Timujin Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Last night I was riding the Bird on the freeway and started to get "hiccups" of power loss while cruising at around 70-75mph. These are just slight drop offs in power, slight hesitations. On my way back home, though, they were worse and then the engine died completely. I pulled over and was able to get it started again, but it was running pretty rough. I had about 1/4 tank of gas, so I got it to a station and filled it up, thinking maybe it was something to do with that (and that being the only thing I might be able to "fix" while on the road). It ran a tiny bit better, but was still hesitating. If revved to 9000, it would shut off again, but it made it back at least just cruising at 65-70mph. Have you encountered this before? Where should I start looking? Bad fuel? Clogged injectors (and if so, Sea Foam?)? Electrical issues? I know sometimes what seems like a fuel issue ends up being fire. This is a '99, btw, with a PCIII and Microns (if that makes any difference). It also has a slew of other stuff the PO put on, but it was all done with great care by a professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Was this the first ride of the year after being in storage? If not a fuel issue, save yourself a ton of headache and try a new battery before doing any more troubleshooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon haney Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Was this the first ride of the year after being in storage? If not a fuel issue, save yourself a ton of headache and try a new battery before doing any more troubleshooting. If that doesn't fix it, try removing the Power Commander. Sometimes they go bad. Also, check the ground wires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbrxxquad Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 low battery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John01XX Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 I had similar happenings to my 2001 Bird while attending NeXXt in Pennsylvania. Unplugged the PC and all was well all the way back to Florida Replaced the PC for permanent fix. The PC is an easy thing to disconnect (bypass), try that to see if the problem disappears, otherwise it should be a low voltage issue as stated (weak battery) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timujin Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 Awesome, thanks. I'll start with the battery, move on to the PC if that doesn't fix it. One other suggestion from the PO was: a wiring loom connection that sometimes gives problems since it is not necessarily that well sealed from the elements. it is a giant plug that I think allows the motor to be removed from the rest of the bike. You will have to go on the foruns or Google to get the exact location of it. Thoughts? Do you know what/where he's talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockmeupto125 Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Awesome, thanks. I'll start with the battery, move on to the PC if that doesn't fix it. One other suggestion from the PO was: a wiring loom connection that sometimes gives problems since it is not necessarily that well sealed from the elements. it is a giant plug that I think allows the motor to be removed from the rest of the bike. You will have to go on the foruns or Google to get the exact location of it. Thoughts? Do you know what/where he's talking about? Thoughts.......you have been given good advice by the previous posters. Charge the battery. Check the voltage with the bike off, the bike running, and the bike at 3000 rpm. Compare the results. If there appears no problem, road test the bike. If the problem persists, remove the PC from the circuit. Road test the bike. As far as the wiring block, its on the left hand side of the bike under the rear cowl. Its a large bulge wrapped in tape. Some folks have noticed degradation in the connections within that block, and have soldered those connections for best continuity. Of the few folks noting that, the majority seem to be located in consistently damp climates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timujin Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 Awesome, thanks. I'll start with the battery and go from there. One last question, any particular brand recommendations on the battery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cecome Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 where are you located I'm just north of LA county. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timujin Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 where are you located I'm just north of LA county. Pasadena for another four days, but I'm moving to the westside Saturday. I actually don't have any time to even look at the bike right now and am waiting until after I move to work on it. I'm going to put it on a trickle charger and see if that helps with the battery. Weird thing, though, is that the problem got worse as I was riding, so it doesn't seem like it would be a low battery, more likely a charging or connectivity/wiring issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockmeupto125 Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 Weird thing, though, is that the problem got worse as I was riding, so it doesn't seem like it would be a low battery, more likely a charging or connectivity/wiring issue. Read what you wrote. The problem got worse. As you used up the available energy in the battery, the problem got worse. If you have a bad battery, it may not charge well and may not be delivering the necessary current. If the system isn't charging the battery properly, you'll have the same result. The diagnosis matches your symptoms. You're on the right track to first get a charge in the battery. You know, I think the issue gets confused sometimes. You guys in more temperate climates who can ride just about any day experience linear charging system/battery failure. It creeps up on you gradually. In contrast, folks who live in northern areas where we have an interrupted riding season have big temp variations in the transitional seasons of fall and spring. There can be as much as 40-50 degrees difference within a 24 hour span, and batteries are extremely temperature dependent. Battery/charging system failures here are much more pronounced and definitive. My point is that its generally easier to fix something that's broke rather than something that's "acting up." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titbird Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 My first thought was fuel filter... But I don't know my ass from my elbow... P.s. when the bat died on my bird, I had similar symptoms... And the guages went all funky (stopped working, etc.) Good luck brother, let us know what you find... Tit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXX Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Awesome, thanks. I'll start with the battery and go from there. One last question, any particular brand recommendations on the battery? Unless someone posts differently: http://www.batterymart.com/c-big-crank-batteries.html AGM battery is the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrick Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Phillip loves a big crank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryG Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I replaced my battery a couple years ago with a $55 sportbike battery from Walmart. Mine's always on a trickle charger at home. No hiccups at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewtoy Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Awesome, thanks. I'll start with the battery and go from there. One last question, any particular brand recommendations on the battery? Unless someone posts differently: http://www.batterymart.com/c-big-crank-batteries.html AGM battery is the way to go. +1 Have it, love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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