R1150GS dies 20 seconds after startup
 

Hello,

My bike is a R1150GS and has developed a weird behaviour over the last few days.

I ran it almost dry, and decided to fill up with 98 octane fuel to see if I felt any difference, out of curiosity.

Right after filling up, it died about 20 seconds after I started it, while the bike was already slightly warm and already moving on to second gear.

Since then, whenever I start the engine (already warm after a lunch break or cold) it dies about 15 to 30 seconds after. (Usually while I´m still not moving but the iddle is normal right up until it dies) After it dies and I take no action I can hear the fuel pump priming itself just like I have just switched the bike off and back on myself.
A few seconds later, it will start just fine and run as normal. While if I try to restart it immediately after it dies it will not start.
I feel no loss of power or smoothness whatsoever.

I still have only done about 150km on this tank, but the fuel is from a reputable good fuel station and brand.

I have the feeling it might be something electrical since it runs as normal. Can anyone help me figure this out?

piece of plastic, or some dirt in the tank from the fill up?

I didn´t consider dirt because it stops as if I turned the key off, and once it starts for the second time it starts and rides perfectly normal.

You can hear the pump re-priming itself....

Do your electrics (ignition) or lights go off ??

If it's cutting out then re-priming I think you probably have a fault in your fuel pump or the fuel relay.


I would check the fuel pump relay first as it's the easiest and cheapest thing to try.

I switched the relays around yesterday, and the problem continued, it didn´t start at all. This morning, without changing anything, it started normally, and rode normally to my mechanic´s shop, with me switching it off and back on 3 times in the process.

Then, after I arrived, it wouldn´t start again.

Left it there, and he just called me saying the culprit is the crankshaft sensor.

Couldn´t have been a cheap relay or a loose ground wire, obviously. :thumbdown:

That sensor is a common fault. Every 1150 rider should carry a spare. I was going to suggest that but the way you described it suggested fuel pump priming. Anyway.. Glad its diagnosed.

I assume they fail more from age than mileage? Can one be pretty much confident a new one will go for 5 or 6 years without risk?

Some are just duff; the CPS on my mate's 650 V-Strom failed at about 1000 miles; exact same symptoms as your bike. Suzuki sent out a field engineer to double check the shop's diagnosis as it was such a rare event on that bike. No fault showing on the dashboard fault indicator, either (although the diagnostic computer picked it).

I wouldn't like to put a time on it... Just always have a spare.