Has anyone ever replaced fuel distributor?

[TexasRoadster]

Had to drop my bike and apparently kicked the fuel line feeding the left side injector. It snapped off at the bracket. I don't see anyway to fix other than to replace the fuel line (part of that spidery contraption they call a fuel distributor). Has anyone ever attempted to replace the distributor? I'm down to the battery box, but the underside of the box has a channel/bracket and throttle cables feeding thru it. Does anyone know how to get this apart so I can visualize the fuel distributor? I'm not wild about disconnecting the cables from the throttle body, it looks like a nasty job to get it back together. Any ways around removing cables or if there's no other way, any tips (and pics would be awesome!) would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Boxer]

Welcome to the elite club of two. I broke mine back when I was adding a new shock and working on my slave cylinder. I was loosening the front frame bolt and slipped. That's a really sick feeling when that happens...but I know you know that.

Anyway, you are correct. It is one solid piece with the hard lines hard glued to the distributor itself, and is a major bitch to get it back installed. The bottom of the distributor has a little rubber/plastic nub on it that fits into a hole to keep it steady. Yours, like mine was, could already have worked its way out of that hole. No big deal.
The problem lies in getting that odd shaped contraption with hard fuel lines, back into place underneath the throttle cable box, which as you see is attached to the bottom of the battery box. I don't know how I did it, and it is indeed POSSIBLE (because I did it) to work that thing under there without taking off all the cables. If I remember correctly, I DID remove the TB cables from the TBs themselves, just to have room to "finagle", if you know what I mean. It took several insertions from both sides and coming to dead ends, and then getting it back out and starting at another place, before I finally got it. I wish I had taken notes or made photos, but alas. As I said it was a bitch!

If I broke another one, I would not take all that time. I would go straight to the cables and take them off and pull that box out of the way. I think I spent far more time fiddling around with it until it finally worked, than I would have just dismantling the cables from the gitgo. Actually you only have to disassemble the throttle high idle side so the cable junction box will slide out to the right. Then take the battery box all the way off out of the way.
Good luck, and please take great care and have lots of patience doing it.

[Boxer]

Texas,
I went back and reread the post where I did that work .

http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?f ... or#p118752

It seems my memory is indeed a little rusty. While Rob was over to my house that day helping loosen a stripped frame bolt. he held the rear part of the subframe up while I worked the fuel distributor contraption into its place. You may have to do that as well. But I believe it would still be easier to take off those cables and pull the box off.

[TexasRoadster]

Boxer,
Man, thanks for the reply! You've at least given me some confidence that maybe even a mere mortal like me can get this fuel distributor installed. I guess I'll dive in and see if I can disconnect the cables from the TBs without completely hosing this up Wish me luck!

[bruno71]

Texas,
I had to replace mine after a tip over incident the day I purchased my 2004 Rockster. (Note, do not let your 95 lb. wife hold up a 650 lb. motorcycle on a trailer in 55 mph Kansas winds while you go to look for another rachet tie down.) Like Boxer, I'm not sure how I replaced it, but it was a major PITA. If I remember correctly, the new distro piece was about $85 and it took me about 4 hours and twice as many beers to complete the install. The Rockster was my first BMW and I didn't have a clue what I would find under the gas tank. So, you should be able to do it if you have a lot of patience and some mechanical ability. My wife did have to talk me off of a ledge once or twice and I threw a 10mm wrench so hard I never found it again, but other than that and having to resynch the wachamacallit it went off without a hitch (I did remove the cables). By the grace of God, I didn't have any leaks and I am happy to report that I didn't break more expensive stuff while I was "wrenching" around on the thing. Oh, BTW, having a manual would probably help. I can't really say that from experience, but I think it is probably a safe bet. Bottom line, if I could do it successfully the a$$-backwards way I went about it, you will be just fine ... just buy an extra 10 mm wrench before you start.

-Bruno