Issues with new-to-me R1200GS - help please 🙏

Wibblemeister

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Hi there,

I have very recently taken on a 2006 GS. It has been running fine and all electrics ok, till tonight!

I have had the bike on an Optimate using the jubilee clips. But tonight I swapped over to the direct connectors. All was ok till I tried to put the seat back on, when I seem to have shorted the battery :-( It looks like the front seat front bar pressed against both terminals, albeit briefly. Rubbish design, but what I noticed:

1. No terminal protection - I have now ordered some in;
2. There is a gap between seat and tank - I cannot work out if this is normal and if so, what stops water running down between seat and tank, then onto the battery!
3. I now have no headlight or heated grips - I assume this is a result of the shorting.
a. Is it just a case of replacing the headlight bulb?
b. What needs to be replaced to get the heated grips working again?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
There are no fuses on an 06 - it's all controlled by a canbus system.

it will shut down the electrics to prevent any issues due to shorting

Re seat gap -

yes there is a gap between seat and tank

water will not short out battery, only a direct connection from positive to negative , and rain water wont do that,

even dunking the battery in water, wont cause a huge short

the positive block terminal should have a red rubber cover that sits over the terminal to prevent any accidental shorts.

How have you diagnosed the heated grips no longer work?

if you have a bulb failure, it will show lampF in the kombi (dash)

i'd disconnect the battery, wait for a couple of minutes, reconnect and then start the bike and see what happens

And pay the ÂŁ12 subs so people can pm you stuff
 
Just had a thought..

The Hexhead has seat locators at the front which the height bar locates into - Like big letter C's

My guess is you've forced it underneath the C section, hence the battery contact
 
As said... Just an afterthought.. Are the heated grips original or aftermarket? This could cause a short if you damaged the wiring.

Sent from my M2007J22G using Tapatalk
 
You do know the engine has to running for the headlight to come on …. It doesn’t come on with just the ignition turned on.
 
Hi Santa,

Replying to both your responses:

I have now subscribed, thanks for the advice... ÂŁ15 now though...

Ref the water, thanks for putting my mind at rest, I would never have thought it would be OK but you live and learn!

I am awaiting an Amazon order to protect the terminals with some silicone covers so hopefully will help in the future.

Heated grips - simply by turning them on! Nothing after 5 mins... BUT I only turned the ignition on, I did not have the bike running. I shall try with the bike running later today.

There are no lamp failure errors on the dash. But again I have only tried them with the ignition on, not with the bike running. And looking at Steptoe's response below, I shall try with the bike running later today.

Further updates:
1. The LHS seat connector is missing part of the C section lug! It does not excuse my shorting the battery but does mean I have ordered a new bracket in. But I do think you are right, I must have tried to put the seat on under the brackets. Lesson learnt.
2. The Optimate is showing the battery is all OK as of this morning so at the moment it does not look like I have caused any damage.
3. I seem to have an EZ Canbus device fitted. I have no idea if this is a help or hindrance. I need to connect to it later to see how things have been configured. Not a clue what I am going to find.

Fingers crossed the headlight and heated grips start working once I have the bike running.

Cheers
 
Joca said:
As said... Just an afterthought.. Are the heated grips original or aftermarket? This could cause a short if you damaged the wiring.

Sent from my M2007J22G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Looks like they're the originals... The issue may be nothing more complex than I tested with the ignition on but not the bike running; I shall be retesting later today.

Thanks
 
Steptoe said:
You do know the engine has to running for the headlight to come on …. It doesn’t come on with just the ignition turned on.
Click to expand...

Hi - Nope I did not know that! This is a voyage of discovery - I am slowly making my way round the manual! I shall retest later with the engine running - thanks for calling this out.

Cheers
 
Wibblemeister said:
Hi - Nope I did not know that! This is a voyage of discovery - I am slowly making my way round the manual! I shall retest later with the engine running - thanks for calling this out.

Cheers
Click to expand...
You won't be the first and you won't be the last, every day's a school day.........
 
Hope all works out without spending more cash.
enjoy the bike Wibble.

Let us know the outcome :)
 
Wibblemeister said:
I have had the bike on an Optimate using the jubilee clips. But tonight I swapped over to the direct connectors. All was ok till I tried to put the seat back on, when I seem to have shorted the battery :-( It looks like the front seat front bar pressed against both terminals, albeit briefly. Rubbish design
Click to expand...

Before you blame it on the bike design... I'd double check how you installed the direct connectors.
I do have direct connectors screwed on my hexhead battery, because I added an extra (fused) mini DIN socked on the right of the bike to quickly connect it to the Optimate Solar when back in the garage.

I never had any issues with the bar below the seat getting even closer to the battery terminal (and the positive is shielded).
 
Wibblemeister said:
Hi there,

I have very recently taken on a 2006 GS. It has been running fine and all electrics ok, till tonight!

I have had the bike on an Optimate using the jubilee clips. But tonight I swapped over to the direct connectors. All was ok till I tried to put the seat back on, when I seem to have shorted the battery :-( It looks like the front seat front bar pressed against both terminals, albeit briefly. Rubbish design, but what I noticed:

1. No terminal protection - I have now ordered some in;
2. There is a gap between seat and tank - I cannot work out if this is normal and if so, what stops water running down between seat and tank, then onto the battery!
3. I now have no headlight or heated grips - I assume this is a result of the shorting.
a. Is it just a case of replacing the headlight bulb?
b. What needs to be replaced to get the heated grips working again?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Be very careful with Seat Installation.
A Dealer (non Franchise) quite local to me sent out a lovely Twin Cam with its new Owner recently, and it burst into flames a few miles up the road.
Apparently the Seat had been forced on and Shorted the Battery.

Note: Secondhand Information, courtesy of MikeyBoy of this Parish, but I did see photos of the End Result - Not Pretty!! :(
 
Steptoe said:
You do know the engine has to running for the headlight to come on …. It doesn’t come on with just the ignition turned on.
Click to expand...

Hi Steptoe... Retested tonight with the engine running and - yes everything works OK! I will get to work out how the bike works eventually!!
 
BillyBoxer6 said:
Be very careful with Seat Installation.
A Dealer (non Franchise) quite local to me sent out a lovely Twin Cam with its new Owner recently, and it burst into flames a few miles up the road.
Apparently the Seat had been forced on and Shorted the Battery.

Note: Secondhand Information, courtesy of MikeyBoy of this Parish, but I did see photos of the End Result - Not Pretty!! :(
Click to expand...

OMG! I did not quite get that far to Disasterville, however the sparks I did get reminded me I would not want petrol anywhere near them! I fitted the seat back carefully tonight, also covering the terminals with a section of rubber, so all OK... My new proper terminal covers arrived today so I will be fitting those later in the week.
 
er-minio said:
Before you blame it on the bike design... I'd double check how you installed the direct connectors.
I do have direct connectors screwed on my hexhead battery, because I added an extra (fused) mini DIN socked on the right of the bike to quickly connect it to the Optimate Solar when back in the garage.

I never had any issues with the bar below the seat getting even closer to the battery terminal (and the positive is shielded).
Click to expand...


Well I recognise it was my issue, but clearly not alone... That said once bitten and all that, I am much more careful with the seat now... I will also get the terminals properly protected this week; and the new seat clamp bracket should arrive so hopefully all will be OK from now on...
 
Barnoe said:
Hope all works out without spending more cash.
enjoy the bike Wibble.

Let us know the outcome :)
Click to expand...


You may have picked up from all the replies - but all good now... Numpty me with the engine running thing - headlights and heated grips all OK... Seat clamp on order... Terminal covers with me now to be fitted... Seat set to lower position to sit closer to the tank... Optimate doing its thing nicely... Nearly there now...
 
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