Overheating after first start in 6 months

2640 Views 62 Replies 22 Participants Last post by AlexTJ, 1 mo ago

NaperNineT

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

3

Hi- I have a 2018 r nine t. It has approx 3800 miles.
Since last October I have left the bike on a trickle charger. Once in a while I would start and it the engine ran fine.
Today, after some weeks I started the bike and left it running for almost an hour.
I came back to the garage and found smoke. The bike was running idle.
There was a grinding sort of coffee maker type noise coming from near the fuel tank.
the fuel temp was unusually hot that I can’t place my hand on it for a more than a few seconds. I saw a piece of plastic next to bike as it was fallen down. The trickle charger was still connected to it.

The temp reading was showing 289F as I attempted to restart. I opened the fuel tank lid and hot air started to come out with heavy pressure. See the photo.

It wont start again.
What could be wrong?

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Chris.

· #2 · 2 mo ago

It's not a good idea to leave a AIR COOLED engine running on idle for an hour..

The plastic part is part of your cylinder; you can click it back on.
That temperature you read there is not the Fuel temp but the Oil temp..

In the best case the bike ran out of fuel? And sucked some debrees/gunk from the bottom of the tank into the fuel filter?

Worst case; the engine is toast.

Reactions: 4

NaperNineT

Discussion Starter · #3 · 2 mo ago

There is enough gas in the tank. The temp reading has gone down but it is still not starting. It cranks but not start.

Norbi

· #4 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

NaperNineT said:
1.) Once in a while I would start and it the engine ran fine.
Today, after some weeks I started the bike and
2.) left it running for almost an hour.😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫
I came back to the garage and found smoke. The bike was running idle.
3.) There was a grinding sort of coffee maker type noise coming from near the fuel tank.
4.) the fuel temp was unusually hot that I can’t place my hand on it for a more than a few seconds.
5.) I saw a piece of plastic next to bike as it was fallen down.
6.) The trickle charger was still connected to it.
The temp reading was showing 289F
7.) as I attempted to restart.

It wont start again.
What could be wrong?

All of the above are WRONG! Very, very wrong!!! Some more, some less. But all wrong!

Reactions: 3

NaperNineT

Discussion Starter · #5 · 2 mo ago

Obviously there are some mistakes here. But I’m looking for understanding what could be wrong.

not everyone is as experienced of a rider like you, so please keep that into consideration

Chris.

· #6 · 2 mo ago

The engine probably got so hot; to the point the headers would have been glowing red hot.
Hotter than it would ever get in traffic/riding.. These bikes are not fool-proof / they do not turn off on themselves.

At one point your oil will boil/burn and it then loses it's lubricating functionality; and that's not good for the engine..

You are lucky if they can still save that bike at the dealer

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NaperNineT

Discussion Starter · #7 · 2 mo ago

Ok I started the bike and it started up again. I turned the engine off right away.

maybe it’s ok now.

please educate me on what mistakes I made. So that going forward im careful

thanks

Norbi

· #8 · 2 mo ago

www.ninetowners.com

Search results for query: Overheat

www.ninetowners.com

www.ninetowners.com

Reactions: 1

NaperNineT

Discussion Starter · #9 · 2 mo ago

Thanks, I realized how search feature works now!

Reactions: 1

Norbi

· #10 · 2 mo ago

NaperNineT said:
Obviously there are some mistakes here. But I’m looking for understanding what could be wrong.

not everyone is as experienced of a rider like you, so please keep that into consideration

Ah, it’s you!
I remember this thread and our brief exchange from a year ago… Bar End Mirror Horror Story

I’ll be more considerate next time.

Reactions: 1

Kowalski

· #11 · 2 mo ago

289F is hot but not engine killing hot, ive been in the 290s before while ripping and its fine. my guess is6 the engine was warming up the fuel tank so much that the gasoline in the fuel lines evaporated (hence the high pressure in the tank) as there was no wind cooling it down. it evaporated once the pump went off and the pressure in the fuel lines dropped (less pressure=lower temp needed to evaporate the fuel). the bike wouldnt start back up as it needs liquid fuel and not evaporated gases. once the engine and gas cooled down it started again because the fuel turned liquid. but i would sure not recommend doing that ever again.

Reactions: 4

NaperNineT

Discussion Starter · #12 · 2 mo ago

Kowalski said:
289F is hot but not engine killing hot, ive been in the 290s before while ripping and its fine. my guess is6 the engine was warming up the fuel tank so much that the gasoline in the fuel lines evaporated (hence the high pressure in the tank) as there was no wind cooling it down. it evaporated once the pump went off and the pressure in the fuel lines dropped (less pressure=lower temp needed to evaporate the fuel). the bike wouldnt start back up as it needs liquid fuel and not evaporated gases. once the engine and gas cooled down it started again because the fuel turned liquid. but i would sure not recommend doing that ever again.

thank you your answer makes sense. Appreciate ✅

Norbi

· #13 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

if0rg0t2remember said:
Don't put too much stock in the engine temp readout. Our bikes measure the oil temp behind the right cylinder instead of in the sump like most are used to seeing. As such it will always read higher than most are used to. But from my experience high 90sC/200F is about right for casual riding.

Additionally the temp readout has cap and will stop displaying the actual temp above 143C/289F. That is not the temp at which the bike overheats, it is simply the max displayed. If the bike ever gets too hot the display will flash the triangular warning light and put a thermometer icon in the screen on the speedo.

BlitzSchnell

· #14 · 2 mo ago

I think some understanding might be gained by investigating the difference between AIR cooled and WATER cooled engines … this motorcycle is not a car and there are certain things you can and cannot do with it … Idling is one of them. The bike warms up very quickly at idling speed (NO AIR across the heads)
If you need to stay still for long (no air across the heads) set up fans, big ones to carry large volumes of air and that will help. We all (Riders) are hopeful that this lesson didn’t cost you your bike because there is a point of no return, when it becomes to expensive to repair …. Good fortune to you @NaperNineT ……. Remember Rider NaperNineT, we were ALL novices once, so don’t feel bad …….. hang in there …………………..Blitz

Reactions: 3

JeffsBMW

· #15 · 2 mo ago

DAH!!! and double DAH!!!! Why would you start the bike and leave it idling in the garage or carport in the first place? I have no compassion or sympathy for things like this. If your going to start it take it out and ride it even if its just around the block and then you park, SHUT IT OFF!!!. If your not taking a spin around the block it will be fine on the trickle charger and a ride later. You got lucky here for sure! No the bike might have done OK but if its in the garage or close to your house and an open window you could cause a lot of problems with the exhaust and carbon dioxide poison. DON'T START AND RUN YOUR MOTORCYCLE IN A GARAGE without proper ventilation and supervision of the running motorcycle!!! It is just common sense.

I'm glad you and others are OK, the bike can be fixed or replaced if its broken.

A little sharp, pointed and condescending? YUP! Its kinda like if I posted that I removed the brakes from my 2014 Standard and then posted that I can't get the forks unstuck from the rear bumper of that Ford 150 that stopped short in front of me.

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NaperNineT

Discussion Starter · #16 · 2 mo ago

JeffsBMW said:
DAH!!! and double DAH!!!! Why would you start the bike and leave it idling in the garage or carport in the first place? I have no compassion or sympathy for things like this. If your going to start it take it out and ride it even if its just around the block and then you park, SHUT IT OFF!!!. If your not taking a spin around the block it will be fine on the trickle charger and a ride later. You got lucky here for sure! No the bike might have done OK but if its in the garage or close to your house and an open window you could cause a lot of problems with the exhaust and carbon dioxide poison. DON'T START AND RUN YOUR MOTORCYCLE IN A GARAGE without proper ventilation and supervision of the running motorcycle!!! It is just common sense.

I'm glad you and others are OK, the bike can be fixed or replaced if its broken.

A little sharp, pointed and condescending? YUP! Its kinda like if I posted that I removed the brakes from my 2014 Standard and then posted that I can't get the forks unstuck from the rear bumper of that Ford 150 that stopped short in front of me.

Thanks, appreciate. The garage door was wide open.

vagueout

· #17 · 2 mo ago

Every couple of years, on BMW forums, one of these incidents come to light, I just shake my head. Even if the motor still runs, it's life spans been seriously limited. The upside is that the OP's house did not burn down, likewise nobody injured, a cooked engine can blow the fuel tank like a napalm bomb.

Reactions: 4

Norbi

· #18 · 2 mo ago

vagueout said:
Every couple of years, on BMW forums, one of these incidents come to light, I just shake my head. Even if the motor still runs, it's life spans been seriously limited. The upside is that the OP's house did not burn down, likewise nobody injured, a cooked engine can blow the fuel tank like a napalm bomb.

Good thing he wasn’t injured by the bar end incident a year ago! Just being considerate.

vagueout

· #19 · 2 mo ago

Now that we've all had a turn kicking the OP in the butt, just want to say that I am a stern advocate for warming up a motor before riding off, they last longer if you do, now at this point in the discussion someone is already typing " the BMW rider's handbook states clearly to start and ride off immediately", yes it does but that piece of advice is not written in the book by design engineers but rather by LAWYERS to save BMW's butt from lawsuits following an incident as outlined by the OP had it caused damage beyond the bike. Again I feel sorry for the OP NaperNineT but relieved it's only his bike that is damaged, I hope it works out for him and his future posts are of a happier nature.

Reactions: 2

BlitzSchnell

· #20 · 2 mo ago

vagueout said:
Now that we've all had a turn kicking the OP in the butt, just want to say that I am a stern advocate for warming up a motor before riding off, they last longer if you do, now at this point in the discussion someone is already typing " the BMW rider's handbook states clearly to start and ride off immediately", yes it does but that piece of advice is not written in the book by design engineers but rather by LAWYERS to save BMW's butt from lawsuits following an incident as outlined by the OP had it caused damage beyond the bike. Again I feel sorry for the OP NaperNineT but relieved it's only his bike that is damaged, I hope it works out for him and his future posts are of a happier nature.

Take a simple cheap infrared thermometer and check how very quickly you bike comes up to temperature … use your hand (carefully) and feel the exhaust pipe and see how quickly the temp comes up ……….. touch the cylinders (the cooling fins) and see how long at idle it takes to get warm ………. I never got the official BMW take on it but every air cooled motorcycle I owned I just got on and rode … no issues. A warm up ? Maybe if you in the paddock about to go out on the track to set some new record ….that warm up would be a pretty good idea but as a practice I don’t agree @vagueout …. It’s a waste of fuel. Your performance, oil behavior, compression etc .. are all better when the engine is a little cold compared with the same circumstances when it’s a little overheated …… when you warm up a water cooled engine your heating up the water and not so much the engine ( indirectly ) an air cooled motor gets hot and quickly too .. If your start your bike and ride you are up to temperature in under two minutes of starting it. Warm up is not necessary .. but not harmful if you don’t overheat the bike, maybe a full minute. Not necessary but can’t hurt if you watch the temp … it comes up quick …….. that’s my take anyway …….. I’ve put many a mile on many different air cooled machines and never had one issue about warm ups. Kick it (before electric starters) and ride ………………. Blitz

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