Help!! Bike Died

drifter · Posted: June 3, 2009, 8:57 pm Post subject: Help!! Bike Died

I was riding home from work today and the bike just died. No lights, horn, starter, nothing. I thought the battery was dead or a fuse blown. Got it home (thanks to a coworker with a big trucK!) and checked the fuses...all good. Checked the battery...good. What might the problem be? When I cranked it at work, I checked to see the headlight and it brightened with RPM increase, and since battery is still at 12.5V I assume the charging system is good. HElp!?

Dave

nudude53 · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:00 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Check all of your plug connectors Dave, or the + battery wire connection at the solenoid, just a first thought.

drifter · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:28 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

I'll check that. I also want to check the brown (?) wire from the ignition switch inside the headlight shell. See if there is power there.

Dave

gordo · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:29 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Also check ALL the connection's at all the splice's, as these often get corroded, esp. at the coil's & the kill switch.After you get them nice & shiny, fill the connector's with die-electric grease, to slow further corrosion. The coil's on those bike's were marginal at best, so check for spark ,too. Keep us informed to what you find,OK? Good luck,,,Gordo Sad

Retiredgentleman · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:31 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Because of what you lost, I would suspect the fuse panel, the ignition switch or possibly the main battery cables.

If you still have the old original glass fuse panel, just throw it away and replace with automotive blade fuses. Remove the ignition switch and clean up the contacts. Check both battery cables, no corrosion, ground cable is contacting bare metal.

nudude53 · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:32 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Dirty kill switch was my next guess, but Gordo beat me to it again...... Mad

drifter · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:39 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Kill switch wouldn't stop the lights from working. Spark was great and ran fine till it just cut off. The fuse block is still the old one and I had planned to replace it, I guess now is as good a time as any. In my mind, it seems that the ignition switch, or wires to/from it are probably suspect. Maybe connectors on them. Anyway, it will be Friday before I can get to it. I'll keep everyone informed as to what I find.

Dave

nudude53 · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Please do or you will have to follow John and I around town in a cab!

drifter · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:48 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

No cabs for me. She will be running again in short order.

Dave

nudude53 · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:53 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Whatever the problem is it's simple, the hard part is finding it.

gordo · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:53 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Sorry 'bout that, dude

nudude53 · Posted: June 3, 2009, 9:55 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

It's all good Gordo

xsjohn · Posted: June 3, 2009, 10:02 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Breaking News North Carolina....Local man harassed by simi local bikers......Local man was heard stating...."as long as he can stay outside of the distance that the harrasing bikers can travel without having catastrophic failure the safer the local man feels.....:lol:

Sources are now saying that the local man was heard saying that Obama was being compared to Lincoln......but after further investication the sources have discovered that America may just not be that lucky this time...........

xsjohn

drifter · Posted: June 5, 2009, 7:26 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Okay...I checked the plug for the switch in the headlight shell. With key off I have about 12.5 volts on incoming side and switch side. With key in ON position, I lose voltage on the red wire on the switch side (forgot to check the other side of plug). The switch checks out for continuity according to the manual. Why, with the key off, do I have 12.5 volts on red wire at switch side of plug, but none when I turn the key on?

Dave

Retiredgentleman · Posted: June 5, 2009, 11:48 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

I'm not clear on how you are testing the ignition switch.

Lets try a simple test. Remove the 3, 10 amp fuses for headlight, signals and ignition. Leave the 20 amp main fuse in place. Measure the voltage at the main fuse. Check for voltage at the 3 empty fuse holders; there should be no voltage. Now turn on the ignition switch and measure the voltage at the 3 empty fuse holders. As you turn the ignition sw on and off, voltage should appear then disappear at one side of the 3 fuse holders.

drifter · Posted: June 5, 2009, 11:50 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Retiredgentleman wrote:

I'm not clear on how you are testing the ignition switch.

Lets try a simple test. Remove the 3, 10 amp fuses for headlight, signals and ignition. Leave the 20 amp main fuse in place. Measure the voltage at the main fuse. Check for voltage at the 3 empty fuse holders; there should be no voltage. Now turn on the ignition switch and measure the voltage at the 3 empty fuse holders. As you turn the ignition sw on and off, voltage should appear then disappear at one side of the 3 fuse holders.

I'll check that first thing tomorrow.

Dave

drifter · Posted: June 7, 2009, 4:19 pm Post subject: Re: Help!! Bike Died

Okay....for all the tips, and help, thanks! My XS is now running again and sounding as good as ever. Don't ask me what I did to fix it though. Nothing I did seemed to work, until, in frustration I took my screwdriver handle and knocked a few times on the starter relay and the voltage regulator (both mechanical). Turned the key and whammo! Instruments lit up! flipped the enrichener lever and kicked her through...ONCE! She fired up! Turned it off and tried again...one kick and she fired right up! Left her running while I buttoned up the headlight and replaced the sidecovers and latched the seat....not a miss or skip. After closing everything back up I switched it off and tried it one more time. First kick...fired right up! I guess it was maybe a relay stuck or something, but anyway she is running good again.

Dave

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