Spare relays for long trip

[GS Addict]

Originally Posted by nicolaswatson

GS addict,

if you wish to carry spares, good for you. How many other spares will you carry? How do you determine what spares?

I carry all the basics that are likely to stop me, likely to fail, and can be done on the roadside - spare cables, plugs, alternator belt, fuel filter, clutch lever.

I have tyre repair and crash repair items.

Relays are very reliable these days - i dont bother carrying spares. You may even find that for example the ABS relay is the same as another, so you could pull the abs to get something else going! Even if you couldn't, a bit of jumper wire will bypass a relay to get the motor running if required, so long as the underlying cause of the failure is addressed first.

Carrying all the spares you like may not help, unless you know what your doing and have the tools to do so.

if it really goes bad, set up your tent, or join the locals for some fun... call your boss and say your stranded for a few days and let the adventure begin.

Nic.

I carry all the same spares u do including a sight glass & one of each type fuse and Lamp. Not always for myself but being in the trade I end up helping others that do not plan for breakdowns.
The subject relay takes up little space so it is a no brainer.
As far as relay reliability issue goes - I know first hand, it is my trade, I work with all types every day - mechanical & electronic. I can assure you of one thing, they DO fail, some models more than others.

[bananaman]

Originally Posted by GSbiker

Has anybody had a relay fail? I don't think I have ever heard of that happening.

Brian and Marie just finished an epic ride from Canada to Argentina. They just spent a month on a ship sailing with their bike from Argentina to Europe. Now they're getting ready to ride from Europe to India.

They started with an 1100GS, and they're riding an 1100GS now, but so many parts have been replaced that it's hardly the same bike!

As for setting up a tent and waiting for parts, I think they've done that already... in Central America, Colombia, Mendoza, and Buenos Aires.

[higbyal]

Hi
Back in 2011 you were looking into sources for ABS Motor Relays. Did you ever find a inexpensive source for these? I have a 1996 R1100GS in need of a ABS Motor relay. Got any leads??

Thanks
Big Al

[GS Addict]

Originally Posted by higbyal

Hi
Back in 2011 you were looking into sources for ABS Motor Relays. Did you ever find a inexpensive source for these? I have a 1996 R1100GS in need of a ABS Motor relay. Got any leads??

Thanks
Big Al

Sent you an email

[def]

Originally Posted by GS Addict

For a less than $20 you can buy the correct relay (about the size of an ice cube and easily packs in the fuse enclosure)
Are you saying you are willing to dick around in the dark with jumpers & connectors after having to find something that might work in some nowhere town where nothing is open on Sundays..........I don't get the logic
My riding time is worth more than that.

So is my sanity.

[def]

Originally Posted by GS Addict

Sent you an email

So, is information about the ABS relay top secret that requires NSA, CIA and FBI clearance?

[GS Addict]

Originally Posted by def

So, is information about the ABS relay top secret that requires NSA, CIA and FBI clearance?

Yes

[GS Addict]

For authorized eyes only.
Subject ABS 2 Replacement Relays

I did some initial legwork and found this relay to have a 6V coil and is rated at 80 amps.
The reason for the 6V coil is the relay must operate down to 2V (dropout) in worst case conditions.
Testing has confirmed this.
The relay is not a stocked part in NA and min qty for a production run is 500+ pieces.
I managed to purchase a few that were shelf dogs last year and have used for local repairs.
They require mechanical modification to be compatible with the BMW ABS system.
An associate of mine had taken it upon himself to possibly supply them if the demand was high enough.
So far there is very little demand if any.
So that is where it sits now.
If you need one the fastest way to get one is from BMW.

[Ravenslair]

Originally Posted by GS Addict

For authorized eyes only.
Subject ABS 2 Replacement Relays

I did some initial legwork and found this relay to have a 6V coil and is rated at 80 amps.
The reason for the 6V coil is the relay must operate down to 2V (dropout) in worst case conditions.
Testing has confirmed this.
The relay is not a stocked part in NA and min qty for a production run is 500+ pieces.
I managed to purchase a few that were shelf dogs last year and have used for local repairs.
They require mechanical modification to be compatible with the BMW ABS system.
An associate of mine had taken it upon himself to possibly supply them if the demand was high enough.
So far there is very little demand if any.
So that is where it sits now.
If you need one the fastest way to get one is from BMW.

Is #5 on ascycle's fiche the relay in question? If so, that is one expensive relay.

[GS Addict]

Originally Posted by Ravenslair

Is #5 on ascycle's fiche the relay in question? If so, that is one expensive relay.

Yes it is, I paid about 1/2 of that for the ones I bought.