Surging !

[motiontwoofmn]

Greetings all. HELP ! I recently purchased a '96 R1100R and I believe it has a issue with surging at steady throttle inputs especially at sub 30 mph speeds.
What help can I get with this ? Is there a tuning chip or FI map upload required. Thanks in advance.

George

[AnnapolisAirhead]

Greetings all. HELP ! I recently purchased a '96 R1100R and I believe it has a issue with surging at steady throttle inputs especially at sub 30 mph speeds.
What help can I get with this ? Is there a tuning chip or FI map upload required. Thanks in advance.

George

Look into this: Techlusion TFi Fuel Injection (http://www.customdynamics.com/motorcycle-performance-accessories/techlusion_fuel_injection_control_module.htm)

[GrafikFeat]

What help can I get with this ?

Try a different sparkplug too...

[OfficerImpersonator]

I haven't ridden your bike - and you haven't ridden mine - so YMMV - but I have always been a believer that if the bike is otherwise sound mechanically and the throttle bodies are in sync, surging can be cured by simply downshifting a gear.

I'm guessing your surging manifests itself below 3000 RPM. I'm also guessing that if you get your RPMs up into the 4000+ RPM range, the surging goes away.

These bikes have relatively large engines for motorcycles, but they don't like to be lugged at relatively low RPMs. Wind it out a bit and, all other things being equal, the surging should go away.

[alien_hitchhiker]

HELP !

George, type the word 'surge' into the search function on this site and you should come up with several hours worth of reading.

I'll summarize it for you, in a stepwise process:

1. Careful valve adjust followed by a throttle body synch.

2. If you're still not happy, purchase and install Autolite APP 3923 plugs. Gap them to .032".

3. If you're still not happy, purchase and install a Techlusion 259, and then use it to tune out the surge.

4. If you're still not happy, purchase and ride a dual plug 1150 or 1200.

I encourage you to do the search, you'll find additional ideas. Also know that as these vintage oilheads accumulate miles, like > 30-40 thousand, they really seem to settle in.

1100s are very sweet engines - with this one shortcoming. It is worth your trouble to tune out the surge. You will be pleased with the result. I have been.

[kbasa]

R1100/1150 single plug bikes seem to be sensitive to good tuning.

This means a very accurate valve adjustment and a careful throttle body synch. You can do both of them yourself and get around this problem.

I also run Autolite plugs in ours, which help quite a bit.

[johnpeter]

"This Surge" is supposed to really diminish with mileage.
So how many miles are on this '96? Did the former owner/s baby it?
Ride it like you stole it if the mileage is low. This is not a HD to be lugged about town you know. ;)

The local SoCal independent BMW Guru(Matt Dobner of Luftmeister fame of days gone by) says this issue is a non-issue once these 1100cc engines are broken-in.

I could not get the info out of him but he did state that "the fix" was as simple as cutting and relocating a wire, iirc.

[OfficerImpersonator]

Mine is an 1150, but it's a single-spark 1150, so it's susceptible to the surging issue. I agree with the poster above to ride it like you stole it. I don't think my cylinder rings fully sat until around 30,000 miles. It used to smoke a bit every fifth or sixth start, and now every start is smoke-free, indicating to me that the rings are tight and oil isn't seeping into the combustion chamber when the engine is off.

I'm also a proponent of giving the bike an occasional "Italian tune-up", which consists of riding the heck out of the bike (i.e. winding out the engine) for as long as safety, conditions and law enforcement will allow. Make that engine work every now and then. It does seem that these bikes don't fully break in until they have tens of thousands of miles on the clock and they've been ridden hard once every now and then. This can be especially true if you're a second or third owner and suspect the prior owners babied the bike a bit too much.

[cardno7]

I have been using a Champion spark plug in my 1150RT and has greatly reduced surge; will reply with exact plug when I get back to the bike.

[R100RS]

Adjust the valves and then do a very precise throttle body balance. That should take care of it. If it's been a while, put in new Autolite spark plugs and a new air filter.

[Andy VH]

I must be lucky, because I have never felt my 94 R1100RS has had a surging issue, even from the day I first got it with 3k on it. Now it has 130k on it. But, I did change the plugs to Autolite to see what performance difference it made. For the low cost of the Autolite 3923 plugs I have to say its worth a try.

But also, on my 94 RS I had installed the longer GS intake tubes. The GS intake tubes create a shift in the torque curve slightly lower on the rpm range and I think they also cause slightly higher velocity airflow into the throttle bodies. Not sure but that may also reduce the surging effect due to higher velocity airflow at lower engine rpm.

I also had installed a K&N air filter years ago, because I like the reuseable aspect of cleaning the filter. Last season I also installed a Techlusion after I modified my muffler. The Techlusion did a lot to improve the bottom end response, almost feels the same as when running on the choke. But, my fuel mileage for general riding has decreased to the 40 mpg range. About 45 mpg for constant speed riding.

Good maintenance of valve clearance and throttle body balance also helps to reduce the surging effect.

[flars]

As noted above - set valves, and sync throttles. Put in Autolites if it still surges. My '98 will surge with the Bosch plugs, but doesn't with the Autolites.
The surge problem shouldn't be a problem on the 1100 bikes if it is tuned up properly (and yes, it is very easy to do yourself). The 1150s can be really bad surgers, and some people have resorted to the Techlusions on them.
My R1100RS - no surge
My R1150RT - bunch o'surge

[Random]

... This is not a HD to be lugged about town you know. ;)
...
At the MOA rally in Charleston I spoke with a couple of guys that had been to one of the tech seminars. They told me that you should keep the RPMs of R1100 engines at about 3500 when riding around town. I don't know if this is true or not but it does make sense in light of comments like that above.

FWIW my '96 R1100GS doesn't have a surge problem. I just finished breaking it in at 100,000 miles. ;)