R1100RT Questions

[Ed_Biker]

I just bought a 1996 R1100RT. I seem to have two problems. First, according to my dealer (I bought the bike privately, but this dealer serviced it for the former owner too), the fact that my ABS lights flash constantly means I have a battery that is going. The dealer checked the fault codes in the ABS computer and found none. The ABS lights function "normally" sometimes if I shut the bike off and restart it after a few minutes of riding. Anybody have experience with this? How long does it really take to get to the battery? The Haynes manual makes it look like a four hour job.

Second Problem: I can't seem to get the radio / tape player to work. When I try it sounds like the tuner is moving up the dial very slowly. I don't have the owner's manual, so I wonder if there is some kind of security feature. Something that disabled the radio if the power is cut. I have a spare set of speakers, but since I get some sound I'd rather check other options before replacing them.

Thanks for any help / advice.

[RevWillie]

I have a '96 RT as well and your problem with the ABS lights sound like a failing battery to me. If your battery does not have enough juice to give it a good initial jolt, then your ABS will fault out. It will start ok, but you will have to run it a bit to warm up before you try starting again to engage the ABS. I bought a sealed battery when my original battery started faulting, and I found that the new battery did not have enough starting voltage to avoid faulting out. The only way that I could cure it was to buy a OEM battery from BMW. The later RT's seem to be able to tolerate other brands and types of batteries, but the early RT's like their BMW batteries.

You don't really want to try to get the battery out by yourself unless you are willing to take all the bodywork off and dig out the battery! It is NOT a easy job!

By the way, watch out for clutch failures and surging with the '96 RT's! Good bikes, but first-year models tend to have more problems than later models. :dunno

[cruisin]

but you will have to run it a bit to warm up before you try starting again to engage the ABS.

While battery condition will have some effect on this, I don't think you have to run it to "warm-up;" maybe a minute to get enough charge to activate the ABS. At least that was true when I bought my '98 used in '01 and the OEM battery started giving me problems about six months later.


You don't really want to try to get the battery out by yourself unless you are willing to take all the bodywork off and dig out the battery! It is NOT a easy job!

Have to respectfully disagree with this one too. Drop the belly pan--four bolts and left side fairing--13 bolts and you're almost done. Next just free up the back half of the right side faring enough to shift out of the way about an inch to get a wrench on the right battery terminal. (or remove right one just like the left--additional 3 minutes) Takes about 10 minutes using a normal and a T-handle 3mm allen wrench. Just don't miss the bolts hidden under the mirror pods.

FWIW--I am using Yuasa batteries in both beemers right now and have not had a problem, but as stated, the '96s may be a little more touchy.

[bikerfish1100]

you ARE waiting for the FI to fully cycle (whirring stops) before hitting the starter button, yes? failing to do so will ensure that the ABS fails to operate as it should.

[jdiaz]

By the way, watch out for clutch failures and surging with the '96 RT's! Good bikes, but first-year models tend to have more problems than later models. :dunno
Really? I put 32K miles on my '96 RT (purchased Xmas of 1995) in two years and the only thing that went wrong was a RID that kept resetting to zero. It was the most flawless new BMW I've ever had, and the serial number was real low....325 or something.

[jdiaz]

Second Problem: I can't seem to get the radio / tape player to work. When I try it sounds like the tuner is moving up the dial very slowly. I don't have the owner's manual, so I wonder if there is some kind of security feature. Something that disabled the radio if the power is cut. I have a spare set of speakers, but since I get some sound I'd rather check other options before replacing them.

The radio does need a security code entered, although that information usually comes on a sticker with the owner's manual. I don't know how else to find it.

When you do get the radio working, find and read the operation manual carefully. A lot of folks complain that the radio tuner stinks, and the reason is because the sensitivity changes depending upon how many times you tap the SCAN button. IIRC, tapping twice puts the radio in distance mode, and you pick up a lot more stations. Something like that.