remove the snake oil rubbish including the pod mod, confirm what is painfully obvious which is it is the older defective BMSE firmware, have it updated to the last release and reset/rebuild adaptions, take a trip to Canberra for Dahlitz to do it if need be rather than dream up exotic solutions to fuel and other imaginary issues which dont exist
Hey Chill big buddy, we were merely chewing the fat. So he could make informed decisions based on his own research. Investigating squish has had great results twice for my race bikes. And since our cylinders are Chinese I though it a good thing to think about. With a donk on the bench, it takes 30 minutes. The pod mod, as crude as it may seem has been good for a lot of owners. Performance hit, maybe but peace of mind, definitely. And unless your bike is stalling like a bastard I would wait for the official BMW ECU patch. The latest firmware is still far from perfect and still needs help from spoofers and the like. Appreciate your collaboration
Sorry if it sounded that way but suggestion of poor fuel and reducing compression are just out there in lulu land. Pod mod is part of the problem not a solution No, the machines where the firmware is updated and air box is sealed properly along with the Pulstars/124 Injectors and adaptions reset properly perform well, in fact the one in Sydney I have done the GS911 testing on you would not even want a further firmware update, even those without the Pulstars and 124 Injectors respond well when the firmware is updated to the last release and proper adaption reset/rebuilds All bar one machine which have been updated by Dahlitz are running well and it is waiting for us to do a reset/rebuild on it. DeLewis's Strada is one of the machines affected more than others and as per the G650GS BMS-E machines where some did not respond well to the recall firmware update, DeLewis will only know if his is in the same boat until he gets that last firmware update applied and adaption reset/rebuild done.
Ah well, the pulstars & 246 injector shouldn't even come into the equation, just more idiom And blaming the pod mod for all the dramas,,, seriously? Unfortunately once updated there is no return. IMO the older firmware version coupled with my GS911 tool "would" have been great. As soon as BMW releases the fix ill be lining up
I had the fault codes reset with a GS911 (yes, bought the GS911) and the bike feels like it is at a better baseline; but after a hundred miles the bike is threatening to stall again on accelleration and, separately, when hot (which it was doing terribly often before the fault codes were cleared). I live in Seattle and the GS911 is the only option to even look at the ECU. I got to see the firmware ID code (my definition) and I'll compare it against what others have posted as the "most recent/updated" firmware. My bike was in a box until I bought it, which was immediately before BMW announced the sale. So, the firmware was never updated from the time it was boxed at factory. I'm curious to see what version mine is. And looking very forward to a legitimate fix from BMW.
Wayne, can you explain this one. Why would one bike respond differently to another to firmware? (providing of course both are exactly the same in respect of other mods which may have an effect) Is it the operating environment and fuel that this engine appears to be so susceptible to? I am currently running Strada in Philippines with original (faulty v1) firmware, K&N Air Filter, 124 Injector, Brisk Plugs, Variable Resistor on AIT Sensor (set at 12.5c) and a Wiseco Fuel Injector Controller (EJK) with O2 sensor disconnected. I performed the Adaptation Resets with Rheingold and now the bike goes as well as it ever could, and has done so for the past 2500 km with absolutely no stalls or stumbles whatsoever. I know it runs a little rich, but I would rather have that than the lean pinging or stalling anyday. I am happy that my mods/spoofers etc have been able to overcome the issues with the first firmware. In particular the stalling issue in hot traffic where the airbox temperature can reach 50+c. Together it all works well and although it has been a long road of experimentation, because we have no dealer access here, we cannot get any firmware upgrades, this is good enough for me.
The known issues of the stock air box and fuelling have been well ventilated - there is no doubt that out of the factory many of the TRs (mine included) were prone to dangerous stalling, lean pinging and leaky air boxes. And clearly the solutions that have been formulated by the TR owners have generally worked very well. I am now nearly certain that my rookie error was running Castrol Edge oil when the bike was near new and the friction modifiers have prevented proper seating of the rings with the bore. The info I've found specifically warns against using such oils for running in and engine as it prevent proper bedding in of the rings and bore and can cause the bore to glaze. Further, as of the past few days, the pinging has gone from bad to extreme to the extent that I had to go very light on the throttle to get home yesterday. So here's where the snake oil comes in. I was desperate for a short term solution as I rely on my bike as a daily commuter. I have already ordered Seafoam engine cleaner which supposedly cleans carbon deposits inside the combustion chamber - but that doesn't arrive for a week. What to do?? A quick google search revealed several videos of people claiming that spraying water into the throttle body of the running engine does more or less the same job as Seafoam and similar products except it's the steam that cleans the carbon deposits. Bugger it - give it a go! Rode to work and back today (50km return trip) and bloody thing would not ping! I'm not recommending it to anyone but until the ring kit arrives I have to do whatever works!
Update: A couple of months agoI got the rings replaced and the bore honed by a BMW mechanic with a good rep. I checked with a borescope after the job was done and confirmed that the bore had the cross hatching of a freshly honed bore and the piston crown was clean. Now two months and 2000km later i changed the oil and found that it has burned between 600-800ml of oil! A borescope inspection shows that the piston crown is again fouled with oil deposits! WTF is going on?? The oil used for the break in was the usual Penrite synthetic that I normally use - perhaps I should have used a mineral oil but it shouldn't prevent the rings from bedding in. I ran the engine moderately hard at different rpm etc. And the breathers are all venting as far as I can tell. I'm baffled !
That is a fricken drag DeLewis. Sorry to hear this. What exactly did the BMW mechanic do when he "bore honed" it? He is a pro and I would assume he knows what he is doing, but Nikasil maintenance is a highly debated subject. I was on the fence about weather to send in my cylinder to US Chrome or not. After reading this, I'm definitely sending mine in to either have it replated and diamond honed or just diamond honed. I'll let the the people who do replating everyday decide. It is the only way Im going to feel good about it.
Hey FabOneUp, yep I think you might be into something with the honing of a Nikasil coated bore. I wasn't aware of the possible issues but have received similar feedback from the Dakar owners thread on ADV (a lot of accumulated experience/knowledge re Rotax 650s over there). My mechanic who is a BMW specialist should know what he is doing but then again perhaps he doesn't...
Hi Viktor, sorry for your dramas. What did they say when you took it back? Obviously something was overlooked.
...or the original issue is not resolved yet. What is the configuration of the vent and fuelers at this time?
Well I called the mechanic today and he didn't seem particularly interested, mumbled something about seeing how it goes over the next few thousand kms... not sure how much I can push it given - I can foresee excuses about how it's a Husky and he normally only works on BMWs and that these things are never guaranteed, lots of variables, etc. Mag00, as for vents, etc, I have the standard crankcase breather setup with a clear filter between the crankcase and the airbox which enables me to see if there's excessive oil pushing up the hose. I also have the AF-XIED installed.
The afxied is dumping too much fuel into the engine. This is washing the oil off the cylinder walls. That is burning and carbonizing the piston and head. The walls have no oil left and the rings are glazing over the cross hatches. The minimal pressure from the filter in the vent is helping push oil past the rings. This is not the mechanics fault who redid the rings. Not to mention the improper break in oil for the rings. Start over, use a good mineral oil for the break in. Remove the afxied and inline filter. Get the firmware update and reset and rebuild the adaptions. There is a new engine for sale in the classified, maybe you can work out a deal.
Dave, I dont think the afxied is to blame. There is lots of spoofers in use of various kinds as well as the 124 injector. I have been running the BP for over 45k klm without any lose of oil. I had a ford 351 in my youth, chewing 16 miles to the UK gallon for 60k miles. That should of washed the oil from the cylinder walls also but it didn't. Viktor, If the consumption continues have someone else perform a leak down test. If they cannot determine the fault my uneducated guess would be the intake valve guide/s. Silly question... but you did burp engine/oil tank rite?
Hey Paul, What do you mean re burping the engine oil? I drained the oil from the sump plug and the upper frame reservoir, replaced the filter then added 2 lt oil gradually by running the engine after adding about 1 lt to draw it through the engine before adding the remainder. Yes, next step will be to get the mechanic to do a leak down test if the oil consumption continues apace. Cheers
You can tip in 1.5lt / 1.6lt fairly quickly. After this its a slow process. Better off doing like the manual says add 1.5l and run the engine, stop and add the remainder, 2lt total, this can be done quickly. Just making sure you put 2lt in. The good thing is the engine can be safely run at 75% oil capacity
I thought I'd add an update to the ongoing issue around oil consumption of my TR. In February this year I had the rings replaced and bore honed by an experienced BMW mechanic to address what I suspected was the cause of the excessive oil consumption. The motor then had 28k km on the clock. 2k I'm later I changed the oil and found that the engine had consumed approx 600ml oil! Shortly thereafter, I detected the signs of a blown head gasket: water in the oil and oil in the water. I took it back to the mechanic who replaced the head gasket again. The bike was running very well with plenty of power. This week I returned from a 3k km outback ride. Over the course of the trip I had to add a shocking 3 litres of oil to the motor! As I arrived back in Melbourne the bike was exhibiting a rattle from the valves or cam chain and the engine was beginning to heat up. I stopped and checked the oil and had to add a full litre of oil (the 3rd litre) to bring it up to level. Seems to be running normally now and hopefully no damage was caused. On my return, I carried out an oil change and found the oil was very black. Further, in addition to the usual small quantities of metal flakes on the metallic oil drain plug, there were small metal (I think aluminium) pieces in the oil and what looked like a small fragment or two of a ceramic like material. This also occurred in the previous oil change after the rings had been replaced. The bike still goes like the clappers but something is obviously wrong. The oil consumption only appears to occur at sustained mid-high rpms under load (ie at speed). The bike has the podmod, AFXIED (which is on the minimum setting to make it rideable) and aftermarket pipes. The fuel consumption is very good. This is not an issue caused by excessive fuelling and carbon build up as previously suggested. All that remains is for me to tear down the bike when I have the luxury of time and a second bike (701 .
