Electrical problem left me stranded on the freeway. Why?

[bryanhayn]

Today I went on a 70 mile ride from my home up to the north shore of Oahu and back down toward Wahiawa. My XB12R (2007 with 15221 miles) performed flawlessly until I got past Laie (about mile 60) when the red check engine light came on. The bike was running fine and I didn't feel excess heat coming from the engine so I kept riding since there was nowhere to stop. I made it to just before Wahiawa (about mile 68) where my bike started cutting out while idling and when coasting to a stop while holding in the clutch...and then my tach intermittently stopped working. I was able to keep my bike alive by blipping the throttle and/or holding it above 2000 RPM and luckily made it to a bike shop in Wahiawa where I shut off the bike. I looked around the store for a bit and called my wife then came back to the bike after about 10 minutes and tried to start it, but it just made a rapid clicking sound and wouldn't turn over. Since I wasn't able to get a tow, I had a guy from the bike shop give me a jump. The bike started and idled fine and the check engine light didn't come on, so I headed toward home. About a mile later the engine light came on, then a bit later the tach stopped, then my speedo stopped...then my whole instrument panel went dead...but the bike kept running......then it started cutting out at low RPM, so I downshifted to keep up the RPMs....then it started sputtering and cutting out more, so I pulled in the clutch and coasted to a stop on the side of the freeway.

Anyone know what could have caused this? I had just picked up my bike from the shop 9 days ago for leaky PCV valves and now I have to deal with this. This new (used) bike is really starting to piss me off.

 

[user_deleted]

This new (used) bike is really starting to piss me off.

calm down. it's the battery. it's either destined for the graveyard, loose terminals, or corrosion on terminals. remove seat, inspect battery terminals for cleanliness, tighten both cable connections if necessary, check negative terminal for tightness where it goes to ground. then give battery a good 4-6 amp charge for at least 1 hour. with red run switch OFF, turn on key, let gauge needles sweep, turn on run switch and let ecm and fuel pump cycle thru. now start, warm engine, take simple volt meter and check DC voltage at battery. at 2000 rpm you should see between 13.2 and 14.2 volts. these are approximates. if you don't see these #'s or you're not competent to do the above take it to a shop that can.

 

[Cosworth]

^^ Check the battery its either the battery or charging system. I.E. voltage reg, stator etc. Fuel injection does not run long without correct voltage.

I highly reccomend this mod I just did it to my bike and absolutely love it. Bettter yet I only have maybe 3 dollars into the mod and gives me real time charging status.

http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-For...12Ss-CityX-XB12Scg/voltage-gauge-install-pics

 

[user_deleted]

OR this, which gives me great peace of mind on trips, large and legible, super simple to install...and best of all....i sell them. LOL LOL

 

[Theycallmecrash]

Its definately charging system related, there are dozen of threads about testing. Doubt the battery on its own is the problem.

You either have a bad voltage regulator, or the stator has given up on you.

 

[WIGGLE2]

While it IS very much a possibilty of stator/reg, it is still ALWAYS a good idea to START with the basics. I myself had a very similar situation, which turned out to be only a poor connection at the ground post at battery. It would also be a good idea to pull the cover and check what they refer to (I believe?) the #77 connector. Pull it apart, inspect/repair ir as required. Mine was fine, but while apart, I loaded it with some dielectric grease in hopes of staving off future issues.

 

[bryanhayn]

The shop repaired it for free and I got the bike back on 3/6/2014. Here's what they wrote on the repair order:

Charged battery, load tested good. Checked charging system, wasn't getting power from stator. Inspected and found plug from stator to regulator wasn't seated properly. Cleaned and properly installed plug. Checked charging system again, now charging correctly 13.67V. Test rode 10 miles, checked charging system again, charging at 14.2V. Good."

But on 3/17 the same problem appeared again. Tach died and bike started to sputter, but luckily I was near my grandparents' home and made it there safely. Shop picked it up...again...and are currently working on it. Both times this problem appeared was after long (by Hawaii standards) rides of >50 miles. Weird.

 

[Cosworth]

Check that plug again, Id be curious if its working itself loose. Maybe a bad connector thats not seating all the way and clicking.

 

[bryanhayn]

^yeah, I read about arcing issues in these plugs. Hopefully the shop will update to the new plugs since I'm sure they're growing tired of giving me free parts and labor. This is like the 4th time they had to work on it within the past 2 months.

 

[bryanhayn]

Shop called and said they fixed the melted stator plug and installed a new battery, so I'll be picking up the bike tomorrow. But...wouldn't an arcing stator plug cause single-phasing and burnout the stator coils? Anyone with a melted plug also end up with a burned out stator?
I should probably ask the shop if they properly tested the coils.

 

[WIGGLE2]

It would also be a good idea to pull the cover and check what they refer to (I believe?) the #77 connector. Pull it apart, inspect/repair ir as required. Mine was fine, but while apart, I loaded it with some dielectric grease in hopes of staving off future issues.

Wa-lah! IF it's charging correctly, it's fine.