We are currently at the Renaissance Atyrau Hotel with a busted R1200 GS. We have tried all the tricks that we know and it seems to be only firing on one cylinder.

Here are the details. Riding yesterday and did go down hard on the left side of the bike. Since then it has difficulty starting and once running needs constant throttle to stay running. Fuel and sparkplugs seem ok but the engine does not sound right to me; and, once again, we are having this problem with always needing the throttle to keep the motorbike running.

What we are looking for is someone who has mechanical experience and can fix this or a person who can take us and introduce us to someone who can fix this. Our visa is only good until 13.07.2009 and we would love to seem some more of this beautiful county before we have to race to the border.

You can get a hold of Elliot or Michael at the Renaissance Atyrau Hotel, Satpaeva Street 15 B, Atyrau 06001, Republic Of Kazakhstan

Thank you for your help!

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I'm guessing you do not have the '911' diagnostic dongle with you----

1- it could be that your fuel pump controller is on its way out & about to fail or the impact has made a bad contact - intermittent fault

2- it could be a duff/damaged HT coil or it may have become dislodged after your impact- check sparking
3- check battery terminals - need be tight
4- do the fuel pump controller check as discussed
5- check HT leads all in
6- check throttle cable/s has/have not 'jumped' out of its/their socket/s and check fuel injectors for damage/unclipped where the throttle body- (black bit by the cylinder head) is

We have spoken- hope it all helped- if you need numbers etc- keep in touch

Few weeks ago, I stayed at the same hotel. They will remember perfectly the Spanish biker because I broke a window. I´m sorry to say that, but I don´t think there is any kind of mechanic who can fix a GS 1200. I have never been to Astana, so I can´t say anything, but in Almaty (more than 1500 km far from you are) I found a workshop within a GS1200 Adv been serviced. Maybe they know how to fix it, but they only speak russian. The web is "STOPPY STARS" - Èãðóøêè äëÿ áîëüøèõ ìàëü÷èêîâ and David from STANTOURS - Central Asia Travel Resources can give you the way to other workshop: My Town Moto.

If the bikes goes wrong I think you won´t be able to ride the tough gravel roads from Atyrau to Aral. Maybe hiring a truck. I did it in Zambia, but it was 700 km to Lusaka and you are much more far and the way is very bad. Fortunately, Kaz people are friendly.

I´m sorry. Good luck.

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Bertrand & Miquel-Silvestre:

I just wanted to say "Thank you" for your reply to my thread. (And to Bertrand - thank you for the extensive time you spent with me on SKYPE giving me suggestions, advise and a technical education).

After doing everything we could (not having access to extra BMW parts limited us in what we could do), we attempted to start the bike and I am happy to say it turned over.

It ran sluggish for a bit, but after some time it began to run better and better. We also went to the gas station and got some 98 octaine - that seemed to really help.

We feel that a combination of bad fuel, a fuel filter at the end of its life, and the fact that anything bad was stirred up in the crash my have clogged the fule lines for a bit; and, the bike (and its fuel) just needed time to settle for it to run properly again. With this in mind after 3 days rest for the bike we started it up again and everything seems to be running fine.

We have changed our travel plans and have re-entered Russia and have taken the bike to the BMW dealer in Ekaterinburg, Russia (N56 49.156 E60 39.787), where the are giving the bike a full 12,000 mile service.

Thank you both once again - I really appreciate the help that you and the HorizonsUnlimited Community offers.

-Michael & Elliot

__________________
Mike of Mikes World Tour
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SEE WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW! http://www.mikesworldtour.com/locate/
Read our BLOG @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/2009worldtour/

Glad 2 help - HU Spirit at work!
Safe onwards

Cheers! Good ones the fat GS 1200. Happy to read you are on the road again.

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Hi

im sorry i joined this site too late, as i have a lot of friends in Atyrau, our company mechanic is working just up the road at the agip site, he rides a 1200gs and he is a kazak so im sure he could have helped ,also a little known fact is you can extend your visa in country(i would have to ask our office there how to do that though) if you ever make it back to kz let me know if i can help in anyway, (i will be flying to atyrau for work on the 14th sept)

Doosey
That information would be very useful for others heading that way.
There is a special section here in Repairs Shops Northern Asia where you can put your mechanic's address/phone/name/GPS location etc

Very interesting, I am planning a trip to the stans next year and also come to Atyrau

Im hoping to head out to almaty myself next year, my wife is from atyrau so if i can help just drop me a line

Doosey:

No worries about joining too late. I got a lot of help from Bertrand and a bunch of others both on HorizonsUnlimited and Locals in Atyrau. Thanks for posting - I am sure others will be riding through Atyrau. If you can extend the same generosity to them that you have to me, then you have truly picked up the 'spirit' of what HorizonsUnlimited is all about.

Take care & ride safe.

-Michael (mikesworldtour = formerly mac19406)

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Samurai-Rider
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any time ,its all about the spirit

i just hope while you were stranded you walked over the road and had some of the best shashlik in kazakhstan, im not sure how to post it on here but Atyrau is a good place to get spares into as most of the expats that fly in from the uk and the states are on a 4 and 4 rotation and will have a back to back waiting to fly in ,TCO offices are a good place to find help, as are the Agip offices next to O neils, ifly out to atyrau on the 14th and will post some of my friends numbers when i get back

safe travels my friend may the road always be twisty