http://www.hexgs911.com
The rise of electronic diagnostic equipment has made the work of workshop technicians and home mechanics both quicker easier – plug a bike in and you can instantly read and reset error codes from the comfort of a laptop, smartphone or tablet.
Surrey-based experts HEX Innovate is a specialist in the field, with a range of GS-911 diagnostic tools specifically designed for BMW CAN bus-equipped bikes, covering pretty much every Motorrad machine from the early 2000s up to the present day, as well as a couple of BMW-derived Husqvarnas and even the rare and esoteric Campagna T-Rex trike, powered by the K1600 flat six engine.
Three versions of the hardware exist –two with ODB-2 connectors with a choice of USB or WiFi interfaces, and one with a round 10-pin connector compatible with older models, although it can be used with newer bikes with an optional adapter cable. Two licences are available: Enthusiast, which is limited to 10 different VINs, or ProUnlimited for usage on an unlimited number of machines.
To give the GS-911 a challenge, I plugged it into my elderly BMW F800 ST with well over 60,000 miles on the clock. My garage is out of WiFi range, but a button on the GS-911 allows it to switch to D2D mode to connect directly with a smartphone, which is ideal for diagnostics while out and about on a ride. Once connected, I ran an Autoscan, which pumps back reams of data trawled from the various ECUs on the bike: everything from date of manufacture to mileage covered, ABS details to VIN. It also shows all the faults present and lets you clear the codes: I was surprised to see that my bike only came back with a couple of historical fault codes, and they were quick and simple to clear. It was also straighforward to turn out the service overdue light on the dash, which has been warning me of dire consequenses for several years! Live data is available, so you can view stuff like battery voltage, fuel pressure, coolant temperature and Lambda sensor readings in real time to try and track down issues, and there are technical functions such as operating the ABS system to allow proper bleeding protocols to be followed, and calibrating the idle actuator to improve running.
The software is constantly being updated, so it will always give the maximum number of functions available for the model being examined – generally speaking, the newer the bike, the more the GS-911 can test and configure.
It’s proved to be a very useful bit of kit, providing a huge amount of control over the dark art of electronics, and the £366 SRP is almost worth it just for the ability to turn out the service warning light. It does take a bit of fiddling to get it set up and talking to everything properly, and it is obviously of interest only to BMW owners and repairers, but for them the GS-911 is pretty much a no-brainer.
HEX Innovate
01372 364100 – www.hexgs911.com