wolds Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Haven't posted much on the site but thought I'd throw this out for your scrutiny. My wife and I both have 07 RT's. Hers has 26K miles mine has 52K. Her FS went out after the original one lasting seven years. She is now on her fourth strip (which just failed)with them averaging a ride or two before failure. One observation I made is that the strip has failed each time on startup not during a ride. I have had the charging system load tested and it passes but I keep circling back to a voltage spike (which I'm pretty sure) won't show on a load test as a possible culprit. I just ordered a re-manufactured alternator from EME and will install this weekend with the strip being replaced in two weeks. I keep thinking that BMW is addressing the symptom not the problem. Any thoughts? BTW, I still have the original strip in my bike and both bikes get the same treatment ie: battery tenders on both and usually the same brand fuel. One last thing, it's my understanding that the strip works using capacitance vs. resistance. I've said that for a long time but no one here seems to respond when I've stated that.. I feel like I'm persona non grata here! :-) Why do some bikes EAT strips and yet others (like mine, same strip for 7 years) don't? Seems as you say, and I agree, its electrical... I can't think of any other factor that would explain why some bikes eat strips and others don't. We've eliminated fuel.. as both ethanol and pure gas have these issues. Yup, can't agree more. As for batteries my wife's bike is using a Panasonic as is mine. I shouldn't even mention my bike in my post with ten years on original strip I'm just "asking" for it. Thought I'd post an update to my post from last August (see above). As of today the FS is still working just fine. Wife has been riding since May without issue. Warren Link to comment
w2ge Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Good to hear.... BMW as you said is just addressing the symptom, I'll continue to stand by my theory that it's an electrical issue. Not something they would dare want to address. Link to comment
sardineone Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Man I'm taking a chance to report I'm on my original fuel strip on my 2006 R1200ST with about 49,000 miles. Link to comment
greiffster Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Man I'm taking a chance to report I'm on my original fuel strip on my 2006 R1200ST with about 49,000 miles. Bold. Link to comment
w2ge Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Man I'm taking a chance to report I'm on my original fuel strip on my 2006 R1200ST with about 49,000 miles. Bold. Completely nuts... Repent! Link to comment
Dann Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 The original one of my 07 was replaced in 2015 (After 8 years) The new one is still working fine. I use Pure Gas 90% of the time. I don't know if Ethanol has anything to do with the fuel strip failures Link to comment
sardineone Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 I use Pure Gas 90% of the time. I don't know if Ethanol has anything to do with the fuel strip failures I used pure gas when available many years ago, but for the last 6-8 years Ethanol laced because it's all that's available in my area. My fuel mileage BTW dropped at least 1 MPG in town with the ethanol Cr@*. Link to comment
CoarsegoldKid Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Well just to add to the undeniable confusion and theories on these things. My '05 1200RT bought new and now with 116K plus miles running pump gas wherever I need it, even in Mexico for a long trip and mostly California premium 10% ethanol and sits in the garage for months on end with the battery tender occasionally connected has the same fuel strip that was fitted on the assembly line in Germany. Several friends and many customers of a friend's repair shop have experienced multiple fuel strip failures. Even fuel strip failures right out of the box. Tomorrow or when the time comes mine will fail. It's a crap shoot. Does BMW still use this design? Link to comment
Ewell D. Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 My new to me 2005 R1200RT had 19,500 or so miles on it when I bought it with a faulty fuel strip. The seller told me of the zap fix and directed me to the youtube videos. He was afraid to try the fix so didn't attempt it. I followed the videos (there are more than one you can goodle search to find) to make the zapper and did the fix. The strip worked just like in the videos. I returned yesterday from a week and around 2,200 miles riding and the strip has continued to work flawlessly. I carried my zapper in the glove box in case I need to give it another shot but so far so good. Ewell Link to comment
wolds Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 (edited) So it's been over a year and so far my wife's bike hasn't failed another FS. In the past they would die almost immediately after install. Read post 1014681, my original post from last year. Warren Edited December 4, 2018 by wolds Link to comment
wolds Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 On 7/16/2018 at 3:45 PM, wolds said: Thought I'd post an update to my post from last August (see above). As of today the FS is still working just fine. Wife has been riding since May without issue. Warren Update #2. Two years on replacement strip and going strong. I urge you to consider a defective alternator as the root cause for the fuelstrip failure. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 7 minutes ago, wolds said: Update #2. Two years on replacement strip and going strong. I urge you to consider a defective alternator as the root cause for the fuelstrip failure. Afternoon Wolds How is a defective alternator effecting the fuel strips? I must be missing something on this. Link to comment
wolds Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 5 hours ago, dirtrider said: Afternoon Wolds How is a defective alternator effecting the fuel strips? I must be missing something on this. My original post is on the previous page from August 2017, it explains my theory which as time passes holds water I believe. Link to comment
wolds Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 On 7/11/2019 at 8:31 PM, wolds said: My original post is on the previous page from August 2017, it explains my theory which as time passes holds water I believe. On 7/11/2019 at 2:40 PM, dirtrider said: Afternoon Wolds How is a defective alternator effecting the fuel strips? I must be missing something on this. Update #3. Three years on replacement strip and going strong. I urge you to consider a defective alternator as the root cause for the fuelstrip failure. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 1 hour ago, wolds said: Update #3. Three years on replacement strip and going strong. I urge you to consider a defective alternator as the root cause for the fuelstrip failure. Morning wolds But was it the new replacement fuel strip or the replacement alternator? I can name a number of 1200RT motorcycles that failed from 1 to 12 fuel strips in early life, none have had the alternator replaced & once they had enough fuel strips replaced to "finally" have a working fuel strip they have been working OK for a number of years now. If a voltage spike kills fuel strips then why does a missive voltage spike from a grill igniter make some bad ones start working again? Link to comment
wolds Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 22 minutes ago, dirtrider said: Morning wolds But was it the new replacement fuel strip or the replacement alternator? I can name a number of 1200RT motorcycles that failed from 1 to 12 fuel strips in early life, none have had the alternator replaced & once they had enough fuel strips replaced to "finally" have a working fuel strip they have been working OK for a number of years now. If a voltage spike kills fuel strips then why does a missive voltage spike from a grill igniter make some bad ones start working again? Can't say. all I know is that my wife's RT went through strips like candy until I changed the alternator in 2017. bikes been rock solid since then. never tried the grill igniter because the strips were covered under warranty so i can't speak for the effectiveness or in-effectiveness of the grill igniter. Warren Link to comment
dduelin Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Cause and effect get a little sideways now and then. Link to comment
Dave_in_TX Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 On 8/4/2017 at 5:14 PM, Lone_RT_rider said: It obviously has the special counter-active signal generator that picks up on special wavelengths that increase the ability for failure protection based on sarcasm levels. My 2007 R1200RT still had the original (and working) fuel strip when it was traded in with 140k miles on it. Link to comment
Sonor Posted June 22, 2020 Author Share Posted June 22, 2020 I did a stupid thing yesterday, I filled up with crap gas and not the pure stuff I had been. I just hope it doesn't mess up the last fuel strip that is now one month away from the 2 year part replacement period. Link to comment
wolds Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Where does one purchase "crap gas"? Link to comment
Still CAL Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 I just purchased an '05 that I'm heading to FL next week to pick up. I'm also looking at selling the '97 RT and getting a newer model but staying around the $4000 mark, so like '05-'09s. It's not in this thread, but has anyone stripped a defective fuel strip apart to see what's actually failing? And one of the vids floating around says the lighter zapping re-melts things in the strip. Really? Link to comment
dirtrider Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 58 minutes ago, Still CAL said: It's not in this thread, but has anyone stripped a defective fuel strip apart to see what's actually failing? And one of the vids floating around says the lighter zapping re-melts things in the strip. Really? Afternoon Still CAL Yes, I have tried to take a few apart (actually more than a few), the problem seems to be in the top part of the fuel strip right where the pig tail attaches to the actual strip. Problem is: due to the heavy potting, by the time a person gets it cut apart enough to see much then that area is so disturbed & destroyed that you really can't find a smoking gun. So I can't say if the root of the problem is a connection going high resistance, or if due to something in the gasoline (like waste chemicals) getting in & causing a low resistance between circuits. My personal 1200RT has (had) failed a fairly high number of fuel strips with some failing at low fuel indication with low fuel light on & a few failing at full tank & still showing full at over 300 miles or travel (this is the bad one unless you remember when you last filled). Finally got a good strip that has been good for almost 3 years & many miles. But, I also stopped storing the motorcycle with an over-full tank to try to keep the fuel level below the top potting area. So I can't really say if I finally got a good strip, or my storage method has helped strip life, or both, or neither. Link to comment
Still CAL Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 So possibly leaving a tank completely full is the culprit here? Lots of us try to do that with the quality of today’s gas. Maybe leave wiggle room at the top instead? PM sent on an unrelated subject. Link to comment
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