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Engine pinging

Didier

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
Nov 28, 2018
Messages
128
Location
Montreal, Canada
Bonjourno
yesterday was a hot day for the first time this year and my engine was pinging like crazy, I use 91 octane as for the fuel. it's a California 1400 any ideas why or is it normal for this type of engine my BMW R1150 used to do that as well and I hate that thanks for your anwers.
 
It's not normal for me, and I've ridden in traffic at 110 degrees F. I have gotten a knock once or twice, but no pinging. Maybe you got some bad gas?
 
It's not normal for me, and I've ridden in traffic at 110 degrees F. I have gotten a knock once or twice, but no pinging. Maybe you got some bad gas?

+1 to that, I once inadvertently put the wrong gas in (87 not 91) and when the bike warmed up and I cracked the throttle, the bike made a sound like thunder and momentarily lost all power till I backed off. That was the only occasion I had any kind of fuel problem and it was close to 30C at the time in Vancouver. I just rode at higher revs and a lower gear until I could get some more fuel in it.

Just to be sure, you did put the right gas in it - yes. It was only afterwards and thinking back that I realised I had put in 87 due to force of habit gassing my car, it's so easy to get it wrong when your other vehicles use the cheaper grade and you are half awake.
 
Pinging does NOT sound like "thunder" or a "knock once or twice". It's a high pitched "tinkle" type sound. Like a little piston fairy in there rapidly banging on your piston crowns with her little fairy hammer.

PINGING IS DEATH!

Pinging can easily, literally, physically destroy your engine. I mean like actually exploding your engine. Pinging ALWAYS does some measure of damage to your engine.

30°C is not hot enough to cause pinging. Good grief, In Oz (and even parts of USA - Death Valley for one) the open sunshine Summer temp regularly exceeds 70°C. Add to that the extra heat radiating off the black bitumen road surface and it goes over 100°C. I've ridden through 50.7°C measured the official way (Google "Stevenson screen") with no ill effect.

99% of pinging will be caused by either lean mixture, too far advanced ignition, too low octane rated fuel or any combination of the above.

Finally, yes, lugging your engine too much will certainly exacerbate the problem.
 
"Pinging does NOT sound like "thunder" or a "knock once or twice"."

Yes, which is why I wrote what I wrote.
 
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