Jump to content
CBR1100XX.org Forum

Odd problem... bike cuts out with no warning


Toynutt

Recommended Posts

Took the '03 out of storage for my cousin to use while he was visiting. I rode the bike home to make sure all was well. I had the bike cut out on me on the way home on I696 at about 70mph. The engine stalled quite instantly almost as if I had pressed a kill switch...no sputtering or bucking of any kind. I couldn't restart while riding so I coasted it to a safe stop and checked all of the controls to see if something was amiss. It didn't crank the first few tries as I checked to make sure the kickstand wasn't partially down. I recycled the key, etc. It finally cranked and fired up on my third or fourth try and I rode the 20 miles home.

I replaced the side stand switch and harness on a hunch that the installation of Dave's lowering pegs might have affected the integrity of the switch due to the fact that the side stand no longer parks in it's normal location.

My cousin rode with me on a day trip and had it cut out about 15 miles from my house...same symptoms again. :icon_eh:

This one seems to be a head scratcher....No warnings...just a sudden engine stall with no stumble at all.

Any one experienced this type of problem on a low mile '03 (about 7K)? Any clues or directions worth pursuing here (ignition switch,perhaps) ?

Thanks guys.

I am generally pretty handy with tools, but I hate tracking down intermittent electrical gremlins. :icon_wall:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When it cuts out, do you lose all electrical (lights, dash, etc.) before you cycle the key?

If everything stays lit, it could be the "bank-angle sensor", aka "tip-over switch".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When it cuts out, do you lose all electrical (lights, dash, etc.) before you cycle the key?

If everything stays lit, it could be the "bank-angle sensor", aka "tip-over switch".

Nope.

Everything stayed lit. Just a solid FI light as the bike coasted to a standstill. I was thinking of the bank angle switch could be at fault (even though I was riding in a straight line at the time).

Any easy way to verify it being bad or do I just change it for insurance? Isn't it pretty much a mercury switch in design?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree, it seems that the culprit is the bank angle sensor or the kickstand sensor. Since you still had lights and indicators when it cut out, I can't think of anything else offhand that would prevent the engine from even cranking.

It would probably be worthwhile to try idling the bike for a while to see if you can reproduce it. You'll want to have a multimeter ready so you can take readings on both sensors when it happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is exactly the problem I was having with my 954, and I'm real sure it was the bank angle sensor. The good news is that it's interchangeable with the blackbird.

With mine, you could shake it back and forth and feel the pendulum slop from side to side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Al, I'd bypass it. Jumper the red and green wires.

Then see if the symptoms persist. If not, that's your problem.

If that's just too radical for you, I could pull one off one of my bikes and send it to you to do the diagnosis.

Thanks for the offer Joe.

I do have my pristine 0-mile '03 still parked in my warehouse should I ever need to have a reference part to test (not likely, though).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about the actual kill switch??? I think the lights stay on when you hit it. Maybe take apart and clean contacts?

Of course it could be a bad connection in any part of the harness that feeds any of the parts mentioned.

Like the kill switch, there is a connector in the nose fairing for a lot of the front end.

I had the sidestand switch go bad in an old Yamaha, it sucked when the engine died at 80mph in the fast lane.

Finally just cut and spliced, problem solved.

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

OK ...

I replaced the Kill switch assembly, the bank angle sensor, the kickstand switch, and the battery (needed one anyway). I wanted to make sure that my cousin, who is staying with me for a couple of months has a reliable ride to enjoy. Unfortunately, he reported that it still happened a couple of times this last month. He was able to restart the bike but I am still scratching my head on this one.

The only two things I can think of would be the ignition switch, or the ECM (no codes at present). The bike does have a powercomander, but I have never heard of this problem with one before.

Any one care to chime in on this one?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Double check the routing of the wires for the kickstand switch. Make sure they are not rubbing and shorting out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Double check the routing of the wires for the kickstand switch. Make sure they are not rubbing and shorting out.

I replaced the switch which comes with the wiring harness attached. The old one was in good shape.

Eliminate any variables you can, and that includes the Power Commander. Take it out of the system.

Did the battery go dead or significantly discharge at some point while sitting?

My cousin said he was riding along in a straight line (no angle to the bike) when it cut out. He hit the button after it cut out and nothing happened. He cycled the key and hit the button and it fired right up. The battery that was in it was several years old ...I changed it out for a Deka Extreme and upped the battery size while I was at it (I am a distributor).

I am leaning towards an ignition switch going bad...if my logic is correct.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Joe on this one pull the power commander and see if that fixes it. Every time you cycle the ignition switch it will reset the power commander. Could be something in that failing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would lean more towards the Power Commander going out. I have heard of alot of quirky issues casused by those lately .... like the PC rebooting and going back to factory setting in the middle of a ride. Eliminate the PC and see if it fixes the problem

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My cousin said he was riding along in a straight line (no angle to the bike) when it cut out. He hit the button after it cut out and nothing happened.

Years ago, I was riding my 750 Honda on a 1000 mile trip when it just turned off right before entering a tunnel. It would start up again and at some point turn off again. I thought it was the ignition switch which the Evansville IN Honda dealer had in stock. No problems after that. Don't know if that is what yours is doing but a thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Double check the routing of the wires for the kickstand switch. Make sure they are not rubbing and shorting out.

I replaced the switch which comes with the wiring harness attached. The old one was in good shape.

Eliminate any variables you can, and that includes the Power Commander. Take it out of the system.

Did the battery go dead or significantly discharge at some point while sitting?

My cousin said he was riding along in a straight line (no angle to the bike) when it cut out. He hit the button after it cut out and nothing happened. He cycled the key and hit the button and it fired right up. The battery that was in it was several years old ...I changed it out for a Deka Extreme and upped the battery size while I was at it (I am a distributor).

I am leaning towards an ignition switch going bad...if my logic is correct.

If I had known originally that there was a PC, that would have been my first suggestion. Get the Power Commander out of the system.

They do go bad, and they are quite suspect if the battery voltage has dropped to zero or near zero while the bike has been sitting/stored.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bank angle sensor has to be done that way to reset it. Must turn off the key. I am probably the only one to have caused their BAS to trip on a ride. And not hit the ground. The way it works in the wiring a loose connector or shorted wire would cause it to do that. I looked at the wiring to see if I could wire around it but not able to. So I pulled the pendulum out.

Just saying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bank angle sensor has to be done that way to reset it. Must turn off the key. I am probably the only one to have caused their BAS to trip on a ride. And not hit the ground. The way it works in the wiring a loose connector or shorted wire would cause it to do that. I looked at the wiring to see if I could wire around it but not able to. So I pulled the pendulum out.

Just saying.

so when your bank angle sensor cut out during a low angle turn, did it effect the rest of your turn?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ther is a block connector (4 or 6 wires) down low on the left side of the frame close to the gear shift,ck for loose connection or burnt connection on one or more wires. Rob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bank angle sensor has to be done that way to reset it. Must turn off the key. I am probably the only one to have caused their BAS to trip on a ride. And not hit the ground. The way it works in the wiring a loose connector or shorted wire would cause it to do that. I looked at the wiring to see if I could wire around it but not able to. So I pulled the pendulum out.

Just saying.

so when your bank angle sensor cut out during a low angle turn, did it effect the rest of your turn?

Died, had to turn off the key, back on fired right up.

You may not know, this was on the blackbird quad, and was off road at the time in the sand hills, when I first built it in 2003. Being that I turn flat and does not lean, centrifugal force throws the pendulum and kills it. Same as dropping the bike.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Took the '03 out of storage for my cousin to use while he was visiting. I rode the bike home to make sure all was well. I had the bike cut out on me on the way home on I696 at about 70mph. The engine stalled quite instantly almost as if I had pressed a kill switch...no sputtering or bucking of any kind. I couldn't restart while riding so I coasted it to a safe stop and checked all of the controls to see if something was amiss. It didn't crank the first few tries as I checked to make sure the kickstand wasn't partially down. I recycled the key, etc. It finally cranked and fired up on my third or fourth try and I rode the 20 miles home.

I replaced the side stand switch and harness on a hunch that the installation of Dave's lowering pegs might have affected the integrity of the switch due to the fact that the side stand no longer parks in it's normal location.

My cousin rode with me on a day trip and had it cut out about 15 miles from my house...same symptoms again. :icon_eh:

This one seems to be a head scratcher....No warnings...just a sudden engine stall with no stumble at all.

Any one experienced this type of problem on a low mile '03 (about 7K)? Any clues or directions worth pursuing here (ignition switch,perhaps) ?

Thanks guys.

I am generally pretty handy with tools, but I hate tracking down intermittent electrical gremlins. :icon_wall:

Did ever get the cutting out problem solved

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use