After washing my 650 thoroughly and cleaning and re-lubing the chain (avoid silkolene chain oil like the plague, it flings everywhere and nothing shifts it) I had some electrical trouble.
When I turned the key to on, everything came on as normal. Once the pilot light went off I pressed the starter, there was a loud "phut" and the whole bike died. The electrics stayed dead when I switched the key off and on, so I checked the fuses under the seat. They were fine so I tried starting the bike again and it ran with no problems.
The next time I tried to run it the same thing happened, after about ten minutes of swearing it started and ran fine, and today it started first time.
I thought maybe some water got into the electrics after I washed it or when we had some heavy storms a few days ago, the bike was soaked under it's cover in the morning.
Has anyone had any similar trouble with 650s or other cagivas?
Also, has anyone had any trouble with fuel line clips coming loose? I had just set off about a week ago when petrol started pouring into my boots. I'm guessing it came loose after a low speed drop I had the day before or wasn't quite put back on properly after a service. It was easy to fix, but I'm a little worried that it might happen again on the move.
Electrical gremlins
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BigHungryJoe
- On the Road
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- Joined: 18 years ago
- Location: London
Lectrics
HEY Joe
Where you goin with that hose in your hand.
Sorry couldnt stop myself there.
Ive had a similar fault after leaving the seat off and the bike was out in the rain, didnt like that a bit, after a blessing with WD 40 normal service was resumed.
First winter after the forks went off to Maxton , the clutch start interlock switch got lazy , a few clutch lever pulls and WD 40 sorted that out and its been OK since.
Generally my bike seems pretty rainproof , I live in Argyll and the bike gets rained on pretty regularly with no electric faults yet , apart from the time the seat was off.
2 tips, WD 40 natch to help shift any remaining moisture..
Vaseline,
lift the seat and break each connector you see in turn and apply a wee smear of vaseline to contacts and housings, this will help keep corrosion and water at bay.
particularly the battery connections.
I did this when I first got the bike and it may explain its rainproofness.
I dont use a pressure washer , ever, having knacked up a chain double quick time the first time I used one.
Fuel clips,
naw , never any hassle, clumsy mechanics to fault there.
HTH
Cheers
pod
Where you goin with that hose in your hand.
Sorry couldnt stop myself there.
Ive had a similar fault after leaving the seat off and the bike was out in the rain, didnt like that a bit, after a blessing with WD 40 normal service was resumed.
First winter after the forks went off to Maxton , the clutch start interlock switch got lazy , a few clutch lever pulls and WD 40 sorted that out and its been OK since.
Generally my bike seems pretty rainproof , I live in Argyll and the bike gets rained on pretty regularly with no electric faults yet , apart from the time the seat was off.
2 tips, WD 40 natch to help shift any remaining moisture..
Vaseline,
lift the seat and break each connector you see in turn and apply a wee smear of vaseline to contacts and housings, this will help keep corrosion and water at bay.
particularly the battery connections.
I did this when I first got the bike and it may explain its rainproofness.
I dont use a pressure washer , ever, having knacked up a chain double quick time the first time I used one.
Fuel clips,
naw , never any hassle, clumsy mechanics to fault there.
HTH
Cheers
pod
Stay calm.
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BigHungryJoe
- On the Road
- Posts: 29
- Joined: 18 years ago
- Location: London
That's good, I thought it might just be water trouble, we had some storms a few days ago here and some water must have got under the cover. It was fine today on a run out to box hill, so it must have dried out.
I'll get on it with WD-40/GT-85/vaseline tomorrow, thanks for the tip.
Just out of curiosity, how much did it cost to have maxton do your forks? Mine are a little firm for the roads I ride on, so I was thinking of having them uprated.
I'll get on it with WD-40/GT-85/vaseline tomorrow, thanks for the tip.
Just out of curiosity, how much did it cost to have maxton do your forks? Mine are a little firm for the roads I ride on, so I was thinking of having them uprated.
A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.
forks n stuff
Joe heres stuff from an earlier post
"Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:18 pm Post subject: maxton
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I had Maxton re work the forks.
They chuck away the tamper proof damper cartridge and re spring to suit the rider.
You get adjustable compression damping as well. Costs about £400 and the turnaround is variable , I did mine over winter, you need to remove the legs and send them off for the work.
Front end is now much more compliant, ripples and bumps no longer create "issues" with the front. Stock, the spring is a touch light and the comp damping is too much,
My bike also has the Baines rear link and Hagon rear shock , the handling is pretty much faultless now.
Cheers
Pod
"Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 12:18 pm Post subject: maxton
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I had Maxton re work the forks.
They chuck away the tamper proof damper cartridge and re spring to suit the rider.
You get adjustable compression damping as well. Costs about £400 and the turnaround is variable , I did mine over winter, you need to remove the legs and send them off for the work.
Front end is now much more compliant, ripples and bumps no longer create "issues" with the front. Stock, the spring is a touch light and the comp damping is too much,
My bike also has the Baines rear link and Hagon rear shock , the handling is pretty much faultless now.
Cheers
Pod
Stay calm.
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BigHungryJoe
- On the Road
- Posts: 29
- Joined: 18 years ago
- Location: London
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BigHungryJoe
- On the Road
- Posts: 29
- Joined: 18 years ago
- Location: London
Damnit.
Went to the cinema last night with my significant other on the back, and after the film the bike died again when I hit the starter. It was a bit misty and there was condensation on the bike, so I assume that's what caused it. Same as last time, took the seat off, checked the fuses, waited 10 minutes and it was fine.
I really don't want to be left stranded next time there's a misty night, does anyone have any ideas beyond a good squirt of GT-85? Any thoughts on which contacts might be shorting to kill all the electrics when the starter is pressed?
I'll go pester the dealer if it keeps happening, but that means a 200 mile round trip and lectures start this week.
Went to the cinema last night with my significant other on the back, and after the film the bike died again when I hit the starter. It was a bit misty and there was condensation on the bike, so I assume that's what caused it. Same as last time, took the seat off, checked the fuses, waited 10 minutes and it was fine.
I really don't want to be left stranded next time there's a misty night, does anyone have any ideas beyond a good squirt of GT-85? Any thoughts on which contacts might be shorting to kill all the electrics when the starter is pressed?
I'll go pester the dealer if it keeps happening, but that means a 200 mile round trip and lectures start this week.
A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.
battery
Battery is no.1 suspect
My rap had a new one before 3000 miles. Fitted by previous owner
2nd one at 20,000, my fault , heated grips connection to live post was corroded..
Have a good look at the batt post cons, i mean strip clean and reassemble with vaseline.
Get a voltmeter and check battery voltage at posts when cranking over , any volts collapse below 11.5 ish means it is toast.
Ebay has new ones for 25 quid.
Hope thats it, when my last bettery failed ihad similar symptoms , wait 10 mins then Aok, weird.
Cheers
pod
My rap had a new one before 3000 miles. Fitted by previous owner
2nd one at 20,000, my fault , heated grips connection to live post was corroded..
Have a good look at the batt post cons, i mean strip clean and reassemble with vaseline.
Get a voltmeter and check battery voltage at posts when cranking over , any volts collapse below 11.5 ish means it is toast.
Ebay has new ones for 25 quid.
Hope thats it, when my last bettery failed ihad similar symptoms , wait 10 mins then Aok, weird.
Cheers
pod
Stay calm.
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BigHungryJoe
- On the Road
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- Joined: 18 years ago
- Location: London
I'm still really hoping it's just a dodgy connection somewhere, call me old fashioned, but I think a battery should at least make it to 1100 miles and two months.
I'll pick up a voltmeter and check it over, and clean and lube the battery contacts. It is very weird.
I'll pick up a voltmeter and check it over, and clean and lube the battery contacts. It is very weird.
A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.
Corrosion on the battery terminals - not always visible - is a common one. Clean with emery paper and seal with Vaseline.
WD 40 can often make electrics worse at first as it drives water out, but applying it generously and living with the reults for a couple of days is usually worth while. Do that and when everything seems OK use vaseline on harness connectors to seal them.
I usually reckon on about a year with a new bike before it's all water proofed.
Rob
WD 40 can often make electrics worse at first as it drives water out, but applying it generously and living with the reults for a couple of days is usually worth while. Do that and when everything seems OK use vaseline on harness connectors to seal them.
I usually reckon on about a year with a new bike before it's all water proofed.
Rob
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BigHungryJoe
- On the Road
- Posts: 29
- Joined: 18 years ago
- Location: London
The electrical trouble just got worse and worse as the cold and wet drew in, and my rev counter started dropping to zero for no reason during rides.
I just about got it started and rode it back to the garage to get them to have a look at it. They forgot to book it in and ended up keeping it for a week. Because I'm on a 33bhp restrictor, the only bike they had for me to borrow was a Royal Enfield Bullet 500. I took it for a test ride, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting, so I took it for the week. It was pretty new, only 500 miles, but I was told it was good for 80mph. Riding it back on friday night, just as I was getting quite attatched to it, the engine seizes on the M3 and I'm left stuck in the cold for 2 hours while they pick me up. Turns out it hadn't had it's first service or an oil change, and it had burned the whole two litres. Because I only had it for a week and it had come straight from a dealer, I hadn't bothered to check it.
Still, my bike is now sorted, turned out to be corrosion on the starter motor contacts, so they've cleaned and sealed those and hopefully that's the end of the trouble. No more goodwill discounts at that dealer for a while....
I just about got it started and rode it back to the garage to get them to have a look at it. They forgot to book it in and ended up keeping it for a week. Because I'm on a 33bhp restrictor, the only bike they had for me to borrow was a Royal Enfield Bullet 500. I took it for a test ride, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting, so I took it for the week. It was pretty new, only 500 miles, but I was told it was good for 80mph. Riding it back on friday night, just as I was getting quite attatched to it, the engine seizes on the M3 and I'm left stuck in the cold for 2 hours while they pick me up. Turns out it hadn't had it's first service or an oil change, and it had burned the whole two litres. Because I only had it for a week and it had come straight from a dealer, I hadn't bothered to check it.
Still, my bike is now sorted, turned out to be corrosion on the starter motor contacts, so they've cleaned and sealed those and hopefully that's the end of the trouble. No more goodwill discounts at that dealer for a while....
A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.