Missing.

[enigmaT120]

Where? I found this one, where Randy says you don't have to crimp, but he's talking about soldering butt joints:

http://w6rec.com/duane/bmw/solder/index.htm

Good timing for me on this one, though, as I will be making up some new cables soon for my Warn winch on my Toyota:

http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=bmwbik ... e%2Fbmw%2F

[Mal S7]

Did you have a crack at cleaning the slow running passages?

Mal didn't mention any health issues at Blue Duck, Mal? Compaction from too many days riding maybe.

Could be Jeff. I know this road made me crimp my butt joint some

[ME 109]

In my obsession, I do a far better job than the wireless standards demand.

What business does the wireless standard have, talking about wires? Sick of these departments sticking their noses in where they don't belong.
Anyway, we got satellite now mate.

[jagarra]

I think the best method is to use the standard I learned in the military on electronics. Make a good mechanical connection before you solder it.

[SteveD]

No progress. Bike has sat for over a week. The battery is close to 8 years old.
The bike failed to start on a cool morning, requiring a jump start. Usual full choke and free play at the throttle taken up didn't work.
Once started and warm, it ran poorly, with little oomph and felt uneven. It started ok but not as well as usual after work, but was still a slug coming home.

The left head was 25C cooler than the right head (point and shoot thermometer thingee).

I'll take the car to work this week and start looking at the front of the engine again later this week. Firstly though, I'll check fuel flow! Battery is recharged, and I'll replace it when I can.

[SteveD]

Today I pulled the bean can apart (red centre emerald island type thing) and found some loose fasteners. I put it all back together using the second HES lead that my system has and after timing it statically went to put it all together. I thought I'd done that, putting the plugs back in as the last thing. Phone rang.
Came back to the bike and started it up. WORSE! then remembered I hadn't done the other plug! d'oh.

Anyhow, the now kaput Dyna coil is replaced with a spare HD coil and it seems better, at least on the stand.

Testing when the weather improves.

[Major Softie]

Sounds encouraging. Good luck.

[Ken in Oklahoma]

Having worked for Texas Instruments in the Government Products Division I was initially amazed at the choice of materials and care that was specified for both avionics and associated special test equipment. (MIL-STD-454) Almost all connectors used gold plated contacts. Crimping tools were regularly inspected and re-certified. The tools required a full stroke of the handle before they would release, ensuring a full crimp. And then each termination was then inspected. And then the equipment was then 'baked and shaked' (temperature chambers and vibration tables) for a specified period to reveal latent defects.

The point, if I'm making any at all, is that wiring problems are what you are willing to accept. (Read: spend training and money on, and what you will accept and enforce). In the Military/Aerospace world failures are disastrous. In the commercial world, not so much. Success is measured by profit, especially since there is little financial consequence except for the occasional recall. In the military/aerospace world it is turtles all the way down, meaning the least subcontractor is held to the same standards as imposed on the OEM manufacturer.

My take is that nowadays things are much better for, say, motorcycles and cars. I'm not privy to any of their workings but I suspect that quality has risen much higher in the corporate decision making that it has ever been before. But wherever the new center of gravity may be, there will continue to be the tradeoff between quality and cost/price.

By now you're probably wondering what the hell I'm getting at. And especially, what would I have done differently. I'm sorry to disappoint you. More than anything else I guess I needed to ramble. The best I can offer you is a quotation from a long ago drinking and carousing buddy:

David Roylance: "You don't always get what you pay for, but you have to pay for what you get." (I'm not sure, but that might have been in reference to cheap vs expensive beer.)

Addendum: But what really pisses me off is that repairability/maintainability of both motorcycles and cars has dropped to new lows. I recall watching a you tube video of whatever the luxury liner model motorcycle BMW builds, was atrociously difficult to repair due to the labor required to get at the parts and otherwise deal with even routine servicing needs. If I thought that a modern BMW motorcycle would be anywhere close to as maintainable as an old airhead, I would be sorely tempted.

Ken

[grant81rs]

Phone rang.
Came back to the bike and started it up. WORSE! then remembered I hadn't done the other plug! d'oh.

.

Was that me calling if so sorry bout that !!

[ME 109]

Perhaps a $150 oe beancan from Gummikuh will solve the problem.
This 'missing' has plagued you for a while, Steve.
Have you got another beancan? I can send my spare down for you to try?

Actually I've only just swapped out my original fully functional beancan for one that came from Gummikuh. No difference other than a slight hesitation between idle circuit and main jet. Not sure if the beancan can cause that or not. Maybe just a dirty pilot? jet.