electrical gremlins

[Isaacs]

My bike has 40,000 miles and for the longest time it has been running perfect. The use of past tense is the reason for the letter.
today while running along about 80 mph the bike just shut down and just as quickly it started running again. This happened two more times be fore getting home, about 10 miles at speeds between 30 and 50 mph.
The question I have is this should I start be checking the the kill switch, key switch or?

One more thing my bike does not like to idle smoothly, I do not weather it could be the idle speed motor,(if it has one) or the throttle postion switch?
:bikes

Sorry, The bike is a 2002 k1200lt

[jdiaz]

I have the same problem with my K75. Goes dead at speed, and will start right up again off the starter button even before coasting to a stop. Outside temperature doesn't seem to matter.

Repair suggestions so far:

$ - a failure in the fuel-level sender wiring where it passes thru the bottom of the gas tank (I wiggled those wires in my driveway for a hour last weekend while the bike idled, and it never hiccuped). I will probably spend the $85 to rule this one out since that wiring is almost 20 years old.

$ - ignition key or kill switch problem (I've mostly ruled the kill switch out, since its only two years old. Wiggling the ignition key doesn't produce anything either.)

$$ - Hall-effect sending unit issue (I thought the failure was more temp dependent when this happens, and wouldn't expect the bike to re-start right away).

$$$$$$ - Igniter box. Breyfogle had this problem....I need to re-read his thread.

I had a great summer with this bike (actually, 18 great years). This is the first time its ever really left me scratching my head.

[tjtraver]

This sounds very similar to what happened to my K75 . Riding along at highway speeds , the bike would just shut down, tach going to zero even as I coasted to stop in gear. Bike restarted immediately . This happened probably 10 times in 100 mi ride . Failure got progressively closer together as the day wore on . My diagnostic was to remove the T shaped hall sensor cover and ride it with the cover off . Only failed once in the last 50 miles as apposed to 9 times in the first 50 , which lead me to suspect the hall sensor . I installed a used Hall sensor , aliging it exactly same position as the old one that I removed . Bike fired right up and has run fine ever since (10k miles ). That was the problem . YMMV

Todd

[jdiaz]

Cool, thanks Todd!

[deilenberger]

My bike has 40,000 miles and for the longest time it has been running perfect. The use of past tense is the reason for the letter.
today while running along about 80 mph the bike just shut down and just as quickly it started running again. This happened two more times be fore getting home, about 10 miles at speeds between 30 and 50 mph.
The question I have is this should I start be checking the the kill switch, key switch or?

One more thing my bike does not like to idle smoothly, I do not weather it could be the idle speed motor,(if it has one) or the throttle postion switch?
:bikesOne suggestion - what year/model K bike do you have? I seem to have missed it somehow and it can change what the answer to your question might be..

[Ktoo]

That happened to me this summer, Goin' along with my 91 K100RS and every thing
"shut down" . after some inspection discovered the ignition switch is iffy. wiggling the
key won't 'make it go' cause the switch is at the very bottom of the key tumblers. Only after squeezzing my finger under the switch did the culprit I find!

[bikerfish1100]

i'm leaning toward the HES, but you might also want to check the battery connections, and all major grounds (last 2 options are no parts, just some time and effort, so i'd do those first).

[jpeck]

I had the same problem with my K75. I took the ignition switch apart and cleaned it and it's been fine since. One clue I had was that the ABS light flashed just as if the ignition was being turned off and on. Good luck.

[smilingcouple]

When it gives you problems, pull up on the starter button and see if it refires. That is what I had to replace.

[godzilla]

When my 85 K100 did that a couple years ago, it was the Hall Effect sensor.

[Isaacs]

Thanks for the response, many good ideas.

The right hand switch assembly was replaced 2 years ago after a tip over in the P.O. garage.

I will look into the Hall effect sensor, but the ignition switch is my main objective at this point. When cleaning the ignition switch will I have to disassemble the contact housing or flush it with contact cleaner through the drain hole?
To this point I have not found any loose or corroded ground leads.

Thanks again for the in put and just keep the e-mails coming.:bikes

[mrich12000]

starter going bad. time to rebrush it..:bikes :buds :wave uknow ground controls all on this k bikes

[godzilla]

Thanks for the response, many good ideas.

The right hand switch assembly was replaced 2 years ago after a tip over in the P.O. garage.

I will look into the Hall effect sensor, but the ignition switch is my main objective at this point. When cleaning the ignition switch will I have to disassemble the contact housing or flush it with contact cleaner through the drain hole?
To this point I have not found any loose or corroded ground leads.

Thanks again for the in put and just keep the e-mails coming.:bikes


See the thread about Lights Flickering. There is an excellant link to how to clean the ignition switch.