BMW GS starter motor / bump starting

[Nigelrojo]

I had a BMW R100GS from 1990-2000, did 50,000 miles on it and the only thing that ever broke was the Valeo starter motor. This happened during a tour of the Alps. Fortunately I was able to bump start the bike and ride it to an Italian garage, where they replaced the Valeo item with a heavier, more robust Bosch motor, which never gave me problems.

2 weeks ago the Valeo starter motor on my '97 R1100GS decided to disintegrate; the magnets dislodged and sort-of mashed themselves up inside the commutator casing. It was an easy enough job to remove the starter motor, and I thought I would then simply bump-start the bike.

Bad idea. 30 minutes later I was a sweating, gasping wreck. Every attempt to bump start the bike, even with 2 blokes pushing, resulted in the back wheel locking up, even in top gear. We even tried towing the bike behind a car, which (predictably) resulted in me falling off. I had to admit defeat and call recovery. The recovery chap cheerfully stated that the only way to bump start a BMW oilhead is to have 2 people on the bike and "a big hill".

Any suggestions on how to bump start these bikes (especially on your own) would therefore be gratefully received. Maybe it simply isn't possible, I don't know. If it isn't possible, then that's not good news for folks intending to take their Beemer to the back of beyond. IMHO all bikes should either have a kickstart or be bump-startable.

Also, does anyone know if a properly engineered Bosch starter motor is available for BMW oilheads? Despite having just fitted a new Valeo (it works fine) I simply don't trust them any more.

Nigel